Wine Princess goes out a winner in Falls City

Wine Princess concluded her racing career in style (Reed Palmer/Churchill Downs Photography) Becky Winemiller’s Wine Princess made her final start a winning one in the Grade 2, $165,300 Falls City Handicap, scoring by a comfortable 2 3/4-length margin in the Thanksgiving Day feature at Churchill Downs. The four-year-old filly, who will start her next career as a broodmare at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, earned her second stakes victory and has compiled an overall mark of 13-5-5-1, $461,561. Trained by Steve Margolis, Wine Princess provided jockey Shaun Bridgmohan with his 10th stakes win at Churchill Downs this year. She raced up close in third as Magic Hour established the early pace, tracking fractions of :25 and :49 1/5, and advanced to equal terms with the pacesetter turning for home. Wine Princess easily drew clear in upper stretch and was never threatened late, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:50 on the fast track. “She gave us a hell of a race today,” Margolis said. “She really did.”

As the 4-1 third choice among eight rivals, Wine Princess paid $10.80 to win.

Don’t Tell Sophia, the 8-5 favorite, closed belatedly for second, 1 1/4
lengths better than the 9-5 Flashy American, who lacked the necessary rally
after racing within striking range.

My Option, Magic Hour, Ice Cream Silence, Molly Morgan and Owl Moon came next
under the wire. Fiftyshadesofhay was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust, Wine Princess was
purchased by her owner for $475,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling
sale. Out of Azeri, the daughter of Ghostzapper is the result of a union between
two Horses of Year. Azeri was produced by Australian Group 3 winner Zodiac Miss
and has also reared Grade 2 runner-up Arienza. This is the extended family of
multiple Grade 1-winning turf miler Silic.

Wine Princess captured her stakes bow, last year’s Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks, and
concluded her sophomore season with a second in the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks. The
chestnut opened 2013 with an optional claiming victory at Churchill Downs in
late April and placed in four stakes, including the Grade 1 Spinster, before
returning to the winner’s circle in the Falls City.

“This filly’s been special from the get-go,” Margolis said. “Becky and Jimmy
(Winemiller) have been so good. They’ve always said ‘Do what’s best for the
filly.’ …For us, it couldn’t have ended on a happier note.”

“It was emotional because I’ve ridden her every time she’s run,” Bridgmohan
said of the career finale. “I’ve was around her when she first got here — I
worked her first half-mile. She’s run hard every time and it’s gratifying to get
one of these for her. She deserves it.”

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