Moonlight closed out the stakes action at the Churchill Downs fall meet with a thrilling run in Sunday’s $250,000 Cherokee Mile S., coming from last in the field of 11 to defeat Dragoon Guard by 1 ½-lengths.
The victory closed out a terrific November for Audible, which began on Nov. 1 when Splendora won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Currently fifth on the 2025 Third-Crop sire list, Audible has progeny earning over $7 million and a dozen stakes horses to date this year.
Moonlight, who placed in the Street Sense S. (G3) at Churchill as a 2-year-old, broke alertly on Sunday before fading to the back of the pack in the first quarter-mile. He moved up into eighth at the half-way point, and continued to advance on the turn. At the top of the stretch, he was only about three lengths off the lead, but had a wall of six horses in front of him. He was able to split horses at the eighth pole, then rallied strongly by Dragoon Guard to finish very well in 1:34.41 on a fast track.
“Jose (Ortiz) looked like he had a ton of horse there from start to finish,” winning trainer Chris Block said. “I thought around the quarter pole he might be able to catch (Dragoon Guard) and he was able to run him down late. He loves this track here at Churchill. He’s been training great over it going into this race. We’ll take him down to Fair Grounds this winter and hope to come back to Churchill in the spring.”
Moonlight has a very solid record of 5-3-2 in 18 starts, with earnings of $528,402 for owner Town and Country Racing LLC, who purchased the winner for $285,000 at the OBS Spring 2-year-old sale.
Moonlight was bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC.
