Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Navratilova Lands A Winning Shot In Tepin Stakes

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Navratilova held off the late challenge of Tobys Heart and New Boss to win Saturday's second running of the $150,000 Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Rusty Arnold II and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Navratilova completed one-mile on the firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:35.56. The Tepin was the final race that will be held over the current turf course before a $10 million renovation this summer at Churchill Downs.

Navratilova set early quarter-mile fractions of :24.35 and :48.99. Around the far turn, Adam Beschizza aboard New Boss ranged alongside Navratilova. The duo battled for nearly a quarter-mile when the highly-regarded Tobys Heart and jockey Javier Castellano ranged alongside the two fillies. Navratilova dug in gamely at the rail for a half-length victory.

“She relaxed well up front and had her ears up,” Hernandez said. “Down the stretch, she really had to dig in to hold off those challengers. She ran well and handled the distance like we thought she could.”

Navratilova rewarded her backers at odds of 9-1 and paid $20.80, $9.40, and $7. Tobys Heart finished a head in front of New Boss to return $4.80 and $4.20. New Boss paid $5.80.

Town Avenger, Adventuring, Arm Candy, Invincible Gal (GB), Bullseye Beauty, Commanders Palace, Barista, and Fairchild completed the order of finish.

With her win Saturday, Navratilova improved her record to 5-2-0-2 with purse earnings of $136,340. She was bred in Kentucky by her owner.

“Her dam (Centre Court) was a Grade I winner going 1 1/16 miles so we thought she'd like the distance today,” Arnold said. “She was sprinting in her last start which she didn't handle as well but did much better today.”

The Tepin is named after the brilliant two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf mare in 2015-16.

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Next Beats Royal Prince, Helium To Wire In War Chant At Churchill Downs

Silverton Hill LLC's homebred Next led every step of the way and comfortably won Saturday's second running of the $150,000 War Chant Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. by 3 ¾ lengths over Royal Prince. Helium, the even-money favorite, was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third, who finished a head in front of Dyn O Mite.

Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by John Velazquez, Next prevailed in a field of four 3-year-olds as he covered one mile on firm turf in 1:35.09 after setting comfortable fractions of :24.03, :48.40, and 1:12.53 without any pressure.

“I knew he was a pretty speedy horse so the situation worked out well today being on the front end,” Velazquez said. “He seems to do his best running when he can get a lead and he was able to get a pretty easy one today.”

The victory was worth $97,500 and increased Next's earnings to $199,394 with a record of 3-0-0 in six starts. The Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time out of the Awesome Again mare Bahia Beach previously finished 11th at 22-1 in the $500,000 American Turf (Grade II) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. At age 2, he broke his maiden on turf at Kentucky Downs and won a first-level allowance on dirt at Keeneland before finishing last of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI).

“He's a really tough horse when he's on the front end and when he comes from behind he's just not the same horse,” Ward explained. “I thought if he broke well and was on the front end we'd have a great shot today.”

Next returned $6.60 and $3.20 at odds of 2-1. Royal Prince, ridden by Florent Geroux, returned $3. There was no show wagering because Accredit, El Kabong, In Effect, and Starrininmydreams were late scratches.

The War Chant, which is named in honor of the 3-year-old who won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in 2000, was the first leg of the Derby City 6, which had a mandatory payout of the $166,087 jackpot carryover. A total of $1,142,890 in new money was bet into the closing day pool.

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Speedy Behave Virginia Gets Second Career Win In Debutante At Churchill Downs

Lucky Seven Stable's Behave Virginia ran down swift pacesetter Wicked Halo and out-kicked 7-5 favorite Ontheonesandtwos in deep stretch to win Saturday's 120th running of the $150,000 Debutante Stakes by one length at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. and trained by Kenny McPeek, Behave Virginia ran the first sub-1:10 Debutante since Rated Fiesty's 2007 stakes record of 1:09.27.

The quick final time was the result of a record-setting pace and a fast track. Wicked Halo, who broke from the rail in the field of eight 2-year-old fillies, was rushed to the front with Tizplenty and Mollie Kate just off her hip. Down the backstretch after a first quarter mile in :21.11 and the half in :44.61, Behave Virginia was rated in fourth with Ontheonesandtwos on the outside in the clear. Wicked Halo put away the accompanying speed leaving the turn and was quickly met by the converging Behave Virginia and Ontheonesandtwos at the three-sixteenths pole. Behave Virginia edged clear with a sixteenth of a mile to run and Ontheonesandtwos slipped past an understandably tiring Wicked Halo by a half-length for the place.

“She's a really talented filly to be able to sit behind some pretty good horses like that and win the way she did,” Hernandez said. “When the spot opened up, she went through like an old professional would. It's a testament of how good she is. She answered a lot of questions today and we are very proud of her.”

