Churchill Downs Stakes Recaps and Quotes: Dogwood, Bourbon Flight, Harrods Creek and Seneca

Sep 20, 2025

Ragtime, the runner-up in the Grade I Test in her previous start, overcame a sluggish start but charged down the homestretch with style to defeat longshot Strong State by 2 ¼ lengths in Saturday’s 50th running of the $300,000 Dogwood Stakes presented by Resolute Racing (Grade II) – the centerpiece of four stakes races at Churchill Downs.

Campaigned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for owner/breeder Godolphin LLC, Ragtime covered seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.35 under jockey Junior Alvarado – the same trio that teamed to win this year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) with Sovereignty.

“She ran huge,” Alvarado said. “Broke a little slow, relaxed and came with a big run.”

The $181,900 first prize jumped Ragtime’s earnings to $397,400 from a record of 3-1-0 in four starts.

Ragtime, bet down to 4-5 favoritism, paid $3.96, $2.82 and $2.10. Strong State, a 28-1 longshot ridden by James Graham, returned $12.76 and $5.10. Delightful Claire, the 5-2 third betting choice with Jose Ortiz up, was half-length back of the runner-up and paid $3.14 to show.

Mega Mil, Sturgeon Moon, Gerlin’s Empire and 2-1 second choice Echo Sound completed the order of finish.

Breaking from post position No. 3, Ragtime hesitated at the start and was last out of the gate as Delightful Claire went to the front through early fractions of :22.84, :45.55 and 1:10.03. Ragtime had one horse beat down the backstretch but began to advance into the turn along the inside. As Mega Mil challenged Delightful Claire in upper stretch, Ragtime tipped out five-wide and began to hit her best stride. Ragtime passed the leaders just before the sixteenth pole and outkicked a rallying Strong State to the wire.

This was the first stakes victory for Ragtime, who finished a neck back of Kilwin in the Aug. 2 Test at Saratoga in her only other stakes appearance.

“She really ran a big race today,” said Kenny McCarthy, Mott’s veteran chief assistant in Kentucky. “The team in New York did a great job with her before she came to Kentucky. Junior did a great job not to panic after breaking slowly. She was able to have a target to run at and finished up really well.”

Ragtime is a daughter of Union Rags out of the Storm Cat mare Burmilla and was bred in Kentucky by her owners.

The Dogwood is named for the hardy, blooming tree that adds so much beauty to the spring landscape in Kentucky.

DOGWOOD QUOTES

Junior Alvarado, jockey, Ragtime, winner: “She ran huge. Broke a little slow, relaxed and came with a big run.”

Kenny McCarthy, assistant trainer, Ragtime, winner: “She really ran a big race today. The team in New York did a great job with her before she came to Kentucky. Junior (Alvarado) did a great job not to panic after breaking slowly. She was able to have a target to run at and finished up really well.”

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BROTHA KENY SCORES FRONT-RUNNING UPSET IN $275,000 BOURBON FLIGHT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025) – “Pace makes the race” is an old horseracing adage and that popular strategy benefitted front-runner Brotha Keny in Saturday’s fifth running of the $275,000 Bourbon Flight for 3-year-olds as he defeated odds-on 1-5 favorite Chunk of Gold by 1 ½ lengths at Churchill Downs. Run Quiet Run Fast was another 7 ¾ lengths behind in third.

Trained by Bill Morey and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Brotha Kenny collected his first stakes win as he covered the 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:55.89.

In a field reduced to three 3-year-olds after five scratches, Brotha Kenny, third in the Indiana Derby (GIII) and West Virginia Derby (GIII), went straight to the front with West Virginia Derby winner Chunk of Gold tracking to his outside a half-length back and 7-1 longshot Run Quiet Run Fast about five lengths back in third.

“In a short field like that, I told Jose to take it to Chunk of Gold if he could and make it a match race,” Morey said. “He rode a great race and we were able to get the job done today.”

