A look at Ky Downs’ Labor Day undercard stakes
Bottas chases millionaire status in $1.75 million KTDF Gun Runner;
Qatar Racing represented by Conflict, Duty Bound in $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies;
Pillar of Beauty seeks stakes triumph in $250,000 Lucky Lantern
Kentucky Downs stakes advances by publicist Ryan Martin (Mike Kane photo above of trainer Miguel Clement)
FRANKLIN, KY (September 4, 2026) – Dahman’s dual graded-stakes winner Bottas has not raced outside of Saratoga in three starts this season, but that will change when he takes on a full field of 14 in Labor Day Monday’s $1.75 million KTDF Gun Runner for 3-year-olds going one mile at Kentucky Downs.
The KTDF Gun Runner is one of five stakes events that encompass the final day of the three-day U.S. Open of Turf Championships. The lucrative card is spearheaded by the Grade 3, $2 million Mint Millions and the Grade 2, $1.5 million The Mint Franklin-Simpson, and also features the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies and the $250,000 Lucky Lantern.
Bottas is a graded stakes winner at ages 2 and 3, capturing the Grade 2 Pilgrim last October at Aqueduct in his stakes debut as well as the last-out Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 7 going one mile at Saratoga. Trained by Miguel Clement, the son of third-crop sire Vekoma was third, beaten 1 ½ lengths in his 2026 debut in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge at Saratoga, before a troubled but narrow fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 4, beaten only 1 ¼ to the victorious Title Role.
“I thought his last performance was his best,” Clement said. “I thought his effort in the Pennine Ridge was a good performance as well, and in the Belmont Derby, he just lacked a little bit of racing luck. He was always a bit bottled in, and was only beaten a length and a half on the grass.”
The Hall of Fame conquest came at a fitting time, as the race was held on the same day that Clement’s late father, Christophe Clement, was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.
“It was perfect timing,” Clement said. “We had the whole family here as well as a huge CC [Christophe Clement] alumni group. So the whole Clement tribe was there, so it was terrific to win that race that day.”
Breaking from post 6, Bottas will be ridden for the first time by Jose Ortiz.
Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Touch of Fire will look to get back on the winning track for trainer Brad Cox. The son of Constitution was a narrow third as the favorite in the last out Hall of Fame, finishing just 1 ¾ lengths behind Bottas, which came following a close fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. A TDN Rising Star following a seven-length debut winner in January at Fair Grounds, Touch of Fire was second in the Black Gold at Fair Grounds two starts before winning the Audubon at Churchill Downs.
Reigning Eclipse Champion jockey Flavien Prat, aboard Touch of Fire in the Belmont Derby, will ride from post 2.
Holly and David Wilson’s Mr. A.P. [post 10, Joel Rosario] will bring his newfound affinity for turf to Kentucky Downs for trainer Vladimir Cerin. The son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was second at 20-1 odds in last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, before coming off an eight-month layoff for his 3-year-old and turf debut to finish third in the Oceanside at Del Mar. He enters from an allowance win over the Del Mar turf.
Qatar Racing’s Infiltrate [post 9, Tyler Gaffalione] also has blossomed since racing on grass, finishing second in his 2026 debut in the last-out Grade 2 Secretariat on August 1 at Colonial Downs. The Brendan Walsh-trained son of Oscar Performance finished only a half-length behind the victorious Supercharger in the 1 1/16-mile test after a 2-year-old campaign which saw three main-track starts. He broke his maiden at first asking last August at Ellis Park, two starts before defeating winners in an off-the-turf allowance event going a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs.
John Oxley, Linda Casse, Eric Long and TLR Thoroughbreds’ Brave Force [post 8, Jaime Spencer] will attempt to make his sire Gun Runner proud in winning his namesake race. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Brave Force broke his maiden over the winter going two turns over Turfway Park’s all-weather surface two starts before beating winners in an off-the-turf allowance at Churchill Downs in May. He enters from a pair of stakes efforts on grass when third in the American Derby at Churchill Downs, and fourth in the Water Tower at Ellis Park.
