Betting exotics in the 2025 Mighty Beau Stakes

It’s not every day you see a Kentucky Derby (G1) alumnus entered in a five-furlong turf sprint, but Saturday’s $225,000 Mighty Beau S. at Churchill Downs features such a situation.

One of the 10 entrants is #5 Epic Ride (9-2), the 14th-place finisher from the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The four-year-old colt has since reconfigured into a capable sprinter and has a good chance to shine in the Mighty Beau.

Mighty Beau Stakes wagers

• $6 Exacta: 5 with 2,3,7 ($18)
• $6 Exacta: 2,3,7 with 5 ($18)
• $1 Trifecta: 5 with 2,3,7 with 2,3,7 ($6)
• $1 Trifecta: 2,3,7 with 5 with 2,3,7 ($6)
  Total: $48

Epic Ride is a decent dirt campaigner; he’s placed in multiple graded stakes, including the 2024 Blue Grass (G1) and Perryville (G3). Last time out, he ran second in the Maryland Sprint (G3) to the red-hot Booth, who has won four straight stakes this year.

Epic Ride has also shown consistent talent on synthetic, posting four wins and three seconds from seven starts. Back in January, he trounced a six-furlong allowance at Turfway Park by 3 1/4 lengths, earning a career-best 103 Brisnet Speed rating.

Turf is one surface Epic Ride hasn’t tried, but as a son of Blame out of a mare by Gio Ponti, he has the pedigree to handle grass. Gio Ponti was twice voted champion turf male at the Eclipse Awards, while Blame has sired talented turf horses like Prix de Diane (G1) winner Senga, Natalma (G1) heroine Abscond, and a bevy of Grade 2 and Grade 3 winners.

Cutting back to five furlongs for the Mighty Beau should allow Epic Ride to settle behind prominent speed horses like #1 Champlin (4-1) and #7 Joe Shiesty (5-1), then use his stamina to wear down the leaders in the homestretch. We recommend keying Epic Ride to finish first or second in exacta and trifecta tickets.

Joe Shiesty is a dangerous pace player who won the 5 1/2-furlong William Walker S. over the Churchill Downs turf course last year. He has a shot to finish in the top three alongside #2 Arrest Me Red (5-2) and #3 Run Carson (7-2). The latter two are dropping in class after running fourth and seventh in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill Downs last month.

Good luck!