Cinco Charlie wires Churchill's William Walker

Steve Asmussen-trained Cinco Charlie won in his first two starts at Churchill Downs and returned Saturday night for a third.

The Indian Charlie colt led wire-to-wire in the inaugural, $100,000 William Walker Stakes, the feature for 3-year-olds on Churchill's Opening Night card for the 2015 spring meet. Cinco Charlie broke well to notch a 1 1/2-length victory over Senor Grits and third-place -- as well as favored -- Blofeld.

"He's a professional race horse," said Scott Blasi, Asmussen's assistant, of a colt that also won Churchill's Grade III Bashford Manor Stakes last June. "He's a pleasure. He ran his race today, just like he always does."

Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Cinco Charlie paid $7.20 to win after covering six furlongs on a "good" track in 1:10.86. Next up for him is the Grade II Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

That race is possible as well for Blofeld, a previously undefeated Todd Pletcher trainee who entered Saturday's race with solid credentials -- victories in the Grade II Futurity Stakes at Belmont and Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct. After a layoff, though, he was boxed in throughout and nipped at the wire for second.

"I thought he ran well" having not raced since November, Pletcher said.

Blofeld had to overcome some "baby issues," typical problems that arise with juveniles, that took him off the Kentucky Derby trail.

In the Quality Road colt's return, "He galloped out well," Pletcher said. "It was a tough spot to start back with the night racing and the muddy track. Hopefully this will lead to bigger things for him."

The William Walker, named for the black jockey who rode Baden-Baden to a win in the 1877 Derby, replaced the former Derby Trial on Churchill's Opening Night card. That race is now known as the Pat Day Mile and will be run this year on the Derby undercard.