Donamire, Foley looking for ‘Trouble’ in Mighty Beau
Publicist Kevin Kerstein’s daily Churchill Downs media notes (Coady Media/Shelly Radosevich photo of Troubleshooting winning Kentucky Downs’ G1 Franklin-Simpson last fall)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, June 4, 2026) – Saturday’s $225,000 Mighty Beau Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs will give Grade I winner Troubleshooting another opportunity to showcase the talent trainer Greg Foley always believed was there.
“He’s continued to get better as he’s gotten older,” Foley said. “He’s a big horse and it took him a little while to put everything together, but he’s always shown us a lot of ability.”
The Donamire Farm homebred enters the five-furlong turf sprint off a career-best campaign that included victories in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (GI) at Kentucky Downs and Bryan Station Stakes (GIII) at Keeneland.
“We’ve had a lot of fun with him,” Foley said. “To win a Grade I and then come back and win another graded stakes, that’s something you appreciate because it’s hard to do.”
A 4-year-old son of Not This Time, Troubleshooting has won four of 12 starts and earned more than $1.7 million.
“Donamire Farm has been tremendous to train for,” Foley said. “They’ve bred quality horses for a long time, and it’s rewarding to see a horse they raised themselves develop into a Grade I winner.”
Tyler Gaffalione will have the call in Saturday’s race from post No. 2 at odds of 4-1.
Among the contenders entered to challenge Troubleshooting is defending Mighty Beau winner Joe Shiesty. Installed as the 7-2 morning line favorite for Foster Family Racing, Lonnie Reynolds, Vicki Mills and Don Coomes, the 5-year-old son of Air Force Blue scored a gate-to-wire victory in last year’s renewal and has earned $946,927 through 20 starts.
The field for the Mighty Beau in order of post position (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):
- Okiro (Jose Morelos, Jose Garoffalo, 20-1)
- Troubleshooting (Gaffalione, Foley, 4-1)
- Sweet Dani Boy (Axel Concepcion, Nick Vaccarezza, 15-1)
- Doncho (Jaime Torres, Michelle Lovell, 8-1)
- Joe Shiesty (Fernando De La Cruz, Eric Foster, 7-2)
- Mondogetsbuckets (Brian Hernandez Jr., Chris Block, 6-1)
- Nothing Better (Gerardo Corrales, Jorge Duarte Jr., 12-1)
- Works for Me (Luan Machado, Joe Lee, 5-1)
- Schwarzmeier (James Graham, Peter Eurton, 6-1)
- No Nay Hudson (IRE) (Ben Curtis, Wesley Ward, 8-1)
The Mighty Beau will go as Saturday’s featured 10th race with a post time of 5:28 p.m. (all times Eastern), first post is 12:45 p.m.
Guests in attendance Saturday can watch and wager on the Belmont Stakes (GI) at Saratoga, featuring a rematch among the top two finishers from Kentucky Derby 152, Golden Tempo and Renegade. Following the conclusion of Churchill Downs’ 11-race program at approximately 5:59 p.m., the Belmont Stakes will be shown on televisions throughout the facility and on the Big Board. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is 7:04 p.m.
For the latest information on the Churchill Downs Spring Meet and to purchase tickets, visitwww.churchilldowns.com.
Thursday’s card also includes a $123,624 carryover in the Jackpot 8 in Race 8.
FURTHER ADO, EXPLORA MADE FAVORITES IN SUNDAY STAKES DOUBLEHEADER – Kentucky Derby (Grade I) favorite and Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Further Ado has been made the even-money favorite in Sunday’s 29th running of the $500,000 Matt Winn Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs, while Kentucky Oaks (GI) fourth and multiple stakes winner Explora is the 7-5 early choice over Eight Belles (GII) winner On Time Girl at 9-5 in the fourth running of the $225,000 Leslie’s Lady Stakes (Listed).
The lineup for the Matt Winn in order of post position (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):
- Stop the Car (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh, 8-1)
- Potente (Florent Geroux, Bob Baffert, 7-2)
- Pavlovian (Luis Saez, Doug O’Neill, 10-1)
- Our Moneyman (Axel Concepcion, Bret Calhoun, 15-1)
- Corona de Oro (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 12-1)
- Taptastic (Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen, 9-2)
- Further Ado (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox, 1-1)
- Steel Imperium (Vincent Cheminaud, Caio Caramori, 30-1)
The field for the Leslie’s Lady from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):
- A Fine Chardonnay (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes, 4-1)
- Shilling (Manny Esquivel, Kenny McPeek, 30-1)
- Explora (Florent Geroux, Bob Baffert, 7-5)
- Sneaky Good (Jose Ortiz, Brad Cox, 6-1)
- Have Faith (Cristian Torres, Dallas Stewart, 20-1)
- On Time Girl (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox, 9-5)
- Brooklyn Blonde (Luis Saez, Michael McCarthy, 12-1)
First post for Sunday’s nine-race program is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the Matt Winn scheduled as Race 8 at 4:22 p.m. and the Leslie’s Lady carded as Race 6 at 3:18 p.m.
