Thanksgiving Showdown: Falls City & Cardinal Stakes Highlight Churchill Downs Holiday Card
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A unique racing landscape emerges on Thanksgiving, as Churchill Downs hosts the only graded stakes races scheduled across north America on November 27, 2025. The centerpiece of the holiday program is the $400,000 Falls City Stakes (G3), complemented by the $300,000 Cardinal stakes, offering a compelling day of racing for fillies and mares.
A Rare Thanksgiving treat for Racing Fans
While graded stakes races are common during summer holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day, they become increasingly scarce as autumn transitions into winter. This year, Churchill Downs distinguishes itself by offering a compelling Thanksgiving Day card, providing a unique chance for racing enthusiasts to enjoy high-quality competition during the holiday season.
Stakes are contested at a distance of 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares, but diverge in surface. The Falls City will be run on the main track, while the cardinal will take place on the turf. The depth of competition in both races promises exciting finishes.
Leading jockeys are set to compete, including Kentucky favorites Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalione, and Luis Saez. Adding to the talent pool is Flavien Prat, who will be riding at Churchill Downs while taking a break from his usual base in new York.
In the Falls City, Prat is slated to ride Raging sea, a five-year-old owned by Alpha Delta Stables. Raging Sea demonstrated her prowess earlier in the year, capturing the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. Though, she has faced challenges in recent starts, finishing third in both the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) and Shuvee Stakes (G2), and a distant fourth in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Despite these recent setbacks, the daughter of Curl captured the Personal Ensign Stakes last year, showcasing her potential for a top-level triumph.
raging Sea will face stiff competition from Regaled, a winner of the Delaware Handicap (G3) and a recent third-place finisher in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) for trainer Whit Beckman. Both Raging Sea and Regaled are known for their closing speed, meaning they will need to navigate traffic and make a late push to overtake the frontrunners.
Breffni Farm’s Royal Spa, a speedy winner of the Locust Grove stakes (G2), enters the Falls City fresh after a two-month rest. With a record of 4-2-0 in eight starts over the Churchill Downs dirt,Royal Spa poses a notable threat.
Other notable entrants include Quietside, a two-time graded stakes victress; Alpine Princess, a multiple stakes winner; and Corningstone, a consistent performer with 10 career wins.
Cardinal Stakes: Pin Up Betty Aims to Continue Churchill Downs Dominance
The Cardinal Stakes features Pin Up Betty, a multiple grade 3 winner with an notable record of 4-1-0 in six starts on the Churchill Downs turf course for trainer Mike Maker. The Three Diamonds Farm-owned filly appears well-suited to the course and distance.
She will be challenged by Duvet Day, the defending Cardinal winner, and Awesome Czech, a multiple stakes-winning New york-bred. Patricia Moseley’s Proctor Street, an up-and-coming homebred, also looms as a strong contender.
Race Details:
Falls City S. (G3)
Churchill Downs
Thursday, November 27, 2025, Race 10
Grade III
1 1/8m Dirt
$400,000
3 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
3:45 PM (local)
Cardinal S.Presented by resolute Racing
Churchill Downs
Thursday, November 27, 2025, race 11
STK
1 1/8m turf
$300,000
3 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
4:14 PM (local)
The Thanksgiving stakes day at Churchill Downs promises a compelling conclusion to the racing season, offering fans a unique opportunity to enjoy high-quality competition during the holiday.
