Thoughts on: Churchill Downs – Race 2 – Thursday, May 8, 2025
Week #2 gets underway at Churchill Downs, and this affair is a five furlong sprint on the dirt. It is restricted to fillies sold or RNAed for $65,000 or less in their most recent auction. Ten youngsters are entered for a $92,000 purse.
#2 Cheekwood (8/1) – The barn of Ben Colebrook will saddle this filly, who is sired by Mendelssohn (12.7%). Her mama, by Rahy, was winless in three tries and has thrown seven other foals of racing age. Three of her offspring were first-out winners at age two, including one that banked nearly $1/2 million in career earnings. Today’s runner brought $30,000 as a weanling in 2023 (7/12). Ben sent her out for four morning works at Keeneland, but none were eye-catching.
#4 Engagement (10/1) – Omaha Beach (15.3%) is the pops to this filly. Her dam was a Peter Blum homebred that was 0 for 4 on the track and has only produced one other foal of racing age - a 3YO who has never started. The hammer fell on today’s runner last year for $17,000 when this gal was a yearling (75/85). Trainer Jason McCutchen has schooled her six times in the morning. Her first two breezes were at his training center, and her next four were completed at KEE; the last three covered a half mile.
#7 Soundsmischievous (10/1) – John A. Hancock (2/15, 13.3%) conditions this filly, whose sire is Audible (11.2%). Her dam sire is Lookin At Lucky, and her mom won twice from five starts, but only banked $19,000. Today’s competitor is her first foal. Her owners went to $22,000 in a yearling auction in 2024 (27/50). Hancock has had her out for five morning drills at Keeneland, with her last two at four furlongs. Her last spin was her best – she completed it in 47.4 seconds from the gate (2/55).
#8 Gorrono Ranch (8/5) – Not surprisingly, the Morning Line favorite is conditioned by Wesley Ward (4/26, 15.4%). This filly is by second-year sire, War of Will (11.3%), and comes from an American Pharoah mare who was winless in two starts. This gal is her first foal. $25,000 was the final bid for her when she passed through the sales ring as a yearling (22/46). She already has one race under her belt as she ran at KEE on 4/11/25 and finished second to a sharp first-out winner. She clocked an EBSF of 77. The Maestro has found time for two works for her since her run, both at a half mile. On 4/26/25, she just stretched her legs on turf, but on 5/2/25, this filly drilled in 47.6 seconds on the dirt (8/52). Johnny V. gets the return riding engagement.
#10 Chambourcin (7/2) – Copper Bullet (7/47, 14.9%) is the stallion responsible for this filly, who was thrown by a Tapit mare who won her first start at Saratoga in a MCL race at age two. She only raced one more time in her career on the track. In the breeding shed, she’s thrown six other foals of racing age, two that won as juveniles. Today’s runner sold for $32,000 as a yearling (1/5 – note: the second highest yearling sold from this filly’s class was only $17,000). John Ennis (4/48, 8.3%) ran her in a 2YO MSW on 4/6/25 at Keeneland – she finished 3rd that day, eight lengths shy of the winner while posting a 61 EBSF. She then went crosstown to The Thoroughbred Training Center on 4/29/25 and worked three panels in 37.2 seconds (9/30).
My Pick – I always dislike picking the chalk, but you gotta finger the winner. With that in mind, my pick is #8 Gorrono Ranch. She ran a very solid first race at KEE and was simply beaten by a better horse that day. The experience will help her immensely, and she’s even put in two works since her run, which will certainly make her even tougher.