On a day many gathered with friends and family to reflect on the good fortune and blessings in their lives, AEOLIAN (f, 3, Tapit–Danzatrice {MSW & GSP, $312,145}, by Dunkirk) gave her connections a Thanksgiving Day thrill in the eighth race at Churchill Downs.
The grey bobbled at the break in her unveiling Aug. 31 at Saratoga, and was a well-beaten fifth against those maidens. She returned last out Oct. 17 at Keeneland, got an extra sixteenth of a mile to work with, and ran a much-improved second to be beaten by a nose in the shadow of the wire by a 12-1 longshot.
Brushing with Delicious Diva (Hard Spun) on their way out of the gate here, Aeolian watched the race unfold from midpack as the frontrunner cruised through fractions of :23.53 and a half in :46.65 with pressure coming at her from all sides. The grey was rolling from the four path as the complexion up front changed around the bend, and Glamorama (Justify) briefly held the lead as they swung into the lane, but it was short-lived. Collaring that one in upper stretch, Aeolian drew off to win by six lengths.
A full-sister to 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Tapit Trice, GISW, $1,873,650, the victress is the most recent full-sibling to the races for dam Danzatrice. All three of her Tapits–Aeolian, Tapit Trice, and Danzit–have all gotten their picture taken and the aforementioned eldest brother is her lone elite-level runner. The mare, a half-sister to champion juvenile filly MGISW Jaywalk (Cross Traffic), has a fourth Tapit, a yearling, and a 2025 weanling by Not This Time. She returned to the breed-shaping stallion for a fifth cover for 2026. One of Danzatrice's half-sisters is the mother of SW Jupiter (Upstart) while a second claims SP Abdul (Tapit).
8th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 11-27, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:36.62, ft, 6 lengths.
AEOLIAN (f, 3, Tapit–Danzatrice {MSW & GSP, $312,145}, by Dunkirk) Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $94,750. O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. *Full to Tapit Trice, GISW, $1,873,650. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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