Three Undefeated Contenders Face Off in Pat Day Mile

Three undefeated colts will add spice to a field of 12 entered May 2 in the $750,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. One of those sporting a perfect record from two starts is Crude Velocity, the 5-2 morning-line favorite campaigned by CSLR Racing Partners and trained by Bob Baffert. The 3-year-old son of Beau Liam won his racing debut by a neck at Santa Anita Park in March and followed with a 6 3/4-length romp in a $50,000 allowance optional claimer. More significant than the competition he beat was the 116 Equibase Speed Figure Crude Velocity earned last out after chasing blazing opening fractions of :22.16 and :44.48. Since his last win, Crude Velocity put up a bullet 6 furlongs in 1:11 at Santa Anita April 24. He will be ridden from post 6 by Florent Geroux, who has been aboard for both wins. CRK Stable's Englishman should be a factor early as this son of Maxfield has won both of his starts to date in near gate-to-wire fashion by more than 7 lengths. He won his debut at Churchill Downs going 7 furlongs in September by 7 1/4 lengths and then last out won a 6-furlong allowance optional claimer by 7 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Englishman is trained by Cherie DeVaux and will break along the rail with Jose Ortiz in the saddle. The colt was purchased by Mayberry Farm for $400,000 during the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Maxfield, a second-crop sire, has sired two black-type winners so far this year and is still looking for his first graded stakes winner. Stakes winner One More Freud is the third undefeated runner in the field and will be making his 2026 debut in the Pat Day Mile. The son of Tonalist won his racing debut by 14 1/2 lengths last August at Saratoga Race Course with trainer Tom Amoss, got claimed, and followed with a neck win in the Sapling Stakes for trainer Mike Maker. Now Robert Bayer, Paradise Farms, Jeffrey Lambert, Keith Diskin, and JP Racing Stable's One More Freud is with trainer Robert B. Hess Jr. The colt has been working steadily at Keeneland, where he ran a bullet 5 furlongs in 1:00 4/5 April 15. Donamire Farm's homebred Trouble Calling takes his first swing in graded company off a win April 3 in the 7-furlong Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland that he captured by a rallying head for trainer Greg Foley. The son of Dialed In captured his first win by 6 1/4 lengths Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds and then rolled right into the Lafayette. Trouble Calling will break from post 2 with Luis Saez aboard. Two entries in the Pat Day Mile made their most recent starts in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Three Diamonds Farm's Creole Chrome, a son of Volatile trained by Joe Sharp, finished fourth in the Blue Grass. He will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Pat Day Mile from post 8. Blue Grass fifth-place finisher Great White is cross-entered in the Pat Day Mile. Also a son of Volatile, he drew into the main body of the Kentucky Derby (G1) field April 29 as the first also-eligible after the scratch of Silent Tactic; his connections have indicated he will instead run in the classic.