The $500,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2), an important turf race for older horses, returns to Churchill Downs for the first time in three years on Saturday with a field of six led by even-money favorite Ottoman Fleet.
Formerly the Firecracker Handicap, the race was renamed in 2016 for two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who also won this race twice, in 2011 and 2013.
Ottoman Fleet. Coady Photo
In 2022, the Wise Dan was not run because turf racing was shut down at Churchill Downs. Last year’s edition, won by 46-1 longshot Stitched, was run at Ellis Park after Churchill Downs closed its spring meet due to a spate of horse injuries.
And now for Saturday’s race: Godolphin-owned Ottoman Fleet has run well during his time in the United States. The 5-year-old gray gelding comes into the 1 1/16-mile Wise Dan off a one-length win in the Arlington Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 1. He was second by a neck in the Fort Marcy (G3) at Aqueduct on May 4.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, Ottoman Fleet began 2024 in Dubai with two races, then won the Earl of Sefton Stakes (G3) at Newmarket on April 17. In two U.S. starts in 2023, he won the Fort Marcy and ran third in the Manhattan (G1). Flavien Prat has the call seeking a second straight Wise Dan win (he was aboard Stitched in 2023).
Exaulted ships in from the West Coast for trainer Peter Eurton and is at 4-1 odds in his first race in nine months. Juan Hernandez, among the leading riders in Southern California, will be aboard as the horse makes his 7-year-old debut.
In his final two starts of 2023, Exaulted won the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita on May 29 and ran second in the Del Mar Mile (G2) on Sept. 2.
Chasing the Crown, runner-up in the Arlington, is back for another chance at Ottoman Fleet. The 5-year-old will be ridden by Joel Rosario as the second betting choice at 3-1.
The Wise Dan is race 7 (post time is 3:52 p.m. ET) on a card loaded with six stakes races, including the $1 million Stephen Foster (G1).
For online horse betting players, the picks:
The field for the $500,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Strong Tide, Emmanuel Esquivel, Michael Lauer, 20-1
2 Ottoman Fleet (Flavien Prat, Charlie Appleby), 1-1
3 Chasing the Crown (Joel Rosario, Mike Maker), 3-1
4 Johny’s Fireball (Tyler Gaffalione, Norm Casse), 6-1
5 Win for the Money (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse), 9-2
6 Exaulted (Juan Hernandez, Peter Eurton), 4-1
