Churchill roundup: Simply In Front upsets Distaff Turf Mile
Simply in Front outgamed Pin Up Betty in deep stretch to post a neck victory in the 40th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile for fillies and mares Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Eddie Kenneally for Colebrook Farms and ridden by Luis Saez for his second stakes victory of the afternoon, Simply in Front completed the mile over turf rated as good in 1:35.46.
Serene Seraph set the pace with Simply in Front racing in midpack. Leadership on the front end went unchanged until the top of the lane when Pin Up Betty moved between horses to take over with Simply in Front moving with her to her outside and eventually edging away in deep stretch.
Simply in Front is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Summer Front out of the Blame mare Complicated. A winner of four of 11 starts, Simply in Front notched her second Grade 2 victory having taken the Music City at Kentucky Downs last September under Saez.
Simply in Front returned $33, $15.24 and $8.56. Pin Up Betty, ridden by Juan Hernandez, returned $11.44 and $6.62 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Movin’ On Up, who paid $3.58 to show under Jose Ortiz.
Five Towns finished another nose back in fourth and was followed in order by Tax Implications, Venencia, favored Sacred Wish and Serene Seraph.
“She broke the way we expected. She was traveling nicely,” Saez said. “When we ran at Kentucky Downs, the trip was similar to today. There were some good horses in that race. When she made her move at the top of the lane, I could tell I had a lot of horse left.”
“My new rider (Luis Saez), I didn’t have to give him any special instructions. He’s just in a zone and this filly of mine, this is her first start of the year and I think she jumped into the zone too,” Kenneally said.
Macho Music leads gate to wire to win Pat Day Mile
Macho Music went to the front and never was headed in posting a 3 1/4-length victory over favored Madaket Road in the 101st running of the $600,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) for 3-year-olds Saturday afternoon.
Ridden by Javier Castellano and trained by Rohan Crichton, Macho Music completed the mile over a sloppy track in 1:35.65. It is the second victory in the race for Castellano, whose previous win came on Rushie in 2020.
Macho Music shot to the front and led the field of nine through fractions of 22.43 and 44.93 seconds with Madaket Road in closest pursuit. At the head of the stretch, Macho Music increased his advantage and was not threatened in the run through the lane.
A Florida-bred son of Maclean’s Music out of the Tapit mare Southern Girl, Macho Music has won four of eight starts with Saturday’s triumph his first graded-stakes score.
Macho Music returned $29.86, $10.66 and $6.26. Madaket Road, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., returned $4.96 and $3.36 and finished a neck in front of stablemate Gaming, who paid $3.56 to show under John Velazquez.
It was another 5 1/2 lengths back to Gate to Wire with Perfect Force, Smoken Wicked, Innovator, California Burrito and Built following in order.
Think Big rallies in time to take Turf Sprint
Think Big unleashed a powerful stretch run to overtake Boss Sully in the final yards by three-quarters of a length to win the 31st running of the Grade 2, $600,000 Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Mike Stidham for Godolphin and ridden by Ben Curtis, Think Big completed the 5 1/2 furlongs over turf rated as good in a stakes-record 1:02.35.
Coppola set the pace with an opening quarter-mile in 22.66 seconds with Boss Sully chasing in second. Coming off the far turn into the stretch, Boss Sully took over and opened a daylight advantage with Think Big the only the runner mounting a challenge.
Now 4-for-4 going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf with Curtis aboard, Think Big is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Twirling Candy out of the Street Sense mare Always Thinking. It is the second Grade 2 victory for Think Big following the Shakertown last month at Keeneland.
Favored in the field of 10, Think Big returned $6.84, $4.10 and $3.18. Boss Sully, ridden by Luis Saez, returned $7.80 and $5.72 with Unconquerable Keen finishing third another 1 ¼ lengths back and returning $7.44 under Umberto Rispoli.
It was another length back to Arrest Me Red with Ambivalent, Coppola, Run Carson, Rogue Lightning, Mischievous Rogue and Eamonn following in order.
“He doesn’t have a certain style,” Curtis said. “He came from last at Fair Grounds and mid-pack at Keeneland. Before that, he was very forward. I found a lovely spot where he was into the race. He’s a fast stayer at this distance. The further we went down the straight, I thought we’d get him. It took me a little longer to get him than I thought but he got there.”
“No special instructions to the rider; he’s ridden him before and knows him well,” Stidham said. “At the sixteenth pole, I didn’t think we were going to make it. I said ‘aw heck, we’re gonna be second.’ But then he dug in like a champ and got it done. Every once in a while something goes right.”
Kopion wins Derby City Distaff for Mandella
Spendthrift Farm’s Kopion swept to the front passing the eighth pole and drew off for a three-length victory over Hope Road in the 39th running of the $1 million Derby City Distaff (G1) for fillies and mares.
Trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Kazushi Kimura, Kopian completed the seven furlongs over a sloppy track in 1:21.76. The victory was the first for Mandella at Churchill Downs since 2004 with Siphonizer in an allowance race and first stakes victory since 2001 in the Mamzelle with Separata.
Mystic Lake shot to the lead with an opening quarter-mile in 22.3 seconds with Hope Road second and Kopion racing in sixth along the rail. Hope Road went after Mystic Lake on the far turn and swept past at the top of the lane while behind her, Kimura had moved Kopian off the inside and swung six wide into the stretch.
Hope Road opened a clear advantage in the upper stretch but had no answer for the charge from Kopian.
Now a two-time Grade 1 winner and owning five victories in seven starts, Kopion is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Omaha Beach out of the Victory Gallop mare Galloping Ami.
Favored in her first excursion from Southern California, Kopion returned $7.48, $4.80 and $3.22. Hope Road, ridden by Juan Hernandez, returned $8.24 and $5.04 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Ways and Means, who paid $3 to show under Flavien Prat. It was another 3 lengths back to Scylla with Emery, Positano Sunset, Vahva, Benedetta, Mystic Lake and Miss Susan B following in order.
Spirit of St Louis surges late to win Turf Classic
Spirit of St Louis posted a three-quarters of a length victory over Mercante to win the 39th running of the $1 million Turf Classic (G1) for 4-year-olds and up.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Manny Franco, Spirit of St Louis completed the mile and eighth over the turf course rated as good in 1:48.20. It was the second Grade 1 victory of the afternoon for Brown who saddled Zulu Kingdom for the win in the American Turf.
Also, it was Brown’s fifth victory in the Turf Classic, with previous scores coming with Program Trading in 2024, Domestic Spending in 2021, Digital Age in 2020 and Bricks and Mortar in 2019.
Gigante set the pace with Mercante tracking in second through fractions of 23.97, 47.99 and 1:12.13 with Spirit of St Louis racing near the back of the pack. Mercante took over at the top of the stretch while behind him Franco was navigating Spirit of St Louis into the clear with a nine-wide move.
Spirit of St Louis surged past Mercante at the sixteenth pole to secure his second Grade I victory and 11th in 16 starts overall. He is a 6-year-old gelded New York-bred son of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Khancord Kid.
Spirit of St Louis returned $8.24, $4.60 and $3.30. Mercante, ridden by Joe Ramos, returned $11.28 and $7.76 and finished a neck in front of Highway Robber, who paid $8.04 to show under Declan Cannon.
It was another neck back to Gold Phoenix with Running Bee, Redistricting, Integration, Cameo Performance, Gigante and Taking Candy following in order.