Baby Talk Info & Intel: Churchill Downs – Race 3 – Thursday, May 22, 2025
A full complement of 14 fillies have passed through the entry box, but only ten will start since this is a five furlong dash on the grass.
#1 Wakuda (5/2) – Sired by Gun Runner (19.2%), this Winchell homebred filly comes from a young American Pharoah dam who won three times in eight starts and earned $79,000. She scored at first asking as a juvenile at Remington Park, and today’s runner is her first foal. Trainer Steve Asmussen (24.1%) saddled her on 4/30/25 at CD when she chased one of Rivelli’s rockets around on the dirt and finished runner-up. Steve put one maintenance work of a half mile of maintenance into her on 5/10/25. Jose Ortiz gets the return riding engagement.
#2 Clowning Around (5/1) – Bred, owned, and trained by Wes Ward (15.4%), this filly is by Hootenanny (4/11, 36.4%). Mama is a French-bred that won first-time out in her native country as a baby and went on to post a lifetime record of four wins from 13 starts and banked $161K. She’s tossed four other foals of racing age, and one was a winner in their first effort at KEE with a record of 5/17 with $172K in earnings. Today’s starter ran early in the meet at KEE in April on a sloppy dirt track, but ran a disappointing sixth place. Ward got her right back to work with three morning breezes since her run, her last two covering a half mile. Walter Rodriguez will be her pilot again.
#3 My Sweetheart (8/1) – This Oxley homebred by third-year sire, Flameway (14.5%), is out of an unraced Curlin mare. This filly is her first foal. Trainer Mark Casse (10.9%)will saddle her for the first time in the afternoon. Her prep for today’s debut has been four workouts with her first two coming at Keeneland over 3/8th of a mile, and her most recent pair have been under the Twin Spires going a half mile. She flashed an impressive breeze from the gate, stopping the watch at 47 seconds flat (2/34). Frankie will climb aboard.
#4 Nanina (7/2) – This German-bred filly comes from the Brad Cox barn (0/1) and is sired by No Nay Never (7/51, 13.7%). Her unraced mama has thrown three other foals of racing age, and all show that they are unraced, however, they may have started across the pond. Stonestreet Stables gave $389,960 for this gal as a yearling in October 2024. Payson Park Training Center was the site of her first four works, (one covering a half mile on the grass), then two at Keeneland, and finally her most recent spin was at Horseshoe International. All told, she’s drilled 23 furlongs. Flo Geroux is Brad’s choice to be her guide.
My Pick – Asmussen will surely get his first baby winner of the meet soon, and I think today is the day. My pick is #1 Wakuda. She has experience, is by the fantastic Gun Runner, and it’s always encouraging when Mama wins first out by seven lengths as a juvey, and she is by American Pharoah.