Juddmonte homebred and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Touch of Fire (Constitution) made it three wins from four career starts with a powerful victory in Saturday's Audubon S. at Churchill Downs.
The 4-5 favorite tugged his way into second passing the Twin Spires for the first time. Just waiting for his cue through a half mile in :47.38, Touch of Fire cruised up alongside on the far turn and took over with authority in the stretch to win by three lengths. Tiernanogue (Quality Road) was second.
Touch of Fire, second as the heavy favorite in the Black Gold S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 28, was an impressive come-from-behind winner in a first-level allowance at Keeneland Apr. 10.
Touch of Fire becomes the 52nd Northern Hemisphere-bred stakes winner for his WinStar Farm-based son of Tapit.
A Group 3 winner and third in the 2015 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) in France for trainer Andre Fabre, Touch of Fire's dam Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) was repatriated and posted a third in the GIII Athenia Stakes for Chad Brown in October 2016.
A half-sister to G1 Prix Jean Romanet victress Announce (GB) (Selkirk) and to the dam of Grade III winner and GI Kentucky Derby fourth Final Gambit (Not This Time), Mexican Gold is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Rumana (Tapit) and fillies by Flightline foaled in 2025 and 2026.
AUDUBON S., $274,335, Churchill Downs, 5-30, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.81, fm.
1–TOUCH OF FIRE, 118, c, 3, by Constitution
1st Dam: Mexican Gold (GSW & G1SP-Fr, GSP-USA,
$234,810), by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Hachita, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Choice Spirit, by Danzig
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $165,315. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $285,605.
2–Tiernanogue, 118, c, 3, Quality Road–Spritz, by Awesome
Again. ($300,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Mulberry Racing; B-Gary Holland (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh.
$53,650.
3–Zeppelin, 118, c, 3, Munnings–Hemmerle, by Tapit. O/B-LNJ
Foxwoods (KY); T-George R. Arnold II. $26,825.
Margins: 3, HD, HF. Odds: 0.94, 9.60, 4.10.
Also Ran: Thousandsticks, Kravitz, Serac, Baytown Dreamer, My Favorite Bird. Scratched: Mr Mo's Magic, Zihnal. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
The 7th running of the Audubon Stakes goes to who was confidently handled by @iradortiz.
Trainer @bradcoxracing conditions the 3-year-old by Constitution. #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/shBXNZaq8n
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) May 30, 2026
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