Brotha Keny set comfortable fractions of :23.62, :47.78 and 1:12 before spurting 1 ½ lengths clear at the top of the stretch. Chunk of Gold angled to the inside in upper stretch and then switched back to the outside with a furlong to run but could not close into Brotha Keny.

“He broke really well today and Bill (Morey) told me to make it a match race with Chunk of Gold,” Ortiz said. “After breaking that well, I was able to put him on the lead and he did the rest.”

The victory was worth $185,000 for owners Lance and Steve Kinross and increased Brotha Keny’s earnings to $318,900 with a record of 3-1-3 in 11 starts.

Brotha Keny is a Kentucky-bred gelded son of Mo Town out of the Northern Afleet mare Raramuri and was bred by Terrazas Thoroughbreds.

Brotha Keny, the 2-1 second betting choice, returned $6.92 for the win. There was no place or show wagering.

“He ended up being second best today,” said Chunk of Gold’s trainer Ethan West. “He broke maybe a step slow but was in a good spot going into the first turn just off the hip of Brotha Keny. It’s disappointing but we’ll live to fight another day.”

Admiral Dennis, Excite, Hypnus, Just a Fair Shake and Whiskey Shot were scratched.

BOURBON FLIGHT QUOTES

Jose Ortiz, jockey, Brotha Keny, winner: “He broke really well today and Bill (Morey) told me to make it a match race with Chunk of Gold. After breaking that well, I was able to put him on the lead and he did the rest.”

Bill Morey, trainer, Brotha Keny, winner: “In a short field like that, I told Jose (Ortiz) to take it to Chunk of Gold if he could and make it a match race. He rode a great race and we were able to get the job done today.”

Ethan West, trainer, Chunk of Gold, runner-up: “He ended up being second best today. He broke maybe a step slow but was in a good spot going into the first turn just off the hip of Brotha Keny. It’s disappointing but we’ll live to fight another day.”

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GRADE II WINNER SMOKEN WICKED PREVAILS IN $269,000 HARRODS CREEK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025) – Smoken Wicked, the odds-on 4-5 favorite and winner of the Grade II Amsterdam at Saratoga in July, tracked pacesetter Semper Primus in the early stages of the sprint before he grabbed the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile to run and rolled home to a half-length score over a chasing Jimmy’s Dailys in Saturday’s fifth running of the $269,000 Harrods Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

Smoken Wicked, a Louisiana-bred son of Bobby’s Wicked One, clocked seven furlongs over a fast track in a stakes record 1:21.73 under Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode the winner for trainer Dallas Stewart and owner Murray Valene’s Valene Farms LLC. The previous race standard was Henro’s 1:21.84 one year ago.

The winner’s share of $155,000 increased Smoken Wicked’s earnings to $711,392 with a record of 6-3-1 in 16 starts.

“All the credit goes to this horse and owner Murray Valene,” Stewart said. “What a horse. He’s just such a professional. Brian rode him perfectly.”

Semper Primus, an 8 ¼-length maiden special weight winner at Ellis Park in his last start, broke fastest from post No. 2 in the compact field of five but Smoken Wicked tracked in second in the clear just off the leader’s right hip through fractions of :23.10 and :45.41 with Jimmy’s Dailys, the Ellis Park Derby runner-up, just behind in third.

Leaving the turn, Smoken Wicked engaged the tiring Semper Primus with a wide move as Jimmy’s Dailys came up the inside. Smoken Wicked jumped to a 1 ½ length advantage at the top of the stretch and had plenty left down the lane as Jimmy’s Dailys grinded away to cut into the margin late.

“All the credit goes to Dallas and his team,” Hernandez said. “He just showed his class today. What a special horse he is.”

Smoken Wicked, who collected his fourth stakes victory and second against open company, returned $3.68, $2.40 and $2.10. Jimmy’s Dailys, under Jose Ortiz, paid $2.72 and $2.36 at odds of 2-1. It was another 2 ½ lengths back to Optical in third, who returned $2.94 to show under James Graham at 14-1.

U Devil You and Semper Primus completed the running order. Faster Gator was scratched.

