Churchill Downs Picks | Regret Stakes 2024

Rigney Racing’s two-time Grade II winner Buchu leads a field of 10 3-year-old fillies that entered Saturday’s 55th running of the $275,000 Regret Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

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Run at 1 1/8-miles on turf, the Regret Stakes field will go to post at 4:55 p.m. in Race 9. The stellar 11-race program, featuring six stakes contests, will begin at 12:45 p.m.

Along with the Regret Stakes, the program will also feature the $275,000 Arlington (GIII), $275,000 Blame (GIII), $275,000 Shawnee (GIII), $275,000 Aristides (Listed) and $275,000 Audubon (Listed). All six stakes contests will lead horses to similar stakes contests on Stephen Foster Day, held Saturday, June 29 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Phil Bauer, Buchu began her 3-year-old campaign on April 6 at Keeneland where she narrowly defeated Mo Fox Givin in the Appalachian Stakes (GII). As a 2-year-old, the daughter of Justify cruised to a 3 ¾-length score in the Jessamine (GII) at Keeneland prior to shipping to Santa Anita where she finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI).

Jockey Martin Garcia retains the mount on Buchu in the Regret and will break from post No. 6.

One of Buchu’s rivals in the Regret is the ultra-consistent Way to Be Marie, the recent runner-up finisher in the Edgewood Stakes (GII). Owned by Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables and trained by Rob Atras, Way to Be Marie has only finished outside the top 2 once in her six-race career.

The daughter of Not This Time took the lead at the head of the stretch in the Edgewood, run earlier this month on Kentucky Oaks Day, but was caught in the shadow of the wire by Dynamic Pricing. Jockey Florent Geroux will have the return-call from the rail.

Here’s the complete field for the Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Way to Be Marie (Florent Geroux, Rob Atras)
2. Everland (Abel Cedillo, Eric Foster)
3. Gavea (GER) (Julien Leparoux, Al Stall Jr.)
4. Dancing N Dixie (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
5. Poolside With Slim (IRE) (Brian Hernandez Jr., Rusty Arnold II)
6. Buchu (Garcia, Bauer)
7. Hello Hollywood (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brian Lynch)
8. Sassy Princess (Flavien Prat, Brendan Walsh)
9. Pin Up Betty (Luis Saez, Mike Maker)
10. Faith Understood (Florent Geroux, Jonathan Thomas)