Coal Battle seeks cleaner trip in Matt Winn
Churchill Downs’ media notes by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photo of Coal Battle, with assistant trainer Bethany Taylor up, training for the Kentucky Derby)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, June 4, 2025) – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle will look to rebound from a rough 11th-place finish in the $5 million Kentucky Derby (Grade I) when he returns in Sunday’s $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs – a race trainer Lonnie Briley hopes will offer a much smoother trip.
“He didn’t get to do a whole lot of running in the Derby,” Briley said. “I think East Avenue is probably the speed in the Matt Winn. I just hope someone can go with him to set it up for Coal Battle.”
Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Matt Winn field features five horses that competed in Kentucky Derby 151: Final Gambit(fourth), Burnham Square (sixth), East Avenue (eighth), Chunk of Gold (ninth) and Coal Battle.
“It was a really tough trip in the Derby,” Briley continued. “He got bounced around there pretty good going into the turn and really took away any momentum he had. Luckily, he came out of the race good and has trained steady going into this race on Sunday.”
While Coal Battle will attempt to have a cleaner trip, Juddmonte’s Final Gambit will try to get off to a better start than in his previous efforts.
The Brad Cox trainee has broken slowly from the gate several times and earlier this week was sent from the gate at the start of his daily training session.
“He popped out of there well,” assistant trainer Trace Messina said. “Hopefully he can translate that in the afternoon so he doesn’t have so much work to do in the race.”
The Matt Winn is part of a stakes doubleheader that also includes the $175,000 Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes. First post is 12:45 p.m., with the Matt Winn going as Race 8 at 4:22 p.m. and the Leslie’s Lady in Race 5 at 2:45 p.m.
The complete lineup for the Matt Winn in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):
- Gaming (Florent Geroux, Bob Baffert)
- Final Gambit (Flavien Prat, Cox)
- Chunk of Gold (Jareth Loveberry, Ethan West)
- Just a Fair Shake (Jaime Rodriguez, Daniel McKenzie)
- Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes)
- Coal Battle (Corey Lanerie, Briley)
- East Avenue (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh)
EPIC RIDE, CHAMPLIN TRAIN UP TO TURF DEBUTS IN MIGHTY BEAU – Welch Racing’s Epic Ride and Murray and Sherilynn House’s Champlin will both try turf for the first time in Saturday’s $225,000 Mighty Beau Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs but their connections have made sure they’re prepared for the surface change.
Trainer John Ennis (@johnennis35) posted a video Tuesday on X of Epic Ride training over the grass course at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington under jockey Sophie Doyle.
Epic Ride has recorded four career victories, all over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park. The son of Blame finished 14th in Kentucky Derby 150 before cutting back in distance for the rest of his 3-year-old season and into his 4-year-old campaign. He enters the Mighty Beau off a runner-up effort to Booth in the Maryland Sprint Stakes (GIII) on Preakness Day at Pimlico. Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride from post No. 5.
Champlin also has recent turf experience, breezing a half-mile in :49.40 over the Churchill Downs grass course May 18 under jockey Edgar Morales.
“He got over it really well,” Morales said. “In the last eighth of a mile, I let him drop his head and run a little bit. He took off. Hopefully that translates to the race on Saturday.”
Trained by Greg Foley, Champlin was second to Fort Bragg in the St. Matthews Stakes on Thurby, his first start of 2025. As a 4-year-old, the son of Ransom the Moon won an allowance race at Churchill Downs and was runner-up toGulfport in the Bet On Sunshine Stakes.
The complete lineup for the Mighty Beau from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):
- Champlin (Morales, Foley, 4-1)
- Arrest Me Red (Corey Lanerie, Wesley Ward, 5-2)
- Run Carson (Adam Beschizza, Kelsey Danner, 7-2)
- Doncho (Jaime Torres, Michelle Lovell, 30-1)
- Epic Ride (Hernandez, Ennis, 9-2)
- Lunar Module (Julien Leparoux, Jordan Blair, 20-1)
- Joe Shiesty (Luan Machado, Eric Foster, 5-1)
- Balsa (James Graham, Aaron Shorter, 30-1)
- All Jokes Aside (Sophie Doyle, Anna Meah, 15-1)
- Charcoal (Rafael Bejarano, Tracey Wisner, 10-1)
The five-furlong Mighty Beau is the featured 10th race on Saturday’s 11-race card. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern), with the Mighty Beau field scheduled to go to post at 5:27 p.m.
DOWN THE STRETCH – There were Fast/Firm conditions for Wednesay’s nine-race program at Churchill Downs that got underway at 12:45 p.m. The temporary rail on the Matt Winn Turf Course was set in Lane 4 at 36 feet. Bettors enjoyed a massive $408,072 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot that got underway in Race 4. … Thursday’s Twilight Thursday card will get underway at 5 p.m. and feature $2 domestic beer, live music by Tyler Embry and local food trucks Gringos, Hurrikanes, Lil Cheezers and Ramiro’s Mexican. Thursday also doubles as Teacher Appreciation Day with discounted $45 Millionaires’ Row tickets available for purchase for local teachers. … Friday is Senior Day and guests 60 and older can enjoy lunch on Millionaires’ Row for $45. Discounted tickets for both Teacher Appreciation Day and Senior Day can be purchased by calling (502) 636-4450. … Saturday’s 11-race card at Churchill Downs will have watch party for the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, which features Kentucky Derby 151 winner Sovereignty and Preakness Stakes winner Journalism. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is 7:04 p.m. … Sunday is Family Adventure Day with more than 15 kid-friendly activities for children under 12 to enjoy. For more information and to purchase tickets visitwww.churchilldowns.com.
