Churchill Downs September Meet Preview: Iroquois Kicks Off the Road to Kentucky Derby 153
Churchill Downs runs an 11 race program on Saturday, September 12, and five of those races are stakes worth a combined $1,600,000. First post in the September Meet is 12:45 p.m. ET, and the card builds toward the 45th running of the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, the race that opens the Road to Kentucky Derby 153 presented by Woodford Reserve. The Grade 3 Pocahontas does the same job for the Kentucky Oaks trail, and the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove brings a Breeders' Cup winner back to Louisville.
Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes: Salahudin Leads the Derby Trail Kickoff
The $300,000 Iroquois goes a mile as Race 10 at Churchill Downs with a post time of 5:29 p.m., and nine two year olds are entered. Zedan Racing Stables' Salahudin is undefeated in two career starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, winning his debut by two lengths before dominating the Ellis Park Juvenile by four and a half lengths. The son of Uncle Mo breaks from post 7 with Florent Geroux riding.
Mark Farrar's Blessed Flyer is also unbeaten through two career starts for trainer Mike Tomlinson. He won his debut by a head at Keeneland on April 16, then closed from six lengths back to take the Bashford Manor by a head at 31/1 in late June. Brian Hernandez Jr. rides from post 2. The rest of the field, in post order: Caribbean Life (Flavien Prat, Will Walden), Bearamour (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux), Admiral's Order (Luan Machado, Ben Colebrook), Real Goodbar (Manny Esquivel, Kenny McPeek), Antivenom (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse), He Is No Lie (Joel Rosario, Doug O'Neill) and Real Gone (Keith Asmussen, Patrick Biancone).
The top five finishers earn Derby points on a 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 scale. The Iroquois also feeds the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series, with the top three nominated finishers picking up a partial entry credit toward the $2,000,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on October 30 at Keeneland, and the winner earns an automatic spot in the November 28 Kentucky Jockey Club back at Churchill Downs.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caribbean Life | Flavien Prat | Will Walden | 6/1 |
| 2 | Blessed Flyer | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Mike Tomlinson | 9/2 |
| 3 | Bearamour | James Graham | Keith Desormeaux | 30/1 |
| 4 | Admiral's Order | Luan Machado | Ben Colebrook | 15/1 |
| 5 | Real Goodbar | Emmanuel Esquivel | Kenny McPeek | 10/1 |
| 6 | Antivenom | Jose Ortiz | Mark Casse | 6/1 |
| 7 | Salahudin | Florent Geroux | Bob Baffert | 8/5 |
| 8 | He Is No Lie | Joel Rosario | Doug O'Neill | 5/1 |
| 9 | Real Gone | Keith Asmussen | Patrick Biancone | 12/1 |
Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove: Splendora Returns to Louisville
The $400,000 Locust Grove runs a mile and one sixteenth as Race 9 at 4:58 p.m., with six fillies and mares entered. Boyd Racing and By Talla Racing's Splendora, the 2025 champion sprint female, has won nine of 15 career starts and banked more than $1,600,000, including Grade 1 wins in the Beholder Mile and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Trained by Bob Baffert, she arrives off back to back wins in the Shawnee Stakes and the Molly Pitcher, and breaks from the rail with Flavien Prat riding.
Godolphin's Immersive, the 2024 champion two year old filly and a three time Grade 1 winner, drew post 4 for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez, coming off a gate to wire win in the Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis ten weeks ago. The full field in post order: Splendora (Prat, Baffert), Simply Joking (Juan Hernandez, Michael McCarthy), Yes It Tiz (Florent Geroux, Cox), Immersive (Saez, Cox), Miss Authentic (Jose Ortiz, Eddie Kenneally) and Chilled (Mario Gutierrez, Vicki Oliver). Last year's champion three year old filly Nitrogen was not entered by trainer Mark Casse and is expected to run instead at Belmont Park or Keeneland.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splendora | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | 3/5 |
| 2 | Simply Joking | Juan Hernandez | Michael McCarthy | 6/1 |
| 3 | Yes It Tiz | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox | 5/1 |
| 4 | Immersive | Luis Saez | Brad Cox | 3/1 |
| 5 | Miss Authentic | Jose Ortiz | Eddie Kenneally | 20/1 |
| 6 | Chilled | Mario Gutierrez | Vicki Oliver | 30/1 |
Grade 3 Pocahontas: Manuka Honey Opens the Kentucky Oaks Trail
The $300,000 Pocahontas, the first Kentucky Oaks trail race of the season, goes a mile as Race 8 at 4:26 p.m. with nine two year old fillies entered. Manuka Honey, trained by Brian Lynch, has won both career starts by big margins, a seven and a quarter length maiden win on June 20 followed by a seven length romp in the Ellis Park Debutante on August 9. Luis Saez keeps the mount from post 2.
