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“She wasn’t in front a step before the wire, she wasn’t in front a step after the wire, but she was in front on the wire,” Barry Irwin said. “What a ride!” Todd Pletcher said “I don’t think we saw the best of River Belle today. Too much shipping around, too hard of a race in the Queen Elizabeth. Today she won on class because was the best horse. But, prepared differently, she whoops this field.” River Belle has had a short, but hard campaign since returning to action over the summer at Saratoga. She will now get a rest until the spring. “When she showed up last year,” said Irwin, “she was way to skinny for my taste. We sent her to Barry Eisaman with instructions to turn her out, fatten her up and go slowly with her when she returned to training. “When she made her comeback start in August, it was her first start since the previous September. “River Belle should get even better next season, as she has plenty of frame and she still can fill into it. Kieren told me that he thought the filly was better on firmer turf and we will bear that in mind next season.” The sophomore filly ran four times this season, winning twice and finishing third twice. She has a Grade 2 win, an allowance win, a Grade 1 third and a Grade 3 third, for earnings on the campaign of about $202,000. Overall she has now won half of her starts. Supporting the view of Team Valor and Pletcher that the filly regressed in winning the Mrs. Revere, Andy Beyer gave the race a 91 number, three points lower than the filly earned when third in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Barry Irwin said “Team Valor scored a lot of PR points in bringing Fallon in to ride this weekend. It showed our strength in being able to have the kind of quality animals to attract Fallon to come over. He was on the verge of winning 200 races and had six months last Thursday, but gave them up to come to Churchill. “After the winners’ circle presentation, I thought Churchill Downs president Tom Meeker was going to kiss me. All the Churchill brass was down there to thank Team Valor for allowing them to, in essence, flip off the dissident members of the riding colony. These taciturn suits were downright ebullient. They really enjoyed this occasion. “I also think by bringing in Fallon, we spiced up the weekend of racing across the entire nation, because Fallon’s appearance was national and international news. It was a helluva a lot of fun and it was an artistic success to boot.” From Thoroughbred Daily News THE BRITISH ARE COMING! Paul Revere warned us back in 1775 and his words held true in the GII Mrs. Revere S. at Churchill Downs yesterday. British-bred River Belle (GB) (Lahib), ridden by six-time champion British champion jockey Kieren Fallon, outfinished Lenatareese (Broad Brush) and Cape Town Lass (Horse Chestnut {SAf}) to take the three-way photo and her first U.S. stakes. The chestnut won the July 26 G3 Princess Margaret S. in her native country, but was off the board in her next two and headed across the Atlantic. She opened her American account with a Saratoga allowance tally Aug. 7 and was coming off third-place finishes in the Sept. 12 GIII Boiling Springs H. and Oct. 16 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup From Louisville Courier-Journal Fallon jets in, boots River Belle to victory By Jenny Rees Team Valor president Barry Irwin said he didn't sleep Friday night worrying whether the jockey for his favored River Belle would show up for yesterday's $171,150, Grade II Mrs. Revere Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.
Fallon not only showed up, he went 2 for 2, guiding River Belle to a nose victory over Lenatareese, who in turn nosed out Cape Town Lass in the field of 10. Sister Swank was another half-length back in fourth. "Until I saw Kieren Fallon in the paddock wearing our silks, I wouldn't believe he was coming," Irwin said. "All this jockey-boycott talk, I thought the guy might get second thoughts. (Friday) night I got a call telling me the guys at Hoosier (Park) weren't going to ride. I couldn't sleep. ... This guy is such a great rider." Fallon said he was unaware of the controversy until he got to Louisville. "When I saw Pat Day riding here, I thought it must be all right," he said after winning the fifth race, a $50,600 turf allowance, on Sure Prize ($15.80). Fallon put River Belle close to the lead while hugging the hedge much of the way. He swung her to the outside entering the stretch, ranging up between horses to get past Cape Town Lass in the final strides. If that finish wasn't close enough, Lenatareese came flying on the far outside to jump into the photo finish. Fallon: "I didn't know if I held on or not." Irwin: "I thought the horse on the outside got it." Larry Melancon, who rode Lenatareese: "I stood up after the wire and thought I was in front." David Carroll, Lenataresse's trainer: "I thought we finished third, so we'll settle for second." River Belle, a British-bred daughter of Lahib out of the Dixieland Band mare Dixie Favor, covered 11/16 miles in 1:44.59 over turf rated good. She paid $5.20. Fallon now is 3 for 3 on her, having been aboard for the chestnut filly's first two races in Europe, including a Group 3 stakes at Ascot. Upon buying her in partnership with Bill Heiligbrodt and Richard Masson, Team Valor raced her twice in Europe last year before sending her this year to trainer Todd Pletcher. In her three previous U.S. starts she won a Saratoga allowance race, was a close third in Monmouth's Grade III Boiling Springs Handicap and a close third in Keeneland's Grade I Queen ElizabethII Challenge Cup. She now is 4-0-2 in eight starts and has earned $266,084. From Daily Racing Form River Belle hangs on to score By Byron King British jockey Kieren Fallon, who rode in California as an apprentice in 1996, has always loved America. After winning two races Saturday at Churchill Downs, including the Grade 2, $171,150 Mrs. Revere aboard River Belle, he loves it even more.
