Royal Spa Becomes Millionaire With Locust Grove Win

Breffni Farm’s homebred Royal Spa  took charge at the start of the $395,000 Locust Grove Stakes (G2) Sept. 13 at Churchill Downs and fought off all challengers to win her second career graded stakes.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Royal Spa jumped to the lead of the 1 1/16-mile dirt race and looked comfortable while setting early fractions of :24.48 and :48.42 atop the field of six fillies and mares.

Our Pretty Woman  made a run on the far turn as the leader clicked off six furlongs in 1:12.07, but Royal Spa, a 5-year-old Violence   mare, kept cruising out front. 

Royal Spa broke free again in upper stretch, and that was when Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables’ Alpine Princess  emerged with her challenge, but the leader was resolute in stopping the timer in 1:42.53 over the main track rated fast. Alpine Princess finished second, 1 1/4 lengths back, and it was another 1 1/2 lengths back to the third-place finisher, Ribble Farms and Front Page Equestrian’s Regaled .

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Royal Spa scored her seventh victory in 21 career starts and pushed her earnings into seven-figure territory to $1,096,732.

Royal Spa was bred in Kentucky and is out of the graded stakes-placed Mineshaft   mare Bodacious Babe. She had a full brother—Hip 1441—go through the ring at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Saturday afternoon with consignor Castle Park Farm. The colt initially was listed as a $120,000 buyback.

Violence stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale farms near Paris, Ky, where his stud fee was $30,000 during the 2025 breeding season. Violence’s 2-year-old son Obliteration  won this year’s Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course and has since placed in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and the lucrative Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint Stakes.

Video: Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove S. (G2)