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Churchill Downs Partners With LEE Initiative For Jefferson County Public Schools Family Meal Program

The LEE Initiative, in partnership with Churchill Downs, announced its newest relief effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the hardships it has caused for families: a meal program.

Family Meal is a collaborative effort between The LEE Initiative, Churchill Downs, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), Louisville Metro, Audi and Humana, and will feed families who have children enrolled in JCPS.

“Reports are indicating that roughly 8 million Americans are slipping into poverty due to this crisis,” said chef Edward Lee, co-founder and director of programming for The LEE Initiative. “We hope the entire city will join us in proving that Louisville can be a truly compassionate city and that we can create innovative solutions to the hunger issues that have become so rampant. This program is more than just feeding families; it is helping families avoid facing poverty.”

The LEE Initiative will hire 50 cooks who have been out of work due to the pandemic. These cooks will use the Churchill Downs Racetrack kitchen to prepare 8,000 boxed meals a week, with each box feeding a family of four.

“We love working with The LEE Initiative to take the stigma out of getting a free meal and making sure families have a high-quality chef-prepared meal,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack executive chef David Danielson. “We are very pleased with the success of the program so far. It has reignited our team, and we work to show the virtue of leadership with hospitality. While there is still much hard work to do and many problems to solve, nothing is possible without a seat at the table for all. Feeding people is in our hearts, and during this difficult time, it is uplifting to know we can help those in our community who are in need.”

All meals will come frozen with instructions to reheat in the oven or microwave. JCPS will handle distribution and make meals available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at their meal site pick locations. Further pickup details will be available through JCPS.

For more information on the relief efforts, visit leeinitiative.org.

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Gran Alegria Seeks Fourth Group 1 in Mile Championship

A diverse group of 17 runners Sunday in Hanshin’s G1 Mile Championship, the second leg of the Japan Autumn International Series. Headlining the 1,600-meter test,

Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) accounted for a pair of Goup 1 wins in her two latest starts–the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo in June followed by Nakayama’s Sprinters S. Oct. 4. The daughter of Grade I-winning Tapitsfly (Tapit) won last season’s G1 Oka Sho over the same course and distance of this weekend’s Mile.

“She was in great condition for the Sprinters S., and although she didn’t start so quickly, the blistering turn of foot she showed at the end of the race was quite amazing,” said Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant to trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “She had a break at Northern Farm Tenei after the race, and since returning to the stable she’s been relaxed and in good order.”

Attempting to repeat in this season’s Mile Championship, Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) proved best in the 1,600-meter G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup at Kyoto in April before finishing third to Gran Alegria and the star mare Almond Eye (Jpn) in the Yasuda Kinen, a race he won in 2019. The 5-year-old boasts an impressive 50% win strike rate at the 1,600-meter distance. Assistant trainer Kenichi Shono commented: “He had some pain in his right hindquarters, so we had to skip the Sprinters S. In recent training he’s been working on the woodchip course, as the going on the uphill training track hasn’t been so good. It’ll be his first race since finishing third in this year’s Yasuda Kinen, and his regular rider, Yuichi Fukunaga, is expected to be in the saddle once more.”

Victorious in Tokyo’s G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup last fall, Salios (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) recorded a career-high victory in the

G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. over this course and distance in December. Runner-up behind Contrail (Jpn) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) and Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) earlier this spring, the 3-year-old took the 1,800-meter G2 Mainichi Okan at Tokyo Oct. 11. The colt has never finished worse than second in six career starts.

“He won well in the Mainichi Okan after being off for a while, and it just took him a bit longer to recover after that race,” said trainer Noriyuki Hori. “We’re just being careful with him and checking his condition as this race approaches.”

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Motion Looking Ahead To 2021 With Mean Mary; Sending German Group 1 Winner Laccario West To Del Mar

Trainer Graham Motion said he is already thinking well into 2021 with multiple graded stakes-winner Mean Mary with a title defense in the Grade 2 New York at Belmont Park an option for the well-bred daughter of Scat Daddy.

Owned and bred by Alex Campbell, Jr., Mean Mary was a gate-to-wire winner of the classic-distance turf event, which she won by 5 ¼ lengths under jockey Luis Saez. She was a last out seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, where she was in contention early on and maintained a favorable position in mid-stretch before fading.

Motion also saddled Invincible Gal and Alda in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, who finished a respective 11th and 12th.

“They all came back well,” Motion said of his Breeders' Cup contingent. “I was hoping for a better run from Mean Mary, but it's the Breeders' Cup and these races are obviously very tough.”

Out of the Grade 1-winning Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary, Mean Mary posted her fourth straight victory in the New York which she followed with a game runner-up finish to Rushing Fall in the Grade 1 Diana on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. Prior to the New York, she won the Grade 2 La Prevoyante going 1 ½ miles and Grade 3 Orchid going 1 3/8 miles, both at Gulfstream Park, displaying a similar frontrunning fashion.

Motion also spoke of Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic runner-up Laccario, who joined Motion's barn after making his North American debut in the 1 ½-mile event at Belmont Park and said the German Group 1 winner will ship to California for the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup on Nov. 27 at Del Mar.

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Whoa Nellie Hopes To Fire Fresh In Chilukki Stakes

Fox Hill Farms' five-time winning filly Whoa Nellie is set to return from a nine-month freshening in Saturday's $100,000 Grade 3 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs.

“I haven't worked her but know she can be a bit tough in the mornings,” said jockey Joe Rocco Jr., who piloted the Orb filly to two wins and a runner-up effort in her last three starts. “(Trainer Larry Jones') exercise rider typically works her in draw reins to keep her under control. She's run some very impressive races in her last few starts in the winter. I'm excited to get back on her.”

Whoa Nellie is listed at 4-1 on the morning line for Saturday's Chilukki. Prior to being on the sidelines, Whoa Nellie recorded a dominating 4 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Pippin Stakes and a narrow runner-up effort behind Go Google Yourself in the $200,000 G3 Bayakoa Stakes.

The Chilukki is the featured race on Saturday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m. and the Chilukki will go as Race 9 at 5:06 p.m.

The complete field for the one-mile Chilukki from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): New Roo (Brian Hernandez Jr., Tommy Drury, 20-1); Finite (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 8-5); Grand Cru Classe (Tyler Gaffalione, Bill Mott, 5-2); Whoa Nellie (Rocco, Jones, 4-1); Gold Standard (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 15-1); Risky Mandate (Miguel Mena, Tom Amoss, 5-1); Crazy Sexy Munny (Crystal Conning, Bill Morey, 50-1); Unique Factor (Corey Lanerie, Peter Miller, 10-1); and Sanenus (Rafael Bejarano, Michael McCarthy, 20-1).

The post Whoa Nellie Hopes To Fire Fresh In Chilukki Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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