Saturday, May 29, 2021

Envoutante coasts to victory in the 2021 Shawnee S. – Coady photo

Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm’s Envoutante was much the best in Saturday’s $150,000 Shawnee S. at Churchill Downs, winning by 4 1/4-lengths as the odds-on favorite in the 1 1/16-mile contest for fillies and mares.

Winner of the Falls City S. (G2) and Remington Park Oaks (G3) last autumn, Envoutante is now 5-2-2 in 12 starts and has earned $541,738.

Saturday’s race marked the first time she hadn’t faced graded competition since exactly one year ago in a Churchill allowance victory. The Shawnee went exactly to plan as she stalked Miss Bigly through six furlongs, then took the lead at will and drew off in the stretch to win geared down in 1:42.59 on the fast track.

She does well with a confidence booster,” her trainer Ken McPeek said. “She ran hard last out (second in the Grade 1 La Troienne on April 30) and I’d like to win a Grade I with her down the road. I thought this race set her up for the Fleur de Lis (G2, June 26 at Churchill). She loves this racetrack and once she’s learned to win she’s gotten better. Hopefully she ends up in the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year.”