Exotics Plays for the 2026 American Turf Stakes

A fantastic field of 14 sophomores will run 1 1/16 miles on the Churchill Downs turf in Saturday’s ultra-competitive, $1 million American Turf (G1).

Grade 3 winner #4 Stark Contrast (4-1), who finished a fine second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in his two-year-old finale, has looked very good in two races this campaign in advance of his local bow and rates a nice chance in the deep group.

American Turf Exotics Wagers

• $1 Exacta: box 4,6,7,12,14 ($20)
• 50-cent Trifecta: 4,12,14 with 4,12,14 with 4,6,7,12,14 ($18)
• 50-cent Superfecta: 4 with 12,14 with 6,7,12,14 with 6,7,8,10,12,14 ($12) 

Stark Contrast was tons the best in the Eddie Logan S. on Jan. 8, and the Amerman homebred was last seen finishing a clear second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the Tapeta at Turfway Park most recently. He has a lot of class and has to be included in all plays, with Flavien Prat inheriting the mount.

#14 Final Score (8-1) is 3-for-3 in his lifetime, with all of his races coming on the lawn, and he will make his seasonal bow from the widest post in the field for Graham Motion. The dark bay son of Not This Time is placed in a demanding spot for his sophomore unveiling, but he has been posting good morning drills in advance of his comeback for a conditioner who excels with layoff runners in general. Irad Ortiz Jr. taking the reins adds to the colt's appeal. 

Cherie DeVaux’s unbeaten #12 Remember Mamba (9-2) is perfect from a trio of lifetime runs to date, led by a tally in the Transylvania (G3) at Keeneland in his latest venture. The $270,000 yearling purchase made up a lot of ground late against a good group in his most recent endeavor, and the son of Kitten’s Joy has room for improvement with just a trio of lifetime runs to his credit, too. The race has a lot of pace signed on, and the bay will appreciate the swift and contested early tempo with Jose Ortiz in the stirrups. 

#6 Black Hornet (20-1), one of two in the group for conditioner Brendan Walsh, is perfect from two lifetime runs on the green and has a lot of value with Declan Cannon taking the reins. By Essential Quality, the three-year-old gray has displayed a big turn of foot in both outings on the lawn, and while he needs a career-best effort to be in the hunt with this group late, he is surely worth including at a huge number. 

Mark Casse’s #7 Alpyland (8-1) has earned two stakes wins in his last three runs on the weeds and gets a long look from off the pace in his first run beneath the Twin Spires. The Vekoma gelding comes off a fine win in the Columbia S. at Tampa Bay Downs last time out and seems poised to give a good account of himself on the class rise, with Javier Castellano taking the reins.