Churchill Downs Stakes Recap and Quotes: Pat Day Mile

May 02, 2026

CRUDE VELOCITY IMPRESSES IN PAT DAY MILE

LOUISVILLE, KY (Saturday, May 2, 2026) – CSLR Racing Partners’ Crude Velocity rocketed past pacesetting Englishman inside the eighth pole and drew off for a 3 3/4-length victory in the 102nd running of the $750,000 Pat Day Mile (GII) presented by SAP for 3-year-olds Saturday afternoon.

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Florent Geroux, Crude Velocity completed the mile over a fast main track in a stakes-record 1:33.87. It is the third victory in the race for Baffert with his other wins coming in 1998 with Souvenir Copy and 2006 with Record.

Englishman was first out of the gate but was immediately joined to his outside by Crude Velocity. The two favorites raced through fractions of :22.06, :44.20 and 1:08.13. Englishman held the advantage to midstretch when Crude Velocity roared on past for his third victory in three starts.

A Kentucky-bred son of Beau Liam out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Sweetnsour Kitty, Crude Velocity picked up $38,820 for the victory to increase his earnings to $522,820.

Crude Velocity returned $5.14, $2.88 and $2.64. Englishman, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $3.24 and $2.68 and finished 2 ¾ lengths in front of Stop the Car who paid $4.56 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.

It was another half-length back to Secured Freedom with Crown the Buckeye, Creole Chrome, One More Freud, Trouble Calling, Lockstocknpharoah, Work and Baytown Dreamer following in order.

PAT DAY MILE QUOTES

Florent Geroux (Jockey, Crude Velocity, winner) – “He was a lot more professional today and put me in the right spot. Since the blinkers have been removed, he’s been a dream to ride. He’s able to follow very fast fractions easily and I attacked Englishman at the quarter-pole and responded well.  He’s an amazing horse. He’s not very big and I have worked in the mornings and I told Bob (Baffert) it was the best 3-year-old in his barn. I wish we had more time to develop and I think he would have been in the Derby today.

Bob Baffert (Trainer, Crude Velocity, winner) – 'This horse is a freaky horse. He is so talented. I was very surprised that he was able to win first out with all of the trouble he got in. If he stays healthy, we'll be hearing from this horse down the road.'

Jose Ortiz (Jockey, Englishman, second) – “My horse ran a good race. I knew from the beginning it was going to be a two-horse race. I got the inside, but we were going very fast. My horse did well, but the other horse was better today.”