March 4 (UPI) — As usual, the Kentucky Derby eclipsed a spectacular weekend of racing in all divisions, most of it Friday and Saturday at Churchill Downs, Guineas weekend in England and Japan’s longest Grade 1 race.
Classic
Corporate Power and Skippylongstocking came down the final furlong together in Friday’s $750,000 Grade II Alysheba and battled to the finish with Corporate Power finally prevailing with his rival pinned to the rail.
The outcome was so close and hard-fought that the stewards posted an inquiry and Skippy’s connections lodged an objection, but the result was allowed to stand.
Corporate Power, a 5-year-old son of Curlin, missed all of 2025, won his return in February, but then finished second to Louisiana powerhouse Touchuponastar in the Grade II Louisiana Classic in March.
“I think this horse is a serious contender in the older horse division,” trainer Steve Asmussen said..
Also: Willy D’s won Saturday’s $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes at Oaklawn Park by a neck from Coal Battle.
Distaff
Shred the Gnar pressed the early pace in Friday’s $1 million Grade I La Troienne, enjoyed a trouble-free trip for the full 1 1/16 miles and fended off the favorite, Fully Subscribed, by 1 length under the wire. Bless the Broken was third.
Shred the Gnar, a 4-year-old Into Mischief filly, finished in 1:42.24 with Luis Saez up for trainer Brian Lynch. Shred the Gnar had won four straight races before fading to finish sixth in the Grade II Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park in her previous start.
Turf
Rhetorical stole a march on the rest of the field in Saturday’s $1.5 million Grade I Turf Classic, the lead-in race to the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. gunned the 5-year-old son of Not This Time right to the lead and never took his foot off the gas.
Turning into the stretch, Rhetorical just kept increasing the advantage and crossed the finish line 3 1/4 lengths in front. French-bred and Dubai-based Make Me King, last seen fourth in the Group 1 Dubai Turf, rallied strongly to get second, another 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Corruption.
Rhetorical, trained by William Walden, has six wins from nine starts.
Stark Contrast’s connections passed up a chance to run in the Kentucky Derby in favor of Saturday’s $1 million Grade I American Turf for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs, and the Caravaggio colt made that decision pay off.
After racing in mid-pack, Stark Contrast and jockey Flavien Prat kicked into gear, took a big lead inside the furlong pole and easily prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths over an onrushing Remember Mamba. Honey Dutch, who led into the stretch, held on for third.
Also: Deterministic won Saturday’s $175,000 Grade III Fort Marcy at Aqueduct by 3/4 length over Battle of Normandy; Mondego took Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita by1/2 length from Flashiest.
Filly & mare turf
There’s nothing unusual about Chad Brown’s horses running 1-2 in big turf stakes, so the outcome of Friday’s $500,000 Grade III Modesty raised only a few eyebrows — and those because it was Brown’s “second” entry, Kathynmarissa, who outfinished the odds-on favorite and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Gazora to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Imaginationthelady won Friday’s $600,000 Grade II Edgewood for 3-year-old fillies in a four-way photo. Tam Tam, Lion Lake and Just Aloof followed narrowly. Imaginationthelady finished second in the Grade II Appalachian at Keeneland and got home fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November.
Also: Hey Jesse won Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Barbara at Santa Anita by 3/4 length over Cailin Dana; No Show Sammy Jo prevailed by 3/4 length over Storm Miami in Friday’s $175,000 Grade III Sheepshead Bay at Aqueduct; City Girl was a 3/4-length winner over Dynamic Pricing in Sunday’s $175,000 Grade III Beaugay at Aqueduct in another 1-2 for Brown.
Turf mile
Classic Q won Saturday’s $1 million Grade II Distaff Turf Mile by a neck over Portfolio Duration. Bolero Bay took Saturday’s $100,000 English Channel Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gufstream Park, and Spirit Doll won the companion Honey Ryder Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Turf sprint
Yellow Card was up in the final strides to deny pacesetter Joe Shiesty the win in Saturday’s $600,000 Grade II Twin Spires Turf Sprint.
Moon Spun led from the start in Friday’s $500,000 Grade II Unbridled Sidney and held off a rail challenge from Shoot It True to rack up her fifth victory from her last six starts.
