Thoughts on: Churchill Downs – Race 2 – Thursday, May 1, 2025
The locals call it ‘Thurby’. I call it another great day for a battle of the babies. This one is open to the boys, and we’ve got eight colts and two fillies set to knock heads at 4 ½ panels over the dirt oval. Several solid sires are represented, but none are Newby sires.
#5 Turin (4/1) – The Steve Asmussen barn (24.1%) will send out this colt by Speightstown (17.5%). His dam was victorious twice on the track, including a score in her second outing at two at Del Mar. She brought home $184K for her owners and has thrown nine other foals of racing age. One of her offspring was Battle of Midway, a winner of $1.5 million. She also has one that scored as a 2YO in their first start. $200K was the final bid for this guy last year. He’s been out on five mornings, all three furlong drills at Keeneland. His last breeze was sharp – 36.4 seconds from the gate (3/16). Irad will get the leg up from Steve.
#7 Mercilesanihilator (3/1) – Don’t ask me to pronounce this colt’s name, but I can tell you that he’s a son of Audible (11.2%) from an unraced Bodemeister mare that only has one other foal of racing age. This dude sold as a short yearling in January of 2024 for $40,000 (13/50) and then demanded $330K at Ocala earlier this year as a 2YO (1/9). Note: The second highest price in this sire’s class was $50,000). Trainer Larry Rivelli has had him up in Chicago working at Hawthorne. He’s put in four works of 3/8th of a mile and his last was a fast bullet – 34.6 seconds breezing from the gate (1/11).
#9 Baytown Anibus (12/1) – Paul McEntee will saddle this colt, who was sired by Cairo Prince (14.3%). Paul picked this dude up as a yearling for only $5,000 (50/55). Mama (by More than Ready) won a stakes event while a 2YO, and she went on to run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; she’s thrown three other foals of racing age. This guy is the only starter in the field with experience, as he ran at KEE on 4/18/25, but finished a disappointing ninth. Note: The weatherman is calling for showers, and this dude is doing a rain dance. His workout in early April over the slop was spectacular, so keep an eye on him if Mother Nature sends rain.
#10 Moonlight Beauty (5/2) – This filly is a homebred from Wesley Ward (15.4%), and he also schools her. She’s by Hootenanny (4/11, 36.4%) and is from an unraced American Pharoah mare whose first foal is today’s starter. Wes has had her out to work on four mornings, the last three at Keeneland, and her most recent two have covered a half mile. Note: This gal was also entered for yesterday’s 2YO MSW affair at CD.
My Pick—I’m going with #5 Turin. His daddy is strong with babies, and his mom was a winner in her second race as a 2YO at a top track. His most recent work was notable, and I’m intrigued that Steve is handing the reins to Irad.