Grudge Match in the Alysheba Stakes

Three graded stakes winners with an affinity for Churchill Downs who have taken turns beating one another over the past year could turn the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes (gr. II) May 6 into a grudge match.

The edge among the three belongs to William S. Farish's homebred Eagle, a son of Candy Ride  , who comes into the 1 1/16-mile race on the main track off a victory in the Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland. Finishing second in that race was Noble Bird, who hasn't won a race yet this year but had a gritty triumph at Churchill in last summer's grade I Stephen Foster Handicap over Lea and Hoppertunity.

A son of Birdstone   and bred in Kentucky by Jack Swain, Noble Bird is owned by John Oxley who acquired him for $105,000 out of the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale. 

Finishing fourth in the 2015 Stephen Foster is the third grudge match challenger, Majestic Harbor, who beat Eagle by a head in the Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) Feb. 20 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Owned by Ron Beegle's Gallant Stables, Majestic Harbor finished fifth in his most recent start March 26 in the New Orleans Handicap. He was just behind Eagle, who got nosed out for third by International Star. 

Majestic Harbor, by Rockport Harbor, was sold as a yearling for $20,000 out of the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale by his breeders Brandywine Farm and Liberation Farm.

The Churchill surface won't give any of these three an edge because they all have solid records here. Noble Bird has a win and second-place finish in two starts at Churchill, while Eagle has a win, a second, and a third in four starts, and Majestic Harbor has three wins and three placings out of eight starts. 

This trio is also difficult to separate by Equibase Speed Figures. Eagle ran a 117 in taking the Ben Ali and Noble Bird earned a 115 for his second-place effort. Noble Bird ran in the Alysheba last year, where he finished second by a head to Protonico and earned a 116. He followed that up with a 118 for his Stephen Foster win. Meanwhile, Majestic Harbor at his best can be in the mix. His speed rating in the Mineshaft Handicap was 116.

Eagle is trained by Neil Howard and will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., his pilot in the Ben Ali. Noble Bird is trained by Mark Casse, who will lift Julien Leparaoux into the irons. Majestic Harbor is trained by Paul McGree and will be ridden by Corey Lanerie.