Christie Debernardis (left) with Patch Adams
Patch Adams marked himself as arguably the premier speed colt of his generation when accounting for a crack field in the USD500,000 G1 Woody Stephens at Saratoga (USA) over the weekend. In the process, he became the second G1 winner this season for long-time partners China Horse Club and WinStar Farm.
Patch Adams’ electrifying G1 win follows on from the dominant victory of Tappan Street in the 2025 G1 Florida Derby when the striking colt accounted for subsequent Kentucky Derby-Belmont Stakes star Sovereignty.
The celebrations from Patch Adams also carried over to other racing regions with the Coolmore owned Lambourn winning the time-honoured Epsom Derby with a son of Australia, who CHC raced in partnership with Coolmore, and into Australia itself with CHC’s homebred Mia Ballerina securing her second city win in her last three starts at Canterbury Park.
“[Patch Adams] showed that he’s a seven-furlong horse the day he broke his maiden and has been telling us what he wants to do,” said Elliott Walden, President, CEO and Racing Manager of WinStar Farm.
“One turn is what he wants to do. He’s an Into Mischief out of a Distorted Humor mare, the second Grade 1 winner we have had this year like that along with Tappan Street. Two different types, Tappan Street wants to go longer than this one, but I think [Patch Adams] could get a mile.”
Patch Adams, bred by WinStar Farm and like Tappan Street trained by Brad Cox, is likely to target the USD500,000 G1 Allen Jerkens Memorial on 23rd August at Saratoga.
“He’s a special horse,” Walden continued. “I think [Patch Adam’s] has got more there and will be really tough running back. It’s just exciting to win a G1 with a really well-bred colt from the family of Well Armed, a great family that’s been very good to us.”
Jockey Luis Saez, who also partnered Tappan Street in the Florida Derby was glowing in his post-race assessment of the performance of Patch Adam.
“This horse I really like him. He was working pretty well, and today he came with a good run,” Saez said.
“We wanted to break from there and take a good position and he did it. [Patch Adams] was in a perfect spot the whole way. I was very proud of him. I know he was going to come out of there running, and he did. He found a good spot, and man, when he came to the top of the stretch, he gave me a pretty good turn of foot.”