The Music City Stakes (Grade 2)- $2,000.000 Purse
KD- For Fillies Three Years Old
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
September 6, 2025
The great racing and high purses continue at KD this weekend, and here we will look at the Grade 2 Music City Stakes, which offers a $2,000.000 purse for three-year-old fillies. It’s the third time that this race has been run, and it had no problem filling with fourteen heading to the starting gate. After a dead heat in 2023, last year’s Music City Stakes was won by End Of The Devil, for Maxmillion Farm. The filly would make one more start after her victory, coming in the BC Turf Sprint against the boys, and she finished at the back of the pack. She has since been retired, and through the marvels of virtual breeding, has already produced three foals. Maxmillion has two of the runners in this year’s race, let’s meet all fourteen entrants now:
1- Just Average (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Hit the board in five of her seven races this year, with one victory along the way. That came in April at the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes out at SA. Outside of that, she can typically be counted on to run a competitive race and has been a regular turf sprinter. Perhaps, she lacks some the “wow” factor that you would like to see for a $2,000.000 race, but she’s productive and in a barn that knows how to get it done, so we should expect the same on Saturday.
2- Cunning Stunt (Asgar, ridden by Ru Silvera)- After getting a lethargic debut out of the way, Cunning Stunt has become a good one. Transitioned to the grass after that first race and went wire to wire to break her maiden at WO on soft turf. Following that, she was sent to the NY Stallion Stakes- Joy and beat the three others that she needed to. Cashed a couple of checks since then, and comes here out of the Grade 3 ONT Colleen, where she was third but probably will like going a shorter distance as she will here.
3- Creepy Ruler (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- Kicked off the year by winning three in a row, highlighted by the Grade 3 FL Oaks at TAM in March. Since then, she hasn’t been getting it done. Only once in her last five starts as she earned anything, and that was in a distant fourth place effort at SAR in June. Most of her starts of late have seen her go long, so with that struggle, you can understand why the trainer is cutting her back. However, when she did sprint in July it wasn’t much better. Needs to get back on track.
4- Aime La Nature (Our Athletes, ridden by P Lopez)- Ran against Cunning Stunt last time out in the ONT Colleen Stakes, and beat her by one spot. This filly is used to running a mile, and probably also used to it raining on race day lately, something that probably won’t be a concern but cannot be ruled out entirely with a 32% chance four days away. Career highlight to this point is winning the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at GP. Likes to get out on or near the lead early.
5- Eighteen Ninety Two (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by M Chuan)- Spent the last two races taking on Canadian breds, first in the WO Oaks, and then in the Kings Plate, two races that are important to this trainer. In the WO Oaks, she looked strong, running second, so she was expected to carry that into the Kings Plate. That would never happen, so now she will return to the turf, where she had spent her Spring. Won the $100.00 China Doll Stakes but was unspectacular afterwards. She’s simply a hit and miss type. Perhaps it can be her day.
6- Shine To Class (Our Athletes, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Doing everything right in her career thus far, with five wins in six races and being a regular turf sprinter. Her last three races have come at the stake level, and she has earned wins in the $300.000 Limestone Turf Sprint and the $150.000 Pea Patch. Her lone graded effort was the one she did not win, placing fourth in the Grade 3 Mamzelle, so she still has a little something to prove when running against the best, but there is no reason to think that she cannot deliver.
7- Hot Pants (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Picked up by the trainer in a May private sale for $30.000 after a pair of wins in overnights at TAM. Maxmillion had bigger plans and ran her in the Grade 3 Summertime Oaks three weeks later and Hot Pants was up to the task, running second. Followed that up win an optional claiming win at SAR. All that is good, and all that comes on the main track. The only time Hot Pants has run on the turf came in her debut about a year ago, but the trainer has been preparing her to make this transition. Ran off a couple of nice works at SAR and will look to bring that to the track here.
8- Dupixent (Night Rider Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Since attempting the Ashland in April, Dupixent has become very productive, hitting the board in all five starts, including a pair of wins. One of them did come on the grass, the $125.000 Hilltop Stakes at PIM. A great August also saw her win the Test at SAR last month. This will now be her third start in five weeks, which is not necessarily a problem, but worth a mention. Second in the CT Oaks last time out, so she’ll keep going out there while she is hot.
9- Red Feathers (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by G Corrales)- Made her debut in January, and has won once out of seven starts, but with a little more luck at the wire, she would have three wins. Her last two races saw her lose the head bob at the wire, though neither were in a stake. When she has run at this level, she’s been hit and miss, so is another that has a little something to prove here but is very capable of doing exactly that.
10- Confident Excellence (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Jimenez)- Spent a lot of time covering this one as she ran in preps for the KYO, continuing to impress in those races before being seen as one of the better options for the KYO. Disappointed there and would later be sold to Maxmillion Farm for $150.000. The Declassified filly has since run twice since with solid results, and that includes her turd debut last time out. It would come in the Grade 3 Caress, where she was only beaten by Emily and there is absolutely no shame in that. I still like this filly a lot, and like how she ran there. I look for her to step up here and get it done.
11- Starry Craze (Luz International, ridden by L J Luzzi)- Claimed last month by the trainer for $35.000 after winning a DMR optional claimer by two lengths with a wire-to-wire effort. Luz International liked what he saw so much there, and after the filly arrived in his stable to run her right here. Starry Craze has been looking good at high level tracks and works very well, so has earned her chance to run in a stake, and it will be of the $2,000.000 variety right here.
12- Mollys Sweet Nectar (Xcel Racing, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Luz International gains one, and just maybe, he lost one. While that trainer claimed Starry Craze for $35.000, he saw Mollys Sweet Nectar get claimed from him for $20.000 in June. This filly has won five out of six, and while they have not always been at the highest of levels, that was the case last time when she went to SAR to win the $150.000 Galway last month and will now try to get the trainer the biggest win of their career.
13- Matey (Red Fox Farms, ridden by P Husbands)- Either she wins, or is apparently nowhere to be found. In twelve starts, Matey has won six times, starting her career hot and has recently rediscovered that form with victories in her last two. This includes the Grade 3 Coronation Cup at SAR about two months ago in her last start. Unfortunately, the other six starts have not seen her earn a penny and has been at or near the back. Given her last two races, she may have put that side of her away. She’ll need to have done that here.
14- Piatt (Royalty Stables, ridden by B Curtis)- You can count on this filly to be productive every time she is out there. I am throwing out the Soaring Softly completely, as that looks pretty safe to do. With that, she’s earned a piece of the purse each time, and in most cases, she is less than a length from the win. It’s not just close calls, though, as she has won four times, including the Grade 3 Mamzelle against a few of these in May. Never easy to start way out here, but I think she will be able to overcome that again and again be close at the finish.
Prediction: 10-14-6-8
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES