Family traditions are among the most treasured events across the globe, and many families are set to carry out traditions that revolve around the Kentucky Derby (G1) this weekend. One family aiming to create tradition at Churchill Downs this Derby weekend—Kentucky Oaks (G1) day to be specific—is the family of Juddmonte homebred Lockdown.
The stakes-winning daughter of First Defence was a gallant third in the 2017 Oaks, and her Curlin daughter Idiomatic outdid that with a victory in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) on the 2024 Oaks undercard. Now, it will be Chasten's turn to follow in her big sister's hoofsteps as she tackles an evenly-matched field of 11 traveling 1 1/16 miles in this year's $1 million La Troienne.
The 4-year-old Into Mischief filly enters the La Troienne in a much different scenario than Idiomatic did two years ago. Idiomatic's victory came in her first start after being awarded honors as Eclipse champion older dirt female in 2023 thanks to a victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) among other top triumphs.
Meanwhile, Chasten enters as a 6-1 choice following victories against allowance foes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, which ended a nearly seven-month layoff, and the Sandy Bottom Stakes at Colonial Downs, a race split into two divisions.
"This is a big ask," trainer Brad Cox said. "Based off the figures she received, she fits, and I really like how she's training. I think this is worth a shot with her."
Video: Fasig-Tipton Sandy Bottom S. (BT)
One area where Chasten resembles Idiomatic is getting better with age. It was not until her 4-year-old season that Idiomatic really started to blossom, and Cox took it step by step going from the allowance level and black-type stakes level before elevating to graded and eventually grade 1 pursuits. He's taken that same mentality with Chasten.
"I feel like she's really moved forward at the age of 4," Cox said. "We missed a good bit of last year, but she's come back a better version of herself, which you would expect. Idiomatic did as well. I don't want to get too carried away (about Idiomatic comparisons), but I'm really pleased with how she's trained all winter and it was good to get that stakes win last month with her."
Like Idiomatic did in 2024, Chasten faces a very tough field. One of her toughest rivals comes from the same Cox barn: Qatar Racing, Mountmellick Farm, and Hunter Valley Farm's Bless the Broken. The 9-2 third choice was third in last year's Kentucky Oaks when trained by Will Walden, and was recently runner-up at Santa Anita Park to Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) winner Splendora in the March 7 B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile (G1)—her second start for Cox.
"I love her," Cox said about the Laoban filly. "She's just trained really well here (at Churchill Downs). She breezed with Chasten last week. It was a great move and I think she's setting up for a big run."
Dual Graded Stakes winner Fully Subscribed Set for Season Debut
A final pre-race breeze at Churchill Downs is also what caught the eye of trainer Chad Brown April 24 when it came to his Klaravich Stables-owned Tiz the Law filly Fully Subscribed. The half-mile move in :47 2/5 was her final preparation to return to racing after closing out 2025 with back-to-back wins in the Mother Goose Stakes (G2) and Comely Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"She's doing everything you want to see coming into her next year; really moving forward," Brown said. "Her works have been super, particularly her final work here at Churchill Downs was just fabulous. Couldn't be more pleased and excited about her campaign."
Following her early December win in the Comely, Fully Subscribed received a brief freshening before returning to the work tab Feb. 8. With as tough a task the entry box provided, Brown wishes he could have got a prep race into her, but he's still confident the filly is fit enough to justify her 7-2 second-choice odds.
"You always love to have a prep race going into a grade 1 to give you some extra assurance you're fit enough," Brown said. "But based off her works, she's actually moved forward from her 3-year-old year, which you love to see."
Shred the Gnar, Nerazurri Look to Shrug Off Poor Performances
Fully Subscribed spent her winter in Florida, as did the 3-1 morning line favorite Shred the Gnar. However, it didn't appear to the team of Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing and trainer Brian Lynch that the 4-year-old Into Mischief filly enjoyed her time in the Sunshine State.
That proved evident Feb. 14 when she was trounced by 19 lengths in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) as the 6-5 favorite. Still, that 1 1/16-mile event has turned out to be a key race. Winner Claret Beret came back to win the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), runner-up Alpine Princess won the Doubledogdare Stakes (G2), and third-place finisher Eunomia won the division of the Sandy Bottom that Chasten was not in before being runner-up in the Doubledogdare. Fourth-place finisher Drexel Hill, second in last year's Kentucky Oaks, returns in the La Troienne as well.
Things appear as though they should be different this time around as connections say the move back to Churchill Downs for Shred the Gnar, where she is 2-for-2 and a grade 3 winner, has breathed new life into her.
"She seems like she's really turned the corner when she got to Kentucky. We're hoping to just draw a line through (the Royal Delta)," Flying Dutchmen president Hunter Rankin said. "I think her color is better here, her weight is better. A lot of things look like she's doing better here, so hopefully that equates to performance."
Another runner aiming for redemption after a poor placing is Michael Eiserman's Nerazurri. The 4-year-old Protonico filly has been held in high regard by dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, but unlike Shred the Gnar, who was granted favoritism off the Royal Delta, Nerazurri has been left on the morning line at 20-1 after getting beat 13 3/4 lengths in the Apple Blossom.
"She had a tough trip last time, I don't think she ever had a chance," Casse said. "Is she good enough? We're going to find out. Obviously it's a tough race—that's why they're grade 1s and they give a million dollars. Throw her last race out, she's much better than that."
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, Race 11Entries: Fasig-Tipton La Troienne S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Bless the Broken (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 Brad H. Cox 9/2 2 2Scalable (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 3 3Nerazurri (KY) Cristian A. Torres 123 Mark E. Casse 20/1 4 4Miss Justify (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 123 Brendan P. Walsh 15/1 5 5Shred the Gnar (KY) Luis Saez 123 Brian A. Lynch 3/1 6 6Take Charge Omaha (KY) Mario Gutierrez 123 Matthew P. Sims 30/1 7 7Chasten (KY) Florent Geroux 123 Brad H. Cox 6/1 8 8Dry Powder (KY) Dylan Davis 123 Chad Summers 12/1 9 9Fully Subscribed (KY) Flavien Prat 123 Chad C. Brown 7/2 10 10Snowyte (KY) Joel Rosario 123 Danny Gargan 10/1 11 11Drexel Hill (KY) Ben Curtis 123 D. Whitworth Beckman 15/1
