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Churchill’s Matt Winn Stakes Caps Blockbuster Graded Weekend

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There might be a touch of malaise come Sunday, but the GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs for 3-year-olds is the way to revive any Belmont Stakes reveler with the proper racing tonic. Add in a pair of competitive graded grass races at the Spa for good measure and Sunday’s higher level slate should make things right as rain.

In the Matt Winn, a trio of GI Kentucky Derby entrants will get another crack at the surface that was less than kind to them on the first Saturday in May.

The highly regarded ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’, Further Ado (Into Mischief) leads the way as the 1-1 morning-line favorite. Spendthrift’s runner boasts a resume that is chock full of form and if he can return to his best, then he is going to get his picture taken.

The chestnut ran off the page in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland two months back, but as the top choice in the Derby he finished a disappointing 11th. Trainer Brad Cox has Irad Ortiz Jr. back aboard.

“Spendthrift has been great to work with in managing this horse,” Cox said. “One of our major goals before the Derby was the Blue Grass and our team did a good job getting him there. I felt like after the Derby it was a good opportunity to reset with him a bit.

Brad Cox | Sarah Andrew

“He’s trained well coming out of the Derby and I thought keeping him at home for the Matt Winn would be a good spot,” he said. “We’ve had success in this race in the past as a steppingstone to the Haskell with Cyberknife, who is another son of Gun Runner. I thought those two races made a lot of sense for him as his next goals.”

The two other Derby alums are Potente (Into Mischief), who was 12th, and Pavlovian (Pavel), who finished 18th in the big race. The former, a $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton grad, won the GII San Felipe Stakes and was the runner-up in the GI Santa Anita Derby for trainer Bob Baffert. The latter took home the Sunland Derby, then missed by a head in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby for trainer Doug O’Neill.

Also making it into the Matt Winn field is GI Preakness Stakes participant Corona de Oro (Bolt d’Oro). The Dallas Stewart trainee finished 11th at Laurel Park, but was third in his prior race–the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 11.

Taptastic (Tapit) might appear to lack experience, but the gray did run third in the GI Arkansas Derby, which was the second race of his career. The Steve Asmussen trainee finished off the board against optional claimers at Churchill Downs May 2.

The rest of the Matt Winn field includes, GSP Stop the Car (Maximum Security), MSW Our Moneyman (Mr. Money) and SP Steel Imperium (Essential Quality).

Over On The Spa Turf

Weather watchers will be keeping a close eye on the radar because it could be a wet day at the Spa on Sunday.

Zulu Kingdom wins the Maker’s Mark Mile | Coady Media

In the GIII Poker Stakes for older males going a mile on the turf look for trainer Chad Brown to hold a pair of aces in MGISW Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) and GISW Salamis (Speightstown). Zulu Kingdom won the GI Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland Apr. 10, which was the ridgling’s fifth win in a row. As for Salamis, the Juddmonte homebred was last seen taking home the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last November. Of note, Brown has only won the Poker once.

Trainer Bill Mott has two entrants who are looking to earn their first stakes win. Capitol Hill (Into Mischief) cleared an allowance condition at Keeneland Apr. 12, and Pass the Hat (Collected) vaulted over an optional claimer at Aqueduct Apr. 18.

Ridari (Fr) (Churchill {Ire} won two group races at ParisLongchamp last year, then came into the care of Miguel Clement. In his lone start, the 4-year-old ran third behind stablemate Deterministic (Liam’s Map) in the GIII Fort Marcy Stakes at the Big A May 2.

In the GIII Soaring Softly Stakes, a field of seven plus a ‘main track only’ runner are on tap for the grass sprint. Slay the Day (Into Mischief) and Cadenza (Charlatan) could both be tough, but Hen Party (Into Mischief) warrants consideration.

The post Churchill’s Matt Winn Stakes Caps Blockbuster Graded Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Champion Book’em Danno Back To His Best In True North

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This past season, Eclipse Award voters were forced to choose between the season-long body of work assembled by Atlantic Six Racing’s BOOK’EM DANNO (g, 5, Bucchero–Adorabella, by Ghostzapper) and the brilliance shown in a pair of big-figure victories achieved by Bentornato (Valiant Minister), capped by success in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a race purposely given a pass by the Book’em Danno team.

Saturday afternoon at Saratoga, the argument was settled–belatedly–on the racetrack, as Book’em Danno raced handy enough to a very fast pace, confronted the even-money favorite inside the final furlong and edged away to score by a deceptively easy margin.

That the New Jersey-bred was the second pick was perhaps not as surprising that the toteboard read 9-5 at the off on Book’em Danno, a significant gap on the board, particularly in light of the gelding’s spectacular record at the Spa. Bentornato was not the quickest away, having scratched down into gate two, but he quickly mustered for speed and wrested command while making the early running in the two path.

The complexion of the True North was altered materially when longshot Listenupshance (Shancelot) was asked to accelerate up the inside by Antonio Fresu, and all at once, Bentornato had company through an opening quarter in :21.76. There was no panic in Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard the last out G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up, as he allowed the Doug O’Neill trainee to keep pace inside, while Book’em Danno–trained for and ridden for speed by Paco Lopez–was waiting in the wings a few lengths in arrears, gently niggled along by his rider.

Bentornato and Listenupshance continued to ding-dong it up front, but Book’em Danno was finding his best stride entering the final eighth of a mile and eased by late to take it cozily, successfully defending his title from 12 months ago. Bentornato just won the photo for second from a very stubborn Listenupshance. Imagination (Good Magic), two-back winner of the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, was a non-threatening fourth. The victory takes Book’em Danno to well past the $2-million mark in career earnings.

Sales history: $475,000 RNA HRA ’24 KEECHP. Lifetime Record: 18-11-4-1. O-Atlantic Six Racing; B-Gregory Kilka & Bright View Farm (NJ); T-Derek Ryan.

BOOK’EM DANNO does it again!

He wins the Grade 3 True North Stakes for the second year in a row, with @Pacolopez1018 aboard for trainer Derek Ryan. pic.twitter.com/XrotcboJS0

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) June 6, 2026

The post Champion Book’em Danno Back To His Best In True North appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.