Churchill Downs Update: $300,000 Chilukki Next for One Magic Philly's Return to Graded Stakes; Claiming Crown News and Notes

Nov 14, 2025

One Magic Philly will make her second attempt at a graded stakes victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Chilukki Stakes presented by Resolute Racing (Grade III) at Churchill Downs, a race her connections have been pointing toward for quite some time, according to trainer Brendan Walsh.

Owned and bred by John Gallegos, the 4-year-old daughter of Good Magic spent most of her career in California with trainer Phil D’Amato where she won the Chillingworth Stakes (GIII) at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old. She was transferred to Walsh’s care in September and immediately delivered with a 6 ½-furlong allowance win at Keeneland over Hillerito, who returned last weekend to win the $287,500 Dream Supreme Stakes at Churchill Downs.

“We actually liked the idea of the long sprint a little more than going two turns,” Walsh said. “She’s quick, and that race at Keeneland looks like it set her up perfectly for this. The owner, John Gallegos, had this race in mind for a while, so we think she’ll appreciate the one-turn mile.”

Since she won the race at Keeneland, One Magic Philly has remained based at Churchill Downs and has trained forwardly into the race, according to Walsh

“She really seems to like this track,” Walsh said. “She’s been acting well over it, and she put in a sharp workout here leading into the Chilukki. This is only her second start for us. She did well when she first came to us at Keeneland and she’s trained very well since. I think when Phil had her she trained here a bit too, and she always got over the track well, so hopefully that bodes well for us on Saturday.”

The field for the Dogwood Stakes from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Impel (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 9-2)
Shred the Gnar (Luis Saez, Brian Lynch, 5-2)
Literate (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox, 10-1)
Runaway Diva (Jose Ortiz, Michelle Hemingway, 20-1)
Zadorsky (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman, 15-1)
One Magic Philly (Tyler Gaffalione, Walsh, 3-1)
Ragtime (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 8-5)
Saturday’s 11-race kicks off at 1 p.m. (all time Eastern) and also includes the 27th Claiming Crown (Races 4-11). The Chilukki will go as Race 3 at 1:58 p.m.

CLAIMING CROWN NEWS AND NOTES: BLAIR LOOKING AT FIRST CLAIMING CROWN HORSE IN MORNING MIRACLE – Jordan Blair is in line to have his first Claiming Crown starter in Conch Racing and Chris Johnson’s Morning Miracle, a 4-year-old filly in the $150,000 Tiara at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Blair has had Morning Miracle since he claimed her out of a $20,000 maiden-claiming race in May of 2024 at Churchill Downs. That race, in her third career start, made her eligible for the Tiara, which is for fillies and mares that have competed for $25,000 or less in 2024-2025. But Blair said he wasn’t thinking about the Claiming Crown until Morning Miracle was second on Nov. 6 in an open $32,000 claiming race at a mile on turf.

“We nominated her on a whim,” he said, referring to the Claiming Crown’s procedure of owners sending in a $250 administrative fee, “even though she’s been eligible for a long time. She didn’t have the best winter at Turfway, was really off form. She came back around over the summer at Colonial, which she did the same last year. She ran well over this turf course last fall. Ran well the other day. When these kinds of horses are doing good, you’ve got to put them in. So that’s what we did.

“(Handicapping) numbers-wise, she looks OK. I don’t know what the morning line will be. I think she’ll be 10-1. She has really good early speed going long. It would be great if there was other speed and she could track. That would be an ideal scenario. Otherwise, she’ll set it up and either finish or not. That’s what happened in her last race. I think (Mike) Maker beat us with a 3-5 shot, and she ran huge. That was the deciding factor in putting her home.”

Blair previously thought he had a Claiming Crown horse in the barn.

“We had grand ideas with others that didn’t work out,” he said. “… I love the Claiming Crown. Claiming horses are my bread and butter; they put food on the table. Same for a lot of other guys. To have this kind of opportunity to run these horses for this kind of money, it’s fantastic. It’s great it’s in our backyard at Churchill Downs, makes things a lot easier. Like Morning Miracle. She will be running back in nine days, and she will have to train well over the next few days for us to decide to go. But it is a really good opportunity for owners and trainers alike.'

The Tiara will go as Race 5 on Saturday’s card with a post time of 2:57 p.m. ET. (Information in this report was provided by the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.)

DOWN THE STRETCH – There were no winning tickets in Thursday’s Derby City 6 Jackpot and the carryover was $48,440 for Friday’s 10-race program. The sequence began in Race 5. … Owner/trainer Kayla Warren confirmed 18-time winner Sharp Warning will not make the journey from Colorado to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s $100,000 Ready’s Rocket Express. … Donamire Farm’s Grade I-winning homebred Troubleshooting returned to the Churchill Downs work tab Friday with a half-mile move in :48.80. He is targeting next Saturday’s $300,000 Commonwealth Turf (GIII), according to trainer Greg Foley. … Godolphin’s First Mission fired a bullet five-furlong move in :59.80 Friday at Churchill Downs. The multiple graded stakes-winning 5-year-old is possible for the $600,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) on Friday, Nov. 28, according to trainer Brad Cox. … For more information about the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com