GRADE III WINNER GRAND SONATA TOPS AUDUBON STAKES

May 30, 2022 Churchill Downs Communications

Whisper Hill Farm’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy (GIII) winner Grand Sonata headlines a field of 11 3-year-old turf specialists in Saturday’s $200,000 Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Audubon Stakes, run over the Matt Winn Turf Course, was carded as Race 11 of 11 with a post time of 5:58 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Grand Sonata recorded his first graded stakes score in the Feb. 5 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream Park. The son of Medaglia d’Oro finished a game second behind Sy Dog in last month’s $400,000 Transylvania Stakes (GIII) at Keeneland. Grand Sonata will be ridden again by Tyler Gaffalione and will break from post No. 2.

Other top entrants in the Audubon include Peter Brant’s impressive maiden winner James Jones and the turf debut of WinStar Farm and Siena Farm’s 2021 Iroquois (GIII) winner Major General.

The complete Audubon field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Spin Wheel (Edgar Morales, Rusty Arnold II); Grand Sonata (Gaffalione, Pletcher); Tallahatchiebridge (Florent Geroux, Saffie Joseph Jr.); Play Action Pass (Corey Lanerie, Robert Medina); Kitodan (Gerardo Corrales, Eric Foster); Red Run (Julien Leparoux, Steve Asmussen); Smokin’ T (John Velazquez, Shug McGaughey II); Summer Anthem (Javier Castellano, Mike Maker): James Jones (Ricardo Santana Jr., Chad Brown); Speaking Scout (Luis Saez, Graham Motion); and Major General (Brian Hernandez Jr., Pletcher).

Wagering is available for the Audubon Stakes and every race from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.