Maker, Sugoi Aim for Repeat Win in Louisville Stakes

Last year trainer Mike Maker won the Louisville Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs with Paradise Farms and David Staudacher's Sugoi in his first race after being claimed for $50,000. A year later Maker is back to try for a repeat with the 8-year-old Karakontie (JPN) gelding. Sugoi won the $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in his 2025 debut. With his most recent race being an eighth-place finish in the March 1 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park, Sugoi enters the Louisville off an 11-week freshening. The 1 1/2-mile turf race for older horses drew a field of nine. Sugoi, who drew the outside post, has done his best running on or near the lead. There appear to be two other speed horses drawn inside of him. Bob Grayson Jr. and trainer Pavel Matejka's Accredit, winner of the 2021 Dueling Grounds Derby, is next to him in the 8 post. And then down on the rail is JD Thoroughbreds and Wayne Scherr's Idratherbeblessed. Trained by Chris Hartman, the 5-year-old Unified gelding upset the March 22 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots at odds of 86-1—defeating Spirit of St Louis who finished fourth that day but won grade 1 races in the start before and start after that effort. Idratherbeblessed came back to earth in his most recent start when 10th in the April 19 Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. Elkhorn winner Utah Beach, a 5-year-old English Channel gelding owned by Jeffrey S. Amling and Merriebelle Stable and trained by Ignacio Correas IV, looks like the most consistent, in-form horse in the field with a 4-5-1 record from 14 starts.