Corey Lanerie’s 35-year riding career ended at Churchill Downs on Sunday as Coal Battle finished fourth behind Nu What’s New in the Grade 3 Hanshin Stakes.
The closing-day mile was won from the front by the Jimmy DiVito-trained Nu What’s New, who broke sharply under Luis Saez, set demanding fractions and held Owen Almighty by half a length in 1:34.06.
The race carried two strands of consequence: a second Grade 3 win of the year for Nu What’s New, following the Oaklawn Mile, and the final mount for Lanerie, one of Churchill’s defining modern riders.
Lanerie bows out after Churchill farewell
Lanerie, 51, had already announced he would retire at the end of the Spring Meet, leaving the saddle with more than 5,100 winners and 19 Churchill Downs riding titles.
His final ride came aboard the Lonnie Briley-trained Coal Battle, who made a rail move before fading late into fourth.
For DiVito, the performance confirmed Nu What’s New as a serious dirt miler.
The gelding, owned by Doubledown Stables, was sent off at 8-1 and returned $19.90, with Daily Racing Form reporting that DiVito is now considering the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile route.
That gives the Hanshin a lasting shape: one career ending at a familiar track, another campaign gathering real momentum.
