Mindframe rallies to land Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The last several years have been unlucky ones for Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher as far as the Kentucky Derby (G1) is concerned, but Mindframe capped a stellar Derby weekend for the owner-trainer combo's older runners with a wide, winning stretch bid in the $935,000 Churchill Downs (G1) on Saturday.

Making a seven-wide move turning for home, Mindframe grinded his way down the middle of long Churchill straight and arrived at the wire just ahead of the dead-heating pair of Banishing and 1.66-1 favorite Nysos. Book'em Danno was another head behind in fourth and was followed by Mullikin, Just Steel, Tejano Twist, Hoist the Gold, Giant Mischief, Extra Anejo, and Here Mi Song.

"He had so many horses to the inside of him that he just had to keep fighting the entire way to the wire," winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said. "He does not want to lose and kept finding more the more challenges he got."

Mindframe completed the Churchill Downs distance of seven furlongs over the slop in 1:22.64 and paid $9.08.

Mindframe's win in the Churchill Downs, and Friday's track-record setting win by Fierceness in the Alysheba (G2), were a bit of good news for Repole, who co-owns Mindframe with St Elias Stables, and Pletcher. Their Derby hopes this year were dashed on Friday when Grande had to be scratched, an incident that also occurred in 2023 when Derby favorite Forte had to be withdrawn the morning of the race. Fierceness, the 2024 Derby favorite, did run but finished 15th.

A winner of his first two starts by a combined margin of 21 1/4 lengths, Mindframe next finished second by a half-length in the Belmont (G1) to Dornoch, and perhaps might have beat that rival if he had maintained a straight course in the stretch. He was again second to Dornoch in the Haskell (G1), and did not reappear until March 1, when he captured the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) by 1 1/4 lengths.

Mindframe is a Maryland-bred son of Constitution and the stakes-winning Walk of Stars, a daughter of Street Sense.