By Alan Carasso
Battle of Normandy (City of Light) put the final touches on a spectacular Saturday for West Point Thoroughbreds and partners with a stalk-and-pounce success in the GIII River City Stakes as night fell across Churchill Downs on Saturday. The partnership also campaigns Saturday's GIII Hill Prince Stakes runner-up Cugino (Twirling Candy) as well as GII Red Smith Stakes winner Integration (Quality Road). All three West Point gallopers are by Lane's End stallions.
While Masteroffoxhounds (War Front) and Hades (Awesome Slew) were off slowly, Wonderful Justice (GB) (Justify) left there cleanly and so, too, did Battle of Normandy, who settled kindly just off the flank of the pacesetter through moderate early fractions. Luan Machado sent Battle of Normandy into the lead with a bit more than a quarter-mile to travel, pinched a break in upper stretch and held firm as Reckoning Force (Air Force Blue) emerged from the pack to complete the exacta. Gigante (Not This Time) was a forward factor and found the line just ahead of lukewarm favorite Cash Equity (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}).
“He was a bit headstrong going into the first turn but I tried to get him to settle as much as I could going onto the backside,” said Machado, winning his fourth graded stakes in the space of the last seven weeks. “He was so full of himself and just dragging me the entire time. I watched his last few races and you could see with the blinkers he liked to be pretty close. He's a very impressive-moving colt. We weren't going too fast early so I was confident turning for home he'd still have a lot of energy left. He just took off when I asked him and finished up very well.”
A maiden winner and twice placed in Grade III company from his first nine trips to the post, Battle of Normady entered Saturday's test in arguably the best form of his career. The two-length winner of a nine-furlong allowance at Aqueduct June 16, the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate lasted in an 11-furlong contest over the Saratoga turf course July 14, defeating future Colonial Cup Stakes and GIII Singspiel Stakes winner Truly Quality (Quality Road). He completed a hat trick of victories when besting next-out GIII Knickerbocker Stakes hero Andthewinneris (Oscar Performance) back on Long Island in allowance company Sept. 20.
Pedigree Notes:
Battle of Normandy is the 11th black-type winner and sixth graded winner for the in-form City of Light, who has been represented this year by MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness, his GSW full-brother Mentee, GIII Bewitch Stakes winner Chop Chop and GII Del Mar Derby hero Formidable Man.
Gage Hill Stable purchased the colt that would become Battle of Normandy in utero for $280,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale, and the dual stakes winner Adorable Miss has since gone from strength to strength. A sister to 2016 GIII Pucker Up Stakes victress Noble Beauty, the mare is responsible for Cugino, winner of this year's Audubon Stakes at Churchill and runner-up in Saturday's GIII Hill Prince Stakes at Aqueduct; and the stakes-placed Veronica Greene (Tapit). The family has starred this week at Keeneland, as the latter sold for $725,000 in foal to Justify, while Adorable Miss fetched $750,000 when offered in pregnant to Flightline.
Adorable Miss is also the dam of the 2-year-old gelding Long Acting (War of Will) and the yearling colt Essential Charm (Essential Quality).
Saturday, Churchill Downs
RIVER CITY S.-GIII, $290,500, Churchill Downs, 11-9, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.79, fm.
1–BATTLE OF NORMANDY, 121, c, 4, by City of Light
1st Dam: Adorable Miss (MSW, $162,590), by Kitten's Joy
2nd Dam: Money Huntress, by Mineshaft
3rd Dam: Favorite Funtime, by Seeking the Gold
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($500,000
Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford
Racing, LLC; B-Gage Hill Stables, LLC & W. S. Farish (KY);
T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Luan Machado. $178,800.
Lifetime Record: 13-5-3-1, $643,195. *1/2 to Cugino (Twirling
Candy), SW & MGSP, $435,960 and Veronica Greene (Tapit),
SP, $195,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Reckoning Force, 121, g, 4, Air Force Blue–Alasema, by Jazil.
($22,000 RNA Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $30,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT).
O-Qatar Racing, LLC, Marc Detampel and Fergus Galvin;
B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $58,000.
3–Gigante, 121, c, 4, Not This Time–Summertime Green,
by Empire Maker. ($120,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Diamond T
Racing LLC and Iapetus Racing LLC; B-Ann Mudge Backer &
Smitten Farm (VA); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $24,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.16, 3.54, 7.72.
Also Ran: Cash Equity (Fr), Wonderful Justice (GB), Masteroffoxhounds, Emmanuel, Public Sector (GB), Hades. Scratched: Harlan Estate.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Battle of Normandy wins the River City Stakes! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Cd5lYlBTDl
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) November 9, 2024
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