Churchill Downs Update: Iroquois Winner Salahudin Returns to Work Tab With Bullet Half-Mile

Sep 26, 2026

Zedan Racing Stables’ unbeaten Salahudin returned to the Churchill Downs work tab Saturday with a bullet half-mile move in :46.20, his first published work since winning the $400,000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade III) on Sept. 12.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Salahudin worked in company with maiden One More Time. The duo began their move with a sharp quarter-mile in :22.60 and galloped out five furlongs in :59.20, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. It was the fastest move of 145 works at the distance.

Salahudin is nominated to next Saturday’s $650,000 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland. Fellow nominees who worked Saturday at Churchill Downs included dominant maiden special weight winner Coach Pope, who breezed a half-mile in :48.20, and Saratoga debut winner Q B Rocket, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80.

Other notable horses on Saturday’s Churchill Downs work tab included Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (GII) winner Bless the Broken (four furlongs, :49.40); 2025 Dubai World Cup (GI) winner Hit Show (five furlongs, 1:01); Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (GII) winner Immersive (five furlongs, 1:01); multiple Grade III winner Stellify (four furlongs, :49.40); and Charles Town Classic (GII) winner Willy D’s (five furlongs, 1:02).

DOWN THE STRETCH – With two days of racing remaining in the September Meet, jockey Jose Ortiz led the standings with 11 wins, one more than Luis Saez. Tyler Gaffalione was third with nine, followed by Edgar Morales with eight and Rafael Bejarano and Flavien Prat with seven apiece. Ortiz was originally scheduled to ride Saturday at Belmont Park but he returned to Churchill Downs after the track canceled its weekend cards because of inclement weather. He picked up the mount on East Avenue in the $400,000 Ack Ack (GIII). In the trainer standings, Bob Baffert, Kenny McPeek, Joe Sharp and Dallas Stewart were tied with seven wins each. Workman Ranch led all owners with three wins. Seven owners were tied for second with two wins each: Calumet Farm, David Jacobson, Farfellow Farms, Juddmonte, Shamrock Stables, Steve Asmussen and Zedan Racing Stables. … The 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot carried over $170,552 into Saturday’s card. First post was 12:45 p.m. A mandatory payout in the wager is scheduled for Sunday. … The Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby began Saturday with 3-2 favorite Haffner holding off late-closing Burning Up (GB) in the $156,500 Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes (GII) at Newmarket. Quicken Away finished third, followed by First Law (IRE) and Quest for Stars (FR). Later in the morning, 1-2 favorite Noble Exhibit (GB) scored a gate-to-wire victory over City of Dubai (IRE) in the $134,500 Churchill Tyres Beresford Stakes (GII) at the Curragh. Drumbeat (IRE) finished third, followed by Shakespeare (GB) and Tommy Quick. The top five finishers in each race earned qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward earning an invitation to compete in Kentucky Derby 153. … Guests traveling to Churchill Downs this weekend should expect heavier traffic due to multiple events in the area, including the four-day Bourbon and Beyond music festival at the Kentucky Exposition Center and Saturday’s University of Louisville and Wake Forest football game (12 p.m.) at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, and are encouraged to use I-264 and Southern Parkway or Taylor Boulevard to access the track’s frontside parking lots.