2025 Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes Preview at Kentucky Downs

Key takeaways:

• Ole Crazy Bone looks like a classic Mike Maker claim success story, well placed for a breakout at his best distance.
• Utah Beach should relish the 1 ½ miles with a fairer pace setup and has shown he handles the Kentucky Downs course.
• Grand Sonata returns as the defending champ and keeps the right rider, making him the more appealing bet than favorite Fort Washington.

The Kentucky Downs meet is one of the most exciting parts of the racing calendar. The only track in the United States that is all-turf, Kentucky Downs pays some of the biggest purses of the year, and in return, the meeting draws some of the biggest fields and some of the top connections in the country.

The flagship race of the meet is the Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) on Saturday, September 6. The 1 ½-mile turf race offers a $1.5 million purse open to all entrants, plus a $1 million bonus available to horses bred in Kentucky. In addition to the huge purse, the race also offers the winner a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 1 at Del Mar.

The leader of the field is Fort Washington, who comes into the Kentucky Turf Cup out of his breakthrough Grade 1 win in the Arlington Million (G1) on August 9. Once again, he will face Grand Sonata, a previous Kentucky Downs winner who missed Fort Washington by half a length in the Arlington Million. Some of his most interesting foes include distance specialist Utah Beach, the consistent Corruption, and up-and-coming El Rezeen.

Forego Information

• Race Date: Saturday, September 6
• Track: Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Kentucky
• Post Time: 5:20 p.m. Central Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ½ miles on the turf
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and up
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV and Fox
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2025 Kentucky Turf Cup Draw and Odds

This is the field for the 2025 Kentucky Turf Cup, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each horse.

Kentucky Turf Cup Prep Race Results

The 11 horses in the Kentucky Turf Cup come out of seven different races—all but one in stakes company, and all on the grass.

Two Grade 1 races each send horses into this field. Fort Washington and Grand Sonata were separated by only half a length as the top two finishers in the Arlington Million on August 9 at Colonial Downs, and both return for this. Three more come out of the Sword Dancer (G1) on the same day at Saratoga Race Course: Utah Beach finished a chasing fourth behind El Cordobes, El Rezeen was an even fifth, and Vote No flattened to seventh after setting the early pace.

One other horse comes out of a graded-stakes race. Divin Propos last raced June 25 in the 1 ¾-mile San Juan Capistrano (G3) at Santa Anita, where he weakened to a well-beaten fourth of five.

Two races at Ellis Park that were intended as prep races for the Kentucky Downs meet have last-out runners in this. Ole Crazy Bone and Anglophile both narrowly missed to Highway Robber in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup on August 3: Ole Crazy Bone made a late rally and missed by a head, while Anglophile made an early move, was reeled in late, and finished third by half a length. Mercante stretches out after an even fourth-place finish, beaten 1 ¾ lengths, in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Mile on August 2.

One horse in the field wheels back quickly after another start at the Kentucky Downs meet. Tawny Port was second to Flatten the Curve in the 2 1/16-mile Gold Cup Invitational on August 30, his best outing since last September in this race.

Corruption makes his second start off a lay. Though he has some solid graded-level outings earlier in the year, he is the only one to come into this race straight out of an allowance—a 1 ⅜-mile race at Saratoga that he won by two lengths on July 30.

Kentucky Turf Cup Contenders

These are the 11 entrants in the 2025 Forego, in order of their post positions:

