Expert Pick of the Week: 2025 Perryville Stakes

Oct 16, 2025 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Captain Cook wins the Withers at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photos / Credit to Joe Labozzetta)

An excellent field of six three-year-old colts will vie in Saturday’s $350,000 Perryville S. (G3) at Keeneland. The super competitive race will be contested at seven furlongs over the dirt and features five individual stakes winners in what appears to be a fascinating event.

Captain Cook has always flashed good potential and earned his biggest victory to date when winning the Withers S. at Aqueduct on Feb. 1. Previously trained by both Norm Casse and Richard Dutrow, the son of very good sire Practical Joke was last seen racing in the deep H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. (G1) at Saratoga and finished an excellent second when missing by a nose to the strong Patch Adams at the seven-furlong distance.

Patch Adams wins the G1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga under @luissaezpty for trainer @bradcoxracing! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ThRtyRUmy8

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 23, 2025

Captain Cook, who checked in third in both the Peter Pan S. (G3) and Maxfield S. prior to his effort at Saratoga last time, seemed to have improved with the removal of the blinkers in his latest race. The Todd Pletcher trainee has good early speed combined with a nice post in the race, and he figures to race in third in the early stages of the sprint before inching clear in the stretch with top jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. riding him.

Barnes, one of two runners in the field for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, was third behind Captain Cook in the Allen Jerkens two back and finished a troubled fourth in the Gallant Bob S. (G2) in his latest offering. The son of leading sire Into Mischief won the San Vicente S. (G2) at Santa Anita in the winter, and the talented horse will be a major threat while making his first run on the Keeneland track. He was purchased for a whopping $3.2 million as a yearling in 2023 and has raced against some of the better three-year-olds in the country this season. His two recent morning workouts in preparation for his trip to Kentucky have been fast, and I expect the expensive youngster to run a very big race on Saturday. Jose Ortiz will be in the saddle.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #5 Captain Cook on top of #3 Barnes in the Perryville Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.