Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC’s 5-year-old homebred mare Walkathon lived up to her name when she went straight to the front, set soft early fractions and spurted home with plenty of energy left to turn back a late run by Forever After All and win Sunday’s third running of the $175,000 Anchorage Overnight Stakes by a half-length at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. for trainer Ian Wilkes, Walkathon covered over 1 1/8 miles on “good” turf in 1:49.69 to collect the third stakes victory of her career. She defeated McKulick (GB) to win the 2022 Regret (Grade III) at Churchill Downs as a 3-year-old. Earlier this year, she prevailed in the $150,000 Endeavour (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs.
Walkathon stepped out to lead the cast of seven fillies and mares through slow fractions of :24.18, :49.54 and 1:14.01 with 8-5 favorite Heavenly Sunday stalking about 1 ½ lengths behind and Forever After All tracking in fourth. Walkathon was well in hand leaving the final turn as Heavenly Sunday attempted to apply pressure. She was roused by Hernandez in deep stretch and held sway from Forever After All’s late charge.
“It was just a perfect trip,” Hernandez Jr. said. “I was able to really let her relax on the lead and let her do her thing. It was fairly straightforward of a trip for a really nice mare.”
Walkathon paid $8.10, $4.94 and $3.06 as the 3-1 second betting choice. Forever After All, at 7-2 under Adam Beschizza, returned $4.78 and $2.64. Heavenly Sunday, ridden by Florent Geroux, was another 1 ½ lengths back in third and paid $2.36 to show.
Be My Sunshine, Personal Best, Embrace Me and Tower Bridge completed the running order. Fast as Flight and Misread were scratched.
Walkathon improved her record to 5-3-1 in 16 starts and the $105,836 first prize jumped her earnings to $582,360.
She is a daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Stroll mare Walkabout and was bred in Kentucky by her owner Janis R. Whitham.
“You’ve got to be proud of her,” Wilkes said. “She always shows up and runs hard. She definitely handled the mile-and-an-eighth stretch out well. Brian rode a great race just letting her really relax and wait on her. We’re going to enjoy this win today and then I’ll talk to the Whithams to make a plan going forward.”
The Anchorage honors the suburb of Louisville, a heavily shaded city in eastern Jefferson County, Ky.
