At Churchill Downs on May 3, John Burness’ COLEBROOK FARMS welcomed the return of its fabulous turf filly SIMPLY IN FRONT in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, worth a whopping $750,000. Simply in Front, by Summer Front, won her maiden at Woodbine in 2023 and then blossomed last season on the grass, winning the Grade 2 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs, a race worth over $1 million.
Off since November, Simply in Front, trained by Eddie Kenneally, was 15-to-1 in her return, but she powered to victory by a neck with Luis Saez riding. She ran the one mile on good turf in 1:35.40, picking up her fourth win in 12 races. She has earned $1.8 million and was a $115,000 yearling purchase from the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Not only is Simply in Front a special racehorse, she is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner And One More Time, Grade 2 winner Honor D Lady, and stakes winner Churchtown.
In another notable race at Churchill Downs on May 2, American-bred KOPION, bred by Ivan and Colleen Dalos, won the Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) by three lengths for her fifth win in seven races. The Omaha Beach filly was foaled in Kentucky and is out of Galloping Ami, a Sovereign award-winning broodmare who has 11 foals to her credit including Canadian sires Ami’s Flatter ($536,931), who stands at Ballycroy Bloodstock and Amis Gizmo ($800,022), who stands at Colebrook Farms Stallion Station. Tall Oaks sold the filly to Spendthrift Farm at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale for $270,000.
Kopion earned a 109 Beyer Figure winning the 7 furlong race (see stats below), which was worth $1 million. The four-year-old also won the Santa Monica Stakes G2 at Santa Anita this past February and has earned over $1 million in seven starts.
Kopion’s jockey Kazushi Kimura commented after the Distaff, “She’s been training beautifully in the morning and the question was just how she’d handle it here in Kentucky. She loved this track and is such a special filly. It was so special to win on Oaks Day.”
Trainer Richard Mandella said, “I had no concern at all (about the sloppy track). You know, being down in the post two, you’re worried about her getting buried. She did get off a little bit slower than I thought she would. But the jock [Kazushi Kimura] had a lot of confidence in her and he rode her that way. And the more we go, the smarter she gets. She’s starting to make it look like I know something.”
Breeder Ivan Dalos will be inducted as a Builder into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this year and was awarded the EP Taylor Award of Merit by the Jockey Club of Canada in 2022.
Watch the race here:
Interesting stats:
Fastest horses in North America up to 1 mile in distance:
Kopion SA 01 Feb 7F 110
Skelly OP 02 May 6F 110
Kopion CD 03 May 7F 109
Patches O’Houlihan WO 04 May 5 1/2f 108
Booth OP 15 Mar 6F 107
Skelly OP 11 Apr 6F 107
Colloquial AQU 07 Feb 6 1/2F 106
Whatchatalkinabout AQU 16 Jan 6F 106
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