Source: The TDN, May 3, 2026, Edition
LONGINES CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE S.-GII, $976,000,
Churchill Downs, 5-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:34.71, fm.
1–CLASSIC Q, 118, f, 4, by Classic Empire
1st Dam: Lovely Em, by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Milagra, by Maria’s Mon
3rd Dam: Tatiani, by Fappiano
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($40,000 Ylg ’23 KEESEP). O-Gary
Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners; B-Winning Bloodstock (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-John
R. Velazquez. $595,680. Lifetime Record: 14-4-3-1,
$1,074,865. *1/2 to Copper Em (Copper Bullet), SP, $362,915.
FOALED and RAISED at WINCHESTER FARM
2–Portfolio Duration (GB), 118, f, 4, Night of Thunder (Ire)–
Shemya (Fr), by Dansili (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED
BLACK TYPE. (185,000gns Wlg ’22 TADEWE; 150,000gns Ylg ’23
TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Michael E Wates CBE
(GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $172,800.
3–Pin Up Betty, 118, m, 5, Constitution–I’m Betty G, by Into
Mischief. O/B-Three Diamonds Farm (KY); T-Michael J. Maker.
$96,400.
Margins: NK, 2 1/4, HD. Odds: 6.81, 2.06, 4.27.
Also Ran: Movin’ On Up, Vina Arana (Ire), Sweet Rebecca,
Temptable (GB), Maggie Go (Arg), Italian Soiree.
Four times a bridesmaid in graded stakes, Classic Q finally got
one of her own Saturday, winning the $1 million GII Longines
Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes under the Twin Spires. Despite
breaking to the right, Classic Q was quickly set on the straight
and narrow by John Velazquez and tracked just off the flank of
the early pacesetter–graded-winning sprinter Italian Soiree-
through the first quarter in :24.26. The Gary Barber, Blue
Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners-owned gray,
who often sets the tempo herself, soon lost interest in tracking
and swept alongside Italian Soiree. After a half in :47.93, Classic
Q tugged Velazquez, who remained motionless in the saddle, up
to the front all on her own. The Mark Casse trainee drove clear
in the lane and looked home free until Portfolio Duration (GB)
came flying late. Classic Q swapped to her wrong lead, but had
enough left to deny the last-out Tampa Bay allowance winner by
half-length. MGSW Pin Up Betty got up for third, while Italian
Soiree faded to last.
“I tried to rate her, but she started getting aggressive and
throwing her head,” said Velazquez of the winner. “I decided
just to take a long hold and see how long I could hold it. I waited
until the quarter pole and she spurted away, which was enough
to win it.”
Casse, who won the Distaff Turf Mile twice previously with
Tepin (Bernstein) in 2015-16, added: “It’s so rewarding. She’s
run so hard so many times. I’m so grateful we’re able to get the
job done in this race. She likes it here. She really likes the
shorter turns.”
Winner of the Wild Applause Stakes last July at Saratoga,
Classic Q was coming off of a caught-late second in the GIII
Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream Feb. 28. Since the Wild
Applause win, she’s also finished on the board in the GII Bank of
America Valley View Stakes, the GII Mrs. Revere Stakes, and the
GIII Lake George Stakes. She set the course record at Churchill
for a mile in 1:32.91 in an allowance in April of 2025. Despite
Classic Q slowing down significantly to run the same distance
over the same course Saturday in 1:34.71, it was plenty to
secure her first graded win.
Pedigree Notes:
Classic Q is the 14th graded winner for former Kentucky
stallion Classic Empire, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2016,
who sends his sixth crop of 2-year-olds to the races this year.