1. Divin Propos: He stepped up to the graded-stakes level after clearing his second-level condition at Del Mar last summer, but hasn’t yet made the grade. He has a few decent efforts—including a troubled fourth-place effort when he left town and ran at Pimlico in the Dinner Party (G3), crossing the wire three lengths behind Fort Washington. He has some upside on the move to the Saffie Joseph barn, and jockey Frankie Dettori has had a red-hot start at Kentucky Downs … meaning that even though he needs to be a price coming off that bad effort last out, there’s some upside for exotics if he is a price.
2. El Rezeen: He needs to move forward from last out, where he passed a few horses late to finish fifth in the Sword Dancer. But, he did show some tactical speed at times early in his career without blinkers, interesting since he takes them off here. He also may not need to be that close to the pace anyway—there are a few speed horses in the field, and longer races at Kentucky Downs are fair or even advantageous to closers. This up-and-comer has the stamina—and if the rain possible in the forecast comes to fruition? The good second two back on yielding ground suggests he’ll take to it well.
3. Tawny Port: Though Tawny Port may not remember how to win, his outing August 30 in the Kentucky Downs Gold Cup shows he hasn’t forgotten how to run. He has hit the board in both starts at Kentucky Downs, as well as three of six at the 1 ½-mile distance on grass. This is a tougher race than his one a few days ago, but he was third in this race last year, and one of his better outings could mean he invades the exotics over a course he has proven he likes.
4. Vote No: He weakened in the lane last out in the Sword Dancer, but there are a few reasons he can improve here. He gets a bit of a class drop for this. And, on the lead is not his usual or best style—he is a better closer. The question is whether he is good enough—if he runs back to his win in the Cape Henlopen three back then he could make an impact, though so far that seems to be a one-off effort. In short, he has a longshot chance at exotics, but demand a big price.
5. Mercante: He stretched out from a mile, and goes as far as 1 ½ miles for the first time—and he has already shown enough speed in shorter races to suggest he will be part of the pace scenario for this. The extra distance is interesting based on pedigree; he is by strong stamina sire Gun Runner and is a half to Travers (G1) winner West Coast. But he tries a new distance and needs a career best over a course that, when running route distances, can be very taxing for speed horses.
6. Grand Sonata: This classy and tactically versatile Todd Pletcher charge seeks his first win since a score in this race last year. He has rounded back into form—he ran a close second in both the United Nations (G2) two back and the Arlington Million last out. Both of his Kentucky Downs outings have been good—and the fact that his only money finish in five starts at 1 ½ miles came at Kentucky Downs suggests he may just really like the track.
7. Utah Beach: This spring, he looked like the up-and-comer in the 1 ½-mile turf division, clicking off wins in both the Elkhorn (G2) and the Louisville (G3). However, he has missed the board in his next two. He has some excuses: he had trouble in the Chorleywood at Churchill Downs two back, and had a dawdling pace to chase in the Sword Dancer last out. Now, he returns to Kentucky Downs, a track where he finished second in his only previous start. Late runners tend to fare well in routes at the track, and he has the stamina. In short, he may lurk under the radar, but there is a lot to like.
8. Ole Crazy Bone: A newer face to graded-stakes company, he was off the board in the Elkhorn three back, but was claimed for $100,000 out of a second-place finish in an optional claimer at Churchill two back and missed by a head in the prep for this race at Ellis on August 3. He was claimed to the barn of Mike Maker, someone who has made his career on claiming these older turf horses and turning them into serious distance runners. Ole Crazy Bone is a pace-versatile sort, and he gets the riding services of big-race star Flavien Prat. And, though he has never raced at Kentucky Downs, he did run third in a Sam Houston stakes at 1 ½ miles on grass back in January. In short, there’s upside.
9. Anglophile: He hasn’t won since upsetting the Dueling Grounds Derby (G3), the race now known as the Nashville Derby, at Kentucky Downs two years ago. But, he has plenty of good efforts in the meantime, most recently a close third in the prep race at Ellis. He moved weirdly early in that race, and maybe a later and better-timed move could make the difference. However, he still has to prove himself at 1 ½ miles—his local win came at 1 5/16 miles, that good last-out race was at 1 ¼ miles, and he has a track record of just not getting there at this longer trip.
10. Corruption: Just nine months ago, he broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park for a $35,000 tag. The ascent has been fast since—he hasn’t been out of the superfecta since, including a neck miss in the Pan American (G3) in March and a respectable fourth in the Manhattan (G1) on June 8, after breaking a bit slowly. He freshened up a bit after that and returned with a convincing allowance score on July 30. He suffered heat exhaustion after that race, but was cooled down, and reports from trainer Mark Casse after the race were good. He came back to the work tab on August 21 and comes back for this race—on a day where the high is expected to be in the mid-70s, not the horrific heat waves from July and early August. However, he will need to run a career best, and his forward running style may make that challenging.
11. Fort Washington: He has won three of his last four starts, including the Arlington Million last out, making him the class of the field. His late-running style should play well at Kentucky Downs, and he has hit the board over the track before. The big question is distance—Fort Washington hasn’t tried 1 ½ miles yet. He looked good at 1 ¼ last out, and he is almost certainly a better horse now than when he was eighth beaten 3 ¾ lengths in the 1 ⅜-mile United Nations in 2024. But on the other hand, the price may be on the short side for a new challenge, especially against foes who are more familiar with the trip.

