Falls City S. (G2) — Race 11 (4:22 p.m. ET)
Thursday’s $500,000 Falls City S. (G2) at Churchill Downs will have a familiar look as Envoutante and Bonny South, the one-two finishers in the 2020 Falls City, meet again in the 1 1/8-mile fixture for fillies and mares.
Most eyes, however, will be on Bonny South. Although beaten six lengths by Envoutante as an odds-on choice 12 months ago, the Juddmonte homebred has enjoyed a slightly more noteworthy 2021 campaign.
Victorious in her season opener, the Doubledogdare (G3), over Royal Flag, Bonny South subsequently placed in the Ogden Phipps (G1), Personal Ensign (G1), and Spinster (G1) behind Letruska, the likely division champion. Her one poor try was in the Delaware H. (G2), in which she finished fifth after chasing a slow pace.
Envoutante also had a couple unsuccessful run-ins with Letruska this season, but possesses a solid 6-3-1-2 record over the Churchill strip and can fare better than her last-out fifth in the Spinster, in which she finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Bonny South.
Crystal Ball finished in between Shedaresthedevil and Envoutante in the Sept. 18 Locust Grove (G3) over this strip, missing by a neck for all the marbles. She was less effective last out in the Spinster, in which she finished fourth.
The Falls City field of seven also includes the Chilean import Cheetara, a stakes winner at Colonial Downs over the summer and a likely pacesetter in this spot. Army Wife, the only three-year-old entered, landed the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Iowa Oaks (G3) before third-place efforts in the Alabama (G1) and Cotillion (G1) in her last two. The Mike Maker charge was also cross-entered in the Comely (G3) at Aqueduct on Friday.
