Brilliant Berti Appears Well Suited for Opening Verse

Klein Racing's homebred Brilliant Berti  looks to be returning to his sweet spot in the $350,000 Opening Verse Stakes going a mile on Churchill Downs' turf course during the Thurby program May 1.

The 4-year-old son of Noble Mission  is 3-for-3 on Churchill's turf and 3-for-4 at a mile. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Brilliant Berti was unplaced last time out in the Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. His only start of the year March 22 was made at 1 1/8 miles.  

Last year, Brilliant Berti strung together consecutive wins at a mile on the turf in the Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs and the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. He will be ridden in the Opening Verse by Brian Hernandez Jr., who was aboard for both of these stakes wins.

Three-time grade 2 winner Major Dude  is the 124-pound high weight in the Opening Verse. Spendthrift Farm's 5-year-old horse by the farm's stallion Bolt d'Oro   finished second by a nose March 1 in the Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park to Fort Washington , who he had defeated last year in the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T). Trained by Todd Pletcher, Major Dude comes into the Opening Verse off a close fourth in the Appleton Stakes at a mile on the Gulfstream Park turf course. He will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Other Thurby Stakes

The Thurby card also will feature the $250,000 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at five furlongs and the $200,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs, both on the main track.

Trainer Wesley Ward will saddle two first-out winners in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes, which has attracted a field of eight.

Ward will send out Pinky Finger , a daughter of Army Mule   who won by 7 1/2 lengths at Keeneland April 7, and Double Talker , a gelding by Hootenanny  who won by 3 1/2 lengths April 10 at Keeneland. Ward has won the Kentucky Juvenile three times with fillies. Joel Rosario keeps the mount on Pinky Finger from post 5 and David Flores retains the mount on Double Talker from post 7.

Tamaroak Partners' Bango , the all-time winningest runner at Churchill Downs with 12 victories, will make his 2025 debut against nine rivals in the St. Matthews.

Trained by Greg Foley, Bango has won at least one race at Churchill Downs every year since 2019 and included in that run is a victory in the 2023 St. Matthews. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 7.

The St. Matthews is for non-winners of a graded stakes in 2024-25 and attracted from the Bob Baffert barn the returning Speed Boat Beach , who is making his first start in 16 months. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, the 5-year-old son of Bayern  won the Malibu Stakes (G1) at the end of his 2023 campaign in his most recent start. Flavien Prat has the mount from post 3.