Spirit of St Louis, Franco ‘Fly’ Home To Take the Turf Classic

[Wandering Eyes]

From his nine previous rides on the veteran New York-bred SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (g, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Khancord Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid), jockey Manny Franco had posted an enviable record of seven wins and two second-place efforts, one of those defeats coming by a flared nostril. With Tyler Gaffalione–who rode the gelding to victory in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf two starts back–sidelined via injury,  Franco rekindled his relationship with the Chad Brown galloper in Saturday's GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and the partnership's 10th trip to the races resulted in their biggest score to date on one of the biggest stages in horse racing. “We get along really well, I think he likes me,” Franco told Churchill's Kaitlin Free before heading off to change into the Godolphin blue for the Derby ride aboard East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro). Favored at 31-10, the $280,000 Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale graduate left fairly from barrier 10 in the 11-horse field and raced at the tail of the field, three deep out of the stretch with cover on the back of Cameo Performance (Oscar Performance). Snugly held as they raced past the half-mile marker now tracking stablemate Running Bee (English Channel), Spirt of St Louis came out and once again followed Cameo Performance's move into the stretch, shifted farther out three-sixteenths from home and won it in a frenetic finish. Mercante (Gun Runner) held for second after leading early, then prompting the pace for the remainder, and Highway Robber (Hard Spun), back from Dubai for Jim and Susan Hill, was third. Sales history: $300,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $280,000 HRA '23 KEEAPR. O-Madaket Stables LLC, Dubb, Michael and Schermerhorn, Richard; B-Chester & Mary Broman (NY); T-Chad Brown.

 

Spirit of St Louis flies home under Manny Franco to win the G1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic! pic.twitter.com/kKZYtlmYsn

— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 3, 2025

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