Glacius showed a natural liking for American turf by winning the Saratoga Derby Stakes (G1T) Aug. 8 by 1 1/4 lengths for trainer Hugo Palmer. The son of Too Darn Hot returns Sept. 5 in the $3 million Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs, the richest turf race for 3-year-olds in the United States.
Although the Hugo Palmer trainee showed a lot of class in his last start—his first win since breaking his maiden a year ago—Glacius will face a steep test in Saturday's 1 5/16-mile race, where he will race 11 rivals including the Aidan O'Brien-trained Causeway.
Prior to his win in the Saratoga Derby, Glacius was twice third this season. After a challenging spring, Palmer said the colt has come into his own, proving their patience was rewarded.
"We were very pleased with the effort," Palmer said. "We were really excited about his chances in the Saratoga Derby; he got a lovely ride, and things went really well for him."
Luis Saez, who piloted him to victory in the Saratoga Derby, has the mount again Saturday.
Causeway, a son of the late Wootton Bassett, won his first four starts of 2026, including back-to-back group stakes wins in the Gallinule Stakes (G3) and the King Edward VII Stakes (G2). On Saturday, he will seek to rebound from his uncharacteristic last-place finish in the July 14 Grand Prix de Paris (G1). Ryan Moore—who will also ride Ethical Diamond in the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T)—will be in the irons.
Of the American competition waiting for Glacius and Causeway is the Brian Lynch-trained Fancy Sailor. Lynch won the 2023 Nashville Derby with Anglophile. Fancy Sailor, a son of Justify , made his last start in the Aug. 2 Water Tower Stakes at Ellis Park, where he won by 1 length over Royal Causeway and Blackmail, both of whom he will face again Saturday.
Brad Cox enters Royal Guard, a winner of a maiden special weight and an allowance in his last two starts, and after the trainer's score in last weekend's Travers Stakes (G1) with the lightly raced Leading Change, it goes without saying you can't leave this one out.
Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 5, 2026, Race 8Entries: 1/ST BET Nashville Derby Invitational S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Royal Causeway (KY) Cristian A. Torres 120 Dallas Stewart 20/1 2 2Royal Guard (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Brad H. Cox 8/1 3 3Glacius (GB) Luis Saez 124 Hugo Palmer 4/1 4 4Caroline St. Beat (NY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Miguel Clement 20/1 5 5Versailles Road (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Todd A. Pletcher 12/1 6 6Causeway (IRE) Ryan L. Moore 122 Aidan P. O'Brien 5/2 7 7Fuzzbuster (KY) Mario Gutierrez 120 Victoria H. Oliver 20/1 8 8Fancy Sailor (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 120 Brian A. Lynch 8/1 9 9Gostam (GER) Antonio Fresu 122 Andreas Wohler 6/1 10 10Go Grey (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Michael J. Maker 20/1 11 11Nil Bua Gan Dua (KY) Ben Curtis 120 Joseph Patrick O'Brien 10/1 12 12Blackmail (KY) Javier Castellano 120 Mark E. Casse 15/1
Classic Q Returns in Ladies Turf Stakes
Classic Q will make her first start since winning the June 6 Just a Game Stakes (G1) in Saturday's $1.5 million Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G2T). She will face seven rivals in the 1-mile race.
Trained by Mark Casse and campaigned by Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the 4-year-old daughter of Classic Empire has found her groove in 2026, winning back-to-back graded stakes races, and showing she is best suited at the mile distance. She raced in last year's 6 1/2-furlong Music City Stakes (G2T), where she finished a charging fourth to subsequent champion female sprinter Shisospicy.
Amongst her top competition will be the multiple graded-placed Bless the Broken, who will be making her first start on turf, and Twin Oaks Bloodstock's multiple graded stakes winner Hang the Moon.
Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 5, 2026, Race 9Entries: Resolute Racing Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Bless the Broken (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Brad H. Cox 8/1 2 2Classic Q (KY) John R. Velazquez 126 Mark E. Casse 4/5 3 3Vive Veuve (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Joe Sharp 10/1 4 4Hang the Moon (KY) Micah J. Husbands 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 4/1 5 5Fast Market (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 124 John P. Terranova II 12/1 6 6Princesa Moche (PER) Joe Bravo 124 Doug F. O'Neill 15/1 7 7Rashmi (KY) Luis Saez 124 Jonathan Thomas 6/1 8 8Buttercream Babe (KY) Axel Concepcion 122 George R. Arnold II 20/1
Cy Fair Headlines Music City Stakes
Medallion Racing, Swinbank Stables, Joey Platts, and Mark Stanton's 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Cy Fair ships to Kentucky Downs for the first time to take on a full field of 3-year-old fillies in the $1.5 million Music City Stakes (G2T).
She was last seen winning the Coronation Cup Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga by 2 1/2 lengths over Sapphire Beach and Cadenza; those rivals will face her again Saturday in the 6 1/2-furlong race.
Ashland Stakes (G1) winner and recent Test Stakes (G1) runner-up Percy's Bar will try the turf for the first time for Hat Creek Racing and trainer Ben Colebrook.
Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 5, 2026, Race 10Entries: Ainsworth Music City S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Cy Fair (KY) John R. Velazquez 124 George Weaver 6/5 2 2Quiet Street (KY) Taylor Kingsley 120 William I. Mott 20/1 3 3Ground Support (FL) Adam Beschizza 122 Kelsey Danner 10/1 4 4Green Sense (IRE) Micah J. Husbands 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 20/1 5 5Light Won Up (KY) Antonio Fresu 120 Doug F. O'Neill 30/1 6 6Lion Lake (IRE) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Brendan P. Walsh 12/1 7 7Somerset West (KY) Luis Saez 122 John W. Sadler 20/1 8 8Percy's Bar (KY) Luan Machado 124 Ben Colebrook 5/1 9 9Final Accord (KY) Axel Concepcion 122 Mark E. Casse 20/1 10 10Sapphire Beach (IRE) Jose L. Ortiz 120 George R. Arnold II 6/1 11 11Coco Connect (KY) Edgar Morales 120 John Ennis 50/1 12 12Cadenza (KY) Florent Geroux 120 Brad H. Cox 8/1 13 13French Friction (KY) Cristian A. Torres 120 Mark E. Casse 20/1 14 14Essential Lady (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Jonathan Thomas 30/1 15 15Triskelion (FL) Luis Saez 120 George R. Arnold II 15/1 16 16Just a Minute (KY) Mario Gutierrez 120 Victoria H. Oliver 10/1