The victory was worth $90,210 which increased the 2-year-old filly's earnings to $147,698 with a perfect record in two starts. Prior to her Debutante triumph, Behave Virginia broke her maiden at Churchill Downs on May 28 by 5 ¾ lengths at odds of 7-1.

“Typically we don't crank our horses to win first time out,” McPeek said. “Usually when they win first out, it's because they do it on their own talent. That's what she did. She reminds me of Take Charge Lady with her early ability on the racetrack. I think we may have seen a Breeders' Cup contender. I'll point her to the Alcibiades (in the Fall Meet at Keeneland) and go from there. I'll probably take her to Saratoga with me this summer just so I can keep an eye on her.”

Behave Virginia paid $10.20, $4.20, and $3.20 as the 4-1 third betting choice. Ontheonesandtwos, under Florent Geroux, returned $3.20 and $2.40. Wicked Halo, with Ricardo Santana Jr. up, paid $2.80.

Tizplenty, Classiness, Catchusifyoucan, Compressed Energy, and Mollie Kate completed the order of finish.

Behave Virginia is a 2-year-old daughter of Unified out of the Mineshaft mare She's Behaving. She was bred in Kentucky by Khalid Mishref Alkahtani and was purchased as a yearling at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale for Michael J. Mackin's Lucky Seven Stable for $115,000.

The Debutante, first staged in 1895 and one of Churchill Downs' most storied races, was one the second of three stakes races on Saturday's closing day card at Churchill Downs.

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Double Thunder Rallies To Win Bashford Manor For Pletcher, Phoenix Thoroughbred

East Coast invader Double Thunder from the powerful Todd Pletcher stable rallied into a collapsing pace from last to defeat Vodka N Water by 4 ¾ lengths in Saturday's 120th running of the $150,000 Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs. Glacial was another head back in third.

Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, Double Thunder clocked six furlongs in 1:11.17.

Pletcher, who celebrated his 54th birthday Saturday, won the Bashford Manor for the third time after wins by Limehouse in 2003 and Circular Quay in 2006.

Double Thunder hopped at the start and was last as Lansdowne and Tapped Off set the pace through fractions of :21.00 and :45.30. Glacial, the filly Shesgotattitude, and Whatstheconnection also were in close pursuit down the backstretch.

Leaving the turn, Double Thunder commenced his rally as Glacial took over with 56-1 longshot Knocker Down on his right hip. Despite having to close from the back of the pack, Double Thunder had clear sailing down on the inside, swung out at the three-sixteenths pole, and easily ran down the weary Glacial, who was edged by a closing Vodka N Water for the place.

“I didn't think we would break as slow as he did so we had to adjust a little bit after the start,” Velazquez said. “Once I got to the quarter-pole, I had a lot of confidence in him and thought we had a big shot. He did everything professionally today. Warming up, he didn't handle going with the pony as well so I warmed him up by himself. I knew there would be a lot of speed in the race and wanted to keep him close – just not last. You don't expect a 2-year-old to handle things like that as well as he did. He took dirt and handled it well and I think he can move forward a lot from that.”

Double Thunder's triumph was worth $88,350 for owner Aamer Abdulaziz Ahmed's Phoenix Thoroughbred III Ltd. and increased his bankroll to $116,850 with a perfect record in two starts. His debut win came on June 5 at Monmouth Park.

A $60,000 yearling buy, Double Thunder is a 2-year-old son of Pletcher's 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver out of the Tapit mare Rattataptap. He was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm LLC.

Double Thunder returned $10.20, $6, and $3.80 as the 4-1 fourth betting choice. Vodka N Water, under Jose Ortiz at 7-1, paid $7 and $4.20. Glacial paid $3.40 to show under Joe Talamo at 3-1.

Knocker Down, 5-2 favorite Red Run, Shesgotattitude, Lansdowne, Whistlewhileyoumow, Whatstheconnection, and Tapped Off completed the order of finish. Rising Outlaw was a late scratch.

First run in 1902, the Bashford Manor is named for the former Louisville Thoroughbred breeding and racing farm that dominated the American racing scene in the early 1900s. George J. Long, a wealthy foundry owner, purchased Bashford Manor Farm in 1887 and developed the Thoroughbred operation that provided him two Derby wins as an owner, 1892 (Azra) and 1906 (Sir Huon), and three as a breeder, 1892 (Azra), 1899 (Manuel) and 1906 (Sir Huon). In addition, Bashford Manor also won the Kentucky Oaks in 1894 (Selika) and 1915 (Kathleen). The original Wilder family owned Bashford Manor. The Wilders were direct descendants of Lord Baltimore, whose English home was also called Bashford Manor. Long died in 1930 and the farm was eventually sold in 1973 to make way for the development of a mall complex, fittingly named Bashford Manor, that formally closed in 2003.

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