Undefeated Blofeld Tops Field of Six for 'Opening Night's'' Inaugural William Walker as Churchill Downs Opens Derby Week, 38-Day Spring Meet

Apr 22, 2015 Gary Yunt

Glencrest Farm and JSM Equine’s Blofeld, perfect in three career starts that includes victories in the Nashua (GII) and Futurity (GII), tops a field of six 3-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday night’s first running of the $100,000 William Walker at six furlongs on the main track.

The $100,000 William Walker is a new six-furlong race for 3-year-olds named for African-American jockey and 1877 Kentucky Derby winner William “Billy” Walker and highlights “Opening Night Presented by Stella Artois & Finlandia Vodka” that launches Kentucky Derby Week and the 38-day 2015 Spring Meet.

The William Walker will go as the seventh race on Saturday’s 11-race program that has a first post time of 6 p.m. (ET). Post time for the William Walker is 9:05 p.m.

Gates open at 5 p.m. and guests entering through Gates 10 and 17 will be welcomed with an opportunity to walk the “Hollywood Style Red Carpet” and be interviewed by Red Carpet hosts. Dress to impress cocktail attire and fashionable headwear are encouraged. The night’s entertainment lineup will include Sam Sneed on the Plaza Stage beginning at 5 o’clock and Tony and the Tan Lines beginning at 8.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Blofeld has not raced since his Nashua victory in November. John Velazquez, who has ridden the Quality Road colt in all of his starts, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position two.

Two other stakes winners are in the field: Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Cinco Charlie and Starsky Weast’s Weast Hill.

Cinco Charlie, who is undefeated in two starts in Churchill Downs including a victory in last June’s Bashford Manor, is trained by Steve Asmussen. In addition to his Bashford Manor victory, Cinco Charlie has posted stakes victories at Delaware Park, Laurel, Fair Grounds and Sunland Park and was third to Blofeld in the Futurity.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount on Cinco Charlie and will break from post position four.

Brad Cox trains Weast Hill, who is undefeated in two starts. Winner of the Rainbow at Oaklawn in his most recent start, Weast Hill will break from post position five and be ridden by Jesus Castanon.

The field for the William Walker, from the rail out (with jockey and weight): Henry Jones (James Graham, 118 pounds), Blofeld (Velazquez, 123), Senor Grits (Julien Leparoux, 118), Cinco Charlie (Santana Jr., 120), Weast Hill (Castanon, 118) and Holiday Camp (Miguel Mena, 118).