Churchill Downs Saturday Stakes Advances: Baffert's Unbeaten Salahudin Heads Saturday's $300,000 Iroquois in Road to Kentucky Derby 153 Kickoff

Sep 08, 2026

The Road to Kentucky Derby 153 will get underway Saturday with a field of nine 2-year-olds entered in the 45th running of the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs, led by Zedan Racing Stables’ undefeated Ellis Park Juvenile winner Salahudin.

Saturday’s stacked 11-race program includes five stakes contests including the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove (GII),  $300,000 Pocahontas (GIII), $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society (Listed) and $300,000 Open Mind (Listed). The action gets underway at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the one-mile Iroquois going as Race 10 at 5:29 p.m.

Salahudin leads the Iroquois juveniles after winning his debut by two lengths and then dominating the Ellis Park Juvenile by 4 ½ lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The talented son of Uncle Mo will be ridden by Florent Geroux out of post No. 7.

Another stakes winner entered in the field is Patricia’s Hope and Mark Farrar’s Bashford Manor (Listed) hero Blessed Flyer. Trained by Mike Tomlinson, Blessed Flyer is undefeated in two-career starts after winning his debut by a head on April 16 at Keeneland and then closing from six lengths off the early pace to win the Bashford Manor by a head at odds of 31-1 in late June. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call and will exit post 2.

The field for the Iroquois from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Caribbean Life (Flavien Prat, Will Walden)
Blessed Flyer (Hernandez, Tomlinson)
Bearamour (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux)
Admiral’s Order (Luan Machado, Ben Colebrook)
Real Goodbar (Manny Esquivel, Kenny McPeek)
Antivenom (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
Salahudin (Geroux, Baffert)
He Is No Lie (Joel Rosario, Doug O’Neill)
Real Gone (Keith Asmussen, Patrick Biancone)
The Iroquois kicks off the “Prep Season” on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and will award the top five finishers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for Kentucky Derby 153 on Saturday, May 1, 2027.

The Iroquois is also part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series with the top three nominated finishers receiving a partial entry credit toward the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) on Oct. 30 at Keeneland. The winner also receives an automatic berth to the Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs.

MULTIPLE GRADE I WINNER SPLENDORA HEADLINES $400,000 FASIG-TIPTON LOCUST GROVE – Boyd Racing and By Talla Racing’s multiple Grade I winner and 2025 Champion Sprint Female Horse, Splendora leads a cast of six fillies and mares that entered Saturday’s 42nd running of the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove (Grade II), one of five stakes contests on the 11-race blockbuster program.

The Locust Grove, run at 1 1/16 miles, goes as the afternoon’s ninth race with a post time of 4:58 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Splendora sports an impressive nine wins from 15 starts while banking more than $1.6 million. Among her nine victories are two Grade I scores in the Beholder Mile and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Splendora enters the Locust Grove on a two-race win streak with victories in the Shawnee Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs and Molly Pitcher (GII) at Monmouth. Jockey Flavien Prat rides Splendora and breaks from the rail.

Another accomplished runner in the field is Godolphin’s three-time Grade I winner Immersive. Trained by Brad Cox, Immersive was named the 2024 champion 2-year-old filly following victories in the Spinaway (GI), Alcibiades (GI) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI). Now 4, Immersive enters off a gate-to-wire victory in the Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (GII) 10 weeks ago at Churchill Downs. Luis Saez has the mount from post No. 4.

The field for the Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Splendora (Prat, Baffert)
Simply Joking (Juan Hernandez, Michael McCarthy)
Yes It Tiz (Florent Geroux, Cox)
Immersive (Saez, Cox)
Miss Authentic (Jose Ortiz, Eddie Kenneally)
Chilled (Mario Gutierrez, Vicki Oliver)
Nitrogen, last year’s Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, was not entered by trainer Mark Casse and will await a later engagement at either Belmont Park or Keeneland.

MANUKA HONEY TRIES TO KEEP UNBEATEN STREAK INTACT IN $300,000 POCAHONTAS – Lisa Lee, Jason Sciortino, William Lynch, Brian Howe and Terry Hamilton’s eye-catching seven-length Ellis Park Debutante winner Manuka Honey headlines a field of nine 2-year-old fillies assembled in Saturday’s 58th running of the $300,000 Pocahontas (Grade III), the kickoff leg on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

The one-mile Pocahontas will go as the afternoon’s eighth race with a post time of 4:26 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Manuka Honey has dominated both her career starts with a 7 ¼-length romp in a restricted maiden special weight on June 20 at Churchill Downs followed by her convincing win in the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Debutante. Jockey Luis Saez, who has ridden the daughter of Upstart in both starts, will have the return call and break from post No. 2.

