Kentucky Derby Day Undercard Stakes Advances: West Coast Invader Gold Phoenix (IRE) Headlines $1 Million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic

Apr 26, 2025

Agave Racing Stable, Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify’s Gold Phoenix (IRE) ships in from Santa Anita to headline a field of 12 entered for the 39th running of the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

The Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic is one of four $1 million Grade I races on next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby program that features 14 races beginning at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern). The Turf Classic will immediately precede the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (GI) Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Gold Phoenix has earned nearly $1.8 million and is a three-time winner of the Del Mar Handicap (GII). He has finished fourth the past two years in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI). Umberto Rispoli has the mount from post 2.

The field for the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic: (Race 11, 5:39 p.m. post)

·        Integration (Frankie Dettori, Shug McGaughey)

·        Gold Phoenix (IRE) (Umberto Rispoli, Phil D’Amato)

·        Highway Robber (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch)

·        Redistricting (GB) (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown)

·        Idratherbeblessed (Ben Curtis, Chris Hartman)

·        Taking Candy (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux)

·        Running Bee (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)

·        Cameo Performance (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh)

·        Mercante (Joe Ramos, Brian Knippenberg)

·        Spirit of St Louis (Manny Franco, Chad Brown)

·        Brilliant Berti (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux)

·        Gigante (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen)

Vahva Goes for Repeat Victory in $1 million Derby City Distaff (GI) presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery – Vahva will attempt to become the first horse to post a repeat victory in the $1 million Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery (GI) for fillies and mares when she takes a deep field in the 39th running of the seven-furlong main track test.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux for a partnership headed by Belladonna Racing, Vahva will be making her first start since an off-the-board finish in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (GI). A perfect 4-for-4 at Churchill Downs, Vahva will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 7.

Among her chief rivals are Grade I winners Positano Sunset, Ways and Means and Kopion.

Six Column Stables, Randall Bloch, John Seiler and David Hall’s Positano Sunset, winner of the Madison (GI) at Keeneland on April 8, is perfect in two 2025 starts for trainer Ian Wilkes. Julien Leparoux has the mount from post 11.

Klaravich Stables’ Ways and Means, winner of the Test (GI) last summer at Saratoga, will be making her 2025 debut for trainer Chad Brown. Flavien Prat retains the mount on Ways and Means will exit post 8.

Spendthrift Farm’s Kopion, trained by Richard Mandella, closed 2024 with a victory in the La Brea (GI) and opened 2025 with a daylight victory in the Santa Monica (GII). Kazushi Kimura has the mount from post 2.

The field for the Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery: (Race 10, 4:50 p.m. post)

·        Scylla (Joel Rosario, Bill Mott)

·        Kopion (Kazushi Kimura, Richard Mandella)

·        Benedetta (Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen)

·        Awesome Treat (Luan Machado, Justin Wojczynski)

·        Haulin Ice (Micah Husbands, Saffie Joseph Jr.)

·        Mystic Lake (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph Jr.)

·        Vahva (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cherie DeVaux)

·        Ways and Means (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)

·        Emery (Manny Franco, Brad Cox)

·        Dorth Vader (John Velazquez, George Weaver)

·        Positano Sunset (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes)

·        Hope Road (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert)

·        My Mane Squeeze (Luis Saez, Mike Maker)

·        Taxed (Cristian Torres, Randy Morse)

·        AE: Grand Job (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)

·        AE: Miss Susan B (Santo Sanjur, Rogelio Labra)

Mindframe, Mullikin Head Deep Field of 11 for $1 million Churchill Downs presented by Ford (GI) – Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Mindframe and WinStar Farm and Siena Farm’s Mullikin headline a deep field of 11 sprinters for the 90th running of the $1 million Churchill Downs (GI) presented by Ford for 4-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the main track.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Mindframe has compiled a 5-3-2-0 record with the runner-up finishes coming in the Belmont Stakes (GI) and Haskell (GI). He came off a nearly eight-month layoff to win the Gulfstream Park Mile (GII) as the 1-10 favorite in his 2025 debut on March 1. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 7.

