Salahudin, Manuka Honey top first 2027 Derby and Oaks preps

Bob Baffert last trained a winner of the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs in 1998, when the two-year-old fixture was held in November on the Breeders’ Cup undercard. These days, the one-mile test serves as the kickoff for the Road to Kentucky Derby series, and Baffert perhaps has the horse to beat in Saturday’s $300,000 renewal.

Salahudin, a physically imposing son of Uncle Mo, goes for Baffert in the Iroquois, which will award Derby qualifying points 10-5-3-2-1 to the respective top five finishers. Salahudin comes in off two comfortable wins at Ellis Park, including a 4 1/2-length tally in the seven-furlong Ellis Park Juvenile.

The only other stakes winner in the field is Blessed Flyer, a 13-1 chance when he won a 4 1/2-furlong baby race at Keeneland in April and an even bigger 31-1 when taking the June 28 Bashford S. at Churchill by a head over He Is No Lie. The latter shipped back west this summer but was a subpar, distant fourth behind Hughes in the Best Pal (G3).

A quartet of last-out maiden winners might prove effective with improvement. Real Gone blew away his field at Gulfstream while sporting blinkers for the first time, while Caribbean Life and Antivenom both won well at Ellis. Real Goodbar won comfortably going a mile at Colonial Downs, albeit over the turf.

Manuka Honey, who cruised in the Ellis Park Debutante by seven lengths, looms as the filly to beat in the $300,000 Pocahontas (G3), also over a mile. The Pocahontas kicks off the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, with points of 10-5-3-21 to the respective top five on the line.

Pierette landed the Debutante S. at Churchill in June but through in a clunker when favored in last month’s Adirondack at Saratoga (G3). Finishing third in the Adirondack was Scarlett Begonia, previously an easy debut winner at Ellis for Brad Cox.

The form of Scarlett Begonia’s maiden was flattered by returning rival Miss Anna, who returned to graduate by six lengths going seven furlongs.