Gainesway Stable's Spendarella, a winner of four of five starts including the Del Mar Oaks (G1), headlines a field of eight for the 38th running of the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) for fillies and mares racing over the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs.
The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile will go as Saturday's fifth race with a 12:36 p.m. post time.
Trained by Graham Motion, Spendarella will be making her first start since the Del Mar Oaks in August. Her lone setback came at Royal Ascot last June in the Coronation (G1). Tyler Gaffalione has the mount Saturday and will break from post five.
To be successful in her 2023 debut, Spendarella will have to get past a trio of Chad Brown-trained runners that includes 2022 race winner Speak of the Devil (FR).
Owned by Peter Brant, Speak of the Devil returned from a nine-month layoff to finish fifth in the Honey Fox (G3) last month. Flavien Prat, who was aboard for last year's 2 ¾-length victory in this race, has the call Saturday and will break from post position two.
Other Brown entrants include Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Tim and Anna Cambron and Team Hanley's Haughty and Head of Plains Partners' Fluffy Socks.
Unraced since winning the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga in August, Haughty will be making her Churchill Downs debut. Third in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, Haughty will be ridden by Jose Ortiz and break from post three.
Fluffy Socks, a two-time graded stakes winner and six times graded stakes placed, will be making her first start since finishing fourth in the Rodeo Drive (G1) at Santa Anita in October. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will exit post seven.
The field for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with riders and weights from the rail out, is:
- Sharp Hero (Jareth Loveberry, 118 pounds),
- Speak of the Devil (FR) (Prat, 118),
- Haughty (Jose Ortiz, 120),
- Wakanaka (IRE) (Joel Rosario, 120),
- Spendarella (Gaffalione, 120),
- Sister Lou Ann (Luis Saez, 118),
- Fluffy Socks (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118),
- Freedom Speaks (James Graham, 118).
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