(Royal Spa wins the Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove Stakes at Churchill Downs last Saturday / All Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers & Kevin Kerstein:

ROYAL SPA GATE TO WIRE IN GRADE II, $400,000 FASIG-TIPTON LOCUST GROVE

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025) – Breffni Farm’s homebred Royal Spa led every step of the way in Saturday’s 41st running of the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove (Grade II) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs to defeat Alpine Princess by 1 ¼ lengths and become a millionaire.

          Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Rodophe Brisset, Royal Spa ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.53, just ticks behind Search Results’ 2023 record of 1:42.40.

          Breaking from post position No. 3 in the field of six, Royal Spa broke alertly and set a comfortable early pace of :24.48, :48.42 and 1:12.7 without much pressure from a quartet of chasers: Corningstone, Our Pretty Woman, Alpine Princess and Free Like a Girl. Regaled was the trailer.

          Gaffalione asked Royal Spa for more around the final turn and she responded to open up by two lengths. Alpine Princess, who won the $100,000 Mari Hulman George Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis in July, tipped out three-wide to challenge but could not close into the front-running Royal Spa.

“The plan was to just play the break,” Gaffalione. “She’s been breaking a lot more alertly lately. I saw not a whole lot of speed so I just sent her to the lead and was able to do everything.”

The victory was worth $244,140 to Royal Spa and increased her earnings to the milestone $1,096,732 with a record of 6-3-4 from 16 starts. This was the third stakes win of her career, all coming during her 5-year-old season. She also won the $100,000 Heavenly Cause at Laurel Park in January and this spring’s $275,000 Shawnee (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

In her previous two starts, Royal Spa ran second to reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the $500,000 Fleur de Lis (GII) and was fourth in the $400,000 Clement L. Hirsch (GI) at Del Mar on Aug. 2.

This was Royal Spa’s fourth win in eight starts at Churchill Downs with two seconds.

Royal Spa, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Violence out of the Mineshaft mare Bodacious Babe, returned $4.62, $2.86 and $2.12. Alpine Prince, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., returned $2.86 and $2.40. Regaled, withJoe Ramos up, paid $2.92 to show.

Our Pretty Woman was fourth and was followed by Corningstone and Free Like a Girl.

Royal Spa was bred by her owner Rhonda O’Rourke.

“Rudy (Brisset) and his wife Brooke have done a great job with her to stretch out in distance,” O’Rourke said. “I’ve known her since she was a little dot on an ultrasound. This was a really special win.”

The Locust Grove is named after the 1790 Georgian mansion in Louisville that played home to ancestors of Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark.

LOCUST GROVE QUOTES

Tyler Gaffalione, jockey, Royal Spa, winner: “The plan was to just play the break. She’s been breaking a lot more alertly lately. I saw not a whole lot of speed so I just sent her to the lead and was able to do everything.”

Rhonda O’Rourke, owner, Royal Spa, winner: “Rudy (Brisset) and his wife Brooke have done a great job with her to stretch out in distance. I’ve known her since she was a little dot on an ultrasound. This was a really special win.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., jockey, Alpine Princess, runner-up: “There wasn’t a lot of pace in there. I wanted to get her in the clear and was able to get there around the turn but she just couldn’t get there late.”