Churchill Downs Update and Thanksgiving Day Stakes Advances: Locust Grove Winner Royal Spa Returns in Ultra-Competitive Grade III, $400,000 Falls City on Thanksgiving Day

Nov 20, 2025

Locust Grove (Grade II) winner Royal Spa is set to return to action next Thursday at Churchill Downs when she leads a competitive field of 10 fillies and mares entered in the 110th running of the $400,000 Falls City (Grade III), the centerplate of a special Thanksgiving Day program at Churchill Downs.

Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs has been a Louisville tradition since 1969, serving around 7,500 turkey dinners with all the trimmings, making it the largest number anywhere in the region. The first of 12 races will get underway at 11:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) with the Falls City going as Race 10 at 3:45 p.m. Along with the Falls City, the program also includes the 50th running of the $300,000 Cardinal presented by Resolute Racing (Listed) in Race 11 at 4:14 p.m.

Owned by Rhonda O’Rourke’s Breffni Farm, Royal Spa scored an impressive 1 ¼-length victory on Sept. 13 in the Locust Grove presented by Fasig-Tipton at Churchill Downs. A 5-year-old daughter of Violence, Royal Spa has recorded four of her seven-lifetime victories beneath the Twin Spires including the Shawnee (GIII) in late May, only her third start around two turns. Royal Spa will be ridden in Thursday’s race by Tyler Gaffalione out of post No. 7.

Chief amongst her rivals is Alpha Delata Stables’ multiple Grade I winner Raging Sea. Trained by Chad Brown, Raging Sea had a brilliant 2024 campaign with victories in the Personal Ensign (GI), Shuvee (GII) and Beldame (GII). Following her runner-up effort to close the year in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI), Raging Sea returned as a 5-year-old on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs where she scored a three-quarters of a length victory over Taxed in the La Troienne presented by Fasig-Tipton (GI). Since that race, she’s disappointed finishing third in both the Ogden Phipps (GI) and Shuvee (GII) and fourth in the Personal Ensign (GI). Jockey Flavien Prat has the mount from post 2.

Another accomplished horse entered is Delaware Handicap (GIII) winner and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) third-place finisher Regaled. Owned by Ribble Farms and Front Page Equestrian and trained by Whit Beckman, Regaled was a former $30,000 claim last year out of her debut from trainer Brittany Russell. Since the claim, the daughter of Mohaymen has won four starts while based mainly in the Mid-Atlantic with trainer Sam Davis before her $300,000 purchase out of the 2025 Inglis Digital USA May Sale. Jockey Joe Ramos has the call in the Falls City from post 10.

Other top fillies and mares in the race include Shortleaf Stable’s two-time graded stakes winner Quietside; Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables’ multiple stakes winner Alpine Princess; and Payson Stud’s 10-time winner Corningstone.

The Falls City field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Chilled (Luis Saez, Vicki Oliver)
Raging Sea (Prat, Brown)
In Just My Heels (Evin Roman, Ron Moquett)
Alpine Princess (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox)
Quietside (Ricardo Santana Jr., John Ortiz)
Neon Icon (Cristian Torres, Rusty Arnold)
Royal Spa (Gaffalione, Brisset)
Standoutsensation (Jose Ortiz, Tom Amoss)
Corningstone (Joe Bealmear, Kenny McPeek)
Regaled (Ramos, Beckman)
Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering platform of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

MULTIPLE GRADED STAKES WINNER PIN UP BETTY LEADS FIELD IN $300,000 CARDINAL – Three Diamonds Farm’s multiple Grade III winner Pin Up Betty will lead an over-subscribed field of 14 filly and mare turf specialists entered in next Thursday’s 50th running of the $300,000 Cardinal Stakes presented by Resolute Racing (Listed), the co-featured event on the 12-race Thanksgiving Day program at Churchill Downs.

The Cardinal, run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, will go as Race 11 with a post time of 4:14 p.m. Along with the Cardinal, the card also features the $400,000 Falls City (GIII) in Race 10 at 3:45 p.m. First post is 11:30 a.m.

Pin Up Betty, trained by Mike Maker, scored a 1 ½-length victory 5 ½ months ago in the Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs. The four-time winner has recorded each of her victories at Churchill Downs with other notable wins coming in the 2024 Regret (GIII) and in the Anchorage Stakes, four weeks after winning the Old Forester Mint Julep. Pin Up Betty will be ridden in Thursday’s race by Luis Saez and exit post No. 8.

Chief among her rivals includes defending Cardinal winner Duvet Day (IRE). Owned by Jane Bacharach, William DeBurgh and Richard Schatz, Duvet Day has yet to find the winner’s circle following her three-quarters of a length victory in last year’s race over She’s Lookin Lucky, who also returns for this year’s edition. Since that start, Duvet Day finished second to Pin Up Betty in the Anchorage and fourth against graded stakes company in the Beverly D (GII) at Colonial and Ladies Marathon (GIII) at Kentucky Downs. Jockey Luan Machado has the call on the Michael McCarthy trainee and will break from the rail.