The rest of the field in post order: Pierette (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse), 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) and Tahaluf (Danny Sheehy, Andrew McKeever). The top five finishers earn Kentucky Oaks points on the same 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 scale, and the race also feeds the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, with the winner also earning a spot in the November 28 Golden Rod back at Churchill Downs.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierette | Jose Ortiz | Mark Casse | 9/2 |
| 2 | Manuka Honey | Luis Saez | Brian Lynch | 9/5 |
| 3 | Stripe Show | Jaime Torres | John Servis | 12/1 |
| 4 | Sweet Kathleen | Chris Emigh | Brittany Vanden Berg | 30/1 |
| 5 | Betty Sue | Assael Espinoza | Ray Bryner | 12/1 |
| 6 | Scarlett Begonia | Flavien Prat | Brad Cox | 4/1 |
| 7 | Miss Anna | Tyler Gaffalione | Brendan Walsh | 7/2 |
| 8 | For the Win | Axel Concepcion | George Weaver | 15/1 |
| 9 | Tahaluf | Danny Sheehy | Andrew McKeever | 15/1 |
Louisville Thoroughbred Society and Open Mind: Two More Stakes on a Loaded Card
Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes
The $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes runs six and a half furlongs as Race 7 at 3:54 p.m. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Built, winner of the Grade 2 A.G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga by two and a half lengths, breaks from post 5 for trainer Wayne Catalano with Flavien Prat riding. Rod and Bud Hatfield's Harrodsburg, who beat Built by half a length in the Grade 3 Bango, breaks from the rail off a ten week layoff for trainer Mike Tomlinson and jockey Luis Saez. The full field in post order: 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) and Keep It Easy (Jose Ortiz, Dale Romans).
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrodsburg | Luis Saez | Mike Tomlinson | 3/1 |
| 2 | Here Mi Song | Edgar Morales | Billy Stinson Jr. | 12/1 |
| 3 | Jack's Promise | Martin Garcia | Dale Romans | 10/1 |
| 4 | Cat On Time | Tyler Gaffalione | David Jacobson | 9/2 |
| 5 | Built | Flavien Prat | Wayne Catalano | 6/5 |
| 6 | Echo Again | Jaime Torres | Jordan Blair | 20/1 |
| 7 | Dreaminblue | Rafael Bejarano | Randy Morse | 8/1 |
| 8 | Keep It Easy | Jose Ortiz | Dale Romans | 12/1 |
Open Mind Stakes
The $300,000 Open Mind runs six furlongs as Race 6 at 3:21 p.m. Bob Baffert saddles the top two picks: Grade 1 winner Usha, who won last year's La Brea by five and a quarter lengths for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, breaks from the rail with Flavien Prat, while stablemate Cash Call, second in her last two starts, goes from post 2 with Florent Geroux. Reddam Racing's Look Forward, back after 13 months on the sidelines, starts from post 3 with Juan Hernandez for trainer Michael McCarthy. The rest of the field: Flat Out Time (Axel Concepcion, George Weaver), Benedetta (Keith Asmussen, Steve Asmussen), Asternia (Tyler Gaffalione, Randy Morse) and Modo (Luis Saez, Kinnon LaRose).
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Usha | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | 5/2 |
| 2 | Cash Call | Florent Geroux | Bob Baffert | 7/2 |
| 3 | Look Forward | Juan Hernandez | Michael McCarthy | 3/1 |
| 4 | Flat Out Time | Axel Concepcion | George Weaver | 15/1 |
| 5 | Benedetta | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | 8/1 |
| 6 | Asternia | Tyler Gaffalione | Randy Morse | 12/1 |
| 7 | Modo | Luis Saez | Kinnon LaRose | 3/1 |
Wagering the September Meet
The Jackpot 8 carryover stood at $342,979.47 heading into Thursday's card. Jackpot 8 runs on every live Churchill Downs racing day, typically on the last race, needs a field of 10 or more separate betting interests, and carries a $1 minimum with a 22 percent takeout. Standard takeout at the meet is 17.5 percent on win, place, show and odd versus even bets, 15 percent on the Derby City 6 Jackpot, the Pick 5 and the Late Pick 3, and 22 percent on everything else. Minimum bets run from $3 on the Late Pick 3 down to a dime on the superfecta, with the exacta, daily double, Super Hi 5 and Jackpot 8 all at $1 or $2.
What's Next: September 19 and 26 Stakes Days
The September meet keeps rolling with four more stakes on September 19, headlined by the Grade 3 Dogwood, plus the Bourbon Flight, the Harrods Creek and the Listed Seneca Overnight Stakes. September 26 closes the stakes calendar with the Grade 2 Lukas Classic, worth $500,000, and the Grade 3 Ack Ack at $400,000.
Bet Churchill Downs September Meet
Five stakes races, a loaded Jackpot 8 carryover and the first points of the season on both the Derby and Oaks trails. Saturday's card at Churchill Downs is one to circle.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
First post is 12:45 p.m. ET for an 11 race card. The Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, the day's feature, goes as Race 10 with a post time of 5:29 p.m.
Bob Baffert's Salahudin is undefeated in two career starts, most recently winning the Ellis Park Juvenile by four and a half lengths, and heads the field from post 7 with Florent Geroux riding.
The Jackpot 8 carryover stood at $342,979.47 heading into Thursday's card. Jackpot 8 runs on every live Churchill Downs racing day, typically on the last race, and needs a field of 10 or more separate betting interests to trigger.
Five stakes worth a combined $1,600,000 run that day: the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove, the Grade 3 Iroquois, the Grade 3 Pocahontas, the Listed Louisville Thoroughbred Society and the Listed Open Mind.
September 19 features the Grade 3 Dogwood, the Bourbon Flight, the Harrods Creek and the Listed Seneca Overnight Stakes. September 26 closes the stakes calendar with the Grade 2 Lukas Classic and the Grade 3 Ack Ack.
