Alpine Princess gets her graded laurel in Falls City

Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables’ Alpine Princess at last reaped the rewards of her consistency in Thursday’s $385,000 Falls City (G3) at Churchill Downs, as the Brad Cox trainee broke through with her first graded stakes victory. 

Sent off as the slight second choice at 2.41-1, Alpine Princess capitalized on a favorable trip engineered by leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. The Classic Empire filly secured a better early position than 2.31-1 favorite Royal Spa, who was off a beat slow and wound up fifth. 

Royal Spa’s failure to break alertly, combined with the scratching of both Quietside and Standoutsensation, left the pace scenario muddled. The moderate tempo worked against classy closers Raging Sea and Regaled, who reported home third and fourth, respectively.

In contrast, Alpine Princess was quick into stride, and Ortiz took what was handed to him to lead through an opening quarter in :24.41. The 27-1 Corningstone, the other fast starter, was eager to go on herself. When she accosted Alpine Princess down the backstretch, Ortiz deferred rather than endure a battle.

Corningstone cleared away through a half in :48.52, but Alpine Princess re-engaged passing six furlongs in 1:12.70. Although Corningstone gamely fought back at the top of the lane, she could not fend off the even more determined winner.

Alpine Princess began to get the upper hand in midstretch. Driving to a two-length decision, the bay covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.46. 

“She broke really well,” Ortiz recapped, “and after (Corningstone) wanted the lead, I was able to give my filly a breather down the backside. Turning for home, I was able to tip her outside, and she took off again.”

Another 5 1/4 lengths adrift came Raging Sea, who rallied mildly to outfinish Regaled by a neck for third. Next came the non-threatening Royal Spa, Neon Icon, In Just My Heels, and the tailed-off Chilled.

Alpine Princess paid $6.82 while boosting her bankroll to $949,065 from her 17-6-4-4 line. Out of the superfecta only once in her career, the four-year-old has won or placed in a total of 11 stakes. Her previous scores came in the 2023 Untapable S. at Fair Grounds, the 2024 Remington Park Oaks, and the July 5 Mari Hulman George Memorial H. at Horseshoe Indianapolis. 

Placed in four previous graded attempts, Alpine Princess missed by just a head in last fall’s Comely (G3) at Aqueduct and by a neck in the Jan. 25 Houston Ladies Classic (G3). Her most recent graded placings came beneath the Twin Spires, when third in the May 31 Shawnee (G3) and runner-up in the Sept. 13 Locust Grove (G2). Both times, she succumbed to Royal Spa, but the tables were turned on Thanksgiving Day. 

“I’m so proud of her that she was able to get a graded stakes victory today,” Cox said. “It meant a lot to her owners, and I’m thankful to get the job done today, on Thanksgiving.”

The graded stakes win enhanced Alpine Princess’s value as a broodmare prospect, but her connections are in no hurry to pack her off into retirement.

“It means a whole lot to us for her to get a graded stakes victory,” said Dann Glick, managing partner of co-owner Full of Run Racing II. “I’m very thankful for Brad and his whole team. Irad gave her a great ride. This is a great way to go on to her five-year-old campaign and hopefully be a major player in the filly and mare division.”

Bred by the partnership of Betz, DJ Stables, Peter V. Lamantia, and the Classic Empire Syndicate, Alpine Princess sold for $190,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Her dam, the Curlin mare Le Moine, is a half-sister to stakes scorer Another Miracle, who placed third in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2). This is the further family of current Grade 1 vixen Seismic Beauty.

Cardinal S.

The supporting stakes on the holiday card, the $289,665 Cardinal S. on turf, also witnessed a new career high from Patricia Moseley’s homebred Proctor Street. 

Under a well-judged ride by Tyler Gaffalione, the Brendan Walsh filly bagged a ground-saving spot a few lengths off the pace, tracked 2.06-1 favorite Pin Up Betty into the stretch, and shot through a gap to prevail. Proctor Street clocked 1 1/8 miles on the firm course in 1:49.65.

“All the credit goes to Brendan and his team,” Gaffalione said. “They really had her ready to go today. I had a lot of horse underneath me, and when the hole opened in the stretch, she didn’t hesitate and went for it.”

Proctor Street, who returned $8.44, had three-quarters of a length to spare over a gaggle of foes in a blanket finish for the minors. Awesome Czech leveraged her inside run to take second by a head from the wide-traveling Fleetingly, with the 57-1 Adrasteia rounding out the superfecta. 

Pin Up Betty, apparently in the ideal spot, monitoring the slow pace, was outkicked in fifth. Defending champion Duvet Day checked in seventh, and pacesetter Stylish Sue retreated to last in the 11-horse field.

Proctor Street’s first stakes win advanced her resume to 8-5-1-1, $451,910. Third as the favorite in the Aug. 29 Perfect Sting S. at Saratoga, the dark bay was coming off a Keeneland allowance victory.

Both of Proctor Street’s parents had success at Churchill as well. Sire Street Sense famously turned the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1)/Kentucky Derby (G1) double here, and her dam, multiple Grade 2 victress Proctor’s Ledge, captured the 2018 Distaff Turf Mile (G2). 

Walsh, who also trained Proctor’s Ledge, noted that the mare sadly passed away when foaling last year. But the horseman is looking forward to the future with Proctor Street.

“I’m so thankful for (Moseley). She’s been such a big supporter of mine throughout the years,” Walsh said. “This is a great win, and it’s so great to have this filly. I think she’s started to turn a corner. Who knows what she might do from here?”