HORSE RACING

Rick Pitino-owned horse notches rare Churchill win

Jennie Rees
USA TODAY Sports

Rick Pitino won Thursday's $52,000 feature race at Churchill Downs with his 3-year-old filly My Christini, who had to show the kind of toughness the University of Louisville basketball coach so admires.

With jockey Corey Lanerie wearing the red and black RAP Racing silks that include a basketball emblem, the Jimmy Baker-trained My Christini closed from last and powered through on the rail in the final strides to beat 26-1 Spring Included by a half-length. My Christini paid $22 to win as the sixth choice in the field of eight, running 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.76.

Pitino couldn't recall the last time he won a race at Churchill Downs — if he ever has.

"I haven't run a lot," he said of Churchill. "I've run two Derby horses. Less than seven or eight. ... I'm sure I had a cheap horse win, but I've raced so few. And this was exciting. She got banged into the rail twice."

Pitino also is an owner in Croninthebarbarian, a 2-year-old colt who finished third in his debut in Thursday's fifth race. Croninthebarbarian, who is trained by Garry Simms, races in the name of Ol Memorial Stable, a partnership that includes Outback Steakhouse founder Chris Sullivan.

Pitino said he'd like to have four or five horses to race at Churchill, saying, "I'd rather run here than anywhere else." But he noted that his main trainers are California-based Doug O'Neill and New York-based Nick Zito.

— Jennie Rees