Rush Lips, a Grade 1 winner, will return to the spotlight next Friday in the 34th running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes (Grade 2) at Churchill Downs, where she will lead a field of 12 three-year-old fillies competing on turf. The Mrs. Revere, contested over 1 1/16 miles, is one of the last major graded races for North American turf fillies of this age group before the season concludes with the Grade 1 American Oaks on December 26 at Santa Anita.
The day’s racing card features 12 races, headlined by the $600,000 Clark Stakes (Grade 2) sponsored by Norton Healthcare. The first post is at 1 p.m., with the Mrs. Revere scheduled as race 10 at 5:25 p.m. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Rush Lips recently triumphed in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Keeneland by 1 1/4 lengths under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who will be returning for Friday’s race. Prior to that, Rush Lips won the Tepin Stakes (Listed) and placed second in the Edgewood Stakes (G2), besting Churchill Downs’ own three-year-old filly Nitrogen.
Walsh also trains Something About Her, an entrant owned by X-Men Racing IV, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing, who previously won the Mazarine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine last year. Axel Concepcion will ride Something About Her from post 8. Other notable contenders include Fast Market from Hit the Bid Racing Stables and Pretty Picture from Three Chimneys Farm, both of whom finished second and third respectively in the Sands Point Stakes (G2). Also competing is Classic Q, a stakes winner owned by Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, alongside other promising fillies like In the Stars and Princess Attitude.
The field for the Mrs. Revere Stakes with jockeys and trainers is as follows:
1. Rush Lips (Gaffalione, Walsh)
2. Fast Market (Samuel Marin, John Terranova II)
3. Table Affair (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)
4. Classic Q (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
5. Sea to Sky (Brian Hernandez Jr., Shelley Deveau)
6. Princess Attitude (Cristian Torres, Vicki Oliver)
7. Bracelet (Is Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox)
8. Something About Her (Axel Concepcion, Walsh)
9. In the Stars (Luis Saez, Rusty Arnold II)
10. Pretty Picture (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)
11. Caviar Breakfast (Manny Esquivel, Kenny McPeak)
12. JNJ Heart and Soul (Danny Sheehy, Tommy Molloy)
Fan Take: This race is a critical stepping stone for young turf fillies aiming to establish themselves as champions, making it a must-watch for enthusiasts tracking future stars. The performance of Rush Lips and her challengers could shape the landscape of North American turf racing in the months ahead, adding excitement and anticipation for the upcoming American Oaks.
