Baby Talk Info & Intel: Churchill Downs – Races 2 & 4 and Belmont at The Big A Race 1 – Friday, May 23, 2025
Three first-rate baby races are set for Friday, two under the Twin Spires and one at BAQ. Race 2 at Churchill is five furlongs on the dirt, and we’ve got seven colts and one filly entered to run. Race 4 is also contested over five panels, but it’s scheduled on the grass and is expected to have a full field of ten. The lid lifter at BAQ is for the fillies; seven have passed through the entry box.
CD2 – My Pick - #8 Spice Runner (5/2) – This colt is a full brother to the terrific runner, Gunite, who banked nearly $2.5 million with a record of nine wins in 21 starts. He was a winner in his third start at age two over the Churchill Downs oval and scored in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga that summer. Today’s runner is also a Winchell homebred, and the mare that produced him was a first-out winner as a juvenile at CD in June and went on to win four of 15 starts and earned $185K. To prep for his debut, trainer Steve Asmussen (24.1%) has breezed him eight times, with three works at Keeneland and five at Churchill for a total of 29 furlongs. His best was three back in Lexington when he went a half mile from the gate on 4/29/25 in 47.8 seconds (7/57). His workmate that day was another Winchell homebred by Gun Runner. Jose Ortiz will get the leg up.
CD4 – My Pick - #7 Outfielder (5/2) – This big, good looking dude is from the mighty barn of Wesley Ward (4/26, 15.4%), who owns him in partnership with Amo Racing USA and Jayson Werth’s Two Eight Racing. He was purchased by Ward for $850K as a yearling and is by Speightstown. Mama, by Medaglia d’Oro, won five races in 23 tries and brought home $242K to her owners. She’s produced four other foals of racing age, but none have had their pictures taken. Today’s competitor has put in seven works (24 furlongs), all at Keeneland, and they’ve been impressive. His last two efforts were bullets. On 5/12/25, he went a half mile in 47.6 seconds (1/12) in company with a $950K colt by Not This Time. On 5/17/25, he zipped three poles in 35.4 seconds from the gate (1/16). Johnny V will be onboard.
BAQ1 – Gotta be honest – I’m not nearly as excited for this race as I am the two above at Churchill. However, My Pick is #4 Vernon Valley (3/1) – This filly is by last year’s leading First-Season sire, Vekoma (22.8%), and is from an unproven Empire Maker mare who was 0/5 on the track and this is her first foal. Mark Casse, who trains two in this affair, will saddle her. D. J. Stable picked her out of the October OBS Yearling sale last fall for $130K (28/71) After her initial work at Casse’s Training Center on 3/27/25 over a half mile, she has drilled five times on the Belmont Dirt Training oval, four of which covered four panels. Her lone three pole spin on 4/27/25 may have been her best when she went in 36.01 seconds from the gate (2/26). Interestingly, Irad is booked to be her pilot since Pletcher also has one entered in this one.