Exotics plays for the American Turf Stakes

An overflow field of 18 three-year-olds has been entered to contest the lucrative, $1 million American Turf S. (G1) at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

American Turf Stakes: wagers

• $4 Exacta: box 3,4,5 ($24)
• $1 Trifecta: 3,4,5 with 3,4,5 with 3,4,5,7,9,10 ($24)
• $1 Superfecta: 3 with 4,5 with 4,5,7,9,10 with 4,5,7,9,10 ($24)

I find it telling that Irad Ortiz, Jr. jumps off of major player #4 Mi Bago (10-1) to ride Grade 1 winner #3 New Century (3-1), and I will give the European import the nod in his third North American appearance. Now in the hands of conditioner Brendan Walsh, the Kameko colt was visually impressive when taking the Summer S. (G1) at Woodbine as a juvenile, and he concluded 2024 with a commendable, fourth-place result in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar. 

New Century tired late in his seasonal debut when fifth in the Craven S. (G3) at Newmarket to kick off 2025 and will offer more on this occasion second off the shelf. The bay has an explosive turn of foot and will be hard to deny if the pace is to his liking. 

The aforementioned Mi Bago had a three-race win streak snapped when stopping early in the Transylvania S. (G3) at Keeneland most recently but will take a big step forward on Saturday. Mark Casse indicated that the bay son of Vekoma was a potential Royal Ascot shipper in the summer, and if the expert horseman likes him that much, then I feel compelled to include him in a race of this nature, too. Jose Ortiz inherits the live mount on the speedy colt. 

Transylvania (G3) winner #5 Test Score (10-1) appreciated some give in the ground at Keeneland most recently but runs well on any kind of going for Graham Motion. The son of Lookin at Lucky has shown fine progression in his career, and the Amerman homebred figures to receive a healthy pace to rally into with Manny Franco in the stirrups. 

For the verticals, I’ll also include Chad Brown’s #7 Zulu Kingdom (4-1), interesting long shot #9 Giocoso (30-1), and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) second #10 Iron Man Cal (9-2). 

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