Salahudin heads Iroquois in Road to Kentucky Derby 153 kickoff at Churchill Downs; Manuka Honey tops Pocahontas

Sep 10, 2026 Kevin Kerstein/Kentucky Racing Communications

Salahudin wins the Ellis Park Juvenile (Photo by Coady Media)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026) – The Road to Kentucky Derby 153 will get underway Saturday with a field of nine 2-year-olds entered in the 45th running of the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs, led by Zedan Racing Stables’ undefeated Ellis Park Juvenile winner Salahudin.

Saturday’s stacked 11-race program includes five stakes contests including the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove (GII), $300,000 Pocahontas (GIII), $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society (Listed) and $300,000 Open Mind (Listed). The action gets underway at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the one-mile Iroquois going as Race 10 at 5:29 p.m.

Salahudin leads the Iroquois juveniles after winning his debut by two lengths and then dominating the Ellis Park Juvenile by 4 1/2 lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The talented son of Uncle Mo will be ridden by Florent Geroux out of post No. 7.

𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗛𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗡 takes them gate-to-wire to win the Ellis Park Juvenile S. for jockey Florent Geroux and trainer @BobBaffert.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/N6DmNCR8Ce

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 9, 2026

Another stakes winner entered in the field is Patricia’s Hope and Mark Farrar’s Bashford Manor (Listed) hero Blessed Flyer. Trained by Mike Tomlinson, Blessed Flyer is undefeated in two career starts after winning his debut by a head on April 16 at Keeneland and then closing from six lengths off the early pace to win the Bashford Manor by a head at odds of 31-1 in late June. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call and will exit post 2.

The field for the Iroquois from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

• Caribbean Life (Flavien Prat, Will Walden)
• Blessed Flyer (Hernandez, Tomlinson)
• Bearamour (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux)
• Admiral’s Order (Luan Machado, Ben Colebrook)
• Real Goodbar (Manny Esquivel, Kenny McPeek)
• Antivenom (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
• Salahudin (Geroux, Baffert)
• He Is No Lie (Joel Rosario, Doug O’Neill)
• Real Gone (Keith Asmussen, Patrick Biancone)

The Iroquois kicks off the “Prep Season” on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and will award the top five finishers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for Kentucky Derby 153 on Saturday, May 1, 2027.

The Iroquois is also part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series with the top three nominated finishers receiving a partial entry credit toward the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) on Oct. 30 at Keeneland. The winner also receives an automatic berth to the Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs.

Manuka Honey tries to keep unbeaten streak intact in Pocahontas

Lisa Lee, Jason Sciortino, William Lynch, Brian Howe and Terry Hamilton’s eye-catching seven-length Ellis Park Debutante winner Manuka Honey headlines a field of nine 2-year-old fillies assembled in Saturday’s 58th running of the $300,000 Pocahontas (Grade III), the kickoff leg on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

The one-mile Pocahontas will go as the afternoon’s eighth race with a post time of 4:26 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Manuka Honey has dominated both her career starts with a 7 1/4-length romp in a restricted maiden special weight on June 20 at Churchill Downs followed by her convincing win in the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Debutante. Jockey Luis Saez, who has ridden the daughter of Upstart in both starts, will have the return call and break from post No. 2.

🍯𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗞𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬 gets the lead down the stretch and wins the Ellis Park Debutante S. for trainer @BLynchRacing with @luissaezpty aboard.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/Lte2g5vRqB

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 9, 2026

Also entered in the race is Tracy Farmer’s Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes (Listed) winner Pierette; Hat Creek Racing, Ashview Farm and Upland Flats Racing’s debut winner and Adirondak (GIII) third-place finisher Scarlett Begonia; and Bradley Thoroughbreds, Mike Carter, Cambron Equine and Dan Hensler’s dominant six-length maiden special weight winner Miss Anna.

The field for the Pocahontas from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

• Pierette (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
• Manuka Honey (Saez, Lynch)
• Stripe Show (Jaime Torres, John Servis)
• Sweet Kathleen (Chris Emigh, Brittany Vanden Berg)
• Betty Sue (Assael Espinoza, Ray Bryner)
• Scarlett Begonia (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox)
• Miss Anna (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh)
• For the Win (Axel Concepcion, George Weaver)
• Tahaluf (Danny Sheehy, Andrew McKeever)

The Pocahontas awards the top five finishers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate in the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

The Pocahontas also serves as a race in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series with the top three nominated finishers receiving a partial entry credit toward the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Keeneland. The winner also receives an automatic berth to the Golden Rod (GII) on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.