Rather than pursue late spring and early summer stakes options elsewhere, 2025 Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) winner Utah Beach, trained by Ignacio "Nacho" Correas IV, remained in the Bluegrass State last May and repeated in the Louisville Stakes (G3T).
Now the latest Elkhorn winner from Keeneland, Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square, will attempt to follow suit in the $250,000, 1 1/2-mile Louisville Stakes, the May 16 feature on a Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs.
Coming off a 9 3/4-length romp in the Elkhorn and facing only five rivals in Saturday's turf test, the Ian Wilkes-trained Liam's Map gelding is the 2-5 morning-line favorite under Brian Hernandez Jr.
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Anthony Rogers' Echo Lane and Three Diamonds Farm's Anegada—both graded-placed in distance turf races in Florida this winter—head the opposition. Anegada also captured the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes in January at Sam Houston Race Park.
Three of Burnham Square's four wins from 12 starts have come in graded stakes, including the 2025 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Blue Grass Stakes (G1), both on dirt. He also finished sixth in last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) on the Churchill Downs main track after a troubled trip.
Beginning late last summer, Wilkes shifted Burnham Square to turf, citing the gelding's running style and pedigree.
"I did think he was going to be a successful long-distance turf horse," Wilkes said. "What he was able to accomplish on the dirt was really remarkable because that's not really what his pedigree says he should be."
As for Burnham Square's placement in the Louisville Stakes, the rich purse makes a suitable spot for the Kentucky-based horse.
"With him being a gelding, it doesn't force us to run in every grade 1 to try to boost a resume," Wilkes said. "Our goal at the end of the year is the Breeders' Cup. We also know how much he appreciated Kentucky Downs last year so that's another target as well. Those are the types of races we've had on our radar and we've been working backwards from there."
The Sept. 5 Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational (G2T) at 1 1/2 miles at Kentucky Downs is worth $2 million, counting incentives for Kentucky-breds, which Burnham Square is.
The Kentucky Turf Cup is also a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event, providing a paid, automatic berth into the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
The Louisville is race 8 on the 10-race card with a post time of 9:39 p.m. ET. First post is 6 p.m., and the Preakness Stakes (G1) from Laurel Park will be simulcast between races 3 and 4.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 16, 2026, Race 8Entries: Louisville S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Anegada (KY) Edgar Morales 118 Michael J. Maker 6/1 2 2Echo Lane (FL) Sonny Leon 118 Rohan G. Crichton 4/1 3 3Burnham Square (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 123 Ian R. Wilkes 2/5 4 4Freedom's Way (KY) Ben Curtis 118 Eddie Kenneally 30/1 5 5Dancin in Da'nile (ON) Florent Geroux 118 Gail Cox 12/1 6 6Vote No (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Kelsey Danner 20/1