Also entered in the race is Tracy Farmer’s Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes (Listed) winner Pierette; Hat Creek Racing, Ashview Farm and Upland Flats Racing’s debut winner and Adirondak (GIII) third-place finisher Scarlett Begonia; and Bradley Thoroughbreds, Mike Carter, Cambron Equine and Dan Hensler’s dominant six-length maiden special weight winner Miss Anna.

The field for the Pocahontas from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Pierette (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
Manuka Honey (Saez, Lynch)
Stripe Show (Jaime Torres, John Servis)
Sweet Kathleen (Chris Emigh, Brittany Vanden Berg)
Betty Sue (Assael Espinoza, Ray Bryner)
Scarlett Begonia (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox)
Miss Anna (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh)
For the Win (Axel Concepcion, George Weaver)
Tahaluf (Danny Sheehy, Andrew McKeever)
The Pocahontas awards the top five finishers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate in the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

The Pocahontas also serves as a race in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series with the top three nominated finishers receiving a partial entry credit toward the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Keeneland. The winner also receives an automatic berth to the Golden Rod (GII) on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

VANDERBILT WINNER BUILT LEADS EIGHT SPRINTERS IN $300,000 LOUISVILLE THOROUGHBRED SOCIETY – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ talented sprinter Built, winner of the $400,000 A.G. Vanderbilt (Grade II) at Saratoga, heads eight sprinters that entered Saturday’s sixth running of the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes (Listed), one of five stakes contests on the 11-race card at Churchill Downs.

Run at 6 ½ furlongs, the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes will go as Race 7 with a post time of 3:54 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, Built was a fast 2 ½-length victor of the July 25 Vanderbilt under Irad Oritz Jr. Overall, the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun sports six victories from 14 starts with earnings of $699,696. Built drew post No. 5 for Saturday’s race and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Breaking on the rail is Rod and Bud Hatfield’s Bango Stakes (GIII) winner Harrodsburg, who defeated Built in that race by a half-length. Trained by Mike Tomlinson, Harrodsburg is a seven-time winner from 19 starts with five of those victories at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old gelding has been off for the past 10 weeks but continued regular training at his Churchill Downs base. Jockey Luis Saez has the call in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society.

The field for the Louisville Thoroughbred Society in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

Harrodsburg (Saez, Tomlinson)
Here Mi Song (Edgar Morales, Billy Stinson Jr.)
Jack’s Promise (Martin Garcia, Dale Romans)
Cat On Time (Tyler Gaffalione, David Jacobson)
Built (Prat, Catalano)
Echo Again (Jaime Torres, Jordan Blair)
Dreaminblue (Rafael Bejarano, Randy Morse)
Keep It Easy (Jose Ortiz, Dale Romans)
The Louisville Thoroughbred Society has been a productive race since its inception in 2021 with last year’s winner Bentornato going on to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) at Del Mar.

BAFFERT DUO USHA, CASH CALL HEADLINE $300,000 OPEN MIND – Trainer Bob Baffert’s accomplished duo of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Grade I winner Usha, along with Edward Child’s Grade III winner Cash Call, lead a group of seven fillies and mares entered in Saturday’s 17th running of the $300,000 Open Mind (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Usha, who dominated last year’s La Brea (GI) by 5 ¼ lengths, drew post No. 1 with Flavien Prat in the irons. The 4-year-old filly’s 2026 campaign includes a victory in the Winning Colors Stakes (GIII) and third-place finish in the Derby City Distaff (GI).

Her stablemate Cash Call drew post 2 in the Open Mind and will be ridden by Florent Geroux. A 4-year-old daughter of McKinzie, Cash Call recently finished second in the Groupie Doll (Listed) and Twin Bridges at Ellis Park.

Also entered in the race is Reddam Racing’s 2025 Eight Belles (GII) winner Look Forward. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Look Forward has been on the sidelines for 13 months after finishing fourth in the Test (GI). Jockey Juan Hernandez will be in the irons from post 3.

The field for the Open Mind from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Usha (Prat, Baffert)
Cash Call (Geroux, Baffert)
Look Forward (Hernandez, McCarthy)
Flat Out Time (Axel Concepcion, George Weaver)
Benedetta (Keith Asmussen, Steve Asmussen)
Asternia (Tyler Gaffalione, Randy Morse)
Modo (Luis Saez, Kinnon LaRose)
Run at six furlongs, the Open Mind goes as Race 6 of 11 with a post time of 3:21 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.