After a pair of runner-up finishes in graded stakes with disadvantageous journeys, Shotgun Hottie will look to get again in a successful groove when she faces seven fillies and mares within the $400,000 Locust Grove Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Sept. 14.
A four-time stakes winner and one-time graded winner owned by Omar Aldabbagh and Jeff Ganje, Shotgun Hottie is 1-for-6 this yr, taking the Allaire DuPont Distaff in quick time at Pimlico Race Course Could 17. However follow-up begins within the June 29 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and the July 21 Shuvee Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course didn’t go how those who backed her on the mutuel home windows would have hoped.
Boxed in for a lot of the Fleur de Lis, the Cherie DeVaux trainee lastly discovered daylight within the stretch, solely to be bumped by victorious Scylla and lose by a neck. Stewards performed an inquiry after a declare of foul by jockey Paco Lopez towards successful jockey Javier Castellano however made no change to the order of end.
Then, within the five-horse Shuvee, she bobbled barely firstly and raced 4 large on the second flip underneath Lopez, ending 2 1/2 lengths behind a ground-saving Raging Sea , next-out winner of the Private Ensign Stakes (G1).
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There would seem like no rival of that caliber within the Locust Grove, and Shotgun Hottie appears more likely to have a visit within the clear, breaking from put up 7 underneath Jose Ortiz.
The 5-year-old daughter of Gun Runner  is the one entrant exiting graded firm of their most up-to-date races, although others have earlier expertise in graded races, often with success.
Taxed and Hoosier Philly scored in grade 2 races as youthful horses, and Musical Mischief and Free Like a Woman grew to become grade 1-placed in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Free Like a Woman, a Louisiana-bred star with 18 profession victories and greater than $1.9 million in earnings, seems one of many main threats to Shotgun Hottie, together with stakes-winning Liked , a half-sister to grade 1 winner and present stallion Maxfield  .
Entries: Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove S. (G2)Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 14, 2024, Race 7Grade II1 1/16mDirt $400,0003 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares3:53 PM (native)
The Locust Grove is one among 5 stakes races on Saturday’s card, with two others being $300,000 sprints for older horses, the Open Thoughts Stakes for females at 6 1/2 furlongs and the Louisville Thoroughbred Society at six furlongs. The Pocahontas Stakes (G3) and Iroquois Stakes (G3) are the opposite stakes on Saturday, each for juveniles.
Zeitlos , a three-time winner on the Churchill Downs most important monitor, could maintain a slight edge within the aggressive, six-horse lineup within the Open Thoughts, and stakes winners Closethegame Sugar and Skelly —each getting into off runner-up finishes in grade 1 sprints—are the Louisville Thoroughbred Society headliners. The previous ran second to The Chosen Vron within the July 27 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, and Skelly was second to Nakatomi within the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga, additionally on July 27.
Entries: Open Thoughts S.Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 14, 2024, Race 5STK6 1/2fDirt $300,0003 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares2:48 PM (native)
Entries: Louisville Thoroughbred Society S.Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 14, 2024, Race 9STK6fDirt $300,0003 yo’s & up4:58 PM (native)
