(Slay the Day / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER CY FAIR HEADS FIELD OF 11 FOR MAMZELLE; LAGYNOS, BE YOU, DIAMOND GEM AA LOOM LARGE IN OTHER THURBY STAKES

LOUISVILLE, KY (Thursday, April 23, 2026) – Medallion Racing, Swinbank Stables, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton’s Cy Fair, winner of last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade I) tops a field off 11 for the seventh running of the $300,000 Mamzelle  presented by Kentucky Proud (GIII) for fillies and mares going 5 ½ furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course next Thursday.

The Mamzelle will go as the afternoon’s 11th race on the 12-race Thurby program that begins at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern). Post time for the Mamzelle is 6:22 p.m.

Trained by George Weaver, Cy Fair returned to the races April 10 at Keeneland with a third-place finish in the Limestone (Listed) going 5 ½ furlongs. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 5.

The field for the Mamzelle in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

  • Snappy Comeback (Junior Alvarado, Jose D’Angelo)
  • Ifyousaidso (Luis Saez, Jose D’Angelo)
  • Final Accord (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
  • Thank You Amy (Sonny Leon, Ron Potts)
  • Cy Fair (Irad Ortiz Jr., George Weaver)
  • Hen Party (Flavien Prat, Eoin Harty)
  • Midnight Martini (Javier Castellano, Mark Casse)
  • Slay the Day (John Velazquez, Brian Lynch)
  • Snow Face Princess (Florent Geroux, Steve Asmussen)
  • Gigabit (William Antongeorgi III, Rey Hernandez)
  • Blushing Justice (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kinnon LaRose)

LAGYNOS HEADLIENS $350,000 OPENING VERSE – HRH Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud’s Lagynos, winner of the Muniz Memorial (GII) and the Fair Grounds (GIII) in his past two starts, is the marquee attraction in a field of nine for the 21st running of the $350,000 Opening Verse (Listed) for 4-year-olds and up going a mile on the Matt Winn Turf Couse.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Lagynos is a three-time graded stakes winner on the grass including the Commonwealth Turf (GIII) here in 2024. Jose Ortiz has the mount from post 8.

The field for the Opening Verse in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

  • Layabout (Junior Alvarado, Patrick Biancone)
  • Minaret Station (Cristian Torres, Will Walden)
  • Balnikhov (IRE) (Joel Rosario, Phil D’Amato)
  • Quatrocento (Julien Leparoux, Fausto Gutierrez)
  • Chasing the Crown (Juan Hernandez, Mike Maker)
  • Giocoso (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux)
  • Mi Bago (John Velazquez, Mark Casse)
  • Lagynos (Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen)
  • West Hollywood (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox)

The Opening Verse is slated as the afternoon’s ninth race with a 5:14 p.m. post time.

BE YOU TOPS WIDE TOPS COMPETITIVE ST. MATTHEWS OVERNIGHT STAKES – Repole Stable’s Be You, third in the recent Carter (GII), headlines a field of 11 for the fifth running of the $200,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the main track.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Be You opened 2026 with a victory in the Toboggan (Listed). Ridden by John Velazquez, Be You will exit post 3.

The St. Matthews will be run as the 10th race with a 5:50 p.m. post time.

The field for the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Concrete Glory (Irad Ortiz Jr., Saffie Joseph Jr.)
  • Built (Jareth Loveberry, Wayne Catalano)
  • Be You (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher)
  • Billal (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)
  • Lofty Adjudicator (Sonny Leon, Anna Navarrete)
  • Back Em Up (Luis Saez, Bobby Dibona)
  • Wendelssohn (Brian Hernandez Jr., Chris Hartman)
  • Bourbon Bash (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen)
  • Maximum Bourbon (Flavien Prat, Phil D’Amato)
  • Jack’s Promise (Rajiv Maragh, Dale Romans)
  • Air Invasion (Gaddiel Martinez, Martin Paramo)

DEFENDING WINNER DIAMOND GEM AA LEADS $400,000 UAE PRESIDENT CUP ARABIAN STAKES – Betty and Joseph Giles’ Diamond Gem AA heads a field of nine for the $400,000 UAE President Cup Arabian Stakes (GI) for 4-year-olds and up going a mile and a quarter on the main track.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call on Diamond Gem AA who won last year’s renewal at Pimlico by 14 ½ lengths as the 2-5 favorite. The 7-year-old is trained by Jerenesto Torrez and will exit post 4.

The UAE President Cup will go as the afternoon’s sixth race with a 3:29 p.m. post time.

          The field for the UAE President Cup Arabian Stakes (GI) from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • WMA Wild Kisses (Joe Rocco Jr., Thunder Johnson)
  • AA Take A Chance (James Graham, Nicole Ruggeri)
  • Highh Stakes (Corey Lanerie, Thunder Johnson)
  • Diamond Gem AA (Irad Ortiz Jr., Jerenesto Torrez)
  • Highh Country (Joel Rosario, Nicole Ruggeri)
  • RB Badonkadonk (Jerenesto Valdez-Jiminez, Jerenesto Torrez)
  • WMA Grand Finale (Luan Machado, Juan Ascencio)
  • WMA Smoke Signal (Luis Saez, Carlos Padilla)
  • Quick Rae AA (Gabe Saez, Nicole Ruggeri)

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