Magic Cap Stables' Fort Washington will look for his third consecutive graded stakes win June 28 in the $500,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs. He will face an expected eight challengers in the 1 1/16 mile turf race.
Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, Fort Washington, a 6-year-old son of War Front , has gotten off to a strong start this year following a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw him notch just one win in seven outings. He enters off a decisive victory in the May 17 Dinner Party Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico Race Course and prior to that, he narrowly won the Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. Regular rider and Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning jockey Junior Alvarado has the mount Saturday.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux sends out a powerful duo in graded stakes winners Brilliant Berti and Taking Candy.Brilliant Berti, a homebred for Klein Racing, enters off a game second in the May 31 Arlington Stakes (G3T) behind Mercante. The Arlington Stakes marked the first loss for Brilliant Berti on the Churchill Downs course as the son of Noble Mission had won in his first four visits to the Louisville oval, including a victory in the Opening Verse Stakes May 1. Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride.
Lael Stables' Taking Candy opened his season with a win in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) but will look to rebound following a flat 10th-place finish in the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) May 3. Jose Ortiz will be aboard.
Carl Pollard's multiple graded stakes winner Mercante has been training sharply at Skylight Training Center, near Louisville, Ky. The gelded son of Gun Runner out of champion Caressing by Honour and Glory, ran a gutsy second to Spirit of St Louis in the Turf Classic Stakes May 3, where he was outrun in the final stages of the race. He then claimed victory in the Arlington. Joseph Ramos will ride for trainer Brian Knippenburg.
Steve Asmussen will send out multiple graded stakes winner Lagynos, who ran third behind Mercante and Brilliant Berti in the Arlington. Flavien Prat will ride for owner HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud.
Event Detail, fourth behind Mercante in the Arlington, will look to improve against familiar foes for owner OXO Equine and trainer Will Walden. The son of City of Light 's best effort against graded stakes company came in the Arlington and his most recent win came in an allowance optional claiming race at Turfway Park in March.
Rounding out the field is recent Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1) runner-up Mi Hermano Ramon as well as multiple stakes winners Henro, and Seminole Chief.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 28, 2025, Race 10Entries: Wise Dan S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Henro (KY) Rafael Bejarano 118 Chris A. Hartman - 2 Lagynos (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Steven M. Asmussen - 3 Mi Hermano Ramon (KY) Antonio Fresu 118 Mark Glatt - 4 Mercante (KY) Joseph D. Ramos 120 Brian Knippenberg - 5 Event Detail (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 William Walden - 6 Taking Candy (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Cherie DeVaux - 7 Brilliant Berti (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Cherie DeVaux - 8 Fort Washington (KY) Junior Alvarado 120 Claude R. McGaughey III - 9 Seminole Chief (FL) Luis Saez 118 Jack Sisterson -
