Churchill Stakes Feature Spendthrift Stallions' Progeny

The juvenile sons and daughters of Spendthrift Farm stallions will be featured in a pair of restricted, non-black-type stakes Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs, opening day of the fall meet at the Louisville track.

In the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes, Zayat Stables' Ezmosh will try to build on an impressive maiden win at the Churchill September meeting. After that two-length score Sept. 16 in Louisville, the Oklahoma-bred son of Tizway  delivered a credible performance when sixth in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Stakes (G1) Oct. 7 at Keeneland.

Trained by Brad Cox, Ezmosh placed in his first two starts at Saratoga Race Course before his initial win at Churchill.

The expected field of eight juveniles trying seven furlongs also includes John Tippmann, who races for Al Baldassari, Dan Lion, Frances Demayo, and his namesake John Tippmann. Trained by Ken McPeek, the equine John Tippman secured a maiden win in his second start then finished second in the Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase Juvenile Stakes at Kentucky Downs and fifth in an off-the-turf edition of the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

This is the second year for the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes and it proved enough of a success in 2016 that Spendthrift and Churchill added a corresponding race for fillies, the Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes. Both races feature $200,000 purses that award purse money to owners and breeders.

In the Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes, Sagamore Farm homebred Southampton Way returns to dirt for the first time since finishing second in the Adirondack Stakes (G2) in August at Saratoga. Trained by Horacio DePaz, the daughter of Into Mischief  will try to secure her first stakes win. 

Southampton Way figures to be challenged by stakes winner Bibbidibobbidi Boo and impressive maiden winners Mia Mischief and Foxy Mischief. All three of those fillies also are daughters of Into Mischief.