The connections of Movie Night (Speightstown) may have been the only ones happy to see the deluge that turned the Churchill Downs main track to slop Saturday as their filly, already experienced over an off surface, skipped over it to become a new 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'.
Second going just a half-furlong longer on a wet opening day at Keeneland Apr. 3 in an effort which netted her an 83 Beyer Speed Figure, the 3-5 favorite saw plenty of pace burst out in front of her as she cleared down from a far outside draw to sit solidly mid pack in the clear. A pair of longer shots in Epic Proud Mary (Into Mischief) and Poise (Gun Runner) burst clear and threw down into the far turn, tossing up an opening quarter in :21.95 all while Movie Night was already making steady progress from several lengths back.
Three wide and rolling down the center of the track, the favorite had little resistance from either front runner over the tiring surface and, by the time she entered the final sixteenth, Movie Night was on absolute cruise control, opening up under Luan Machado in a final time of 1:09.50.
“She's always showed a ton of ability,” winning trainer Will Walden told the TDN. “[She] was breezing really well here last fall. We were forced to be patient due to a minor setback. She shortly resumed training with us at Palm Meadows and picked up right where she left off. [She] was a little green in her first start at Keeneland and gave herself a lot to overcome, but to her benefit, I think gave herself another crack at the maiden ranks and took care of business tonight”
Movie Night, a WinStar Farm homebred, is a poignant 30th 'TDN Rising Star' for the late Speightstown who passed away in Dec. 2023 after helping build the foundation of the farm. She is also the 54th winner from 64 runners bred on the same Speightstown/Medaglia d'Oro cross, and of those, 12 are stakes winners incl. GISWs Rock Fall, Olympiad, Prince of Monaco and Competitionofideas.
Movie Night is a beautifully-bred daughter of another WinStar homebred in Savvy Star who, in addition to being a half-sister to GISW and sire Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat) and MGSW Lord of the Game (Saint Ballado), was a winner herself before retiring to the shed to produce Stellify (Justify), GSW, $1,462,604. There's plenty of top-level talent found on the page including GISW Girolamo (A.P. Indy), MGSW/GISP Accelerator (A.P. Indy) and Daydreaming (A.P. Indy), the dam of GISW Imagining (Giant's Causeway). Also found, GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (Maria's Mon), also at one time a WinStar Farm stallion.
Savvy Star, who has a perfect three for three strike rate for winners from runners, has not produced a foal since Movie Night and was covered for this season by both Heartland and Life Is Good.
2nd-Churchill Downs, $122,626, Msw, 5-16, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.50, sy, 8 lengths.
MOVIE NIGHT, f, 3, Speightstown
1st Dam: Savvy Star, by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: She's a Winner, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Get Lucky, by Mr. Prospector
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $89,121. Click for the Equibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-William Walden.
Back to Rising Stars Listing| Chart| Pedigree| Video
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
