Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Mr. Misunderstood will try to make up for lost time
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When Mr. Misunderstood won the River City as an odds-on favorite last fall at Churchill Downs, there was no telling where 2019 would take him.
After all, Mr. Misunderstood had won 11 of 15 starts on turf, including a sweep of his first eight. There was upside aplenty for the gelding, who had become a legitimate mainstay in the Midwest’s upper turf ranks.
But as Mr. Misunderstood seeks a repeat Saturday in the 42nd running of the Grade 3, $175,000 River City at Churchill, his connections have tempered their ambitions. In four starts this year, the 5-year-old gelding is winless.
“We’re looking to hit the reset button,” said owner Staton Flurry. “It’s been a pretty disappointing year.”
Trained by Brad Cox, Mr. Misunderstood was beset with pneumonia early this year at Fair Grounds and has been slow to find his best stride. His latest start, however, was his best of the year, as he was second after making a big move in the Sept. 29 Remington Green.
“The timing was right to run back in the River City,” said Flurry. “Hopefully we’re back on the right path with him.”
Opposition in the 1 1/8-mile River City is expected to include the Mike Maker trio of Bemma’s Boy, Cullum Road, and Space Mountain. Entries were to be drawn Wednesday.
The River City will be the last stakes at Churchill until six graded races are run Nov. 28-30 during the final week of the meet. It will be run for the first time under allowance conditions, as Churchill has eliminated handicap conditions for all its stakes, including the Grade 1 Clark, to be run Nov. 29.
Garcia to ride in Midwest
Martin Garcia is leaving Southern California to ride in the Midwest. The 35-yearold jockey will begin riding Wednesday at Churchill, according to his new agent, Jay Fedor, and will compete at Turfway Park prior to moving his tack to Oaklawn Park ahead of that meet, which starts Jan. 24.
Garcia has won a number of major races, most of them for Bob Baffert, in a 14-year career that has stalled in recent times. Garcia won the 2010 Preakness with Lookin At Lucky, the 2011 Kentucky Oaks with Plum Pretty, and the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Bayern. He has 1,540 wins and mount earnings of more than $86 million since he began riding in the U.S. in 2005.
Garcia, a native of Mexico, joins a growing list of Southern California horsemen migrating eastward. Among the trainers who will have strings at Oaklawn are Phil D’Amato, Peter Miller, and Doug O’Neill.
Two allowances top card
A pair of allowances will be co-featured at Churchill on the 10-race Friday card, which starts at 1 p.m. Eastern. Both are for fillies and mares and are scheduled for the grass.
Race 6 is a $102,000 third-level allowance mile in which Smart Shot, trained by Rusty Arnold, will be looking to improve on her 3-for-5 mark over the Churchill turf. Race 9 is a $97,000 first-level allowance at 1 3/8 miles, and there’s no real standout among a full field of 12.
Racing was canceled here Wednesday because of subfreezing temperatures, marking the first such cancellation since the 2014 fall meet. A resumption of racing was expected Thursday with a moderate warming trend.
◗ Restless Rider won’t race again until early next year to recover from a quarter crack that forced trainer Kenny McPeek to scratch the Grade 1-winning filly from her intended comeback race, the Oct. 19 Raven Run at Keeneland. Restless Rider has gone unraced since finishing 13th as the second choice in the Kentucky Oaks in May.
“We’re making sure everything’s just right before we get her back on a work schedule,” said McPeek. “We’ll take her to Florida soon and look for a good spot at Gulfstream.”
◗ The biggest fundraiser held annually by the Backside Learning Center at Churchill is set for next Friday (Nov. 22) with a day at the races on Millionaire’s Row. Tickets and an online charity auction are available at www.benefitforthebackside.org.