Joel Politi's Serengeti Empress, the 2019 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner who is coming off a victory in the Ballerina (GI) at Saratoga, heads a field of 10 fillies and mares in the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs.
The Derby City Distaff will go as Saturday's 12th race with a 5:17 post time.
The 14-race program begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) and will culminate the Derby that is scheduled for a 7:02 p.m. post time.
Other stakes are the Derby Day program are the the 34th running of the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI), the 35th running of the $500,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII), the 96th running of the 500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII) for 3-year-olds, the 29th running of the $500,000 American Turf presented by Smithfield (GII) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the grass, and the 39th running of the $200,000 Iroquois presented by Ford (GIII) for 2-year-olds going a mile on the main track.
Trained by Tom Amoss, Serengeti Empress has won two of three starts at the 7-furlong distance with her lone loss coming to champion Covfefe in last year's Test (GI). Tyler Gaffalione has the mount and will break from post position eight.
The field for the Derby City Distaff, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Mia Mischief (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118 pounds), Shesomajestic (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Wildwood's Beauty (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Bell's the One (Corey Lanerie, 120), Crazy Sexy Money (Crystal Conning, 118), Sally's Curlin (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Lady Kate (Florent Geroux, 118), Serengeti Empress (Gaffalione, 123), Bellafina (Mike Smith, 120) and Ce Ce (John Velazquez, 123).
Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord (IRE), winner of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) at Churchill Downs, heads a field of eight fillies and mares for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.
The Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile is carded as the day's 11th race with a 4:39 post time.
Trained by Chad Brown, Newspaperofrecord returned to the races in June following an 11-month layoff to win the Intercontinental (GIII) and followed that effort up with a front-running score in the Just A Game (GI).
Javier Castellano has the mount on Newspaperofrecord and will break from post position four.
The field for the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, with riders and weights from the inside, is: She'sonthewarpath (Chantal Sutherland, 118 pounds), Daddy Is a Legend (Florent Geroux, 118), Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Newspaperofrecord (Castellano, 123), Harmless (Mike Smith, 118), Beau Recall (IRE) (Manny Franco, 118), La Signare (FR) (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118) and Belle Laura (Miguel Mena, 118).
L & N Racing's Echo Town, Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's No Parole and Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie head a field of nine for the Pat Day Mile.
The Pat Day Mile will go as the afternoon's ninth race with a 3:35 post time.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Echo Town comes into Saturday's race off a 3 ¼-length victory in the Allen Jerkens (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 1. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call and will break from post position two.
No Parole, winner of the Woody Stephens (GI) at Belmont before faltering as the favorite in the Allen Jerkens, is trained by Tom Amoss. James Graham, who rode No Parole to daylight victories in his first three starts, has the call Saturday and will break from post position seven.
Rushie, third in the Blue Grass (GII) and Santa Anita Derby (GI) in his past two starts, cuts back to a one-turn race for the first time since his debut last October at Santa Anita. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rushie will be ridden by Javier Castellano and break from post position nine.
The field for the Pat Day Mile, from the rail out with riders and weights, is: Cezanne (Florent Geroux, 118 pounds), Echo Town (Ricardo Santana Jr., 123), Shashashakemeup (Corey Lanerie, 118), Vertical Threat (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Digital (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Tap It to Win (John Velazquez, 118), No Parole (Graham, 123), Sonneman (Manny Franco, 118) and Rushie (Castellano, 118).
Multiple stakes winners Field Pass and Smooth Like Strait top a field of eight entered for the American Turf Presented by Smithfield.
The American Turf is scheduled as the eighth race with a 2:55 post time.
Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass, a two-time Grade III winner, comes into Saturday's race off a seventh-place finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational. Prior to that, he had won the Transylvania (GIII) at Keeneland and the Audubon at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Mike Maker, Field Pass will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and break from post position four.
Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait has won his past two starts beginning with the War Chant here in May and then the La Jolla Handicap (GIII) at Del Mar. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait will break from post position five and be ridden by John Velazquez.
The field for the American Turf, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Taishan (Julien Leparoux, 118), American Butterfly (Joe Talamo, 118), Sugoi (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Field Pass (Gaffalione, 120), Smooth Like Strait (Velazquez, 120), Sunsation (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), King Theo (Corey Lanerie, 118), Fancy Liquor (Florent Geroux, 118).
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