Churchill Downs: How to bet the 2025 Cherokee Mile Stakes

A very well-matched cast of 11 will travel one-turn on the Churchill Downs main strip in Sunday’s $250,000 Cherokee Mile S. The race is a tricky one in that numerous contenders are more than capable of big things on their best day, but many lack consistency and/or are not in great current form. 

Cherokee Mile Wagers

• $2 trifecta key 11 with 1,2,5,8 ($24)
• $.40-cent superfecta 11 with 5,8 with 1,2,5,8 with all ($19.20)
• $.20-cent superfecta 5,8 with 11 with 1,2,5,8 with all ($9.60)

Cherokee Mile Stakes Analysis

Juddmonte homebred #11 Dragoon Guard (2-1) appears to be the most logical threat in the group for conditioner Brad Cox. The two-time Grade 3 victor has been first or second in each of his four lifetime runs beneath the Twin Spires, and his last wasn’t a terrible showing when he dueled through sharp fractions before fading late in the deep Fayette S. (G3) at Keeneland most recently. 

The well-bred son of Arrogate has very good gate presence in a field without a huge measure of pace in it, and I feel that the outside draw might be an ideal slot for him to match his running style. Irad will take the reins and force the tempo from the break. 

Jordan Blair’s #5 This Is Uscar (12-1) is a talented performer who has come up a bit short on multiple occasions this season, and if the removal of blinkers moves him forward, then the bay fits quite well with this cast at a nice price. The Oscar Performance colt was a clear runner-up in a positive allowance try on the oval two back and returns to the main surface following a turf experiment most recently. The Kentucky-bred has posted some swift morning moves leading up to Sunday and has good value with Torres inheriting the mount. 

Grade-1 placed stakes hero #8 Scotland (3-1) was a decisive winner of the race in 2024 and has placed in a trio of graded stakes runs as of late for Bill Mott. The Good Magic gelding likes the course and this venue, and while I wouldn’t back him to win at a small price, he will surely be included due to his consistency beneath Junior Alvarado. 

#2 Implementation (10-1) has been first or second in his last five assignments on the dirt in advance of his second run off the claim for Mike Maker. The multiple stakes-winning six-year-old will race with blinkers on and has a lot of exotics appeal to me with Gaffalione in the irons. Rusty Arnold’s #1 Track Mate (12-1) has never done his best work in Louisville, but his comeback allowance score at Keeneland after being on the bench for more than 15 months was impressive, and he can grab a share at a price with a forward move second time back. Luis Saez will be on board.