Cherokee Nation

Owner

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC & Catherine Donovan

Trainer

Bob Baffert

Jockey

Geroux, Florent

Breeder

Fortune Farms & William&Corinne Heiligbrodt

Earnings

$13,805

Color

Bay

Home > Derby Horses > Cherokee Nation

Overview

Bet Cherokee Nation with TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the Kentucky Derby

Meet Cherokee Nation

Cherokee Nation is a three-year-old Bay colt who was born on April 15, 2023, in Kentucky. His dad is a horse named Not This Time, and his mom is named Believe in Charlie. Both parents had good careers running in horse races.

His Racing Story

Cherokee Nation has raced 6 times and won once. His winning race happened on February 27, 2026, at Santa Anita Park in California. He was running 1 mile and won by 10 lengths. That's a big victory! He finished second twice, showing he runs well against tough competition. He earned $86,605 total, which shows he's a serious competitor.

Bob Baffert, one of the best horse trainers in the world, trains Cherokee Nation. Bob has trained many Kentucky Derby winners and knows how to get horses ready for the biggest races. Cherokee Nation races on fast dirt tracks and has never raced on other surfaces.

Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Giant win for Cherokee Nation. 🎓 @j_keelerman talks about 6 recent maiden winners that intrigued him!

Who impressed you the most? Let us know! ⤵️ @KentuckyDerby https://t.co/Os0xKu8bM5

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 4, 2026

What Matters

You should root for Cherokee Nation because he's trained by a champion trainer with the SF Racing and Starlight Racing partnerships who develop great racehorses. His single win came by an impressive 10 lengths, showing real talent. He's raced at Santa Anita Park multiple times and knows how to run the 1-mile distance, which shows he has the basics for longer races.

A Word of Caution

Cherokee Nation only has one win from six races so far, so he hasn't proven himself as much as other Derby contenders. Some of his races have been at Santa Anita, and he hasn't raced as frequently as other top contenders. He'll need to keep improving and winning more races to prove he's ready for the biggest stage at the Kentucky Derby.

Cherokee Nation’s Important Related Information

Pedigree

Sire Name Not This Time

Dam Name Believe in Charlie

Wagering March 31, 2026

Study Guide: 2026 Santa Anita Derby

A strong seven-horse field will race 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita in Saturday’s $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1), an important Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers.

Potente guns for San Felipe/Santa Anita Derby double

The Santa Anita Derby, at 1 1/8 miles, offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 to the respective top five finishers. It shares the program with the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) for three-year-old fillies, a 1 1/16-mile test which...