Old Town Road First Winner For Classic Empire

Almost exactly five years after Classic Empire broke his maiden at Churchill Downs on debut to kick off his champion juvenile season, his son Old Town Road (2c Classic Empire x Pi Bella, by Pioneering) followed in his footsteps on the same track.

Racing over the same 4 ½ furlongs under the twins spires as his sire, Old Town Road did exactly as one would expect a Wesley Ward trainee to do – he went to the lead. The colt had another horse shadowing him early but under Martin Pedroza, Old Town Road was confidently in command throughout.

Showing that longer should be no problem, Old Town Road lengthened his lead in the final sixteenth to win by 2 ½ lengths with ease.

Bred by Buck Pond Farm, Old Town Road races for his breeder under the Colonel Stable name.

Old Town Road is the third winner from four to race out of the stakes-placed Pi Bella. That mare is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Carbella with another one of their half-sisters producing the stakes winning Sky Of Hook.

This is also the family of Grade II winners Bio and Naissance Royale among others.

Pi Bella returned to Classic Empire the year of Old Town Road’s birth and had his full brother in 2020. The mare produced a Munnings colt this year.

A Champion 2-Year-Old and Grade I winning 3-year-old, Classic Empire has so far been represented by two runners with both coming at Churchill Downs.