Churchill Downs Update: Notable Performances, Big Payouts and Bright Futures

Nov 08, 2026

Before Sunday’s 10-race card wraps the second week at Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet, here’s a look back at the prior four days that saw Viking and Mercante win Saturday’s stakes, apprentice jockey Yomar Ortiz Jr. ride seven winners and Florent Geroux return to the winner’s circle after being sidelined for seven weeks.

VIKING 3-FOR-3 FOR FAWKES
Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Viking matched his career-best 98 Brisnet Speed rating with a 3 ¾-length victory under Tyler Gaffalione in Saturday’s $300,000 Bet On Sunshine (Listed). The 5-year-old City of Light gelding, previously trained by Randy Morse, has won all three starts for David Fawkes, including the Smile Sprint (Listed) and Black Diamond Cat Overnight Handicap at Gulfstream Park this summer.
“He wasn’t blowing at all coming into the winner’s circle,” Fawkes said after the race.

MERCANTE WIRES RIVER CITY
Carl Pollard’s homebred Mercante earned a 96 Brisnet Speed rating after leading throughout Saturday’s $300,000 River City (GIII) and holding off Kupuna by a half-length. The victory was the first in a graded stakes for jockey Walter Rodriguez.
Trainer Brian Knippenberg was at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and Pollard was at home. However, on hand at Churchill Downs was Bill Landes, Pollard’s racing adviser, who became general manager of Hermitage Farm when Pollard bought it in 1994. Pollard chaired the Churchill Downs Incorporated board from 2001-11.

As Landes pointed out after the race, Mercante is by one champion and out of another. His sire, Gun Runner, was the 2017 Horse of the Year, and his dam, Caressing, won the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Churchill Downs for Pollard and was voted champion 2-year-old filly.

ORTIZ TIED FOR SECOND IN STANDINGS
Yomar Ortiz Jr. entered Sunday tied with Tyler Gaffalione at eight wins, three behind Fall Meet leader Luis Saez. The 17-year-old scored his first career double Wednesday, earned his fifth career win Thursday aboard Raising Kane and won three races Friday before taking Saturday’s finale aboard Cartography. His fifth win triggered the reduction in his apprentice allowance from 10 pounds to seven.
Julien Leparoux was the last apprentice to win a Churchill Downs riding title when he won the 2006 Spring Meet with 87 wins.

GEROUX BACK IN WINNER’S CIRCLE
Florent Geroux recorded his first win since breaking six ribs seven weeks ago when he was victorious in Saturday’s fifth race aboard Lucky Bernadine for trainer Brad Cox.
“Everything felt good,” Geroux said. “Just really happy to be back in action and thankful for everyone who stuck by my side to support me.”

MILESTONE WATCH
Brad Cox entered Sunday with 2,995 career wins and had five horses entered, including also-eligible Free Verse in Race 3. Doug Cowans was one win shy of 1,000 and had one horse entered, Justone More Thing, in Race 6 at 3:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post for Sunday’s 10-race card was 1 p.m.
KORDENBROCK 2-FOR-2 AT MEET
Trainer Matt Kordenbrock won with Brother Rice last Sunday and No Easy Days on Saturday to start the Fall Meet 2-for-2. Rafael Bejarano rode both winners.
“It’s amazing when you win how many people reach out to you,” Kordenbrock joked.

Kordenbrock has Sing Sing entered in Saturday’s $175,000 Claiming Crown Emerald, which goes as Race 12 at 6:23 p.m.

“We love participating in the event when we can. We almost won it awhile back,” Kordenbrock said. “It’s always going to be a competitive race no matter which Claiming Crown race you enter a horse in. Ours is doing well and we’re looking forward to giving it a try on Saturday.”

JUST SINGING WINS IN RETURN
Whisper Hill Farm’s Just Singing earned an 87 Brisnet Speed rating in Friday’s $127,000 one-mile allowance, her first start since the March 28 Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII). The 3-year-old daughter of Justify was third in last fall’s Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs and February’s Rachel Alexandra (GII) at Fair Grounds.
“The time she got has just done her wonders,” trainer Kent Sweezey said. “She’s really crown into herself and is moving more fluidly than she did earlier in the year.”

YINZER WINS SECOND STRAIGHT
Yinzer led throughout Friday’s $148,000 allowance optional claimer under Keith Asmussen, covering 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:40.58. His 94 Brisnet Speed rating was three points shy of the career best he earned in his previous start, a Sept. 24 allowance win at Churchill Downs. Steve Asmussen trains the 4-year-old Twirling Candy colt for West Point Thoroughbreds, CJ Stables and Lane’s End.
WAGERING NOTES
Since Wednesday, the $3 late Pick 3 averaged $175,629 in handle and paid an average of $871. Saturday’s pool of $301,753 returned a stout $1,911.
The 50-cent Pick 5 paid an average of $1,693 since Wednesday, with the four late Pick 5s averaging $2,283.
DREAM SUPREME, 28TH CLAIMING CROWN HIGHLIGHT WEEK AHEAD
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s graded stakes-winning trio of Haulin Ice, Indy Bay and Mystic Lake leads a compact field of six filly and mare sprinters entered in Saturday’s 21st running of the $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed).
The 28th renewal of the Claiming Crown Championship Series returns to Churchill Downs for the fourth time on Saturday. Open to claiming horses, the Claiming Crown features nine races with starter allowance conditions and a super-charged total of $1.2 million in prize money for some of the most competitive, blue-collar horses in the country. A total of 137 horses (125 in the body of the races and 12 also-eligibles) were entered on the 12-race card by 93 different trainers with 45 different jockeys named to ride throughout the day. Horseplayers responded to last year’s Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs with $12.8 million in wagers.
DOWN THE STRETCH – Sunday’s 10-race card got underway at 1 p.m. The afternoon honored all active-duty military and veterans with free general admission and discounted tickets on Millionaires’ Row. There was a $450,310 carryover in the Jackpot 8 in Race 10 and an $82,981 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot in Race 5. … Following dark days Monday and Tuesday, live racing will resume Wednesday-Sunday with daily first posts of 1 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit www.churchilldowns.com.