Percy's Bar

Percy’s Bar emerged as a standout 2-year-old filly on the Kentucky circuit during spring and summer 2025. The daughter of Upstart romped by four lengths in her 4 ½-furlong Keeneland debut April 23 and then impressed again in her stakes debut June 29, taking the six-furlong Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs by five lengths.

Owner Hat Creek Racing and trainer Ben Colebrook then shipped Percy’s Bar to Saratoga for the Grade 1, seven-furlong Spinaway Stakes Aug. 30. She tasted defeat for the first time in a runner-up effort behind odds-on favorite Tommy Jo.

Those two fillies met again in their two-turn debuts Oct. 3 at Keeneland when contesting the $650,000, Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes held at 1 1/16 miles. Percy’s Bar broke from the inside post position and set a solid pace under Luan Machado, maintaining her lead at the quarter pole and into the homestretch as Tommy Jo loomed up to her outside. Percy’s Bar drifted out in midstretch and bumped Tommy Jo, causing that opponent to lose momentum and change leads. She re-rallied to finish 2 ¾ lengths clear of Tommy Jo but was disqualified due to interference and placed second.

Percy’s Bar made her next start in the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 31 at Del Mar. She launched her bid on the final turn but lost some momentum when she bumped with a rival and bruushed the rail. Percy’s Bar nonetheless closed gamely to finish third despite the trouble.

Over the winter months, Percy’s Bar was stabled at Keeneland and in February and March she began training in earnest for her 3-year-old debut, which came April 3, 2026, in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes. She was sent off as the second betting choice behind undefeated Zany and, after breaking from the inside post position, settled off the pace under Luan Machado. Percy’s Bar began her rally in the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile Ashland, found an opening along the inside, and spurted clear in midstretch en route to an overpowering comeback win by 2 ¼ lenghts over Zany. She earned 100 qualifying points to the May 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks with the victory.

Percy’s Bar was bred in Kentucky and is out of the unraced Super Saver mare Honestly Deb. She is named after a popular gathering place at Keeneland and in honor of bartender Percy Pool, who was a longtime employee of Keeneland and Churchill Downs before retiring in 2015 and passing away in early 2024.