May 5 (UPI) -- As usual, the Kentucky Derby got so much attention that it eclipsed a lot of other top-shelf racing during the first weekend in May, involving champions, would-be contenders and many other famous names.
Here's a tightly condensed recap.
The Oaks
Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Godolphin racing and breeding empire not only finally landed its first Kentucky Derby but also won Friday's Kentucky Oaks, Saturday's Group 1 1,000 Guineas and Sunday's Group 1 2,000 Guineas -- an unprecedented four-Classics sweep in the space of three days.
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The Oaks started it all. Good Cheer entered the race as a solid favorite, undefeated in six previous starts. She did not disappoint, despite a sloppy track and a very wide trip. With Luis Saez looking supremely confident, Good Cheer circled around four rivals on the stretch turn and drew off to win going away.
"I think there's no ceiling for her," Godolphin's Michael Banahan said. "She should be in all the big races for 3-year-old fillies this year and hopefully we culminate in the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in the fall."
Classic
Fierceness, a force among 3-year-olds a year ago, started his 2025 campaign with a professional victory over a tough field in Friday's $750,000 Grade II Alysheba at Churchill Downs.
The City of Light colt, last seen finishing second to Sierra Leone in the Breeders' Cup Classic, waited patiently behind pacesetter Most Wanted into the stretch in the Alysheba. Those two battled to the final sixteenth, when Fierceness edged clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Most Wanted.
Mystik Dan has not won since his upset victory in last year's Kentucky Derby but he came within a nose of ending that winless streak while missing by just a nose to odds-on favorite Saudi Crown in Saturday's $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Distaff
Raging Sea rolled by the early speed with a sustained stretch drive to win Friday's $1 million Grade I La Troienne at Churchill Downs. The odds-on favorite and reigning Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna, was bounced around in the first turn, vied for the lead and eventually faded to finish last.
Raging Sea, a Curlin mare, was making her first start since finishing second to Thorpedo Anna in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Sprint / Dirt Mile
With all due respect to the Kentucky Derby, the $1 million Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes might have been the best race under the Twin Spires on Saturday.
Four horses came to the finish virtually together with the nod going to Mindframe, second in last year's Belmont Stakes and Grade I Haskell. Nysos, Banishing and Book'em Danno slugged it out for the minors, finishing in that order including a dead-heat for second.
Trying to beat Skelly in an Oaklawn Park sprint seems to be a fool's errand. The "horse for the course" was bet down to 1-10 in Friday's $200,000 Lake Hamilton Stakes and responded by winning by 10 1/2 lengths under a hold.
Trying to beat Patches O'Houlihan in a Woodbine sprint might be almost as foolish as going up against Skelly at Oaklawn.
Patches O'Houlihan, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, started his 2025 campaign with a bang, leading all the way to a 4-lengths victory in Sunday's $120,000 (Canadian) Thorncliffe Stakes on the all-weather course. And the 5-year-old Reload gelding did it in course-record time of 1:02.28.
Liberal Arts rallied to a late-running victory in Saturday's $200,000 Knicks Go Stakes at Churchill Downs, chasing down a determined Patriot Spirit in the final sixteenth. The Arrogate colt, trained by Brad Cox, finished the one-turn mile on a sloppy track in 1:35.25.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Kopion came from California to try a wet track for the first time in her career in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs and showed plenty of versatility with an off-the pace, 3-length victory over Hope Road.
Look Forward went right forward from the No. 11 gate in Friday's $600,000 Grade II Eight Belles for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs. In the mix all the way, the Bolt d'Oro filly was in command in the late stages to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Blue Fire in a wide-open field.
Look Forward had been beaten by 12 1/2 length and 10 3/4 lengths in her last two starts.
Turf
Spirit of St. Louis flew down the stretch outside an embattled trio and ran on to win Saturday's $1 million Grade I Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs by 3/4 lengths. Mercante, Highway Robber and Gold Phoenix finished second through fourth in a bunch.
Zulu Kingdom had all he could do to chase down long-time leader Mi Bago in the late going of Saturday's $1 million Grade I American Turf for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs. He got the job done in the final yards, winning by 1 1/4 lengths. Test Score and New Century then both got by the tiring Mi Bago to finish second and third.
Deterministic blasted right to the lead in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Fort Marcy at Aqueduct and kept right on running to a 4 1/2-length victory.
Atitlan, the odds-on favorite, won a three-horse battle to the finish in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita, edging Packs a Whalop and Dicey Mo Chara by a pair of heads.
Filly & Mare Turf
Nitrogen exploded like a hydrogen bomb in the stretch run of Friday's $600,000 Grade II Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs, rallying by the leaders to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Lush Lips.
She Feels Pretty made her 2025 debut a winning one with an impressive thrashing of a select field in Friday's $400,000 Grade III Modesty at Churchill Downs.
The Karakontie filly let long shots show the way but took charge in the stretch when asked by jockey John Velazquez and strode off to win by 2 1/4 lengths over South African import Gimme a Nother.
Mrs. Astor took charge in the final furlong of Sunday's $100,000 Santa Barbara at Santa Anita, kicking away to win by 5 lengths. The 5-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky ran 1 1/2 miles, starting on the hillside course, in 2:27.95 for Umberto Rispoli.
Turf Mile
Simply In Front was well near the rear through the first part of Saturday's $750,000 Grade II Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, charged into contention in the stretch and won a battle to the finish over Pin Up Betty.
Turf Sprint
Think Big gobbled up ground through the final sixteenth in Saturday's $600,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs and caught breakaway leader Boss Sully in the final strides to win by 3/4 length.
Queen Maxima rallied outside the early leaders to win Friday's $400,000 Grade III Unbridled Sidney for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs by 3 1/2 lengths as the favorite, Ag Bullet, was shut off while making a rail move in the stretch.
My Boy Prince prompted the early pace in Saturday's $150,000 Elusive Quality at Aqueduct, battled to the front and edged clear to win by 1 length with five rivals in a clot behind.
