The Falls City is the Thanksgiving centerpiece at Churchill Downs

The Grade 3, carrying a US$400,000 purse, features Raging Sea as the leading contender as she seeks redemption

Raging Sea looks to return to winning ways over one of her favorite tracks / CHURCHILL DOWNS

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario).- Unlike the major summer holiday weekends, when graded stakes are plentiful, the U.S. calendar offers far fewer top-level events during autumn and winter. On Thanksgiving Day, this Thursday, November 27, there will be just one graded stakes race across the country: the Falls City Stakes (G3, US$400,000) at Churchill Downs, which will also stage an attractive turf feature with the Cardinal Stakes (non-graded, US$300,000).

The Louisville program will get underway earlier than usual, with a first post time of 11:30 a.m. ET. The Falls City will serve as the 10th race, while the Cardinal will be run as the 11th of 12 at 4:14 p.m.

Both events will be contested over 1 1/8 miles (1800 meters) for fillies and mares three and up, but on different surfaces: the Falls City on the main track and the Cardinal on turf.

The card will feature several of the leading riders in the country, including Irad Ortiz Jr., José Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalioneand Luis Sáez, along with Flavien Prat, who travels in from New York for the day.

In the Falls City, Prat will partner Raging Sea (Curlin), representing Alpha Delta Stables and trained by Chad Brown. The chestnut mare captured the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at this venue last spring, but has since suffered three straight defeats at Saratoga, finishing third in both the Ogden Phipps (G1) and the Shuvee (G2), and a distant fourth in the Personal Ensign (G1) in her most recent start. She had won that same Personal Ensign in 2023, marking another high point in her campaign.

Among her main rivals is Regaled (Mohaymen), winner of the Delaware Handicap (G3) and recent third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Like Raging Sea, she does her best work from off the pace. Both will have to deal with the early speed of Royal Spa (Violence), winner of the Locust Grove (G2), who comes in fresh after more than two months on the sidelines and owns a solid 4-2-0 record from eight starts over the Churchill Downs dirt track for trainer Rudy Brisset.

Also in a deep and competitive field are Quietside (Malibu Moon), a two-time graded stakes winner; Alpine Princess(Classic Empire), a multiple stakes scorer; and Corningstone (Kantharos), a ten-time winner, ensuring a compelling Thanksgiving showdown in Kentucky.