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The clash between Desert Flower and Lake Victoria is on after both star fillies were declared to run in the May 4 One Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket Racecourse.

Mystik Dan tries to become the man again, this time on the first Saturday in May at Oaklawn when he seeks his first victory since the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) in the Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

Copernium, trained by Jack Sisterson, won his racing debut by 2 1/4 lengths May 2 at Gulfstream Park.

Hours after the disappointment of his Kentucky Derby (G1) entrant Grande being scratched from the May 3 race, owner Mike Repole was in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs, celebrating a victory in the Alysheba Stakes (G2) from Fierceness. 

Nitrogen left no doubt who the queen of the 3-year-old filly turf division is, rocketing to a 3 1/2-length victory in the $575,000 Edgewood Stakes (G2T) May 2 at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The GII Pat Day Mile S. appeared to be loaded with early speed on paper, but it was 13-1 longshot Macho Music (Maclean's Music) who proved fastest of all.

Exiting an 11 1/4-length, front-running romp in the state-bred restricted Sophomore S. going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs Mar. 30, Macho Music was ridden aggressively by Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano and cleared the field of nine leaving the chute over the sloppy going. He took ownership of the Pat Day Mile from there and sped along through fractions of :22.43 and :44.93.

The Bob Baffert-trained duo of favored Madaket Road (Quality Road) and second-choice Gaming (Game Winner) were all in while chasing in second and third as they turned for home. Macho Music kept on motoring down the stretch and scored by 3 1/4 lengths.

Madaket Road, turning back following a fourth-place finish in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, proved a neck better than his stablemate and completed the exacta.

“He's a very fast horse and he's very competitive,” Castellano said. “His last race down at Tampa when he stretched out in distance gave me a lot of confidence that he'd be able to handle the step up in class today.”

After saddling his first career graded winner, trainer Rohan Crichton added, “I think the track helped him and he is really a quick horse. He's quick and he's able to stretch his speed, which we were a little worried about. In his last race at Tampa, he really relaxed and kicked, which is what gave us the confidence. And he's been getting better, a lot more relaxed. He wouldn't saddle as good as he did today. He's been really improving mentally. Javier did a fantastic job. First of all, he got him to rate nicely and then finished up really well. The next race might be the (GI) Woody Stephens (at Saratoga on Belmont Stakes Day). That's what we're thinking about.”

Macho Music's recent form also included a fourth-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Jan. 4 and a runner-up finish in the Swale S. Feb. 1.

Pedigree Notes:

Macho Music, a $50,000 KEESEP yearling turned $60,000 OBSMAR breezer (:10 2/5), becomes the ninth graded stakes winner for Maclean's Music.

The stakes-winning Tapit mare Southern Girl, a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno), is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Tremont Tammy (Maclean's Music) ($180,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by John Ballantyne/NBS Stable), a yearling colt by Epicenter and a Girvin colt of this year. Southern Girl brought $820,000 from Macho Music's breeder Bridlewood Farm at the 2016 FTKNOV sale.

Tapit is now responsible for 65 graded winners as a broodmare sire.

 

Macho Music puts on a show in the G2 Pat Day Mile presented by SAP!

Javier Castellano was aboard the Rohan Crichton trainee. pic.twitter.com/LmbIw9Ppg1

— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 3, 2025

Saturday, Churchill Downs
PAT DAY MILE S. PRESENTED BY SAP-GII, $539,500, Churchill Downs, 5-3, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.65, sy.
1–MACHO MUSIC, 118, c, 3, by Maclean's Music
                1st Dam: Southern Girl (SW, $120,905), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Ponche de Leona, by Ponche
                3rd Dam: Perfect and Proud, by Nonparrell
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $60,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Mark Fletcher Taylor, Rohan Crichton, and Daniel L. Walters; B-Bridlewood Farm (FL); T-Rohan Crichton; J-Javier Castellano. $297,600. Lifetime Record: 8-4-2-0, $501,857. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Madaket Road, 118, c, 3, Quality Road–Frolic's Dream, by Smoke Glacken. ($650,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $116,000.
3–Gaming, 122, c, 3, Game Winner–So Stylish, by Johannesburg. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $58,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NK, 5HF. Odds: 13.93, 2.64, 3.72.
Also Ran: Gate to Wire, Perfect Force, Smoken Wicked, Innovator, California Burrito, Built.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Maclean’s Music’s Macho Music Steals Away In the Pat Day Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Alpha Delta Stables' Raging Sea, a 5-year-old daughter of Curlin, held off determined runs by longshot Taxed and Randomized to win the May 2 La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Journalism can write his way into horse racing history should he prove victorious at Churchill Downs in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), becoming one of 151 winners of the historic race.

Magic Millions have released the catalog for their 2025 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale. This year's line-up features 418 lots (plus supplementaries) by a spread of 119 individual sires—19 of them with members of their first Australian crop.

With thunderstorms possible after 5 pm, pleasant temperatures greeted the Kentucky Oaks (G1) day crowd arriving the morning of May 2 at Churchill Downs. As the field went to post for the first race, the main track was listed as fast with firm turf. 

After playing the waiting game, connections of Baeza are relieved that the colt managed to draw in off the also-eligible list and run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs May 3.

California-based trainer Ed Moger Jr. won his 2,000th race May 1 at Churchill Downs when Paynt Ya Later won an allowance optional claiming race by three-quarters of a length at Churchill Downs.

With last year's winner out, two veteran stayers face some up-and-coming 4-year-olds in the May 4 Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) at Kyoto Racecourse.

Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) runner-up Grande has been scratched from the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1). The Todd Pletcher-trained colt did not train May 2 and has been dealing with a cracked heel, according to his owner, Mike Repole of Repole Stable.

From the moment he was born, American Pharoah was destined for greatness. Sobhy Sonbol had a front row seat for the horse who ended a Triple Crown drought.

Having each won the Kentucky Derby via disqualification, trainers Bill Mott and Brad Cox are each hoping the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby goes down as the year they see their runners finish the 1 1/4-mile classic in front.

The Road: sponsored by Gainesway and Darby Dan Farm

Kentucky Derby (G1) victory usually guarantees a stud career for its winner, an impossible future for the gelding Burnham Square. However, connections believe he would've never received the opportunity at America's biggest race without being gelded.

Making a determined bid inside the final furlong, Los Melli's Sarawak Rim wore down the favored Martana to win the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Criadores (G1) on dirt at Hipodromo de Palermo May 1 in Buenos Aires.

Three of the top four finishers from the March 1 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) will square off again in the $750,000 Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) May 3 at Churchill Downs. Special Wan, winner of the Honey Fox, is primed to win her second race of 2025.