The second half of a blockbuster weekend at Churchill Downs will be highlighted by a pair of two-year-old Stakes races, one for fillies in the Debutante and the other in the Bashford Manor for colts. Let the road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby begin!
Although still a maiden, Password’s debut was impressive. This $450,000 son of Uncle Mo broke slowly, was shuffled back shortly thereafter, drifted wide on the turn, but then found his best stride and was flying late to get second.
He might get there this time with a better break and the added distance. Spice Runner is a full brother to Grade 1 winner Gunite, who ran a field-high 88 Equibase Speed Figure in winning his debut. Solid favorite and the one to beat. Comport is another who ran an eye-catching race, winning his debut and finishing ahead of my top pick in the process.
Americathegreat is a full sister to Grade 3 Stakes winner First Captain and the $2 million Sedona. After a slow break in her debut, this filly, like Password, was flying late, making up an astounding 11 lengths in a five-furlong race. She should be tough with a clean break and more distance. Essential Coffee galloped in her debut only to be DQ-ed and placed second.
She is the one to beat in this regard. Percy’s Bar was visually impressive in her debut at Keeneland in April. Also consider: Color Comin’ In, wired maidens in her debut, and finished ahead of my top pick while doing so. Light Won Up came from off the pace to win her debut at Santa Anita, and her trainer says, “She is all racehorse.” Churchill Downs will house her supporters.
It took me several hours to wrap my head around this race. I almost skipped it; that’s how competitive it is. I’m tentatively going with Saudi Crown, who looks to be the lone early speed. Extra Anejo, A $1,350,000 son of Into Mischief, may not have cared for the sloppy surface last time out, as his two prior races were first-rate wins. Judge Miller, who is a $575,000 full brother to four-time Grade 1 winner Clairiere, had a handy prep race for this that should set him up to run well here.
Also consider: Banishing, even though I am passing on him at 2-1. He is showing hints of cycling out of form. Tumbarumba, who has hit the board in 16 of 21 career tries and all six on this oval, is another who looks to be cycling downward. Cagliostro ran ok in Dubai in his last two and returns to what appears to be his favorite surface here.
Pin Up Betty just missed, then won, in her last two races. Both of those races were vs better than what she will face here. Charlene’s Dream is five for nine in her career but was beaten fair and square by Pin Up Betty last time out. Generous Lover steps up in class but has hit the board in 11 of 14 career races.
If you draw a line through Flood Zone’s failed experiment on the other side of the world last time out, you’ll see an impressive resume. This handsome son of Frosted won the Gotham in NY by three lengths while scoring a field high 101 Brisnet Figure.
No one has been close to Verifire, a $1 million son of Authentic, as he’s won both career starts by a combined (almost) 13 lengths. Ancient World is a $525,000 gelding by Into Mischief who possesses a terrific late run.
Don’t put too much into his last race, as he had trouble at several key points during the running of it. Also consider Captain Cook, who chased a couple of good horses late. Note that the last time he ran at this distance, he won by a wide margin. Retribution won the Chick Lang on the Preakness undercard in just his third career start, beating Ancient World in the process.
If you’re hunting a long shot, consider Kale’s Angel, who employed the wrong race tactics (was on the lead early and runs better when coming from behind) last time out. Churchill Downs will always have a suitor for the long betters. Could this be the one?
**** Kopion, the nation’s leading female sprinter, continues to train well ahead of her next scheduled start in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 5.
Last Wednesday at Santa Anita, Kopion worked six furlongs in 1:11, prompting trainer Richard Mandella to say:. “It was pretty awesome. She couldn’t be better. I was planning her bigger work to be next week, but I’ll let this be her big work.”
* Mandella added that Tamara, the Grade 1 winner whose career has been plagued by injuries, galloped at Santa Anita on Wednesday. It was the first time since an operation to have a bone chip removed from a sesamoid earlier this year.
“She has jogged a couple of weeks and galloped,” Wednesday, he said. “She’s coming back nice.”
Tamara, owned and bred by Spendthrift Farm, has not raced since she finished second by a nose in an allowance race at Del Mar last November.
Tamara, a 4-year-old filly by Bolt d’Oro out of Beholder, a Hall of Fame mare and four-time champion, has won 2 of 4 starts, including the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in September 2023.
**** Colloquial, a stakes winner who was scratched in the days before a planned start in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes on June 7, is getting some time off and will be pointed toward the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes as a year-end goal, Thoroughbred Daily News reports.
Jack Wolf, co-owner of Starlight Racing, told the TDN that the 3-year-old Vekoma colt was getting roughly 60 days off at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland after trainer George Weaver didn’t like the way he was moving. Colloquial was scratched from the Woody Stephens at Saratoga two days before the race after showing lameness in his right foreleg.
Colloquial has won two of three lifetime starts, graduating in his second race and his 3-year-old debut in an Aqueduct maiden special weight on Feb. 7. He then made a successful jump into stakes company, taking the listed Lafayette Stakes on April 7 at Keeneland.
There was some excellent Churchill Downs racing this weekend. It was very well-rounded as we saw several types of runners in action, including both sexes, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and even older horses.
I especially like the two-year-old (male) races as these may be some of the 2026 Kentucky Derby contenders. I realize it’s only late June of 2025, but is it ever too early to think about the Kentucky Derby and the aura of Churchill Downs?
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