Smoken Wicked, who finished seventh of eight in the Grade I H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga in his previous start, is out of the Street Boss mare Street Smoke and was bred by Tom Curtis and Wayne Simpson.

The race honors the neighborhood of Louisville centered near Harrods Creek at the intersection of River Road and Wolf Pen Branch Road. It is roughly bordered by the Ohio River to the west and US 42 to the east. Formerly an unincorporated community, it was designated a neighborhood of Louisville when the city merged with Jefferson County in 2003.

HARRODS CREEK QUOTES

Brian Hernandez Jr., jockey, Smoken Wicked, winner: “All the credit goes to Dallas (Stewart) and his team. He just showed his class today. What a special horse he is.”

Dallas Stewart, trainer, Smoken Wicked, winner: “All the credit goes to this horse and owner Murray Valene. What a horse. He’s just such a professional. Brian rode him perfectly.”

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CHAMPION IMMERSIVE FIGHTS BACK TO WIN $173,700 SENECA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025) – Godolphin’s champion homebred Immersive returned to the winner’s circle Saturday with a hard-fought, comeback victory in Saturday’s fifth running of the $173,700 Seneca Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs. She defeated Ivory and Ebony by two lengths.

Ridden by Florent Geroux and trained by Brad Cox, Immersive ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.64 to collect her first win of the year in three starts. The $107,200 winner’s share increased Immersive’s earnings to $1,729,900 with an overall record of 5-2-0 in seven starts.

Immersive, the winner of last year’s Spinaway (Grade I), Alcibiades (GI) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI), dictated the terms and led the field of five through unpressured and comfortable early splits of :24.10, :48.16 and 1:12.32 with graded stakes-placed Liam in the Dust, on the outside, and recent Saratoga maiden winner Ivory and Ebony, along the rail, chasing the leader.

Leaving the final turn, Ivory and Ebony rushed to challenge the leader through an opening along the inside and briefly poked her head in front. Immersive and Ivory and Ebony raced shoulder-to-shoulder in upper stretch before the class of Immersive prevailed and she inched away with a furlong to the finish.

“She broke well and traveled well into the first turn,” Geroux said. “Around the far turn she got some pressure but she never felt like she wanted to stop running. I just let (Ivory and Ebony) make her move and was patient. My filly dug in and ran hard in the stretch.”

Immersive, who finished second in the Monomoy Girl and Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) in her previous two starts this year, paid $3.22, $2.28 and $2.10 as the heavy 3-5 betting choice. Ivory and Ebony, ridden by Jose Ortiz at odds of 7-2, returned $3.50 and $2.40. It was another 4 ¼ lengths back to Quickick in third under Brian Hernandez Jr., who paid $2.64 to show at 6-1.

Liam in the Dust and Flash Wear completed the order of finish. Decadent and Next Up were scratched.

Immersive was bred in Kentucky. She is a daughter of Nyquist out of the Bernardini mare Gap Year.

“We’re really proud how she was able to bounce back today,” Cox said. “She ran fine in her first two starts off the layoff but today she was able to put it all together. I think it proved she’s ready to go graded stakes company.”

The race honors Seneca Park, which was the last park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm in Louisville. The park resides in the Louisville neighborhood of Seneca Gardens. It is part of the Cherokee-Seneca neighborhood, which is bounded by I-64 and other hilly neighborhoods.

SENECA OVERNIGHT STAKES QUOTES

Florent Geroux, jockey, Immersive, winner: “She broke well and traveled well into the first turn. Around the far turn she got some pressure but she never felt like she wanted to stop running. I just let (Ivory and Ebony) make her move and was patient. My filly dug in and ran hard in the stretch.”

Brad Cox, trainer, Immersive, winner: “We’re really proud how she was able to bounce back today. She ran fine in her first two starts off the layoff but today she was able to put it all together. I think it proved she’s ready to go graded stakes company.”

Dale Romans, trainer, Ivory and Ebony, runner-up: “We ran second to a champion filly. She ran great.”