Churchill Downs Stakes Recap: The Eight Belles

May 02, 2025 Kevin Kerstein

Reddam Racing’s Look Forward, who broke a step slow in her most recent start in the Ashland (GI), was forwardly placed Friday and went on to score a 1 ¼-length victory over Blue Fire in the 70th running of the $600,000 Eight Belles Presented by Sysco (GII) for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Look Forward completed the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.36.

Look Forward stalked the pace of Impulse Buy to the far turn where she began to inch up and take control at the top of the stretch where she opened up on the field and had more than enough left in the tank to notch her second stakes victory and third win in six starts.

Look Forward is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Bolt d’Oro out of the Into Mischief mare Troublesome.

Look Forward returned $17.04, $9.54 and $6.76. Blue Fire, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $12.54 and $8.12 and finished a length in front of Evanescence, who paid $8.12 to show under Luan Machado.

It was another length back to Mendela with favored Verity, Whatintheliteral, Bourbon Memory, Impulse Buy, Eclatant, Princess Aliyah and Kimchi Cat following in order.