Unplaced in four previous graded stakes attempts, Loved struck a new career high in Thursday’s $399,005 Falls City (G3) at Churchill Downs. The Brendan Walsh mare topped an all-Godolphin exacta with fellow homebred Tarifa in the Thanksgiving Day co-feature.
Falls City (G3)
The muddy track likely contributed to Loved’s breakout performance, considering that she’d romped by 12 lengths in the slop at Ellis Park in June 2023. But Walsh also noted that the lightly-raced five-year-old had been thriving in her training at Turfway Park of late, and that carried over to raceday at Churchill.
A Medaglia d’Oro half-sister to multiple Grade 1 star Maxfield, Loved was sent off as the 4.32-1 third choice in the wake of her fourth in Keeneland’s Spinster (G1). Sophomore Tarifa ended up as the slight 1.75-1 favorite over the 1.96-1 Musical Mischief, but she didn’t get going until her older colleague was already clear.
Although Tarifa broke on top, she conceded the lead to a few others more intent on scrambling ahead early. Chief among them was Enclosure, who outsprinted Peignoir and Musical Mischief through splits of :23.60 and :47.41. Enclosure was a spent force by the time she reached six furlongs in 1:11.76, when Musical Mischief and Loved ranged up in tandem.
Loved appeared to have much more momentum than Musical Mischief, and she duly drew off by 3 3/4 lengths with Tyler Gaffalione. Meanwhile, Tarifa had been shuffled back a bit on the inside before splitting foes turning into the stretch. She might have been more involved with a different trip, but that probably wouldn’t have been enough to bridge her entire margin of defeat.
Another three lengths adrift in third came Lexa, the 25-1 longest shot on the board. Neon Icon rounded out the superfecta, followed by Enclosure, Musical Mischief, Peignoir, and the ever-trailing Quatro Y Vinte.
Loved, who paid $10.64, negotiated 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.17. The bay improved her scorecard to 10-5-0-0, $585,955. Unraced at two and sidelined after a debut fourth in 2022, Loved made up for lost time by dominating her first three starts as a four-year-old in 2023. But she was shelved again after a fourth in her initial stakes attempt in last year’s Molly Pitcher (G3).
Resurfacing with a fourth in the April 19 Doubledogdare (G3), Loved moved forward to capture the Mari Hulman George Memorial next time at Horseshoe Indianapolis. She still found graded company a bit too tough when sixth in the Locust Grove (G2) and fourth in the Spinster, but feasted back at the Grade 3 level in the Falls City.
The Kentucky-bred is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, who is herself a half-sister to Grade 1-winning sire Sky Mesa. This is also the immediate family of multiple Grade 1 queen Matareya.
Cardinal (G3)
Trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Flavien Prat were out of luck in the Falls City with Musical Mischief and Tarifa, respectively, but they later teamed up to take the $265,000 Cardinal (G3) with Duvet Day. The 10.50-1 shot charged from near the back of the pack to deny 1.85-1 favorite She’s Lookin Lucky in the final strides.
She’s Lookin Lucky appeared to have made the winning move. Tracking in second as pacesetter Dreaming of Mo carved out fractions of :23.78, :48, and 1:12 on the firm turf, the favorite pounced in midstretch and edged away.
In contrast, Duvet Day was lagging in ninth in the 10-horse field until the top of the lane, and with a furlong to go, she still had seven rivals to pass. But the Irish-bred kicked into overdrive to do just that to win going away by three-quarters of a length.
Snapping a 10-race losing skid since the Astra S. at Santa Anita in January 2023, Duvet Day covered 1 1/8 grassy miles in 1:48.79 and returned $23. The cutback in distance sparked a total form reversal.
She’s Lookin Lucky held second by three-quarters of a length from the closing Queen Regent. Next came Stir Crazy, Dreaming of Mo, Quality Star, slow-starting Harvey’s Princess, Adrasteia, 2.71-1 second choice Implicated, and Magical Lute. Heart Spin was scratched.
Duvet Day has compiled a mark of 24-4-5-4, $420,540, reflecting placings in the 2023 Santa Ana (G3), 2024 Possibly Perfect S., and near-misses in the past two editions of the Santa Barbara S. The five-year-old had been off form of late. A distant fifth in the Aug. 16 CTT & TOC S. at Del Mar and in the Sept. 11 Nashville Gold Cup versus males at Kentucky Downs, Duvet Day was exiting a seventh in the Oct. 20 Dowager (G3) at Keeneland.
Campaigned by Jane Bacharach, William DeBurgh, and Richard Schatz, Duvet Day was bred in the Emerald Isle by John Yarr. The bay is a daughter of Starspangledbanner and Je T’Adore, by Montjeu, from the family of Grade 1-winning millionaire Tuscan Evening.
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