Chasing the Crown showed an affinity for the undulating course at Kentucky Downs in winning a massive $508,400 handicap at the Southern Kentucky oval Aug. 31. But through his career, the 6-year-old has been equally—if not more—effective on the grass at Churchill Downs, where he boasts four wins and two seconds from six starts.
That effectiveness could tip the scales in his favor when he battles graded stakes winners Wolfie's Dynaghost, Mercante, Lagynos, and Encino, and other foes in the $300,000 River City Stakes (G3T) Nov. 8. The tepid 7-2 favorite on the morning line, he is entered to race against 11 other older males—though the field figures to dip after one of the entrants, millionaire Epic Ride, raced Nov. 7 in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill rather than in the River City.
Chasing the Crown, a son of Skipshot trained by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Angelo Carlesimo, has had just two 2025 starts, finishing a hard-charging third in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) seven months before his Kentucky Downs victory.
The Pegasus World Cup Turf marked his third graded stakes placing. As a 5-year-old in 2024, he also ran second to Ottoman Fleet in both the Arlington Stakes (G3T) and Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.
Bred by Mikhail Yanakov out of the Marquetry mare La Belle Marquet, Chasing the Crown is a full brother to dual grade 1 winner Vasilika, a standout on the West Coast in 2018-19.
Unlike many of Maker's stars acquired via a claim, Chasing the Crown was bought as a 2-year-old. Maker acquired him for $285,000 from the Top Line Sales consignment to Fasig-Tipton's The Gulfstream Sale in 2021.
Chasing the Crown has more than tripled his purchase price in earnings, making $1,012,740 in compiling a 6-5-4 record in 19 starts.
Encino, a versatile 4-year-old son of Nyquist trained by Brad Cox for owner/breeder Godolphin, also brings sharp form into Saturday's race, having won stakes in two of his past three starts. He is 6-for-11 overall.
"He's a very classy horse who gives it his all on any surface," assistant trainer Trace Messina trainer.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 8, 2025, Race 11Entries: River City S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Mount Rundle (KY) Alex Achard 121 Michelle Nihei 30/1 2 2Epic Ride (KY) Luan Machado 121 John Ennis 8/1 3 3Quatrocento (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 121 Fausto Gutierrez 20/1 4 4Encino (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Brad H. Cox 5/1 5 5Wolfie's Dynaghost (KY) Luis Saez 121 Brian A. Lynch 10/1 6 6Chasing the Crown (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 121 Michael J. Maker 7/2 7 7Mercante (KY) Joseph D. Ramos 125 Brian Knippenberg 10/1 8 8Corruption (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 121 Mark E. Casse 5/1 9 9Lagynos (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 121 Steven M. Asmussen 9/2 10 10English Chunnel (KY) Jareth Loveberry 121 Wayne M. Catalano 30/1 11 11Tapit Shoes (KY) Mario Gutierrez 121 Ed Moger, Jr. 20/1 12 12Taking Candy (KY) Axel Concepcion 123 Cherie DeVaux 8/1
Halina's Forte, R Distaster Rematch in Dream Supreme
The River City, the Saturday finale at 5:55 p.m. ET on an 11-race program, immediately follows another $300,000 stakes race, the ungraded Dream Supreme Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 furlongs on the main track.
Halina's Forte and R Disaster, 1-2 in the Honorable Miss Stakes (G2) this summer over a sloppy track at Saratoga Race Course, are the Dream Supreme headliners.
Front-running R Disaster has since won two races in as many starts, most recently the Sept. 27 Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owners Averill Racing, Two Eight Racing, and ATM Racing.
Rigney Racing's Halina's Forte has gone unplaced in two outings for trainer Phil Bauer since the Honorable Miss, finishing fifth in the Aug. 23 Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and seventh in the Oct. 4 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 8, 2025, Race 10Entries: Dream Supreme S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sudden Switch (KY) Axel Concepcion 120 Riley Mott 12/1 2 2Taliesin (KY) Frankie Pennington 118 Jacinto Solis 10/1 3 3Jersey Pearl (KY) Francisco Arrieta 120 Darrin Miller 10/1 4 4Hillerito (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 David Jacobson 4/1 5 5Top (KY) Fernando De La Cruz 118 Michelle L. Elliott 20/1 6 6Tapit Quick (KY) Cristian A. Torres 120 Dallas Stewart 15/1 7 7R Disaster (FL) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 9/5 8 8Marmalade Skye (KY) Luan Machado 120 David Jacobson 15/1 9 9Mink's Palace (KY) Luis Saez 120 Eddie Kenneally 8/1 10 10Halina's Forte (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Philip A. Bauer 7/2