Completing the field are Grade 1-placed Vitruvian Man [post 1, Brian Hernandez, Jr.], stakes-winner Khozalite [post 3, Leonel Reyes], stakes-winner Turf Star [post 4, Ben Curtis], stakes-winner Conducted [post 5, Luis Saez], maiden winner Fuzzbuster [post 7, Jaime Torres], two-time winner Go for Rocket [post 11, Francisco Arrieta], dual stakes-winner and Kentucky Downs 2-for-2 Street Beast [post 12, Luan Machado], stakes-winner Proton [post 13, Umberto Rispoli], and stakes-winner Blackmail [post 14, Javier Castellano]. Baytown Dreamer [post 15, Yedsit Hazlewood] has been entered as also eligible.
The Gun Runner honors the 2017 Champion Older Horse, Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm and trained by Hall of famer Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner retired as one of the all-time money-earning North American Thoroughbreds with career earnings of nearly $16 million. On the breeding front, Gun Runner has sired Eclipse Champions like Sierra Leone [2024 Champion 3-Year-Old], Echo Zulu [2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly] and Super Corredora [2025 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly].
The Gun Runner is carded as Race 9 with a 4:10 PM CT scheduled post time. First post for the 14-race card is 11:30 AM CT.
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Qatar Racing represented by Conflict, Duty Bound in $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies
Qatar Racing holds a strong hand in Monday’s $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies with impressive debut maiden winner Conflict and dual winner Duty Bound entered in the one mile test at Kentucky Downs.
Trained by Brad Cox, Conflict went 1 1/16 miles over the Saratoga turf for her career debut, where she used deep-closing tactics to win by one length under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.
“The plan with Conflict after she won at Saratoga was to come to Kentucky Downs,” said Fergus Galvin, Racing Manager for Qatar Racing. “Brad liked her going into that race. She’s a big filly. Before Saratoga, we thought maybe she would need a race just by looking at her, and she kind of ran like that in the first half of the race. When Irad got into her, she had that big kick, which is what you like to see with a turf filly.”
Conflict is by leading first-crop sire Golden Pal, whose first stakes winner took place in last weekend’s Untapable at Kentucky Downs with Seneca Park. Golden Pal, who stands at Coolmore, was a dual Breeders’ Cup winner, winning the Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2021 at Keeneland and the Turf Sprint the following year at Del Mar.
“He’s been doing big things all summer and just about every weekend and weekday,” Galvin said. “He’s proven himself to be one of the top freshman sires this year. A lot of them with good size will get even better with age. He was obviously a very fast horse himself, and Conflict looks like stamina won’t be an issue for her.”
Bought for $300,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Conflict is out of the Orb mare Seeking Spirits – a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Kirbby’s Penny.
Reigning Eclipse Champion Jockey Flavien Prat will pick up the mount from post 1.
Trainer Jack Sisterson will give Duty Bound a quick turnaround following an Opening Day victory against winners in an allowance race restricted to Keeneland Sales graduates. The daughter of freshman sire Jack Christopher broke her maiden going 5 ½ furlongs at Colonial Downs in late July, where she tracked just off the pace early on. In her recent Kentucky Downs conquest, Duty Bound sat nearly eight lengths off the pace at the first point of call and rallied in the final furlong to win by a head over returning rivals Elegante Miz and Cardio Cat.
“We circled the Keeneland sales race at Kentucky Downs for her next start, and that worked out really well,” Galvin said. “We figured (we’d run back) since she liked the track so much that day. It’s a quick turnaround, but it’s been done before with a few horses in the past. Track experience counts for a lot, especially with a 2-year-old. Her showing an affinity for the course is a big plus.”
Duty Bound is out of the multiple Grade 1-winning Congrats mare Turbulent Descent. She was bought for $100,000 out of last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Jamie Spencer will ride from post 6.
Like Duty Bound, Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Dazzling [post 8, Julien Leparoux] also will wheel back off short rest, after breaking her maiden going one mile at Kentucky Downs last Saturday.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the daughter of influential sire Tapit won at third asking, following a pair of starts at shorter distances. She is out of the Australian-bred Animal Kingdom mare Victory Kingdom, whose second dam is influential broodmare Leslie’s Lady – the dam of perennial leading North American sire Into Mischief and Hall of Fame mare Beholder.
