Set Piece (GB)

Set Piece was a three-time winner at Churchill Downs at the 2021 spring meet. The Juddmonte Farms homebred won the Opening Verse Stakes on April 29 by 1 1/4 lengths, then took the Douglas Park Overnight Stakes by four lengths on May 29.

Off those big wins on the Churchill turf course, Set Piece was the 1.70-1 favorite in the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes on June 26. He came from far out of it to rally up the inside and nail front-running Somelikeithotbrown in the last few jumps. That marked the first graded stakes in Set Piece's career. 

Set Piece's winning streak was snapped in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 14. Despite a strong rally in the final eighth, he finished second behind Got Stormy. In his final start of 2021, the Dansili gelding finished seventh in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile as the 1.65-1 favorite.

Trainer Brad Cox brought Set Piece back for his 6-year-old season in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 15. He moved into contention in the far turn but tired to finish seventh of eight. Set Piece rebounded in his second start of the year, however, rallying from near the back of the pack to win the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths on the May 21 Preakness Stakes undercard at Pimlico.

After unplaced finishes in the Forbidden Apple Stakes and Arlington Million Stakes, Set Piece regained his winning form by out-finishing Pao Alto to win the Grade 3 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes Sept. 10 at Pimlico. Set Piece raced two more times in late 2022, both times in graded stakes races, and finished off the board both times.

Set Piece returned to the races for his 7-year-old season and made his 2023 debut with a third-place finish in the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4.

Set Piece was back in the winner's circle in his next start which came in the Grade 3 $225,000 Arlington Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Churchill Downs on June 3. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite on the tote board in a field of six horses in the Arlington Stakes, Set Piece rallied from last down the center of the track in the stretch to win by a length. It was Set Piece's 12th career win, and it pushed his career earnings over the $1 million mark. He followed with a third-place finish in the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes on Oct. 7 at Keeneland.

Set Piece was born in Great Britain and made the first six starts of his career in Europe before moving to the U.S. in summer 2020. He is from the family of English Oaks winner Reams of Verse, Group 1 winner Elmaamul, and several other high-class European runners.