Sconsin stormed down the stretch to win the Open Mind Stakes, Sept. 18, at Churchill Downs. Lloyd Madison Farms IV's 4-year-old Include filly completed the $300,000 six-furlong listed stakes in a blistering final time of 1:08.75, sprinting the final quarter in :23.78.
"It never gets old, whether it's a $5,000 claimer or a race like this—these are a little more fun," said Sconsin's trainer Greg Foley after the race. "I have a lot of friends and family here tonight. You had to figure there was going to be a good early pace with Mundaye Call and Bret's (Calhoun) filly (Ain't No Elmers); they're two awfully nice fillies and very fast fillies, so you figured it would set up for a closer, hopefully, like it did."
Sconsin repelled Lothenbach Stables' odds-on favorite Bell's the One in deep stretch, as she surged to a half-length victory. The duo of Breeders' Cup hopefuls put on a show in front of a sea of red at Churchill. The Downs After Dark card featured Louisville Live, the Cardinals' annual preseason men's and women's basketball showcase, which took place beside the paddock.
The third- and fourth-place finishers in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Fillies & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland have faced each other three times since, with Bell's the One leading the series two to one entering Saturday night's duel. Sconsin evened the match at two apiece in what was likely their final tune-up before an epic tiebreaker at the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.
"It set up good, but then you had to ward off the other filly," said Foley. "You knew she was going to be coming right behind you. It was a good horse race—she's a great filly also, Neil's (Pessin) filly. We've been beating each other, but tonight was our night."
Tyler Gaffalione displayed patient riding with a sustained bid that began on the far turn. He waited for the speedy leaders to tire and guided his filly to the outside at the top of the stretch, forcing Florent Geroux on Mundaye Call and Bell's the One to swing five-wide. Gaffalione got the first jump on the leaders, which proved to be the difference, as Sconsin and Bell's the One ran the final furlong separated by just three one-hundredths of a second.
Both fillies finished well ahead of their competitors, as pacesetter Mundaye Call faded to third, beaten four lengths by second-place finisher Bell's the One.
Sconsin is one of two winners from three starters out of the Tiznow mare Sconnie, who also has an unnamed yearling filly by Paynter. Foley bought Sconnie as agent for $90,000 from Gainesway's consignment to the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and she went 1-for-3 on the racetrack.
Just Might Continues Win Streak
Just Might went gate to wire in the $275,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes, Race 7 of Saturday night's Downs After Dark card. Griffon Farms and Michelle Lovell's 5-year-old homebred Justin Phillip gelding set a grueling pace, completing the first quarter and half-mile in :21.81 and :44.75, finishing the six-furlong sprint with a final time of 1:08.71.
"I was the only one in the race with speed, so I just wanted to have a beautiful break and set the pace," jockey Rafael Bejarano said of the ride on Just Might. "I tried to get him to relax as much as I could. I thought the number two (Endorsed ) and six (Mighty Mischief) would be the ones to put on some pressure, but they didn't, and I had a very comfortable lead. He was flying at the end. He showed today that he can run with the big horses."
Just Might came into Saturday's dirt bout with three consecutive wins, the first two coming in turf sprints. Lovell switched the gelding from turf to dirt last out, despite his recent success on the lawn. He won the $100,000 Chesapeake Bay Stakes Aug. 23 at Colonial Downs, so Lovell decided to stick with the new surface. She was delighted with her protégé's performance, as the bold decision paid off.
"Because he has run really good races in off-the-turf races, that question has been posed a lot to me: 'Why don't you just try him on the dirt?' And I said, 'Because it's stretching him out and it's against really good dirt horses.'"
She made the switch anyway, Lovell explained, a gamble that was worth it as the horse ran his record to 8-7-6 from 29 starts, with earnings of $688,414.
"I just didn't want to change something that was working, but I just wanted to see if he could duplicate it, and I am so proud of him," Lovell said. "He's very fast. I am so excited."
Endorsed finished second by three-quarters of a length. Greg Foley's even-money favorite Bango, a 4-year-old colt by Congrats, drew even with the leaders at the top of the stretch, but could not sustain his bid, fading to third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Endorsed.
Just Might was bred in Kentucky out of the Dynameaux mare Dynamite Babe, whose last reported foal was the 2017 model Dynamite Gift, Just Might's full sister.