Mullikin is undefeated in two Churchill Downs starts and will make his first start since a runner-up finish in the Cigar Mile Handicap (GII) to close 2024. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset took the John A. Nerud (GII) and the Forego (GI) last year and will be ridden again by Luis Saez from post 11.

The field for the Churchill Downs presented by Ford (Race 8, 3:23 p.m. post)

·        Just Steel (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas)

·        Banishing (Jose Ortiz, David Jacobson)

·        Book’em Danno (Paco Lopez, Derek Ryan)

·        Giant Mischief (Manny Franco, Brad Cox)

·        Tejano Twist (Chris Landeros, Chris Hartman)

·        Extra Anejo (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen)

·        Mindframe (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher)

·        Hoist the Gold (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart)

·        Here Mi Song (Alex Achard, Billy Stinson)

·        Nysos (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert)

·        Mullikin (Luis Saez, Rodolphe Brisset)

Iron Man Cal Returns in Overflow Field for $1 million American Turf (GI) – Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables’ Iron Man Cal, who came within a neck of winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI) last fall at Del Mar, will make his 2025 debut when he headlines a field of 14 plus four also-eligibles for the 34th running of the $1 million American Turf (GI) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Iron Man Cal took the Zuma Beach (GIII) at Santa Anita before his Breeders’ Cup run. Named for baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., Iron Man Cal will be ridden by Antonio Fresu from post 10.

Also coming out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf is Qatar Racing’s New Century (GB). Now trained by Brendan Walsh, New Century won the Summer Stakes (GI) at Woodbine prior to his Breeders’ Cup run and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 3 in his 2025 debut.

The field for the American Turf (Race 9, 4:06 p.m. post)

·        Warlander (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen)

·        Scipio (Umberto Rispoli, Richard Baltas)

·        New Century (GB) (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brendan Walsh)

·        Mi Bago (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)

·        Test Score (Manny Franco, Graham Motion)

·        Maximum Promise (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)

·        Zulu Kingdom (IRE) (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)

·        Charlie’s to Blame (Luis Saez, Peter Eurton)

·        Giocoso (Ben Curtis, Keith Desormeaux)

·        Iron Man Cal (Antonio Fresu, Phil D’Amato)

·        Classic of Course (Frankie Dettori, Patrick Biancone)

·        Golden Afternoon (Mike Smith, Nicholas Vaccarezza)

·        Maui Strong (Vincent Cheminaud, Dale Romans)

·        Megalodon (Junior Alvarado, Josie Carroll)

·        AE: Hammerhead (Irving Moncada, Chad Summers)

·        AE: Spirit Rags (Martin Garcia, Marcelino Salas)

·        AE: A. P. Kid (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher)

·        AE: Discreet Dancer (John Velazquez, Antonio Sano)

Sacred Wish Tops Field of 10 for $750,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII) – Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola’s Sacred Wish, winner of the Matriarch (GI) last fall, headlines a field of 10 fillies and mares for the 40th running of the $750,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII).

Trained by George Weaver, Sacred Wish finished a close fourth three weeks ago in the Jenny Wiley (GI) at Keeneland. John Velazquez has the mount Saturday from post 6.

The field for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (Race 5, 1:12 p.m. post)

·        Venencia (FR) (Manny Franco, Chad Brown)

·        Movin’ On Up (Jose Ortiz, Saffie Joseph Jr.)

·        Pin Up Betty (Juan Hernandez, Mike Maker)

·        Serene Seraph (IRE) (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)

·        Five Towns (GB) (Irad Ortiz Jr., Graham Motion)

·        Sacred Wish (John Velazquez, George Weaver)

·        Tax Implications (GB) (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)

·        Poolside With Slim (IRE) (Jose Ortiz, Rusty Arnold)

·        Simply in Front (Frankie Dettori, Eddie Kenneally)

·        Special Wan (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh)

Baffert duo of Gaming, Madaket Road Tops Field of Nine $600,000 Pat Day Mile Presented by SAP (GII) – Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Gaming and Madaket Road, owned by a partnership headed by SF Racing, headline a field of nine for the 101st running of the $600,000 Pat Day Mile (GII) Presented by SAP for 3-year-olds on the main track.

