It was a battle of homebred debutantes down to the wire in Friday's fourth race on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill, as Godolphin's PASSERINE (f, 3, Nyquist–Al Andaleeb, by Bernardini) got just the better of OXO Equine's Battis Grove (Practical Joke) following an enervatiing final-furlong throwdown.
Debuting at odds of 28-5, Passerine took up a position around midfield, with Battis Grove a couple of lengths ahead of her as the field raced down the Churchill backstretch.
Working her way into it nicely while covering a bit of ground on the turn, Passerine was steered off heels and into the clear approaching the final eighth of a mile. In the meantime, Battis Grove, in behind the leading group turning in, went for an inside run and nosed in front, but Passerine was kept to her task by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and was up in the final jump at odds of 28-5.
For good measure, Juddmonte's Couplet (Gun Runner), a homebred daughter of GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes heroine Spring in the Air (Spring At Last), came from second-last to be third and was gaining on the top two at the wire. The final time was a very solid 1:22.82.
A half-sister to Emboldened (Elusive Quality), SW & GISP, $178,960, Passerine is one of five winners from seven to race out of a daughter of 1997 champion 3-year-old filly and treble Grade I winner Ajina (Strawberry Road {Aus}), and this is the deeper female family of leading sire Quality Road. Passerine is bred on the identical cross to three of the 11 Grade I winners sired to date by Nyquist (Immersive, Gretzky the Great, Nysos). Al Andaleeb is also represented by the 2-year-old filly Castel Hill (Munnings) and a yearling full-brother to Passerine.
4th-Churchill Downs, $122,520, Msw, 5-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.82, ft, head.
PASSERINE (f, 3, Nyquist–Al Andaleeb, by Bernardini) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $68,496. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Godolphin LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox.
Passerine wins first time out for Brad Cox, Irad Ortiz, and @godolphin in the Believe You Can presented by @cocacola! pic.twitter.com/v8SdHILWX7
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 1, 2026
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