OLYMPIADβs Olympic Belle made a big splash under the twin spires on Friday when the Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds homebred won a Churchill Downs Maiden Special Weight by 1 ΒΌ lengths.
The 1 1/16-mile turf race saw the filly spend the early stages between horses just over a length behind the leader. She stayed in that stalking position until the turn when she crept closer to set her up for a strong stretch run.
Turning into the stretch, she dug in to chase down her front target and took over in the final furlong. Another filly pushed her all the way to the line, but Olympic Belle was a determined runner and kept that one at bay to win by 1 ΒΌ lengths.
π’ππ¬π π£ππ πππππ gets the gold medal! π₯
The 2y/o filly wins R7 @ChurchillDowns for jockey @dannysheehy99 and trainer @brenpwalsh.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/9bqm68qnS6
— TwinSpires Racing π (@TwinSpires) September 25, 2026
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Olympic Belle has finished first or second in two of her three starts.
The filly is a half-sister to the stakes placed Late Night Text, who was the first winner and runner out of Curlinβs stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Arrifana. Arrifana is one of two stakes winners from nine winners out of stakes winning A.P. Indy mare Vaulcluse, whose best foal is Grade 1 winner and Canadian champion Lukes Alley.
This page is strong from top to bottom with others named including Grade 1 winner Elusive City and her fourth dam a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner and successful producer Coup de Fusil.
Olympic Belle is the 11th winner for OLYMPIAD, whose first crop includes a stakes winner and two stakes performers.