Baffert-trained G3 Lewis winner Plutarch headlines $400K Ellis Park Derby

Aug 4, 2026 Jennie Rees No Comments

Stakes previews by Ellis Park publicist Kevin Kerstein (Benoit photo above of Plutarch winning Santa Anita’s Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis in February)

HENDERSON, Ky. (Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026) – Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Robert B. Lewis (Grade III) winner Plutarch is set to make his return to action for the first time in six months when he headlines Sunday’s ninth running of the $400,000 Ellis Park Derby presented by Hallway Feeds (Listed), the centerpiece of a six pack of stakes at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Sunday’s stakes bonanza gets underway at 11:50 a.m. CT. and includes the $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed), the $250,000 Ellis Park Juvenile presented by Claiborne Farm, the $250,000 Ellis Park Debutante presented by Hausmann Outdoor Solutions, the $200,000 Audubon Oaks and the $200,000 R.A. “Cowboy” Jones.

Run at one mile, the Ellis Park Derby goes as Race 7 at 2:42 p.m.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Plutarch was a gusty three-quarters of length winner in the Robert B. Lewis in early February. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief has been preparing for his return to action with a steady series of drills at Churchill Downs, including a sharp five-furlong move in :59 two weeks ago, the fastest 28 recorded breezes at the distance. Jockey Florent Geroux has the call and will break from post No. 5.

Other accomplished 3-year-olds entered in the Ellis Park Derby include On Our Own Stable, Commonwealth Stable, URacing Stables, Saints or Sinners, Titletown Racing, Jim Nichols, Edwin Barker, Daniel Rivers, John Haines and Dallas Stewart’s recent allowance winner Corona de Oro; Three Chimneys Farm’s Jimmy Winkfield Stakes winner Igniter; Trade Wind Farm’s Pat Day Mile (GII) third-place finisher Stop the Car and trainer Randy Morse’s duo of Arkansas-bred stakes winner Seventies Music and multiple stakes placed Spun D M C.

The field for the Ellis Park Derby from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Corona de Oro (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 7-2)
Seventies Music (Rafael Bejarano, Randy Morse, 15-1)
Stop the Car (Ben Curtis, Brendan Walsh, 5-2)
Igniter (Luis Saez, Rick Dutrow Jr., 3-1)
Plutarch (Geroux, Baffert, 2-1)
Spun D M C (Francisco Arrieta, Randy Morse, 8-1)

Sunday also dubs as College Day presented by the Kentucky HBPA, where full-time students are eligible for $1,000 scholarship prizes per race along with iPads, AirPods and Amazon gift cards.

For more information about Ellis Park Derby Day, visit www.ellisparkowensborogaming.com.

TWINBRIDGES RUNNER-UP CASH CALL RETURNS FOR $200,000 GROUPIE DOLL – Edward Child’s recent Twin Bridges Stakes runner-up Cash Call will return to Ellis Park and lead a field of seven fillies and mares entered in Sunday’s 45^thrunning of the $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed).

The one-mile Groupie Doll is the afternoon’s fifth race at 1:44 p.m.

Cash Call, campaigned by Bob Baffert, invaded Kentucky in May from Southern California and scored a half-length allowance victory over next-out stakes winner Anakarina before finishing second to Grade I winner Kilwin in the Twin Bridges. While based with Baffert’s string in California, Cash Call scored her lone graded stakes victory in the last year’s Summer Oaks (GIII) at Santa Anita. Jockey Florent Geroux will ride Cash Call in the Groupie Doll from post No. 2

The Groupie Doll field also includes Main Line Racing Stable and Avalon Racing Stable’s three-time winner and multiple stakes placed Five a Side; Team Valor International’s recent Iowa Distaff runner-up Queen Azteca and Anita Ebert Racing’s six-time winner In Just My Heels.

The complete lineup for the Groupie Doll in post position order (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Queen Azteca (Cristian Torres, Rodolphe Brisset, 7-2)
Cash Call (Geroux, Baffert, 9-5)
In Just My Heels (Yedsit Hazlewood, Ron Moquett, 5-1)
Floating Beauty (Edgar Morales, Lonnie Briley, 8-1)
Five a Side (Jaime Torres, John Servis, 3-1)
Union Mist (Ben Curtis, Brendan Walsh, 10-1)
Chilled (Mario Gutierrez, Vicki Oliver, 20-1)

OWEN ALMIGHTY RETURNS TO ELLIS PARK FOR $200,000 R.A. ‘COWBOY’ JONES – Flying Dutchmen’s 2024 Ellis Park Juvenile winner Owen Almighty returns to Ellis Park Racing & Gaming on Sunday to face a competitive group of eight older horses entered in the fifth running of the $200,000 R. A. Cowboy Jones Stakes.

Run at a mile, the R. A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes is named in honor of the late R. A. “Cowboy” Jones, one of the most legendary jockeys to ever ride at Ellis Park. The field will go to post in Race 9 at 3:42 p.m.

Owen Almighty, trained by Brian Lynch, enters Sunday’s race following a near miss in the Hanshin Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs where he was defeated by Nu What’s New. Overall, Owen Almighty sports three victories from his 13-race campaign with earnings of $782,135. He’ll be ridden by Luis Saez and exit post No. 2.

Chief among his rivals in the race appears to be Norman Stables’ local hope Coal Battle.

Trained by Lonnie Briley, Coal Battle was fourth in the Hanshin Stakes in a rail-skimming ride by Corey Lanerie. The now 4-year-old son of Coal Front garnered national attention as a 3-year-old on the Road to the Kentucky Derby where he won the Rebel (GII) before finishing 11^th in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). Jockey Cristian Torres has the mount in Sunday’s race from the outside post 8.