As early leader Black Rock Road began to tire on the turn, Fallon swung River Belle into a clear path on the outside, and River Belle grinded out a narrow victory, holding off late surges from Lenatareese and Cape Town Lass. Cape Town Lass finished third, a nose behind Lenatareese. River Belle, trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Team Valor Stables and William Heiligbrodt, won for the fourth time in eight starts. She raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.59, paying $5.20 for her first graded stakes victory in America. Fallon, who won on River Belle twice last year, when she raced in England, was given the Mrs. Revere mount after a riding boycott by some jockeys began earlier in the week in protest of insurance coverage. Fallon said he was sympathetic to American jockeys who could not afford to purchase expanded insurance, but he did not support riders protesting when they can afford to purchase insurance. Jockeys are responsible for their own insurance in England, he said. From Thoroughbred Times Fallon guides River Belle to narrow triumph in Mrs. Revere By Tom Law Two weeks after winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) with Ouija Board (GB), England-based jockey Kieren Fallon returned to United States racing in triumphant fashion on Saturday when he guided River Belle (GB) to a nose victory in the $171,150 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2) for three-year-old fillies over the turf at Churchill Downs. Fallon and River Belle are no strangers. The six-time English champion jockey piloted the daughter of Lahib to wins in the first two starts of her career in July 2003 in England, including her only previous stakes victory in the Princess Margaret Stakes (Eng-G3) at Ascot. After saving ground from just off the pace in the Mrs. Revere, River Belle angled out for a prime position coming out of the far turn and Fallon got busy with vigorous urging through the stretch as she staved off closing bids from Lenatareese and Cape Town Lass for the narrow victory in the blanket finish. "It was close,” Fallon said. “I thought [Lenatareese] on the outside was finishing and I didn't know if I had held on or not. She's a tough filly. It's the third time I've ridden her and the third time I've won on her, so she's done me good. I was always confident. Actually I thought she would go away and do it easier, but she wants faster ground than this." River Belle, the 8-to-5 favorite, completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.59 over good turf. Lenatareese rallied from seven wide to finish second, a nose in front of Cape Town Lass, who finished along the hedge in third. Team Valor Stables, which owns River Belle in partnership with Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Green Lantern Stables, brought Fallon in for a pair of stakes mounts this weekend due to the depletion of the Churchill jockey colony in the recent boycott over insurance issues. River Belle won her United States debut in an allowance race at Saratoga Race Course on August 7 before finishing third in both the Boiling Springs Stakes (G3) on September 12 at Monmouth Park and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) on October 16 at Keeneland Race Course. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the chestnut filly has four wins in eight career starts and earnings of $266,084. Bred in Great Britain, River Belle is out of the Dixieland Band mare Dixie Favor. From England’s Sporting Life Kieren Fallon treated American racegoers to a vintage ride on River Belle to win the 150,000-added Mrs Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs tonight. The six-times British champion was at his strongest to get the three-year-old filly home in the shadow of the post to pip Lenatareese and Cape Town Lass in a driving finish to this Grade Two contest. The former champion jockey was renewing an old acquaintance as he won last year's Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot on the filly when she was trained by Alan Jarvis. River Belle is now with Todd Pletcher. From The Blood-Horse Fallon, River Belle Tight Fit in Mrs. Revere Favored River Belle, with an animated Kieren Fallon squeezing every last ounce of effort from her, won the $171,150 Mrs. Revere (gr. IIT) by a nostril over the surging Lenatareese at Churchill Downs Saturday.
River Belle, winner of the Princess Margaret Stakes (Eng-II) at Ascot as a 2-year-old, notched her first graded stakes win in the United States since transferring to trainer Todd Pletcher during the summer. "It was a nail-biter, for sure," Pletcher said by telephone from Florida. "I thought we had a great trip and he pulled her out and she came with a steady run. She didn't really have an explosive turn of foot, but she was able to continue on and wear them down." The stakes win was the first for Fallon at Churchill Downs and his second victory of the day. He had earlier won the fifth race with Sure Size ($15.80). The 8-5 choice, she completed the 1 1/8-mile turf event in 1:44 2/5. Fallon, the six-time European riding champion, angled River Belle off the rail for the stretch run. She was holding off Cape Town Lass and Dean Sarvis in the final strides when Lenatareese came flying at the wire with Larry Melancon aboard to just miss. Fallon was in the irons when the British-bred daughter of Lahib-Dixie Favor (Dixieland Band) won the Princess Margaret as the favorite in July 2003. "I thought the horse on the outside (Lenatareese) was finishing and I didn't know if I had held on or not," said Fallon, who traveled from England to win his first stakes race at Churchill Downs. "She's a tough filly. It's the third time I've ridden her and the third time I've won on her, so she's done me good." Lenatareese was unhurried early, rallying seven wide in the stretch. Cape Town Lass, also outrun early, slid along the hedge in the stretch to get the lead briefly from River Belle. She was barely outfinished in a game effort. Black Rock Road seized the lead soon after the start. Jinny's Gold assumed command in the turn as Fallon positioned River Belle to swing to the outside and begin her charge. Owned by Team Valor, Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Green Lantern Stable LLC, River Belle was coming off a third-place finish behind Ticker Tape, beaten by a length, in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (gr. IT) at Keeneland Oct. 16. Saturday's victory, worth $106,113, was River Belle's fourth in eight career tries and pushed her career earnings to $266,084. She has won two of four in the U.S.
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