'Special Horse': Favorite Patch Adams Powers Clear In Woody Stephens
Patch Adams confirmed on Saturday what his connections suspected all along--he's a sprinter.
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The Into Mischief colt proved to be a burgeoning sprint star on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox, who subsequently brought his talent to Saratoga, where on the Belmont Stakes undercard the former potential classic hopeful revealed an elite aptitude at a shorter distance in the $500,000 Woody Stephens (G1).
Luis Saez roused Patch Adams from just off the pace and he stormed down the center of the track to dispatch Madaket Road and pacesetter Macho Music for a 2 1/4-length victory.
Madaket Road hung on for second, and Big Truzz was third another 3 1/4 lengths back. Champion Citizen Bull was fourth and Macho Music faded to finish seventh.
'It was a pretty exciting stretch (run)," Saez said of Patch Adams, the 3-1 favorite in field of 10 3-year-olds "This horse, I really like him. He was working pretty well and today he came with a good run."
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Saez hustled Patch Adams right out of the gate and the pair stalked the pace set by Macho Music and Madaket Road through swift fractions of :22.11, :44.40, and 1:08.73 through six furlongs.
While gaining ground near the quarter pole, Patch Adams was hustled to the outside and came charging into contention. He got in front in the final furlong, drew clear.
"He was in a perfect spot the whole way," Saez said. "And, man, when he came to the top of the stretch he gave me a pretty good turn of foot.'
Time for the seven furlongs 1:21.35 on a track rated as muddy.
Patch Adams returned $8.80 for the win.
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Patch Adams earned his first stakes victory Saturday and entered following a 2 1/4-length win sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on May 3 at Churchill. Under some consideration for the Kentucky Derby earlier this year when he was fourth in a pair of graded stakes on the classic trail. He had, however, shown his preference for sprinting earlier, earning a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his 10 1/2-length triumph to break his maiden in his second start going the Woody Stephens distance in November at the Louisville track.
'Obviously it took him two starts to break his maiden, but when he did break his maiden he was very impressive at Churchill Downs," Cox said. "We thought he would stretch out based off the way he breezed and how he galloped out and worked with the pace before the [Grade 3] Southwest Stakes. Didn't break that day and didn't really get a good trip in the [Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby] obviously. It is kind of odd to have a horse that breaks as well as he does going one turn but couldn't get out of the gate going two turns. Once again, horses will make you scratch your head sometimes. We kind of scratched our heads this winter and into the spring, but he turned it around at Churchill Downs and we cut him back and he responded again today."
Patch Adams was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, which campaigns him with China Horse Club Inc.
"He showed that he's a seven-furlong horse the day he broke his maiden and has been telling us what he wants to do," said Elliott Walden, President, CEO, and Racing Manager of WinStar Farm.
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'One turn is what he wants to do. He's an Into Mischief out of a Distorted Humor mare (Well Humored); the second Grade 1 winner we have had this year like that along with Tappan Street. Two different types, Tappan Street wants to go longer than this one, but I think he could get a mile.
'We'll probably come back for the [Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 23 at Saratoga]. He ran kind of quick back here and been at it all year; gone to Oaklawn, gone to Tampa — and he's not a super big horse. He's a special horse. I think he's got more there and will be really tough running back. It's just exciting to win a Grade 1 with a really well-bred colt from the family of [WinStar-owned Dubai World Cup winner] Well Armed — a great family that's been very good to us.'
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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