1 of 2 | Skippylongstocking, shown winning January’s Grade I Pegasus World Cup, returns in Friday’s $750,000 Alysheba at Churchill Downs. Photo by Jeff Zamaiko, courtesy of Gulfstream Park
May 1 (UPI) — Churchill Downs has organized a weekend of racing that could go into the books as second only to November’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, featuring not only the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, but also championship-caliber races in almost every division.
While all of that’s going on, the first of the English Classics, the 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas, are Saturday and Sunday at Newmarket. Japan returns to Grade 1 action with the Tenno Sho (Spring) on Sunday. And, oh yes, the first leg of Japan’s Dirt Triple Crown is in the books
Take a deep breath and dive right into the rest of Derby weekend in Louisville and the global highlights.
On the dirt
Bob Baffert’s 2025 Triple Crown hopeful Cornucopian and Bill Mott’s Knightsbridge, riding a four-race win streak, top the entries for Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes at 7 furlongs.
Watch out for Banishing, winner of the Group 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai in his last start, Japanese visitor T O Elvis, who looks like a good one, and Point Dume, who beat Book’em Danno in the Grade II Carter in his last outing. Excellent race.
Going 1 furlong farther in Saturday’s $750,000 Grade II Pat Day Mile are a bunch of Triple Crown nominees. Noted on the morning line are another Baffert prospect, Crude Velocity, and the Cherie DeVaux-trained Englishman. Great White was entered here but drew into the Kentucky Derby.
Female sprinters take the spotlight under the Twin Spires in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Derby City Distaff.
The splendid Splendora, reigning Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner, rides a five-race winning streak into the 7-furlong test. Yet, the morning line has Ways and Means as the 8-5 favorite. Friday’s $700,000 Grade II Eight Belles is for 3-year-old fillies at the same distance.
Older horses tackle 1 mile out of the Churchill Downs chute in the $200,000 Knicks Go Stakes. If anyone deserves a win on Derby Day, it’s trainer Chris Block. As head of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, he’s spending a lot of his time trying to keep the Hawthorne Race Course meeting going during its bankruptcy proceedings.
He has Moonlight as an 8-1 longshot here. The 5-year-old is 3-for-5 at Churchill Downs, including a 1-mile stakes win last November.
Friday’s $750,000 Grade II Alysheba at 1 1/16 miles features a diverse lineup.
Quick now, who finished third in the 2025 Kentucky Derby? Right, Baeza. The 4-year-old is back for the first time since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Seven-year-old Skippylongstocking has won three straight and seems to be holding his form. Tappan Street won last year’s Florida Derby.
Grande is 4-for-5 and was second in the ’25 Wood Memorial. East Avenue, also a 2025 Kentucky Derby contender, won the Grade III Matt Winn a month later. Another excellent race.
Three-year-old fillies contest Friday’s $600,000 Grade II Edgewood, also at 1 1/16 miles. This one rates as at tossup, but the oddsmaker had to pick one as favorite, and that’s Grade II Appalachian runner-up Imaginationthelady at 4-1.
Florida Oaks runner-up Time to Dream is 5-1 second choice. The fillies who won those races, Storm Wake and Dandona, also reappear in this field.
Older fillies and mares go 1 1/16 miles in Friday’s $1 million Grade I La Troienne. Fully Subscribed, who won her last two starts of 2025 and Shred the Gnar, 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs, top the morning line.
Two-year-olds? Yes, but just a few. With the main track sloppy and sealed, Wednesday’s $225,000 Kentucky Juvenile scratched down to just three starters.
Waggley, a Life Is Good filly who won her first start three weeks earlier for trainer Wesley Ward, prevailed by 1 3/4 lengths at odds so short her supporters should have paid the track. Super Saiyajin and American Pope completed the order of finish.
Already in the books: Parchment Party battled Interceptor into submission in the stretch run of Wednesday’s $200,000, 1 1/2-mile Isaac Murphy Marathon and won by 1 1/2 lengths.
On the turf
Saturday’s $1.5 million Grade I Turf Classic has 10 entries to go 1 1/8 miles. The favorites are Rhetorical, Test Score and Program Trading, all with question marks. The real puzzle, though, is Make Me King, a solid third in the classy Group 1 Dubai Turf in his last start with some back class in France and England to his credit. He could ruin a lot of Pick 6 tickets right before the big race.
Saturday’s $1 million Grade I American Turf is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
Stark Contrast passed up a chance to run in the Derby to try this instead. Baffert keeps his Derby nerves (if any) at bay with three-time winner Greenwich Village, and DeVaux does the same with undefeated Remember Mamba. Final Score finished 2025 with three straight wins, two in graded stakes on grass.
Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Distaff Turf Mile is a handicapper’s challenge with the complication that Pin Up Betty, second-favorite on the morning line, is cross-entered in Friday’s $500,000 Grade III Modesty, where she would have to contend with European import Gezara, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The other top fancies in the Distaff Turf Mile are Sweet Rebecca and Portfolio Duration, both winners of two straight and both taking jumps in class.
As noted, Friday’s Modesty looks to be at the mercy of Gezara. The Almanzor filly had a spectacular 3-year-old season in France, including a victory in the Group 1 Prix de Diane or French Oaks.
She can be excused her 13th-place finish in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, especially in light of the Breeders’ Cup performance four weeks later. Chad Brown has taken over the training for her new owner, Peter Brant.
My Boy Prince exits a win in the Grade II Shakertown at Keeneland as the favorite in Saturday’s $600,000 Grade II Twin Spires Turf Sprint. Ten are entered for the 5 1/2-furlong dash.
Female turf sprinters try Friday’s $500,000 Grade II Unbridled Sidney at the same distance. Reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champ Shisospicy is the solid favorite, but there are worthy challengers, notably Queen Maxima.
On Thursday, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair got back to the winner’s circle with a 1-length, off-the-pace victory in the $300,000 Mamzelle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs on the firm turf course. She had reported third in the Grade III Limestone at Keeneland’s spring meeting.
Also Thursday, Lagynos prevailed by a nose over Chasing the Crown and another neck over Quatrocento in the $350,000 Opening Verse Stakes at 1 mile on the turf. It was his third straight win and followed a second in the 2025 Opening Verse.
Around the world, around the clock
England
The action’s at Newmarket, and the feature is Saturday’s Group 1 2000 Guineas, the first of the English Classics. There are lots of chances with most of the big guns represented. Early support goes to undefeated Group 2 Royal Lodge winner Bow Echo. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, Gstad, is in the field.
The fillies take over Sunday in the Group 1 1000 Guineas. Pending final declarations, Coolmore and trainer Aidan O’Brien held three of the top four entries with last year’s Group 1 Fillies Mile and Group 1 Moyglare stud winner Precise, undefeated Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Diamond Necklace and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner True Love.
Japan
Last year’s Japanese Derby winner Croix du Nord looms as the favorite in Sunday’s Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto Racecourse.
To justify that support and win the 3,200-meter Tenno Sho, the 4-year-old Kitasan Black colt will have to prove he’s inherited his sire’s stamina. The farthest he’s gone so far is 2,400 meters. Main rivals would seem to be Redentor and Admire Terra, both with better marathon credentials.
Wednesday’s Haneda Hai at Oi Racecourse was the first leg of Japan’s Dirt Triple Crown. Finger, a Gun Runner colt out of a Maclean’s Music mare, took the early lead, was joined by a pair of challengers on the backstretch run and outlasted them all, winning by 3 lengths. He now has three wins and four seconds from seven starts.
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