Macho Music Conducts Wire-to-Wire Upset in Pat Day Mile

Displaying impressive speed over a sloppy Churchill Downs track, Macho Music went straight to the front and never looked back, scoring a decisive 3 1/4-length victory in the $600,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, May 3, 2025.

The win marked the first graded stakes triumph for trainer Rohan Crichton, who also co-owns the colt.

Breaking sharply under jockey Javier Castellano, Macho Music immediately established command, outsprinting favored Madaket Road for the early lead.

Castellano expertly dictated the pace, setting swift fractions of :22.43 for the quarter-mile and :44.93 for the half-mile while maintaining a clear advantage.

“The key… was in the first quarter,” Castellano said. “Be aggressive, dictate my pace, control the race. I think it was the key to win the race.”

Around the far turn, the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Madaket Road and Gaming attempted to challenge, but Macho Music found another gear at the top of the stretch and drew away convincingly.

Madaket Road held on for second place, a neck in front of his stablemate Gaming in third after a stretch-long battle. Gate to Wire rallied from last to finish a distant fourth.

Perfect Force, Smoken Wicked, and Innovator were the next three to hit the wire, while California Burrito and Built were non-factors and finished a disappointing eighth and ninth (last) to complete the order of finish.

Macho Music completed the one-mile distance in 1:35.65 over the sealed sloppy surface, rewarding his backers with a $29.86 win payout at odds of 13-1.

“I think the track helped him and he is really a quick horse,” said Crichton, who co-owns the colt with Mark Fletcher Taylor and Daniel L. Walters. “He’s quick and he’s able to stretch his speed, which we were a little worried about… Javier did a fantastic job.”

The Florida-bred son of Maclean’s Music, out of the Tapit mare Southern Girl, was bred by Bridlewood Farm.

He entered the Pat Day Mile off an 11 1/4-length romp in the OBS Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

This victory, his fourth in eight starts, boosted his earnings over the $500,000 mark.

Crichton indicated the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Saratoga on June 7 could be the next target.

Fractional Times: 22.43, 44.93, 1:09.66, 1:22.27
Final Time: 1:35.65

Winning Connections

Winner: Macho Music
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Trainer: Rohan Crichton
Owner: Mark Fletcher Taylor, Rohan Crichton, and Daniel L. Walters
Breeder: Bridlewood Farm
Bloodline: Bay Colt, by Maclean’s Music out of Southern Girl, by Tapit. Foaled Apr 04, 2022 in Florida.
Maclean’s Music stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, Paris, KY ($40,000 stands & nurses)

Payouts

Exotics

• $2 EXACTA (7-1) Paid: $142.50
• $1 SUPERFECTA (7-1-6-5) Paid: $1,169.29
• $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (7-1-6-5-9) Paid: $11,788.97
• $0.50 TRIFECTA (7-1-6) Paid: $160.69

Watch the Race