Winner of the Del Mar Futurity (GI) and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI), Gaming comes to Louisville off a runner-up finish in the Hot Springs at Oaklawn Park. John Velazquez has the mount from post 6 for trainer Bob Baffert.

Baffert also will send out Madaket Road, who comes into the Pat Day Mile off a fourth-place finish in the Florida Derby (GI). Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 1.

The field for the Pat Day Mile (Race 6, 1:53 p.m. post)

·        Madaket Road (Irad Ortiz Jr., Bob Baffert)

·        Built (Umberto Rispoli, Wayne Catalano)

·        California Burrito (Irving Moncada, Tom Drury)

·        Smoken Wicked (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart)

·        Gate to Wire (Flavien Prat, Todd Pletcher)

·        Gaming (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert)

·        Macho Music (Javier Castellano, Rohan Crichton)

·        Innovator (Jaime Torres, D. Wayne Lukas)

·        Perfect Force (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas)

Nobals Seeks Second Victory in $600,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by Accenture (GII) – Patricia’s Hope’s Nobals, the stakes-record holder and winner of the 2023 edition of the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (GII) Presented by Accenture, tops a field of 12 entered for the $600,000 race for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Trained by Larry Rivelli, Nobals is 2-for-2 over the Churchill Downs grass course including the 1:02.45 clocking in the 2023 Turf Sprint victory. Winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Nobals will be ridden by Gerardo Corrales from post 3.

The field for the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (Race 7, 2:38 p.m. post)

·        Coppola (Manny Franco, Dale Romans)

·        Ambivalent (Juan Hernandez, Mike Maker)

·        Nobals (Gerardo Corrales, Larry Rivelli)

·        One Timer (E.T. Baird, Larry Rivelli)

·        Arrest Me Red (Corey Lanerie, Wesley Ward)

·        Run Carson (John Velazquez, Kelsey Danner)

·        Think Big (Ben Curtis, Mike Stidham)

·        Rogue Lightning (IRE) (Flavien Prat, Tom Clover)

·        Boss Sully (Luis Saez, Brian Koriner)

·        Unconquerable Keen (IRE) (Umberto Rispoli, Phil D’Amato)

·        Eamonn (Edgard Zayas, Joe Orseno)

·        Mischievous Rogue (Chris Emigh, Brittany Vanden Berg)

Liberal Arts Tops Field of 14 for $200,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes presented by L&N Federal Credit Union (Listed) – Stephen and Evan Ferraro’s Liberal Arts, who has won his past two starts at Churchill Downs, heads a field of 14 for the fourth running of the $200,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes (Listed) for 4-year-olds and up going a mile on the main track.

Trained by Brad Cox, Liberal Arts won the Street Sense (GIII) to close his 2023 campaign and took an allowance test here last November. Luis Saez has the mount from post 9.

The field for the Knicks Go (Race 4, 12:38 p.m. post)

·        Ashcroft (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas)

·        Osbourne (Flavien Prat, Ron Moquett)

·        Accretive (Jose Ortiz, Joe Sharp)

·        Castle Chaos (Umberto Rispoli, Robert Falcone)

·        Keen Cat (Luan Machado, Randy Morse)

·        Kupuna (Mitchell Murrill, Bret Calhoun)

·        Best Actor (Martin Garcia, Ed Moger)

·        Chiron (Sophie Doyle, Richie Estvanko)

·        Liberal Arts (Luis Saez, Brad Cox)

·        Implementation (Manny Franco, Saffie Joseph Jr.)

·        Inveigled (Ben Curtis, Jane Cibelli)

·        Patriot Spirit (Junior Alvarado, Mike Campbell)

·        New King (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brittany Russell)

·        Quality Chic (Mario Gutierrez, Jason Cook)