After failing on its first launch, Western Memorial made a sustained run all the way to a 1 3/4-length victory in the $247,165 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Filly West Memorial, who beat the sire in Thursday’s 2-year-old race, is the first stakes winner for a first-crop sire Caracaro My son is in 1st grade Uncle Mo who represented $6,500 at the Crestwood farm near Lexington.
Co-owner Jake Ballis, of Black Type Thoroughbreds, greeted Thursday’s furlong run with cheers as West Memorial, at 17-1 odds, won the money’s debut his bet, completing five furlongs in :58.29 on a fast track under jockey Reylu Gutierrez. Trainer John Hancock, who watched the race from Churchill’s back seat and sent family members to harness the horses—and later to celebrate—took the top two spots when strummin One fire colt, rose late in second place to reach exactly $604.34 on a $2 bet.
Favorite rate Shoot it for real led but faded into fourth place.
West Memorial is campaigned by Reagan Swinbank’s Swinbank Stables and black-type thoroughbreds make up a percentage of the fillies.
“She was always precocious and we always knew she had speed,” Ballis said of the car purchased by Black Type’s Maddie Mattmiller for $45,000 for Swinbank from the Legacy Bloodstock consignment at the May Yearling Sale. September 2023 in Keeneland. “She’s very, very smart.”
Videotapes: Kentucky Juvenile S. (BT)
O Besos ends the drought
As fans and connections thronged the railway hoping for a sighting Bango makes history with a record 12th win at Churchill Downs—which will lead all horses under the twin towers—stable Oh Besos spoiled the party by winning by one and a quarter lengths in the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes worth $198,700.
The race still provided a good story as 6-year-old filly O Besos won the 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) globe earned his first win since October 2022. Campaigned by Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry L. Stephens, O Besos increased his career earnings to more than $760,000.
O Besos is trained by Greg Foley and guided to victory on Thursday by Irad Ortiz Jr. Bango fought for the lead in the six-furlong sprint but faded into fourth.
Videotapes: St. Matthews overnight S. (BT)
Opening sentence by Carl Spackler
Stakes winners are graded twice Carl Spackler who some might call “The Incredible Cinderella”, opened her 4-year-old season in style with a duel Talk about the Fatherland in the race to win the $304,100 Opening Verse Stakes.
Carl Spackler dominates the opening verses at Churchill Downs
Campaigned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, a son of Lope de Vega extended his winning streak to three consecutive races — all stakes — by completing a one-mile race for older horses in 1:35.31 on hard turf. Trained by Chad Brown, Carl Spackler was guided to victory by Tyler Gaffalione.
Videotapes: Opening sentence S. (BT)
