A Thanksgiving Celebration: Ahh Chocolate Wins the GII Falls City Handicap

Stoneway Farm had more than the everyday reasons to be thankful this holiday as their three year old filly Ahh Chocolate, by Candy Ride and out of Ahh by Saint Liam, won the GII Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving. Ridden by Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr., “Chocolate” comfortably sat in second behind Gambler’s Rose for most of the race through fractions of 24:12, 48:31, 1:12:77, and 1:37:40. She took the lead coming out of the final turn and held off late runners Theogony and Call Pat, crossing the wire in front by one and a half lengths in a time of 1:49:68. Going off at 6-1 odds as the third choice, Chocolate paid $14.20 to win, $7.00 to show, and $4.20 to place.

Chocolate was very large as a foal, and even though she was broke at two, Terri Burch of Stoneway Farm said “we had to give her a couple months off during two periods last year to let her grow.” Chocolate made her debut in winning style February of this year in a six furlong maiden special weight at Fair Grounds. From there she went on to win a one and one sixteenth miles allowance race at Keeneland before finishing third in the GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico. “Before her first start she had been working well and we were not at all surprised she won,” said Burch. “Her gallop out in that race was so strong we spaced her next race about eight weeks later at Keeneland.”

Chocolate seems to have taken a liking to the Churchill surface with a record of two wins and a second from three starts on it. She came off of a second place finish in the GII Chilukki before her victory in the Falls City. Burch commented “Ahh Chocolate always tries hard and is maturing into the filly we knew she would be. We are very excited for 2016 and hope she has a big year.”

The race was marred with the unfortunate break down of Claiborne Farm’s Blame filly, Chide, who was euthanized after suffering a serious injury to her front left leg coming out of the final turn. Morning line favorite Frivolous was scratched with a sore tendon according to trainer Vicki Oliver. The Falls City would have been the finale for the Empire Maker mare, who won the 2014 edition of the race and is now retired.

Trained by Neil Howard, Ahh Chocolate claimed her first stakes win with her victory in the Falls City. She now holds a record of 4-1-1 from nine starts. “She is coming to the farm for a 30 day break before she heads to the Fair Grounds to prepare for the 2016 season,” said Burch. “We are hoping she starts filling out and slows down growing taller.”