Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert enters two colts in the May 30 $275,000 Aristides Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
His first of two is Madaket Road, who is coming off a 1 3/4 length victory in a May 8 allowance race at Churchill Downs. The win marked the 4-year-old son of Quality Road 's first start of the season and first victory since breaking his maiden in December 2024 at Santa Anita Park.
Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Madaket Road was second in both the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) and the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old .
Baffert also will be represented by Cornucopian. Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings-Lessee, the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief won the March 29 San Carlos Stakes (G3) before finishing fifth in the May 2 Churchill Downs Stakes (G1).
The Aristides is a part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series Program. The horses who first, second, and third will earn a bonus bankroll, which can be utilized toward pre-entry and entry fees for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), which is set to run Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
Lagynos goes for four in a row in Arlington
The $275,000 Arlington Stakes (G3T) features the Steve Asmussen trainee Lagynos, who is searching for his fourth straight victory.
He comes in off a win in the April 30 Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs, a race where he narrowly defeated Chasing the Crown by a nose. Owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Lagynos finished third in the Arlington Stakes last year. The 5-year-old son of Kantharos also won the Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) and the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) this year. He faces 10 rivals in the 1 1/16 mile race, including last year's winner Mercante and last year's runner-up Brilliant Berti.
Tam Tam hopes to do one better in Regret
Tam Tam comes into the $275,000 Regret Stakes (G3T) off a narrow defeat in the May 1 Edgewood Stakes (G2T), where she was second, a head behind Imaginationthelady. Her first career stakes win came in the March 28 Sanibel Island Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs. Proving she could stretch out in the Edgewood, the 1 1/16 mile distance of the Regret should suit her. Trained by Phil Bauer and owned by Rigney Racing, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro began her career on dirt before making the move to the grass, a surface in which she won her maiden at first asking.
Pin Up Betty looks for another Mint Julep victory
The Three Diamonds Farm homebred Pin Up Betty looks for back-to-back wins in the $275,000 Mint Julep Stakes (G3T).
Trained by Mike Maker, she is coming off a third-place finish in the May 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2T). The 5-year-old daughter of Constitution looks to find the winner's circle for the first time since she won the Anchorage Overnight Stakes in June of last year. In the Mint Julep, run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, she will face eight competitors, including the Peter Eurton trainee Medoro, who was three-quarters of a length off the dead-heat winners of the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland in her last start.
