In 2009, a chestnut colt named Mine That Bird won with an improbable 50-1 upset at the Kentucky Derby, shocking the world and straight into racing folklore. It’s moments like these that have cemented Churchill Downs not just as a venue but as a crucible where legends are forged. Over its 150-year history, it has been the home of racing’s most iconic breakthroughs. The Kentucky Derby may be the track’s most iconic race, but Churchill Downs has set the stage for all kinds of feats, with Outfielder being the latest record breaker.
But before we get to Outfielder, one of the most recent examples came just one day prior, when the two-year-old filly, My Sweetheart, running in her maiden special weight race, clocked a time of 56.58 seconds. It set the record for the fastest five furlongs run on turf by a two-year-old. But not for long, because the next day came a usurper.
Enter Outfielder. A $850,000 yearling with bullet workouts and breeding royalty in his veins, this Speightstown colt wasn’t just another debutante on Friday afternoon. He was a fuse waiting to be lit. The 2-year-old colt by Speightstown and Notte d’Oro etched his name into racing history. He did it by clocking the fastest five furlongs on turf ever run by a juvenile. And when the gates flew open, he didn’t just break; he broke records.
“Final time of 55.93 seconds is the fastest five furlongs on turf by a two-year-old in the 150-year history of @ChurchillDowns,” noted Ed DeRosa of Horseracing Nation on X. “Beats the previous record of 56.58 seconds that was set… yesterday by My Sweetheart. Only two times 57 seconds has been breached by juveniles.”
Outfielder is the 20th horse ever to run under 56 seconds for five furlongs on turf at Churchill Downs. Outfielder was competing in the 4th Race at Churchill Downs on May 23, 2025, a $107,625 Maiden Special Weight event for 2-year-olds going five furlongs on turf. He won by 6¼ lengths, making an emphatic case as a potential stakes contender right out of the gate.
Final time of 55.93 seconds is the fastest five furlongs on turf by a two-year-old in the 150-year history of @churchilldowns. Beats the previous record of 56.58 seconds that was set… yesterday by My Sweetheart. Only two times 57 seconds has been breached by juveniles. https://t.co/NgQAqR4FLv
— Ed DeRosa (@EJXD2) May 23, 2025
With Hall of Fame jockey John R. Velazquez aboard and Wesley A. Ward guiding Outfielder, the colt had a commanding win. Exploding from the outside gate, Outfielder took the lead with ease, shrugged off early pressure, and stretched away under nothing more than a hand ride. His performance wasn’t just fast; it was flawless.
Outfielder became the 20th horse ever to break the 56-second barrier over five furlongs on turf at Churchill Downs and, notably, the first two-year-old to do so. His final time of 55.93 seconds matched that of another Wesley Ward-trained horse, Guy Smiley, who hit the mark back on May 8. Just weeks earlier, Paynt Ya Later ran an even quicker 55.88 seconds on May 1, making this spring a record-breaking stretch for Churchill Downs’ turf course.
Outfielder: a powerhouse team and an $850,000 gamble that paid off
Outfielder comes from an elite bloodline, with Speightstown as his sire, who was responsible for other standouts like Prince of Monaco and Rock Fall. And his dam, Notte d’Oro, a stakes winner. The colt’s pedigree is steeped in speed and class, and he looks ready to live up to that legacy.
Investment in him turned headlines into headlines. His trainer, Wesley Ward, clearly saw something special when he dropped $850,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale to bring Outfielder into his camp. He is co-owned by Amo Racing USA, Two Eight Racing, and Ward himself. His breeder, SF Bloodstock LLC, has every reason to be proud now that Notte d’Oro has produced a winner of stunning quality.
Outfielder’s debut is also a vindication of the careful preparation that preceded it. From the race-day confidence shown by bettors and connections, everything aligned. The timing, the form, and the draw all came together for a picture-perfect first impression. With this kind of debut, the road ahead for Outfielder opens wide. Friday’s blowout maiden score has already made him the 27th TDN Rising Star, and whispers of bigger stakes and sharper competition are sure to follow.
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