Irish conditioner Joseph O’Brien will send Citrus Springs [post 9, Ben Curtis] back to her native Kentucky for Monday’s race. The daughter of freshman sire Olympiad will make her United States debut, and won at third asking at seven furlongs over good ground at Gowran Park by five lengths. Purchased for $300,000 at the OBS March Sale, Citrus Springs is out of the Tale of the Cat mare California Spirit, who is a half-sister to multiple Graded stakes-winner Protonico.
Completing the field are debut maiden winner Mightily [post 2, Adam Beschizza], debut maiden winner Up Before the Dawn [post 3, Yedsit Hazlewood], turf debut maiden winner Smoke[post 4, Tyler Gaffalione], dual stakes-placed Cardio Cat [post 5, Erik Asmussen], stakes-placed Elegante Miz [post 7, Keith Asmussen], turf debut maiden winner Casablanca Queen [post 10, Luis Saez], and turf debut maiden winner Early Autumn [post 11, Jose Ortiz].
The Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies is carded as Race 7 on Labor Day Monday’s 14-race card with a scheduled post time of 3:00 PM CT. First post is 11:30 AM CT.
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Pillar of Beauty seeks stakes triumph in $250,000 Lucky Lantern
West Point Thoroughbreds and William Sandbrook’s Pillar of Beauty will ship to Kentucky Downs to take on a field of 12 for Labor Day Monday’s $250,000 Lucky Lantern, a 6 ½-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies which have never won a stakes race.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Pillar of Beauty will cut back in distance from a narrow runner-up in the Wild Applause on July 3 at Saratoga, where she finished 1 ¼ lengths behind the victorious To a Flame. The daughter of Caracaro won at first asking last December at Gulfstream Park going five furlongs, four starts before defeating winners going 5 ½ furlongs at Saratoga.
A victory in the Lucky Lantern would give co-owner West Point Thoroughbreds their 200th stakes victory as owners.
Reigning Eclipse Champion Jockey Flavien Prat will ride from post 11.
Epic Horses’ Epic Lady Luck [post 3, Javier Castellano] will attempt to keep her consistent turf form afloat for trainer George Weaver. The daughter of third-crop sire Vekoma, who also was trained by Weaver, broke her maiden over the synthetic surface at Gulfstream Park last December at fourth asking before finishing a narrow third against winners for her former conditioner Brian Lynch. She enters from a second behind Cadenza in the Galway on August 15 at Saratoga, which was contested over yielding turf.
Three Diamonds Farm’s Sapphire Beach [post 5, Brian Hernandez, Jr.] has cross-entered in the Grade 2, $1.5 million Ainsworth Music City on Saturday. Trained by Rusty Arnold, the daughter of No Nay Never was second in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup at Saratoga behind Cy Fair in her most recent effort. An overall three-time winner, Sapphire Beach was second beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Limestone on April 10 at Keeneland before an allowance victory going 5 ½ furlongs on May 31 at Churchill Downs.
Completing the field are three-time winner Faye’s Gold [post 1, Adam Beschizza], Kentucky Downs maiden winner Snappy Comeback [post 2, Joel Rosario], four-time stakes-placed Laigina [post 4, Keith Asmussen], Kentucky Downs maiden winner Lit Ship [post 6, Umberto Rispoli], dual-winning and graded stakes-placed Scratch It [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione], stakes-placed Just a Minute [post 8, Jaime Torres], dual-winner Oscar’s Encore [post 9, Jose Ortiz], Carolyncaroline [post 10, Francisco Arrieta] and graded stakes-placed Spa Prospector [post 12, Luis Saez].
Mon Reve [post 13, Yedsit Hazlewood], Rocket Raina [post 14, Mario Gutierrez], Life’s Dynamic [post 15, Tyler Gaffalione] and Paris Carver [post 16, Micah Husbands] are entered as also eligible.
