Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Epic Reign (Epicenter) became the first winner for her freshman sire (by Not This Time) Thursday evening at Churchill Downs, coming from off the pace to score by a widening margin on the wire.
Sent out by the same ownership that campaigned Epicenter to victories in the 2022 GII Jim Dandy Stakes and GI Travers Stakes, Epic Reign jumped as the 19-5 third choice and was outsprinted through the opening exchanges following a sluggish beginning from a wide draw.
Last into the turn following a quarter in :23.24, Epic Reign was angled sharply away from the inside by jockey Keith Asmussen passing the quarter pole, rallied strongly down the center of the course and pulled clear to win with some authority. Peak Perspective (Mineshaft) attended the pace three deep and held for second ahead of front-running By Her Decree (Constitution).
A half-sister to Wakuda (Gun Runner), SW, $149,188, Epic Reign is out of a stakes-placed daughter of MSW & GSP Simplify (Pulpit), whose seven winners include MSW Optionality (Gun Runner) and SW Simple Surprise (Cowboy Cal), herself responsible for MGISW sire Gunite (Gun Runner) and Spice Runner (Gun Runner), victorious in last year's GIII Iroquois Stakes at this venue.
Simply Sovereign, also kin to the dam of champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Super Corredora (Gun Runner), has a yearling Gun Runner filly and foaled a full-sister to Epic Reign this season.
3rd-Churchill Downs, $115,410, Msw, 5-28, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:06.17, ft, 4 1/2 lengths.
EPIC REIGN (f, 2, Epicenter–Simply Sovereign {SP}, by American Pharoah) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $68,496. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen. *1/2 to Wakuda (Gun Runner), SW, $149,188.
From first to last, Epic Reign wins race 3 at Churchill Downs! pic.twitter.com/YrZPvGiyoY
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 28, 2026
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