Ellis Park’s Summer Showcase kicks off Saturday

Jul 26, 2026 Jennie Rees No Comments

Ellis Park stakes preview by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photo above of Big Trouble winning Horseshoe Indianapolis’ Clarksville Handicap in her last start)

BIG TROUBLE TOPS WIDE-OPEN $250,000 HUMMINGBIRD STAKES

Saturday Stakes Doubleheader Kicks Off Summer Showcase Weekend Featuring Seven Stakes Worth $1.75 Million

HENDERSON, Ky. (Sunday, July 26, 2026) – Donamire Farm’s recent stakes winner Big Trouble will face a wide-open cast of 12 turf sprinters entered in Saturday’s $250,000 Hummingbird Stakes presented by Sterling Industrial (Listed), part of a stakes doubleheader at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming on Summer Showcase weekend.

The newly named Hummingbird is the featured race on Saturday’s card and will go as the finale on the 10-race program at 4:12 p.m. CT. First post is 11:50 a.m.

Trained by Greg Foley, Big Trouble scored a gutsy half-length victory two weeks ago in the Clarksville Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Overall, the 5-year-old homebred daughter of Kantharos has won four races from 22 starts while banking $472,623. Jockey Francisco Arrieta has the call and will break from the rail. Arrieta carries a 17-10 lead in the Ellis Park jockey standings over Ben Curtis heading into the July 26 card.

The field for the Hummingbird also includes Mrs. Fitriani Hay’s The Very One Stakes runner-up Saturday Flirt; Three Diamonds Farm’s recent third-level allowance winner Buttercream Babe; and Lugamo Racing Stable’s Churchill Downs allowance winner Cloe.

The lineup for the Hummingbird Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Big Trouble (Arrieta, Foley)
Me Governor (Adam Beschizza, Joe Sharp)
Rojo Rita (Gerardo Corrales, Dallas Stewart)
Saturday Flirt (Yedsit Hazlewood, Wesley Ward)
Lovely Emma (Danny Sheehy, Peter Eurton)
Shirley Ann (Amir Mendoza, Clarke Vesty)
Satin Blue (Axel Concepcion, Joe Sharp)
Cloe (Ben Curtis, Mike Maker)
Dala (Jaime Torres, Eoin Harty)
Buttercream Babe (Cristian Torres, Rusty Arnold II)
Itzel (Edgar Morales, John Ennis)
Lucy McGee (Mario Gutierrez, Vicki Oliver)

Saturday is Day 1 of Ellis Park’s Summer Showcase weekend, which features seven turf stakes worth a combined $1.75 million. Along with the Hummingbird Stakes, Saturday’s card also includes the $200,000 Riverside Rush presented by Sterling Industrial in Race 9.

For more information about the 2026 summer racing season or for the latest gaming promotions, visit www.ellisparkowensborogaming.com.

FANSHELL BEACH RETURNS FROM ROYAL ASCOT AND FACES OVER-SUBSCRIBED FIELD OF 15 IN $200,000 RIVERSIDE RUSH – Hat Creek Racing’s Fanshell Beach returns stateside following her fifth-place finish in the Norfolk Stakes (GII) at Royal Ascot to face an oversubscribed field of 15 2-year-olds entered in Saturday’s first running of the $200,000 Riverside Rush presented by Sterling Industrial at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming.

*Fanshell Beach winning her debut April 26 at Churchill Downs (Coady Media)*

Run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, the Riverside Rush is part of a stakes doubleheader led by the $250,000 Hummingbird (Listed). The Riverside Rush goes as Race 9 on the 10-race card with a post time of 3:42 p.m. CT. First post is 11:50 a.m.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Fanshell Beach dominated her debut by 5 ¼ lengths in an April 26 maiden special weight contest at Churchill Downs. Following that win, Ward sent Fanshell Beach to Royal Ascot, where she took the lead in the Norfolk Stakes but faded to finish fifth, beaten 4 ¼ lengths. She’ll break from post No. 12 in the Riverside Rush under Yedsit Hazlewood.

Chief among her rivals appears to be Big Cat Racing’s Hey Tuff Guy, who will make his first start on turf following a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Bashford Manor (Listed) as the even-money favorite. Trained by Brian Lynch, Hey Tuff Guy was an eye-catching 7 ¾-length debut winner May 25 at Churchill Downs but faded to fifth a month later in the Bashford Manor. Jockey Mario Gutierrez, who has been aboard for both of Hey Tuff Guy’s starts, will have the return call in the Riverside Rush and break from post 10.

The field for the Riverside Rush in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):