Also: Waralo won Saturday’s $150,000 Elusive Quality at Aqueduct ,and Love Cervere took Sunday’s $150,000 License Fee for fillies and mares, also at the Big A.
Sprint / dirt mile
Japanese visitor T O Elvis schooled a strong field of locals in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes. Turning for home outside the leaders, the Kentucky-bred Volatile colt simply blew by them at the furlong pole and drew off to win by 3 lengths.
T O Elvis canceled a trip to Dubai and came to Louisville riding a four-race win streak, culminating in the Grade 3 Capella Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in December.
Crude Velocity and Englishman, both with two wins from two starts, duked it out in Saturday’s $750,000 Grade II Pat Day Mile in what amounted to a match race.
Englishman, a Maxfield colt trained by Cherie DeVaux, led most of the way with Crude Velocity in close attendance. Just outside the sixteenth pole, Crude Velocity found another gear and got by to win by 3 3/4 lengths.
Also: Tour Player won Saturday’s $200,000 Knicks Go Stakes; Antequarian won Sunday’s $175,000 Grade III Westchester at Aqueduct; Two Seven O won Friday’s $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park; Gold Sweep took Friday’s $200,000 Lake Hamilton at the Arkansas track; and G T Five Hundred won Sunday’s $100,000 (Canadian) Thorncliffe Stakes at Woodbine.
Filly & mare sprint
Our Disaster blasted out of the gate in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Derby City Distaff and led all the way to a 2 1/4-length upset victory over a field of top-shelf rivals.
Ways and Means was second and trainer Bob Baffert’s duo of Splendora and Usha finished third and fourth.
Splendora saw a seven-race win streak, including the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, snapped.
Also: On Time Girl won Friday’s $700,000 Grade II Eight Belles for 3-year-old fillies; Reagan’s Flame took Saturday’s $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Whimsical at Woodbine; and Grammy Girl won Sunday’s $175,000 Grade III Vagrancy at Aqueduct.
Around the world, around the clock
England
Bow Echo ran out an easy winner of Saturday’s Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, remaining undefeated after four starts and promising something special for the remainder of the season.
The Night of Thunder colt, trained by George Boughey for the estate of the late Sheik Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, raced behind the early speed, slipped through between rivals spread across the course and drew off to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
The joint favorites, Coolmore’s Gstaad, the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, and Godolphin’s Distant Storm, finished second and third, respectively.
“I think he has every right to be held in high regard, and within his generation, he looks a very good horse,” Boughey said, according to Racing Post. “He’s fast, but he also stays. I don’t think he’s a Derby horse, and I’d like to make him champion miler.”
Aidan O’Brien was anguished when True Love not only didn’t win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last November at Del Mar, but in fact finished eighth from an outside draw.
So he gave her a rest, brought her back to win her 3-year-old debut in a 7-furlong Group 3 at Leopardstown and sent her along to see if she could last the 1 mile of Sunday’s Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
She could. The No Nay Never filly hit contention with the rising ground nearing the finish and got home first by 1 3/4 lengths from Evolutionist. It was O’Brien’s eighth 1000 Guineas win but came with his de facto second string.
The race favorite, Precise, with Ryan Moore up, flattened out to finish seventh, terminating her win streak at four. Wayne Lordan partnered True Love.
Japan
The question facing 2025 Japanese Derby winner Croix du Nord Sunday was whether he had the stamina to last out the 3,200 meters of the Tenno Sho (Spring), Japan’s longest Grade 1 race. He did, but just barely, and staved off a massive upset into the bargain.
After racing in mid-pack, the 4-year-old Kitasan Black colt circled to take the lead in the stretch run and briefly opened a daylight lead.
Then, along came 208-1 shot Wurttemberg, whose resume was mostly built well down the class ladder, but showed some recent ability at marathon distances. The longshot closed relentlessly and just fell a nose short of catching Croix du Nord, the race favorite.
“I really didn’t know whether we had won or not and it was a long time waiting for the final results, winning jockey Yuichi Kitamura said. “But I feel relieved that we were the winner.”
