Expert Pick of the Week: 2025 Commonwealth Turf Stakes

Nov 19, 2025 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Flying Mohawk

A talented and well-matched field of 11 will vie in the $300,000 Commonwealth Turf S. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile race on the turf course has attracted six individual stakes winners in total and has the appearance of a fantastic betting contest.

I am excited for the return to the turf from Flying Mohawk, who won his last pair of runs on the lawn for trainer Whitworth Beckman. The three-year-old horse earned his first lifetime win on the Churchill Downs grass course by an emphatic 5 ½ lengths in October of 2024, and he will make his first appearance since finishing off-the-board in an experiment on the dirt in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3.

The son of very smart grass sire Karakontie did not wear blinkers in his try in the Run for the Roses last time out, but the colt, who was bred in Kentucky, will have them on for this race. He has posted six morning workouts leading up to his comeback, with the last four in Louisville, and he is at his best when he is relaxed to some measure in the early going and making his best run in the homestretch. Joe Ramos, who has ridden Flying Mohawk in his last two races, will be in the saddle once again atop the leading selection.

#6 Flying Mohawk wins easy in R4 at Churchill Downs for trainer Whit Beckman with @tyler_gaff aboard! 🍀

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/TdKhKpU4IC

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 27, 2024

Grade 1 winner Troubleshooting followed up his score in the lucrative Franklin Simpson S. (G1) at Kentucky Downs with a game win in the Bryan Station S. (G3) at Keeneland most recently. Trained by Greg Foley, the razor-sharp three-year-old son of top sire Not This Time has been excellent since switching to the turf in April and shows a 7-4-2-0 mark on the grass in total. The Donamire Farm homebred is pretty fast but will not need the lead to run well, and I also feel that this distance is well within his range, as well. He will break from the two post and could be sitting in third or fourth in the early portion of this race while always having the leaders in his range. Tyler Gaffalione will ride the colt for the third straight time.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #9 Flying Mohawk on top of #2 Troubleshooting in the Commonwealth Turf Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.