Kentucky Turf Cup: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the Kentucky Turf Cup:

1. Ole Crazy Bone (15-1)

Mike Maker has built an entire career on turning high-priced claims into serious long-distance turf horses, and he has a live one in the Kentucky Turf Cup with Ole Crazy Bone. He was a little more proven going long on grass than the usual Mike Maker claim: he had already tried 1 ½ miles twice before moving into the barn and had amassed a stakes placing at Sam Houston at the distance.

This is a tougher ask than anything he ever did for his old barn, of course. But he comes into it out of a good second-place finish in the local-ish prep race, and second off the claim is a major positive for the Maker barn. Maker also has an exemplary record at Kentucky Downs, and a good idea of which horses are likely to thrive there. This was probably the goal all along, and with the versatility and stamina to handle it, he could be the new breakout horse in the long-distance turf division.

2. Utah Beach (6-1)

He has yet to win again since a pair of 1 ½-mile graded-stakes victories in the spring, but his two starts since haven’t been bad. He had trip trouble in his next out in a strong ungraded race at Churchill Downs, and did not get much early pace to run at last out in the Sword Dancer. Though the pace won’t be truly sizzling in the Kentucky Turf Cup, it should at least be honest with the likes of Mercante and Corruption usually showing pace, and a few others in the field who can at times. Utah Beach is usually a closer, but he overcame some sluggish fractions to win both the Elkhorn (G2) and the Louisville (G3). And, route races at Kentucky Downs tend to play fairly—and on some days, even outright positively—to horses making a late run.

Other factors also point in his favor. Trainer Ignacio Correas, IV, tends to punch above his weight in graded-stakes races. And, though Utah Beach hasn’t turned up at Kentucky Downs since he was a three-year-old, he ran a credible second as an odds-on favorite in a one-mile maiden race the one time he did come to Franklin. It was enough to show that he can handle the course, and now that he gets to go his true best distance over it, it would be no surprise if he goes one better than that.

3. Grand Sonata (4-1)

Fort Washington may well go off the favorite, and he’s not out of the question given his class, but Grand Sonata will be the more appealing bet between the pair coming out of the Arlington Million. Though he is hit or miss at 1 ½ miles, that one hit means a lot—it came in this race last year. And, in his other start over the undulating Kentucky Downs course, he was second in the shorter Dueling Grounds Derby as a sophomore.

His running style should be well-suited in this race—he is a later runner, but doesn’t have to drop extremely far off the pace, as he showed when second in the Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream Park back in March. He sticks with Tyler Gaffalione, who rode him in both the Arlington Million this year and in his Kentucky Turf Cup score last year, and Gaffalione should be able to work out the right trip and have him right in the fray down the lane.

Kentucky Turf Cup FAQ

Q: When is the Kentucky Turf Cup?

A: The Kentucky Turf Cup happens Saturday, September, at 5:21 p.m. Central Daylight Time.

Q: Where is the Kentucky Turf Cup?

A: The Kentucky Turf Cup happens at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Kentucky. It is the 11th race on the 12-race card.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Kentucky Turf Cup?

A: Mike Maker leads all trainers with five wins in the Kentucky Turf Cup, most recently with Red Knight in 2022. He can extend that record in 2025 if Ole Crazy Bone wins.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Kentucky Turf Cup?

A: Grand Sonata, the defending champion, is the narrow 4-1 morning-line favorite. That puts him just ahead of Fort Washington, the horse who beat him in the Arlington Million last out; he was named the 9-2 second choice. Off of that classy form, one of the horses coming out of the Arlington Million will probably be post-time choice; Fort Washington seems a little more likely to actually go off favorite due to his more recent wins, though Grand Sonata will take interest from his local form.

Q: Who is the best Kentucky Turf Cup jockey?

A: Florent Geroux leads all jockeys with four wins in the Kentucky Turf Cup. Though he is riding the meet, he does not have a call in the Kentucky Turf Cup. Two of the riders in the 2025 edition have won the race before: Tyler Gaffalione rides Grand Sonata after winning with that horse in 2024, and Jose Ortiz (Corruption) won in 2019 with Zulu Alpha.

Q: Who won the Kentucky Turf Cup in 2024?

A: Grand Sonata won the 2024 Kentucky Turf Cup for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Grand Sonata returns to the starting gate with the same team behind him in 2025, and Pletcher also sends out El Rezeen with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the saddle.

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