Bayern, Judy the Beauty highlight Derby undercard at Churchill

Bayern has been throwing up bullets all spring (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com)

While the Kentucky Derby (G1) is the main attraction on Saturday at Churchill
Downs, the track has also put together a stellar undercard featuring six graded
stakes, three of which are on dirt.

The $300,000

Humana Distaff (G1) attracted eight top distaffers, including champion Judy
the Beauty (Ghostzapper), to go seven furlongs, while the $200,000
Pat
Day Mile (G3) features Kentucky Oaks (G1) also-eligible Peace and War (War
Front) as part of its eight-strong line up.

But the biggest undercard action could come in the $500,000

Churchill Downs S. (G2). The seven-furlong race drew seven runners,
including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero Bayern (Offlee Wild).

The Bob Baffert trainee will be making his belated four-year-old bow in the
Churchill Downs S. after being forced to miss the early part of the season due
to foot problems. The dark bay colt competed under the Twin Spires last April,
capturing the Derby Trial S. (G3) by a nose before being disqualified to second.

Judy the Beauty is looking to avenge her one loss from last year (Rickelle Nelson/Horsephotos.com)

The former sandwiched a third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) between a
title defense victory in the Vosburgh S. (G1) and a five-length wire job in the
Cigar Mile (G1). He was a half-length second in the Gulfstream Park H. (G2) to
open 2015 on March 28, and gets regular jockey Martin Pedroza taking back the
mount for this one.

Multiple Grade 2 hero Pants on Fire was third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
(G1) before finishing his six-year-old campaign with another third-place run,
this time in the Harlan’s Holiday S. in mid-December. The Kelly Breen charge
returned March 28 to add the Sir Shackleton S. to his resume and keeps regular
rider Paco Lopez aboard.

Judy the Beauty lost just once last season in five starts, but that happened
to come in the Humana Distaff. The Wesley Ward pupil, honored with an Eclipse
Award as the 2014 champion female sprinter following her head win in the
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), will try for a different result on
Saturday under Mike Smith.

Lord Nelson could kick off a big day for trainer Bob Baffert in the Pat Day Mile (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com)

Clearly Confused (Successful Appeal) graduated to facing stakes rivals just
last year after spending the early part of her career in the claiming ranks.
Since then the bay mare has run second in the Desert Stormer S. and, last out,
third in the Madison S. (G1). She faces a tough bunch in the Humana Distaff but
once again gets the services of Julien Leparoux.

The Pat Day Mile, formerly run as the Derby Trial a week earlier at
Churchill, will kick off the undercard stakes action with numerous Triple Crown
nominees in its line up. Among them are Grade 1-placed The Truth or Else (Yes
It’s True), runner-up in the Southwest S. (G3), fourth in the Rebel S. (G2) and
seventh in the Arkansas Derby (G1) thus far this year; and San Vicente S. (G2)
scorer Lord Nelson, fourth in the San Felipe S. (G2) and a half-length second in
the Bay Shore S. (G3) in his past two.

Another nominee is unbeaten Grade 1 romper Competitive Edge (Super Saver),
who captured both his starts as a juvenile, including the Champagne S. (G1), and
was an 8 1/4-length winner of the Tamarac S. in his March 27 seasonal debut.

Peace and War is also a Grade 1 winner thanks to a half-length triumph in the
Alcibiades S. (G1) last fall at Keeneland. The bay miss, the only filly in the
field, is on the also-eligible list for the Oaks one day prior.