Streaking Tiger Moth Heads Locust Grove

John Gunther's homebred Tiger Moth, a winner in her last two stakes starts, will look to extend her streak Sept. 16 in the  $100,000 Locust Grove Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Tiger Moth, a daughter of Street Sense  and a half sister to Gunther's grade 2 winner Last Gunfighter , has come from far off the pace in her stakes wins, the Mari Hulman George at Indiana Grand and the grade 3 Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park. Earlier this year she was tangling with the likes of Stellar Wind  in the grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap and Forever Unbridled in the grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap and faces more favorable foes here.

Merriebelle Stable's Blue Prize, trained by Ingnacio Correas IV, won at the group 1 level in Argentina last fall and seems to be coming to hand for the Locust Grove. The daughter of Pure Prize has run three times in the U.S., second in all three, and was beaten a nose last time out in Saratoga Race Course's Summer Colony Stakes. Third in the Summer Colony was Fuhriously Kissed.

Blue Prize came in second behind Fuhriously Kissed in an optional-claiming allowance at Saratoga July 24, and that filly returns in the Locust Grove. The Anita Cauley homebred 4-year-old filly is a two-time winner over the main track at Churchill Downs and is out of the stakes-winning French Kiss.

To her inside is G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s homebred Romantic Vision. The 5-year-old Lemon Drop Kid  mare will be making her eighth start over the main track at Churchill for trainer Rusty Arnold but has yet to make it to the winner's circle.

Romantic Vision finished fifth in last year's Locust Grove and her her half sister, by Orb , just sold for $125,000 Sept. 13 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Winless in six Churchill attempts is Sweetgrass, who races for the Louisville-based Six Column Stables, Randall Bloch, John Seller, and Fred Merrit. In her defense, all have come in graded stakes, including a fourth in last year's Locust Grove.

Entries: Locust Grove S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 16, 2017, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Brooklynsway (ON)	Robby Albarado	121	Bernard S. Flint	10/1
2	2Blue Prize (ARG)	James Graham	121	Ignacio Correas, IV	7/2
3	3Mo d'Amour (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Rodolphe Brisset	4/1
4	4Romantic Vision (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	George R. Arnold, II	4/1
5	5Fuhriously Kissed (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Ian R. Wilkes	5/1
6	6Sweetgrass (KY)	Chris Landeros	121	Ian R. Wilkes	6/1
7	7Tiger Moth (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	121	Brad H. Cox	3/1