Churchill Downs Update: Breeders' Cup Contenders Built, Foxiest, Scarlett Begonia, Splendora Complete Final Moves Friday at Churchill Downs

Oct 23, 2026

Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade I) contender Built, Juvenile Fillies (GI) hopefuls Foxiest and Scarlett Begonia and Distaff (GI) contender Splendora breezed Friday morning at Churchill Downs in their final preparations for next weekend’s World Championships at Keeneland.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built, trained by Wayne Catalano, breezed a half-mile in :48.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60. The 4-year-old colt is pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) following consecutive victories in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (GII) at Saratoga and Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes at Churchill Downs.

“Really good work, just what you’d expect from a horse like this,” Catalano said. “He’s been consistent all year and always shows up to run his race. He ran a big race in the Vanderbilt over the summer and came back with another strong effort in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society. Those were the kind of races we wanted to see heading into the Breeders’ Cup.”

Built, who has won four of seven starts this year, defeated fellow Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender Hymn by 2 ½ lengths in the Vanderbilt before returning to Churchill Downs and winning the Louisville Thoroughbred Society by 1 ½ lengths Sept. 12.

Trainer Brad Cox worked a duo of $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) contenders together Friday with LNJ Foxwoods’ Foxiest and Hat Creek Racing, Ashview Farm and Upland Flats Racing’s Scarlett Begonia covering five furlongs in 1:00.80 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.80.

Foxiest, a daughter of Gun Runner and champion Covfefe, broke her maiden by 3 ¾ lengths Sept. 27 at Churchill Downs in her second career start. Scarlett Begonia hasn’t missed the board in all three starts and most recently finished second to Manuka Honey in the Pocahontas (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

“Foxiest is a little more laid-back than Scarlett Begonia, and you could tell that early in the work,” Cox said. “Once they got going, they finished really well and galloped out strong. They’re both very nice fillies and we know they’ll have to run career-best races in the Breeders’ Cup. They’re championship races for a reason.”

Boyd Racing and By Talla Racing’s Splendora, the defending Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) champion, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 for Bob Baffert with retired jockey Joe Talamo aboard. The 5-year-old mare galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 and seven furlongs in 1:25.40. She’s pre-entered in both the the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) and $2 million Filly & Mare Sprint, with the first preference in the Distaff.

“This is my fourth time working her and goal was work in hand,” said Talamo, who had to drive approximately 75 miles east to Keeneland following the move for the “Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup” show. “With her, I emphasize keeping her slow early and gallop out really well. I know she can work :58 or :59, but when going a mile and an eighth, you definitely want to settle early and gallop out well.”

Splendora has won five of six starts this year, including her last three in the Shawnee (GII), Molly Pitcher (GII) and Locust Grove (GII). Her most recent victory came Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs when she cruised to a 5 ¼-length score in the Locust Grove.

Following Friday’s work, Talamo traveled approximately 75 miles east to Keeneland to participate in the Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup event.

Other Breeders’ Cup contenders still based at Churchill Downs include Explora (Filly & Mare Sprint), Further Ado (Classic), Hughes (Juvenile), Miss Monica (Juvenile Fillies), Regaled (Distaff) and Salahudin (Juvenile).

Entries for the 43rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be taken Monday. All domestic Breeders’ Cup runners must arrive at Keeneland by 11 a.m. Tuesday, ahead of the Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31 championships.

MYSTIK BAYOU BRINGS MULTIPLE STORYLINES TO ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY – Sunday’s $200,000 Street Sense (Grade III) favorite Mystik Bayou carries several notable storylines into his stakes debut, including a family connection to Kentucky Derby 150 winner Mystik Dan, a link to the late jockey Robby Albarado and a rare distinction as the only living offspring of Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Wells Bayou.

Owned by 4 G Racing, Lance Gasaway and Daniel Hamby III, Mystik Bayou is a half-brother to Mystik Dan, who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby for many of the same connections and trainer Kenny McPeek. Both colts are out of the Colonel John mare Ma’am.

Mystik Bayou also has a connection to Albarado, who died Aug. 4 at age 52. Following his retirement from riding, Albarado worked as an exercise rider for McPeek and regularly galloped Mystik Bayou, both at Churchill Downs and at Saratoga prior to his debut.

Mystik Bayou is also the only living offspring of Wells Bayou, whose stallion career ended prematurely because of fertility problems. The 2020 Louisiana Derby winner, who was campaigned in part by Lance and Clint Gasaway, entered stud in Oklahoma in 2023. The Gasaways bred Wells Bayou to Ma’am but the stallion reportedly got only two mares in foal before his breeding career ended.

