Churchill Downs Stakes Advance and Update: Grade III Winner Pin Up Betty Leads Field in Grade III, $250,000 Old Forester Mint Julep

May 25, 2025

Three Diamonds Farm’s Pin Up Betty, winner of last year’s Regret Stakes (Grade III), will face a competitive cast of 11 fillies and mares in next Sunday’s 49th running of the $250,000 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

Sunday’s 10-race card will begin at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the Old Forester Mint Julep scheduled as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m.

Trained by Mike Maker, Pin Up Betty most recently finished a close second to Simply in Front in the Longines Distaff Turf Mile (GII) on Kentucky Derby Day. The daughter of Constitution earned her lone graded stakes victory in last year’s Regret, drawing clear by 1 ½ lengths over Buchu. She will break from post No. 8 in the Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes under jockey Luis Saez.

Another top contender is fellow Grade III winner Duvet Day (IRE), who will make her 6-year-old debut in Sunday’s race. Owned by Jane Bacharach, William DeBurgh and Richard Schatz, Duvet Day has not raced since her victory in the Nov. 28 Cardinal Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the daughter of Starspangledbanner (AUS) has been in steady training at Churchill Downs since early April and breezed five furlongs in 1:03.40 on Sunday with jockey Florent Geroux aboard. Prior to her Cardinal win, Duvet Day finished second in back-to-back editions of the Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita. Geroux will have the mount in the Old Forester Mint Julep from post 4.

The field for the Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Serene Seraph (IRE) (Joel Rosario, Bill Mott)
Movin’ On Up (Frankie Dettori, Saffie Joseph Jr.)
Venencia (FR) (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)
Duvet Day (IRE) (Geroux, McCarthy)
Adrasteia (Ben Curtis, Fergus Bogle)
Neon Icon (Edgar Morales, Rusty Arnold II)
Gavea (GER) (Brian Hernandez Jr., Al Stall Jr.)
Pin Up Betty (Saez, Maker)
Charlene’s Dream (Rafael Bejarano, Ed Moger Jr.)
No Mo Candy (Irad Ortiz Jr., Saffie Joseph Jr.)
Deep Satin (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux)
Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs at www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

SEVERAL KENTUCKY DERBY ALUMNI EYE MATT WINN AS NEXT TARGET – A group of Kentucky Derby alumni could reunite Sunday, June 8 in the $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

Among the 24 3-year-olds nominated to the 1 1/16-mile race are Final Gambit, Burnham Square, East Avenue and Coal Battle, who all competed in Kentucky Derby 151. Nominations for the Matt Winn closed Wednesday and entries will be taken Sunday, June 1.

Final Gambit, fourth in the Kentucky Derby for owner Juddmonte and trainer Brad Cox, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 Saturday. Cox said Final Gambit could be one of “two or three” entrants from his stable in the race. Other Cox trainees nominated are Admiral Dennis, Flood Zone, Instant Replay, Money Game and Shangrala Road.

Burnham Square, a troubled sixth in the Derby, recently shifted his base from Churchill Downs to Skylight Training Center in Oldham County, Ky. Trainer Ian Wilkes said the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner remains on course for the Matt Winn.

East Avenue, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) as a 2-year-old for Godolphin, recorded a sharp half-mile move in :47 on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, galloping out five furlongs in :59.60, according to clocker John Nichols. Trainer Brendan Walsh said he’d run next in the Matt Winn.

Coal Battle, who finished ninth in the Derby for Norman Stables, worked five furlongs in a controlled 1:03.60 on Tuesday. The Lonnie Briley trainee remains stabled in Barn 42 at Churchill Downs alongside several stablemates.

To view the full list of nominees, visit www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-CD-20250608-595422

NOBALS EARNS 98 BRISNET SPEED RATING FOR TRACK-RECORD PERFORMANCE IN SATURDAY ALLOWANCE – Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Grade I) winner Nobals returned to the winner’s circle with a track-record setting performance Saturday at Churchill Downs, cruising to a 3 ¾-length victory in allowance event over the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Owned by Patricia’s Hope and trained by Larry Rivelli, Nobals blitzed 5 ½ furlongs on turf in 1:00.96, eclipsing the previous course record of 1:01.29 set by Queen Maxima earlier this month in the Unbridled Sidney Stakes (GIII).

Four races later, Marksman Queen set a stakes record in the Keertana, going 1 ½ miles on the turf in 2:26.74 while earning a 92 Brisnet Speed Rating. The previous stakes record was set by Miss Yearwood, who went 2:27.45 in 2023.

$290,139 LATE PICK 5 CARRYOVER TOPS SUNDAY ACTION AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Bettors have a lucrative $290,139 carryover for Sunday’s 50-cent Late Pick 5 at Churchill Downs because there were no winners in Saturday’s Early Pick 5 sequence.

The first of 10 races Sunday is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 50-cent Late Pick 5 will cover Races 6-10 starting at 3:18 p.m.

The first and final legs of Saturday’s Early Pick 5 were won by favorites, Sweet Seraphine ($6.04) in the opener and Nobals ($5.70) in Race 5, but longshots perforated Races 2-4: Fasta Lavista Baby ($47.76) in Race 2, Master Controller ($29.30) in Race 3 and Abitbi ($99.12) in Race 4.

Sunday’s Late Pick 5 sequence features 54 horses for an average of 10.8 entries per race:

Race 6 (3:18 p.m.): Mdn $120,000, F&M, 3&up, 1 1/16 M (T) (12 to run)
Race 7 (3:50 p.m.): Clm 16000b, 3&up, 7 F (nine entries)
Race 8 (4:22 p.m.): OC 125000n1x, 3yo, 6 F (11 entries)
Race 9 (4:55 p.m.): OC 80000n2x, 3&up, 1 M (T) (11 entries)
Race 10 (5:26 p.m.): Alw 50000s, 3yo f, 1 M (11 entries)
Past performances are available at www.Brisnet.com. Fans can wager on the 50-cent Late Pick 5 on track at Churchill Downs; www.TwinSpires.com, the track’s official online wagering platform; other online wagering outlets; and select satellite betting centers throughout North America.

DOWN THE STRETCH – Sunday’s work tab at Churchill Downs included eight horses on the turf, including Mrs. Revere (GII) winner and Jenny Wiley Stakes (GI) third-place finisher Kehoe Beach. The Wesley Ward-trained daughter of Omaha Beach worked a sharp five furlongs in :59 in company with stablemate Funtastic Again, who went five furlongs in :59.60. … Monday is Military Appreciation Day and all active-duty military and veterans can receive free general admission with a valid military ID. A discounted rate of $45 for Millionaires’ Row tickets is available for military members by calling (502) 636-4450. … For the latest information about the Churchill Downs Spring Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.