The complete field for the R. A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Heroic Move (Brian Hernandez Jr., Robertino Diodoro, 9-2)
Owen Almighty (Saez, Lynch, 3-1)
Money Supply (Ben Curtis, Joe Sharp, 20-1)
Extra Anejo (Florent Geroux, Steve Asmussen, 4-1)
Tennessee Lamb (Jaime Torres, Rusty Arnold II, 20-1)
This Is Uscar (Edgar Morales, Jordan Blair, 5-1)
Bracket Buster (Axel Concepcion, Vicki Oliver, 6-1)
Coal Battle (Cristian Torres, Briley, 7-2)

WELL-REGARDED DEBUT WINNER SALAHUDIN RETURNS TO ACTION IN ELLIS PARK JUVENILE – Zedan Racing Stable’s debut winner Salahudin returns to action against six rivals entered in the 11^th running of the $250,000 Ellis Park Juvenile presented by Claiborne Farm, one of six stakes contests Sunday at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Run at seven furlongs, the Ellis Park Juvenile will begin an all-stakes Pick 5 sequence in Race 4 at 1:16 p.m. The bet also includes the $400,000 Ellis Park Derby (Listed), the $200,000 Groupie Doll (Listed), the $250,000 Ellis Park Debutante and the $200,000 Audubon Oaks.

Salahudin leads the Ellis Park Juvenile field following his maiden-breaking performance one month ago at Ellis Park, when his Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert made his first ever appearance at the Henderson track. The 2-year-old son of Uncle Mo will be piloted by Florent Geroux out of post No. 6.

The Ellis Park Juvenile field also includes the Estate of Mike McCarty’s Saratoga maiden special weight winner Grand Yaupon; Palm Beach Racing V’s debut winner Never a Doubt and Charles Marquis’ Beararmour, an impressive 7 ½-length first-out winner at Colonial Downs.

The complete lineup for the Ellis Park Juvenile from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Tigrado (Orlando Bocachica, Michel Douaihy, 20-1)
Sargent Bilko (Ben Curtis, Eddie Kenneally, 9-2)
Chasing the Son (Santo Sanjur, Rey Hernandez, 12-1)
Grand Yaupon (Keith Asmussen, Steve Asmussen, 5-2)
Beararmour (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux, 6-1)
Salahudin (Geroux, Baffert, 2-1)
Never a Doubt (Jaime Torres, Carlos David, 4-1)

DOMINANT MAIDEN WINNER MANUKA HONEY TESTS STAKES COMPANY IN $250,000 ELLIS PARK DEBUTANTE – Lisa Lee, Jason Sciortino, William Lynch and Brian Howe’s dominant 7 ¼-length debut winner Mauka Honey will step up into stakes company and face seven other 2-year-old fillies entered in Sunday’s ninth running of the $250,000 Ellis Park Debutante presented by Hausmann Outdoor Solutions.

Run at seven furlongs, the Ellis Park Debutante goes as Race 6 of 10 with a post time of 2:12 p.m.

Campaigned by Brian Lynch, Manuka Honey crushed 11 rivals on debut at Churchill Downs in a five-furlong maiden special weight contest. The daughter of Upstart will be ridden in the Ellis Park Debutante by Luis Saez out of post No. 6.

Also entered in the field is BC Stables, Bob Albritton, David Baggett and Jay Graham’s undefeated filly Glory Run. Trained by John Ennis, Glory Run has a perfect record from two-career starts with a maiden special weight score on Jun 2 at Horseshoe Indianapolis and a first-level allowance victory three weeks ago at Ellis Park. Glory Run will have the riding services of Alex Achard from post 8.

The field for the Ellis Park Debutante in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

Cardio Cat (Erik Asmussen, Steve Asmussen, 7-2)
Velvet Beretta (Francisco Arrieta, Michel Douaihy, 12-1)
For the Win (Axel Concepcion, George Weaver, 10-1)
Sweet Mary (Jaime Torres, Carlos Santamaria, 15-1)
Greatest Joy (Adam Beschizza, Keivn Rice, 15-1)
Manuka Honey (Saez, Lynch 9-5)
Caffeine Fix (Cristian Torres, Rodolphe Brisset, 6-1)
Glory Run (Achard, Ennis, 3-1)

GRADED STAKES WINNER A FINE CHARDONNAY LEADS $200,000 AUDUBON OAKS– Double 22 Stables’ graded stakes-winning filly A Fine Chardonnay is set to take on eight fellow 3-year-old fillies that entered Sunday’s seventh running of the $200,000 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, A Fine Chardonnay began her career with two consecutive victories in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs and the Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland. Following back-to-back third-place efforts against stakes company in the Fern Creek at Churchill Downs and Any Limit at Gulfstream Park, A Fine Chardonnay got back on track by winning the Beaumont (GII) at Keeneland. The daughter of Maclean’s Music enters the Audubon Oaks following a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Leslie’s Lady (Listed) at Churchill Downs and third-place finish in the Victory Ride (GIII) at Saratoga. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rides out of post No. 8.

The Audubon Oaks field features several accomplished fillies including Will Werner’s graded stakes placed Betty’s Pearl; Pocket Aces Racing’s undefeated filly Twirling Aces and Hat Creek Racing’s Grade I winner Percy’s Bar, who’s cross-entered in Saturday’s Test Stakes (GI) at Saratoga.

The complete lineup for the Audubon Oaks from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):