Churchill Downs 🏇🏾// Sat., June 28, 2025

Happy Saturday & National Paul Bunyan Day! 🪓

It's a significant day for us, as it's been two weeks since our last update on our Home Run Line and one week since we played the ponies. We're excited to be here today as the Breeders' Cup (BC) Challenge Series kicks off at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. If you're unfamiliar with what the next few months of big stakes races have in store for us, we’ve included more information below.

Today's race card features a total of 12 races, including six stakes races, four of which are graded stakes. The first half of the card consists of standard races, providing plenty of opportunities to cash some tickets. Spoiler alert: both of our best bets are in the early part of today's card, which indicates how action-packed the day will be.

Starting from race seven, we'll be in stakes racing for the rest of the day. The first BC race is the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes, a Grade 2 route on dirt contested at 1 and 1/8 miles, exclusively for fillies and mares four years old and older. The winner of this race will qualify for the Longines Distaff at Del Mar during Breeders' Cup weekend in the first weekend of November.

The next BC race occurs in the eleventh race of the day, the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes. This is also a 1 and 1/8-mile route on dirt for four-year-olds and up, with a purse of $1 million! We have a rematch of the first and second place finishers from the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone, who will start right next to each other. Though their running styles differ, it’s still exciting to see these prominent names competing later in their careers. The winner of this race will also head to Del Mar in November to compete in the Longines Classic during Breeders' Cup weekend.

Today's weather is expected to be warm and humid, with highs in the mid-80s and intermittent clouds throughout the day. The track should be fast, and the turf firm, with no rain in sight.

Thank you for following along with us this summer, even though it has been a bit slower. We will do our best to provide a full card from the track hosting each Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race in the USA. We hope to help you build your bankroll as we move closer to the exciting football season!

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The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, introduced in 2007, is a global “Win and You’re In” series of horse races that offers automatic berths to the prestigious Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Organized by the Breeders’ Cup Limited, the series was created to streamline qualification for the year-end event and attract top international competitors. Races in the series are held across major racing jurisdictions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and winners receive entry fees paid and a travel stipend. This format has boosted global participation and prestige, making the series a cornerstone of the international racing calendar.

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Need help picking winners? We've got you covered! Our (Always Free) Lundin Line's top picks and best bets are below. We use them to help narrow the field while putting our tickets together. The first post will be here soon, so don't be late -

It's time to get #InTheMoney! 💰💰💰

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Churchill Downs 🏇🏾 // Sat., June 28th, 2025

First Post @ 12:45 EDT / 9:45 (PDT)

R1: 6-1-8-4

R2: 3-7-1-9

R3: 4⭑-6-8-2

R4: 4⭑-6-10-7

R5: 4-8-2-6

R6: 17(AE)-3-9-8-2

🏇R7Ⓢ/BC: 3-5-1

R8Ⓢ: 6-5-1-7

R9Ⓢ: 3-1-4-8

R10Ⓢ: 3-6-7-8

🏇R11Ⓢ/BC: 2-4-1

R12Ⓢ: 1-3-8-10

⭑Best Bet(s)

R3: Shangrala Road (#4)

R4: El Magnifico (#4)

Ⓢtakes Races

🏇R7: 500K Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis. (G2)/BC

1 1/8 Miles on Dirt for Fillies & Mares, 4Yrs. Old & Up

BC Div.: Longines Distaff

R8: 250K Tepin S.

1 Mile on Turf for Fillies, 3 Yrs. Old

R9: 250K Kelly's Landing S. (G3)

6 1/2 Furlongs on Dirt for 3 Yrs. Olds & Up

R10: 500K Wise Dan S. (G2)

1 1/16 Miles on Turf for 4 Yr. Olds & Up

🏇R11: 1 Mil. Stephen Foster S. (G10/BC

1 1/8 Miles on Dirt for 4 Yr. Olds & Up

BC Div.: Longines Classic

R12: 250K American Derby

1 1/16 Miles on Turf for 3 Yr. Olds.

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Paul Bunyan’s character originated in folktales circulated among lumberjacks in the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. One account states that the tales began during the Papineau Rebellion of 1837. He first appeared in print in 1906, in a story published by Northern Michigan journalist James MacGillivray.

In 1914, William Laughhead reworked the stories for a logging company’s advertising campaign. The campaign breathed new life into the growing legendary character of Paul Bunyan. It was the 1922 edition of Laughead’s tales that inspired many others, and soon the character's plaid shirt and far-fetched characteristics spread across all of the United States and Canada.

Photo from our friends at National Day Calendar

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/ As always, please forgive any typos and grammatical errors