Blackout Time crushes Churchill allowance by six lengths in return

Blackout Time turned his return to Churchill Downs into a class statement on Saturday, powering clear by six lengths in a $127,000 allowance optional claiming race on the Stephen Foster undercard. The Not This Time colt, who had not raced since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on March 28, covered 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds from post 8 with Jose L. Ortiz aboard and 118 pounds on his back for trainer Kenneth G. McPeek.

The win was never in much doubt once Ortiz had him settled. Blackout Time broke cleanly, found a comfortable spot about three paths off the rail in fifth while Non Conforming set the pace, and then began to roll when the field reached the decisive part of the race. By the time the stretch run unfolded, the colt had taken control and left Steel to chase second, with Non Conforming holding third in the official chart.

It was the kind of performance that reset the conversation around a horse whose spring had stalled on the Derby trail. Blackout Time had already shown early talent when he debuted at Ellis Park on Aug. 2, 2025, with a 9 3/4-length maiden victory that earned him his first TDN Rising Star designation. Saturday’s return suggested that the ability was still there, even after a break and a step back in class from the Arkansas Derby. He is owned by BR Thoroughbreds, Inc., Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Racing, and was bred in Kentucky by Newstead Corp. He is by Not This Time out of Beauty Parlor, by Elusive Quality.

The backdrop only heightened the significance of the effort. Churchill Downs had built the 45th Stephen Foster into a marquee day by doubling the purse to $2 million and stacking seven stakes across a 12-race program. The card was also part of a bigger summer push for the track, which broadcast the showcase window on NBCSN and Peacock from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET. After a day that drew added attention and followed an event-record $20.7 million all-sources handle from the previous year, Blackout Time’s romp looked like more than an allowance win. It looked like a colt announcing that his next stop should be back among stakes horses.