Here Mi Song in 5th Jeff Hall; Kilwin returns in Twin Bridges
Ellis Park media notes by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photo of Here Mi Song winning the 2024 Jeff Hall Memorial)
HENDERSON, Ky. (Monday, July 13, 2026) – Millionaire homebred Here Mi Song has already given owner-breeder Nathan Hayden the horse of a lifetime. On Saturday, the 8-year-old will try to make even more history as he seeks an unprecedented third victory in the $175,000 Jeff Hall Memorial (Listed) at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.
Run at 6 ½ furlongs, the Jeff Hall Memorial is the featured event on Saturday’s nine-race card. First post is 11:50 a.m. CT, with the Jeff Hall Memorial scheduled as Race 8 at 3:12 p.m.
Here Mi Song returns to his home away from home at Ellis Park, where he captured the Jeff Hall Memorial in both 2023 and 2024. This will be his fifth appearance in the sprint stakes; he was fifth in 2022 and third last year. An eight-time winner with purse earnings of more than $1.1 million, the Billy Stinson Jr. trainee earned his lone graded stakes victory in the 2023 Commonwealth Stakes (GIII) at Keeneland.
The Jeff Hall Memorial will mark Here Mi Song’s first start since he finished fourth in the Phoenix Stakes (GII) on Oct. 3 at Keeneland. Edgar Morales has the mount from post 2.
Standing in Here Mi Song’s way is defending Jeff Hall Memorial winner and multiple graded stakes winner Banishing.
Owned by Jacobson Racing, Sharaf Mohammed Al Hariri and Larry Roman, Banishing has compiled an accomplished 30-race career with victories in the Charles Town Classic (GII), Godolphin Mile (GII) and Oaklawn Mile (GIII). He was victorious in last year’s Jeff Hall Memorial when he rallied in deep stretch to edge Booth by a nose as the 4-5 favorite. Francisco Arrieta has the call aboard Banishing and will break from post 4.
The field for the Jeff Hall Memorial in post position order (with jockey and trainer):
· Echo Again (Jaime Torres, Jordan Blair)
· Here Mi Song (Morales, Stinson)
· Dreaminblue (Rafael Bejarano, Randy Morse)
· Banishing (Arrieta, David Jacobson)
· Track Mate (Axel Concepcion, Rusty Arnold II)
· Durante (Danny Sheehy, David Jacobson)
· Zero Sugar (Cristian Torres, Cipriano Contreras)
· Speed King (Yedsit Hazlewood, Ron Moquett)
· Dr. Saikali (Summer Pauly, Ed Moger Jr.)
· Bourbon Bash (Keith Asmussen, Steve Asmussen)
Saturday will be the fifth running of the Jeff Hall Memorial, named for the late Jeff Hall, who devoted more than 50 years of service to Ellis Park.
GRADE I WINNER KILWIN RETURNS IN $175,000 TWIN BRIDGES – Grade I winner Kilwin is set to make her 4-year-old debut Sunday when she faces nine rivals in the third running of the $175,000 Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.
Run at six furlongs for fillies and mares, the Twin Bridges is Sunday’s featured event and will go as Race 8 with a post time of 3:12 p.m. CT. First post is 11:50 a.m.
Trained by Rusty Arnold II, Kilwin became a Grade I winner as a 3-year-old when she rallied from last to capture the Test Stakes (GI) at Saratoga. Campaigned by BBN Racing throughout her racing career, Kilwin now races in partnership with Rick Howard, who purchased the filly for $3 million at the 2025 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. In addition to her Test Stakes triumph, Kilwin captured last year’s Leslie’s Lady Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Edgar Morales, who was aboard for Kilwin’s victory in the Leslie’s Lady Stakes, has the return call from post 4.
Arnold also entered stablemate Echo Sound, a multiple Grade III winner owned by Gabriel Duignan.
Echo Sound will make her 4-year-old debut after finishing seventh in last year’s Dogwood Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs. Victor Carrasco has the mount from post 9.
Other accomplished fillies and mares entered include Edward Childs’ Grade III winner Cash Call, John Gallegos’ Roxelana Stakes (Listed) winner One Magic Philly and Silverton Hill’s multiple stakes winner Jersey Pearl.
The field for the Twin Bridges from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
· Asternia (Yedsit Hazlewood, Randy Morse)
· Benedetta (Keith Asmussen, Kaleem Shah)
· Evanescence (Luan Machado, Eddie Kenneally)
· Kilwin (Morales, Arnold)
· One Magic Philly (Cristian Torres, Brendan Walsh)
· Cash Call (Florent Geroux, Bob Baffert)
· Jersey Pearl (Francisco Arrieta, Darrin Miller)
· Tapit Quick (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart)
· Echo Sound (Carrasco, Arnold)
· Pistol (Ben Curtis, Tom Van Berg)
ELLIS PARK NEWS AND NOTES – Seven days of racing have been completed during the 2026 Ellis Park season, and there have been plenty of storylines.
· Trainer Brendan Walsh has been on fire to start the Ellis Park season with 10 victories from 19 starts, including four consecutive wins on Thursday’s nine-race card. Walsh’s four-win day marked only the fourth time in modern history that a trainer has won at least four races on a single Ellis Park program and is believed to be the only instance of a trainer winning four consecutive races on one card. Previous trainers to win four or more races in a day are Wayne Bearden (Aug. 7, 1997 | five wins), Brad Cox (Aug. 5, 2018 | four wins) and Steve Asmussen (Aug. 30, 2019 | four wins). Walsh enters the third week of the season with a seven-win lead over Cox in the trainer standings.
· Jockey Ben Curtis made a last-minute detour from Colonial Downs to spend the summer at Ellis Park, and so far the move has paid dividends. Curtis has 10 victories from 29 starts and leads the standings by one win over Francisco Arrieta.
· Bettors who followed expert analyst Joe Kristufek‘s Sunday $3 Pick 3 ticket cashed for $660.12 on his $96 suggested play.
· Week 3 of the Ellis Park season runs Friday through Sunday with daily first posts of 11:50 a.m. CT. The weekend is dubbed “Jockeys’ Weekend” with special giveaways and promotions over the three days. Saturday, in partnership with the Kentucky HBPA, a $200 prize will be given away each race to the groom of the best turned out horse. The $1 Sunday Funday promotion returns with $1 beer, hot dogs, popcorn and select ice cream treats in partnership with the Kentucky HBPA.
