The 2027 Kentucky Derby (G1) is still eight months away, but the Road to the Kentucky Derby begins Sept. 12 when the points series kicks off in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Also that afternoon, the Road to the Kentucky Oaks begins with the Pocahontas Stakes (G3).
Both races are worth $300,000 and contested over a one-turn mile on the Churchill Downs main track. They are among five stakes on the Saturday program.
Six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, who has maintained a full-time string in Kentucky since the spring, has the favorite in the Zedan Racing Stables' Salahudin, a product of Baffert's expansion to the Bluegrass State. Salahudin won both of his starts at Ellis Park this summer.
Named a BloodHorse Hot Prospect after a 2-length debut victory over 6 1/2 furlongs July 17, he ran even better second out by romping by 4 1/2 lengths in the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes over an additional sixteenth. Florent Geroux, aboard for both wins, has a return ride Saturday.
The son of Uncle Mo is untested at the Iroquois distance, along with seven other juveniles in the nine-horse field. Only Real Goodbar, whose lone start was a debut win on turf at Colonial Downs this summer for trainer Kenny McPeek, is a winner at a mile.
The opposition is headed by Blessed Flyer and He Is No Lie—1-2 in the Bashford Manor Stakes late in the spring meet at Churchill—and Caribbean Life, who was named a BloodHorse Hot Prospect after his debut win at Ellis Park this summer.
Minimal Kentucky Derby qualifying points are up for grabs in the Iroquois with its top-five finishers earning points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
More valuable in the short term are the credits the top-three finishers receive for the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. As part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series, the Iroquois will award $30,000 to the winner, $15,000 to the runner-up, and $7,500 to the show finisher to apply toward entry fees for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Also part of the Dirt Dozen, the Pocahontas top three will earn the same awards to be applied to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 12, 2026, Race 10Entries: Iroquois S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Caribbean Life (KY) Flavien Prat 122 William Walden 6/1 2 2Blessed Flyer (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Michael A. Tomlinson 9/2 3 3Bearamour (KY) James Graham 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 30/1 4 4Admiral's Order (KY) Luan Machado 122 Ben Colebrook 15/1 5 5Real Goodbar (KY) Emmanuel Esquivel 122 Kenneth G. McPeek 10/1 6 6Antivenom (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Mark E. Casse 6/1 7 7Salahudin (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Bob Baffert 8/5 8 8He Is No Lie (KY) Joel Rosario 122 Doug F. O'Neill 5/1 9 9Real Gone (KY) Keith J. Asmussen 122 Patrick L. Biancone 12/1
Scarlett Begonia Poised to Blossom in Pocahontas
In the Pocahontas, another BloodHorse Hot Prospect—Hat Creek Racing, Ashview Farm, and Upland Flats Racing's Scarlett Begonia—takes another crack at grade 3 stakes company after a third-place finish in the Aug. 2 Adirondack Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course, which followed a July 6 debut victory at Ellis Park.
Flavien Prat rides the Brad Cox-trained daughter of Life Is Good .
The likely favorite is Manuka Honey, who is 2-for-2 after demolishing the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes opposition last month. Trained by Brian Lynch, the daughter of Upstart won her Churchill Downs debut June 20 by 7 1/4 lengths.
Debutante Stakes winner Pierette and 6-length maiden winner Miss Anna are further contenders.
The Pocahontas distributes qualifying points toward the 2027 Kentucky Oaks on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 12, 2026, Race 8Entries: Pocahontas S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Pierette (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Mark E. Casse 9/2 2 2Manuka Honey (KY) Luis Saez 122 Brian A. Lynch 9/5 3 3Stripe Show (KY) Jaime A. Torres 122 John C. Servis 12/1 4 4Sweet Kathleen (KY) Christopher A. Emigh 122 Brittany A. Vanden Berg 30/1 5 5Betty Sue (PA) Assael Espinoza 122 Raymond C. Bryner 12/1 6 6Scarlett Begonia (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Brad H. Cox 4/1 7 7Miss Anna (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Brendan P. Walsh 7/2 8 8For the Win (KY) Axel Concepcion 122 George Weaver 15/1 9 9Tahaluf (KY) Danny Sheehy 122 Andrew McKeever 15/1
