Churchill Downs: Xigera, Star Fortress win Thanksgiving stakes

Richard Rigney’s Xigera trackedpacesetter Jag Warrior early on, pounced to the lead at the top ofthe stretch and drew away down the stretch to easily win by a widening 6 1/2lengths Thursday in the 108th running of the Grade2, $400,000 Falls City Stakes, the traditional Thanksgiving Day fixture for filliesand mares at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Phil Bauer andridden by Julien Leparoux, Xigera ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in1:50.75 while defeating long shots Music Street, who surged late forsecond, and Jag Warrior, who was another head back in third. Rigney and Bauerteamed to win last year’s Fall City with the now-retired Played Hard.

“She’s a special type of horse, which makesour job easy,” Bauer said. “You hang a bridle on her, and she knows what sheneeds to do. I’m so fortunate to be in the position I am with a great stableand owner. At the time we thought grass was her preferred surface as a2-year-old, but she’s proven us wrong. She has such a quick turn of foot, whichmakes her so dynamic.”

There was no beating @JulienLeparoux and XIGERA ($2.30) today in the $400,000 Falls City Stakes (G3) at @ChurchillDowns. This 3-year-old Nyquist (@DarleyAmerica) filly was trained Philip Bauer! Congrats to owners Rigney Racing.?? pic.twitter.com/LSd8gOpKY8

— TVG (@TVG) November 23, 2023

After convincing, back-to-back stakes wins in September’s $171,750Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs and last month’s $250,000 MotherGoose (G2) at Belmont at the Big A, Xigera (1-9) was sent to post as theodds-on betting favorite in the field of seven fillies and mares.

Breaking from post 6, Xigerasettled in the clear in third up the backstretch as Jag Warrior dictated theterms through fractions of 24.03, 49.02 and 1:13.38. With a three-wide move onthe final turn, Xigera dragged Leparoux to the front and emerged as the leaderwith a quarter-mile to run. The only questions were who would run second and howwide the winning margin would be.

“We’ve always loved her since she was a2-year-old,” Leparoux said. “May have made a mistake keeping her in the grassas long as we have, but she’s had a great year overall. She’s going to be evenbetter next year. I think she’s a very exciting horse.”

Xigera paid $2.30, $2.20 and$2.10. Music Street, ridden by Gerardo Corrales at odds of 49-1,returned $11.56 and $9.76. Jag Warrior, at odds of 52-1 under BrianHernandez Jr., paid $8.98 to show. Misty Veil, Shezz Koldazice, Skratch Kat, Bellamore and Distinctlypossible completed the orderof finish. Hidden Connection was scratched.

With the win, Xigera improved her overall record to 10: 6-1-1. Thursday’s$240,455 first prize jumped her earnings to $817,056.

The La Troienne (G1), which will be run in May at Churchill Downs,could be Xigera’s next start after a freshening.

Xigera was bred in Kentuckyby Cedar Hill. She is a 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist out of the BlackTie Affair mare Argent Affair.

Star Fortress wins by 10 on turf in Cardinal

Ireland-bred Star Fortress eventuallydominated the 48th running of the $267,500 Cardinal (G3) with a 10-length,last-to-first romp over favored Saffron Moon.

Star Fortress, a 4-year-old filly owned by John D. Guntherand by Tanya Gunther’s Eurowest Bloodstock Services, ran 1 1/8 miles over thesparingly used, good-rated turf in 1:51:10 to collect the first stakes win ofher career.

Luis Sáez rodethe winner for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

STAR FORTRESS wins The Cardinal Stakes with @luissaezpty aboard for @reredevaux! Congrats to her connections! pic.twitter.com/PqBnlmgFeJ

— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) November 23, 2023

Breaking from post 2 in thefield of six fillies and mares, Star Fortress settled in last during the earlystages as Walkathon set fractions of 23.35, 48.61 and 1:13.90. Fullof run while leaving the final turn, Sáez tipped Star Fortress out to thecenter of the track, and the filly displayed an explosive late kick to collarSaffron Moon and a tiring Walkathon with an eighth of mile to the finish. Herwinning margin only widened inside the final stages of the race.

“The plan worked out how we drew it up,” Sáezsaid. “We let the speed go and saved ground. Around the turn we swung out andjust really exploded down the stretch.”

The triumph was worth $153,450 and increased her earnings to$175,775. Star Fortress boasts a record of 8: 2-1-2.

Star Fortress (6-1) returned $14.68,$5.40 and $3.48 as the fifth betting choice. Post-time favorite Saffron Moon(9-5), ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, paid $3.60 and $3. Third-placefinisher Lovely Princess (4-1), under Hernandez, was another neck back inthird and paid $3.30 to show.The order of finish wascompleted by Juncture, Walkathon and Joyful Applause. Take aStand was scratched.

Before the Cardinal, Star Fortress finished third ina weight-for-age event over 1 1/2 miles on turf at Newmarket, England, inJuly. Her lone win in seven starts in England came in her second outing overChelmsford City’s all-weather track at 1 1/4 miles in July 2022.

“She was training very well coming into thisrace, and she won very impressively today,” DeVaux said. “We’re not sure wherewe’ll go next with her. Our plan was to get her to this race and focused onthat.”

Star Fortress, a gray-roandaughter of Sea The Stars out of the El Prado mare Lady Aquitaine, was bred by SaharaGroup, Eurowest and Sunderland Holdings.