The Cardinal field also includes a quartet of horses out of the Joe Sharp barn: Repole Stable’s graded stakes placed Miwa (GB); Everything’s Cricket Racing’s recent stakes winner Sabalenka; Highlander Training Center’s Churchill Downs allowance winner Stylish Sue; and Carl Moore Management’s four-time winner Vive Veuve.

The field for the Cardinal in order of post positions (with jockey and trainer):

Duvet Day (IRE) (Machado, McCarthy)
Miwa (GB) (Jose Ortiz, Sharp)
Lucky Speech (Erik Asmussen, Steve Asmussen)
Awesome Czech (Ricardo Santana Jr., Horacio DePaz)
Stylish Sue (Jaime Torres, Sharp)
She’s Lookin Lucky (Francisco Arrieta, Matt Shirer)
Weighted Average (Cristian Torres, Chad Brown)
Pin Up Betty (Saez, Maker)
Vive Veuve (Irad Ortiz Jr., Sharp)
Fleetingly (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)
Proctor Street (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh)
Adrasteia (Florent Geroux, Fergus Bogle)
AE: Sabalenka (Corey Lanerie, Sharp)
AE: Tap the Champagne (Walter Rodriguez, Neil Pessin)
DERBY CITY 6 JACKPOT RISES TO $153,419 FOR WEDNESDAY’S CARD – Thursday’s Derby City 6 Jackpot will give horseplayers a chance to score a six-figure payday with the carryover standing at $153,419 for the nine-race card.

The Derby City 6 Jackpot, which challenges bettors to have the only winning combination to take down the jackpot, has a 20-cent denomination with a low 15 percent takeout. If there are multiple winning combinations, 90 percent of the daily pool will be paid out with the remaining 10 percent going to the carryover.

Thursday’s sequence: (with scratches as of 10 a.m. ET)

Race 5 (2:57 p.m.): Clm 20000b, 3&up, 6 F (eight runners)
Race 6 (3:26 p.m.): Alw 30000s, 3&up, 1 M, (eight runners)
Race 7 (3:55 p.m.): Mdn 120k, 3&up, 1 1/8 M, (seven runners)
Race 8 (4:25 p.m.): Clm 62500, 3&up, 6 F, (eight runners)
Race 9 (4:55 p.m.): OC 80000n2x, 3&up, 6 F, (seven runners)
Race 10 (5:25 p.m.): Mdn 120k, 2yo, 1 M, (11 runners)
‘BENEFIT FOR THE BACKSIDE: A DAY AT THE RACES’ IS FRIDAY – The Backside Learning Center, an independent non-profit organization that provides support and resources for the diverse community of racetrack workers and their families at Churchill Downs and Kentucky racetracks, will host their biggest annual fundraiser – “Benefit for the Backside: A Day at the Races” – on Friday at noon in the First Turn Club at Churchill Downs.

Those unable to attend can participate online to purchase Derby and Oaks 152 raffle tickets and bid on silent auction items such as an all-inclusive Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks 152 box for six; pickleball lessons with Top 25 player in the world Alex Crum; and a weekend at historic Parker’s Landing in bourbon country.

Information and specifics can be found on our event website: www.benefitforthebackside.com. The silent auction and raffles end Friday at 3:45 p.m.

For those attending the event, the live auction features one-of-a-kind items and experiences including a premium weekend for four at Del Mar Racetrack (hotel included); a morning on the backside and breakfast at Wagner’s with Kentucky Derby 151 winning trainer Bill Mott; a three-day Cozy Cabin Getaway an hour outside of New York City; a morning on the backside during Derby Week 152 with Derby and Oaks-winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and FanDuel TV analyst Caton Bredar; and a week at an ocean-front private villa on the South Florida coast.

Sponsors for this year’s benefit include Rocket Ship Racing LLC, Rigney Racing and FanDuel.

“This event is a great opportunity to support those who play such a vital role in our community, not to mention the success of the horseracing industry,” said Executive Director Sherry Stanley. “The Backside is such a vibrant and diverse community right in the heart of the city that most people don’t even know exists. We serve the hundreds of workers and their children who are members of our community and who will be our next generation of leaders.”

DOWN THE STRETCH – Trainers Greg Foley and Brad Cox were both approaching a milestone 500th-career win at Churchill Downs. Foley was one win away (one entry Thursday) while Cox (one entry Thursday) was six away. … The season finale of “Inside Churchill Downs” airs Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN Louisville. Join Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein as they give their non-expert takes on Saturday’s card and a look ahead to Thanksgiving Week racing at Churchill Downs. Those in the Louisville area can live on ESPN 680/105.7 or online at www.espnlouisville.com. … Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and the lone Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager will run Thanksgiving Day-Sunday, Nov. 30. The fields for each pool will be released Monday. … Only nine days of racing remain in 2025 at Churchill Downs. For more information, visit www.churchilldowns.com.