Expert Pick of the Week: 2025 Roxelana Stakes

Apr 24, 2025

Sandy Bottom wins the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita Park. (Photo by Benoit Photo)

A total of eight fillies and mares will run six panels on the Churchill Downs main oval in Saturday’s opening night feature, the $200,000 Roxelana S. The stakes-winning Sandy Bottom will make her debut beneath the Twin Spires in the dash, and the fleet daughter of Omaha Beach is the controlling speed in the affair.

Trained by Mike McCarthy, the four-year-old was victorious in the first trio of races in her career, led by a tally in the 2023 Anoakia S. at Santa Anita. She commenced 2024 with a game score over Grade 1 starlet Tamara, prior to leading to the turn for home and faltering late in the deep La Brea S. (G1) to conclude her brief sophomore campaign. In her 2025 bow, the Kentucky-bred held an edge in late stretch before ultimately settling for third in the Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park.

.@AshleyAnd502 explains different wager types that you can bet on TwinSpires known as Exotic Wagers.

There are single race exotics like Exactas and Trifectas and multi-race exotics like a Pick 4.

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

The talented bay has trained steadily in advance of her second start as a four-year-old, and she will be in command early with a clean break from the gate on Saturday. Joel Rosario will guide the leading selection for the first time in the feature.

Eddie Kenneally’s Mink’s Palace sports a 5-3-1-1 mark at Churchill and has failed to hit the board in a trio of races at other venues. The four-year-old daughter of Palace Malice didn’t fire in her latest performance at Oaklawn Park, but she returns to her favorite venue for her 2025 debut. She is well drawn on the outside of the field and Luis Saez will be in the silks atop the course specialist.

Grade-3 placed stakes winner Miuccia is not overly consistent, but the bay has picked up all three of her lifetime wins at the distance and can surely run with this cast on her best day. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the filly possesses good tactical speed and will get the jump on the deep-closing types at the top of the lane with Brian Hernandez, Jr. taking the reins.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #2 Sandy Bottom on top of #5 Miuccia and #8 Mink’s Palace in the 2025 Roxelana S. is the Best Bet of the Week.