(Ayra Stark wins at Keeneland / Photo by Coady Media)

From the Turfway Park Media Team / Kevin Kerstein:

ARGENTINIAN GROUP II WINNER AYRA STARK

LEADS FIELD IN SATURDAY’S $125,000 FLORENCE STAKES

FLORENCE, Ky. (Monday, Dec. 15, 2025) – Haymarket Farms’ Argentinian Group II winner and impressive Keeneland allowance winner Ayra Stark (ARG) headlines a competitive field of 12 fillies and mares entered in Saturday’s first running of the $125,000 Florence Stakes at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at 1 ¼ miles, the Florence Stakes is the featured event on the 10-race Saturday card that begins at 5:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). The Florence Stakes field will go to post at 9:25 p.m. as Race 8.

Originally campaigned by Ignacio Correas IV, who retired from training in North America last month, Ayra Stark is a six-time winner from 12 starts led by her six-length romp in the Ramon Biaus (GII) in her native Argentina. She’s had two victories since she arrived in North America earlier this year, a 3 ¼-length allowance win in August at Colonial and a 4 ¼-length allowance win at Keeneland in October. Now in the care of Horacio De Paz, Ayra Stark will be ridden in Saturday’s contest by Victor Corrasco out of post No. 10.

The Florence Stakes field also includes Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ recent Rodeo Drive (GII) runner-up Speed Shopper; Jane Bacharach, William DeBurgh and Richard Schatz’ 2024 Cardinal Stakes (GIII) winner Duvet Day (IRE) and Everything’s Cricket Racing’s stakes winner Sabalenka.

The complete lineup for the Florence Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Noir (Adam Beschizza, Joe Sharp)
  • Dazzlin’ Dictator (Irving Moncada, Rodolphe Brisset)
  • Duvet Day (Pietro Moran, Conor Murphy)
  • Fair Plaisir (Walter Rodriguez, Barry King)
  • Cozee Rags (Fernando De La Cruz, Brian Michael)
  • Adrasteia (Edgar Morales, Fergus Bogle)
  • Settling Storm (Dylan Machado, Pavel Matejka)
  • Sabalenka (Gabe Saez, Joe Sharp)
  • Boss Lady Bailey (Luan Machado, Mike Maker)
  • Ayra Stark (ARG) (Corrasco, De Paz)
  • Peak Popularity (Jose Gutierrez, Brian Knippenberg)
  • Speed Shopper (Danny Sheehy, Will Walden)

Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Turfway Park on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering platform of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

SYNTHETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY – Turfway Park will have a special five-day racing week beginning Wednesday, led by the rescheduled Synthetic Championships on Sunday. First post Wednesday through Saturday is 5:55 p.m. with the Synthetic Championships getting underway Sunday at 3 p.m.

Originally scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, the 10-race Synthetic Championships card was postponed after the Florence area received nearly five inches of snow and had temperatures drop into the single digits.

The card, including the four stakes events that make up the Synthetic Championships, will move in its entirety to Sunday and will not be redrawn.

Updated post times and wagering menu for Sunday’s card:

  • Race 1 (3 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3, P5
  • Race 2 (3:30 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3, P4
  • Race 3 (4 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3
  • Race 4 (4:30 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3, P4
  • Race 5 (5 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3, P6
  • Race 6 (5:30 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3, P5
  • Race 7 (6 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3, P4
  • Race 8 (6:30 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD, P3
  • Race 9 (7 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, DD
  • Race 10 (7:30 p.m.): WPS, Ex, Tri, Super, SH5

Any horses listed as an early scratch are now valid to run on Sunday’s rescheduled program, except for Big Garry in Race 1, who is now ineligible after breaking his maiden Dec. 6.

Sunday’s card features the $250,000 Prairie Bayou (Listed), $250,000 Holiday Cheer, $250,000 Holiday Inaugural presented by Claiborne Farm and $250,000 My Charmer presented by Claiborne Farm. Along with the four stakes, the program also includes three allowance contests and three maiden special weight races.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering platform of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Fans can also catch every race from Turfway Park on FanDuel TV. Live, on-site coverage of Sunday’s card will be provided by Matt Carothers.

For the latest information about racing and gaming from Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com.