Splendora among three stakes winners for Prat at Churchill

Jockey Flavien Prat bagged three stakes wins at Churchill Downs on Saturday, including an odds-on success aboard Splendora in the $326,000 Locust Grove (G2) for fillies and mares.

In a field reduced to four after two scratches, Splendora held a significant class and pace advantage. Sent to the lead at odds of 1-5, Splendora proceeded to set comfortable fractions of :24.28, :47.86, and 1:11.84. In upper stretch, the five-year-old daughter of Audible kicked clear and passed the wire 5 1/4 lengths ahead of Yes It Tiz. Immersive, the 2024 juvenile filly champion, was third.

Owned by Randy Boy and By Talla Racing, the Bob Baffert-trained Splendora paid $2.40 after completing 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.30.

Splendora has won five of her last six starts, beginning with a decisive tally last November in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar. But after subsequent two-turn victories this term in the Beholder Mile (G1), Shawnee (G2), and Molly Pitcher (G2), Splendora appears more likely to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Class also prevailed in the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society S., as odds-on choice Built seized control approaching the quarter pole and increased his advantage to 1 1/2 lengths to the wire under Prat.

Exiting a 2 1/2-length win in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2) at Saratoga, in which he defeated subsequent Forego (G1) winner Hymn, Built finished up 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.28 and paid $3.32. Echo Again, the longest shot on the board at 48-1, finished a surprising second, two lengths ahead of 13-1 chance Dreaminblue.

A four-year-old by Hard Spun, Built races for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and is trained by Wayne Catalano, who said the colt would now train up to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

The stakes action on Saturday kicked off with the $268,500 Open Mind S., a six-furlong dash for fillies and mares, where 3-2 favorite Usha saved ground before rallying up the rail to win by three parts of a length under Prat.

Victorious in the La Brea (G1) in December and the Winning Colors (G3) in late May, Usha won over 2025 Eight Belles (G2) winner Look Forward, who was racing for the first time in 13 months. Finishing third in the field of seven was Cash Call, stablemate of Usha in the barn of Bob Baffert.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Usha paid $5.08 after completing the Open Mind in 1:10.55.