Mystik Bayou broke his maiden at second asking Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, winning a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight by 4 ¼ lengths under Ricardo Santana Jr. He finished third in his Sept. 5 debut at Saratoga behind subsequent Champagne Stakes (GI) winner U. S. S. Valor.

The Street Sense is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season where the top five finishers will receive qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward the May 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). The 1 1/16-mile Street Sense goes as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:25 p.m.

The complete Street Sense field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Ritzy Rags (Rafael Bejarano, Destin Heath, 50-1)
Blessed Flyer (Brian Hernandez Jr., Mike Tomlinson, 7-2)
Card Man (Flavien Prat, Brown, 5-2)
Mystik Bayou (Jose Ortiz, McPeek, 9-5)
Very Gifted (Manny Esquivel, McPeek, 20-1)
Jas (Keith Asmussen, Steve Asmussen, 6-1)
Staunch (Tyler Gaffalione, Walsh, 5-1)
Never a Doubt (Junior Alvarado, Carlos David, 20-1)
The field for the Rags to Riches from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Intraosseous (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kinnon LaRose, 10-1)
Wharfie (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 9-5)
Oh She Said Yes (Jose Ortiz, Kenny McPeek, 5-2)
Countthetrue (Edgar Morales, Wayne Catalano, 12-1)
Lunar Velocity (Francisco Arrieta, Ray Bryner, 8-1)
Juana Margarita (Flavien Prat, Kenny McPeek, 6-1)
First Laugh (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox, 7-2)
STARS OF TOMORROW SHOWCASE FUTURE CHAMPIONS, SOME OF RACING’S BIGGEST NAMES – From Kentucky Derby and Oaks winners to Horse of the Year champions, Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow programs have offered an early look at some of racing’s biggest names with 103 Grade I or Group 1 winners who have earned more than $200 million combined appearing on the cards since their introduction in 2005.

Instituted 21 years ago by former Churchill Downs racing secretary Doug Bredar, the programs have included horse racing superstars such as Gun Runner, Rachel Alexandra, Sovereignty, Mystik Dan and Monomoy Girl.

Stars of Tomorrow by the numbers:

103: Grade I or Group I-winning alumni.
183: Combined Grade I or Group I victories.
$209.7 million: Combined career earnings among those 103 horses.
61: Alumni who earned at least $1 million.
37: Horses who won multiple Grade I or Group I races.
12: Breeders’ Cup victories by 10 horses.
8: Kentucky Oaks winners: Lemons Forever, Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can, Monomoy Girl, Secret Oath, Pretty Mischievous, Thorpedo Anna and Good Cheer.
7: Grade I victories apiece for Monomoy Girl and Thorpedo Anna – the most among Stars of Tomorrow alumni.
4: Kentucky Derby winners: Super Saver, Mandaloun, Mystik Dan and Sovereignty.
4: Breeders’ Cup Classic winners: Fort Larned, Gun Runner, Knicks Go and White Abarrio.
4: Preakness winners: Rachel Alexandra, Shackleford, War of Will and Swiss Skydiver.
3: Belmont winners: Creator, Tiz the Law and Sovereignty.
1: Dubai World Cup winner: Hit Show.
$15.99 million: Career earnings for Gun Runner, the most of any horse who ran on Stars of Tomorrow.
Trainer records:

41: Victories for Steve Asmussen, the program’s leading trainer. His 283 starters also recorded 38 seconds and 47 thirds.
34: Victories from 262 starts for Dale Romans, second on the trainers’ wins list.
33: Victories from 133 starts for Brad Cox, a 24.8% win rate.
31: Victories from 262 starts for Kenny McPeek.
17: Victories from 144 starts for Ian Wilkes.
Grade I winners by trainer:

10: Steve Asmussen: Clairiere, Combatant, Creator, Gun Pilot, Gun Runner, Justin Phillip, Mia Mischief, Silver State, Super Stock and Tapizar.
10: Brad Cox: Arklow, Eclatant, Further Ado, Gin Gin, Good Cheer, Hit Show, Mandaloun, Matareya, Monomoy Girl and Patch Adams.
9: Kenny McPeek: Daddy’s Lil Darling, Defining Purpose, Eskimo Kisses, I’m a Chatterbox, Java’s War, Mystik Dan, Pure Fun, Swiss Skydiver and Thorpedo Anna.
6: Dale Romans: Birdatthewire, First Dude, Molly Morgan, Promises Fulfilled, Sassy Image and Shackleford.
5: Todd Pletcher: Any Given Saturday, Gemologist, Monba, Overanalyze and Super Saver.
4: Bill Mott: Carina Mia, Casa Creed, Court Vision and Sovereignty.
4: Mark Casse: Dream Dancing, Sandman, Tepin and War of Will.