Spirit of St Louis Heads Brown Pair for Muniz Memorial

Fresh off the heels of a stirring late-running victory in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T), Spirit of St Louis is back for more in the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) March 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The newly minted grade 1 winner is one of two entries for trainer Chad Brown, who invades New Orleans in hopes of securing a fourth Muniz Memorial title. With a win in the Muniz Memorial, contested at 1 1/8 miles over the turf for older horses, Spirit of St Louis could emulate another Brown runner in Bricks and Mortar. The son of Giant's Causeway captured the 2019 Pegasus World Cup Turf and Muniz Memorial at the beginning of an undefeated campaign that ended in Horse of the Year honors. Spirit of St Louis was largely viewed as a talented New York-bred stakes runner before his breakthrough score in the Jan. 25 Pegasus Turf. The Medaglia d'Oro gelding has been a win machine for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Richard Schermerhorn, hitting the wire first in seven stakes contests (six of them against New York-bred company). Every one of the 6-year-old's stakes wins occurred after Dubb purchased the gelding for $280,000 out of the 2023 Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale. Tyler Gaffalione, Spirit of St Louis' pilot in the Pegasus Turf, is back aboard for the Muniz. Brown's other entrant is Klaravich Stables' Redistricting (GB). The lightly raced 5-year-old gets into the field carrying 6 pounds less than his more accomplished stablemate at 118 pounds. Away from the races for nearly a year after winning two races as a 3-year-old, Redistricting came back to place twice in graded stakes company last year, both times losing by less than a half-length. The biggest threat to the Brown pair could come from his former assistant Cherie DeVaux's stable. DeVaux sends out millionaire Brilliant Berti and graded stakes-placed Rebel Red (GB) in the Muniz. Both runners will be making the first start of their 2025 campaigns. "(The Muniz) has been the target for both of them," DeVaux said. "This is a race to get them both started for the year." DeVaux says the Muniz Memorial would be a test to see how Brilliant Berti can handle the 1 1/8-mile distance as a bigger and stronger 4-year-old. "The target is the Old Forester (Turf Classic Stakes) at Churchill," DeVaux said. "This will give us a guide on if he can do it. He has to improve a little bit facing older but all signs are pointing to that in his training." Klein Racing's Brilliant Berti was nearly unbeatable against 3-year-olds last year, winning all but two of his seven starts. In his final race of 2024, he rallied from far off the pace to take the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) over a mile at Keeneland during the fall meet. Rebel Red, owned by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services, should be well suited to the 1 1/8-mile trip. The son of Frankel (GB) led all the way before being caught late in the Nov. 9 1 3/8-mile Red Smith Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack. The multiple graded stakes winner Gigante also makes the 12-horse field. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Not This Time won two consecutive stakes at Fair Grounds before finishing a disappointing eighth last time out in the Feb. 15 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T).