Nafzger Filly Lady Joanne Favored in Dogwood BC

(from Churchill Downs release)

The Carl Nafzger-trained Lady Joanne heads a field of nine in the $150,000-added Dogwood Breeders' Cup (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies as Churchill Downs offers a stakes trio on its Saturday racing program.

The Aristides Breeders' Cup and the Dogwood Breeders' Cup, each of which carries a purse supplement of $50,000 from the Breeders' Cup Stakes program, are joined on the 11-race Saturday schedule by the $100,000-added Opening Verse, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up on the Matt Winn Turf Course. 

The Bentley Smith Revocable Trust's Lady Joanne is the 3-1 morning line choice in a well-matched group of nine sophomore fillies in the Dogwood. The daughter of Orientate   will be ridden by Calvin Borel, who piloted the Nafzger-trained Street Sense to victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Lady Joanne returned from a six-month layoff to win a six-furlong allowance race during Kentucky Derby week and brings a 3-0-2 record in five races into the Dogwood. She is the lukewarm 3-1 favorite.

Mr. and Mrs. R. David Randal's Silverinyourpocket, winner of the La Troienne (gr. III) on the Kentucky Derby program, is the close second choice at 7-2. The Helen Pitts-trained daughter of Silver Deputy has won three of five races and Ramon Dominguez will ride.

Other major players in the Dogwood Breeders' Cup include Zayat Stable's High Again (9-2), the winner of the Bonnie Miss Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream for trainer Bill Mott who is coming off a 13th-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), and the Roberto Arango-owned and trained Suaveness (5-1), the La Troienne runner-up.

$150,000 Dogwood Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III, Race 9, 5:21 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 1 Mile
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey, ML Odds
1. Lady Joanne (KY), 123, Calvin H. Borel, 3/1
2. Silverinyourpocket (KY), 117, Ramon A. Dominguez, 7/2
3. Moonee Ponds (KY), 121, Jamie Theriot, 6/1
4. Upcoming Story (KY), 117, Julien R. Leparoux, 6/1
5. Suaveness (FL), 117, Rafael Bejarano, 5/1
6. Looky Yonder (KY), 117, Robby Albarado, 15/1
7. High Again (KY), 123, David R. Flores, 9/2
8. Girls Pearls (KY), 117, Larry Melancon, 12/1
9. Gatorize (KY), 117, Shaun Bridgmohan, 15/1