LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Built had a stellar winter at Fair Grounds, capped by a glittering victory in track-record time last out. He will need to use that heart and, perhaps, that early hoof in a competitive field of older sprinters for Thursday’s $200,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, which is restricted to horses who have not won a graded stakes in 2025 or 2026.
“He’s looking very, very good,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “We’re happy with everything. He’s training good.”
Built raced along the New Orleans road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby, winning the Gun Runner at 1 1/16 miles before finishing second in the Grade 3 Lecomte, third in the Grade 2 Risen Star, and fifth in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. With his connections ultimately passing on the Kentucky Derby, Built, who Catalano said was “overrun, probably,” finished ninth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile.
Given six months away from the races, Built filled out, strengthened, and was ready when he returned with some class relief at Fair Grounds. The colt resurfaced with a win in a Dec. 18 allowance, making his bid at the quarter pole and then kicking on. He tried turf in the Colonel Power Stakes on Feb. 14 and finished fifth, beaten less than two lengths with some late traffic.
Returning to allowance company on March 13, Built was full of run from the outset. He pressed a longshot through sharp opening fractions of 21.58 seconds for the quarter-mile and 43.97 for the half, edged his way into the lead, and then turned back a bid from Maximum Bourbon in the final sixteenth for a 1 1/2-length victory. His time of 1:07.96 for the six furlongs lowered the track mark of 1:08.03 established by Mountain General in November 2002.
“We were surprised about going [for the] lead, actually,” Catalano said. “We didn’t think he could be on the lead, that close like that, but he was so good and sharp. It was a strong effort, because after running those fractions, to re-break like that was impressive.”
Built might have had more company in the early going if Maximum Bourbon, who led or pressed the leader in two prior allowance wins at Fair Grounds, had broken better. The gelding hopped at the start of the March 13 race and recovered to track in third before making his bid. Shortly after that effort, he was sold for $400,000 in a Fasig-Tipton digital sale and was transferred from Joe Sharp to Phil D’Amato, for whom he now makes his stakes debut.
Built and Maximum Bourbon could be part of a lively pace scenario in the St. Matthews. Concrete Glory, on the rail, may have to be sent early. Back Em Up, Bourbon Bash, and Jack’s Promise all prefer to be placed closely, while Wendelssohn and Lofty Adjucator will likely be chasing if they’re quick enough.
A rallying trip would suit Be You, the Toboggan Stakes winner who was third in the Grade 2 Carter Stakes last out. However, both of those races were at seven furlongs, and the St. Matthews is at six. Be You is cross-entered in the $200,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes going a one-turn mile on May 2, and trainer Todd Pletcher said he will take a few days to decide where to run.
“I want to kind of analyze both races a little bit,” Pletcher said. “He’s really a horse who’s at his absolute best, we believe, at seven furlongs, and we’ve got two options, one going six and one going a mile. So I want to spend a little time researching them and see how he does this week.”
Longshots Air Invasion and Billal complete the field.