BY CHURCHILL DOWNS PRESS OFFICE
Carl Pollard’s talented 5-year-old Mercante will lead a field of nine turf specialists that entered next Saturday’s 36th running of the $500,000 Wise Dan (Grade 2), one of six stakes on the blockbuster Stephen Foster Day program at Churchill Downs.
The Wise Dan at a mile-and-one-sixteenth on turf was carded as race 10 of 12 with post time of 5:31 p.m. EDT.
Mercante, trained by Brian Knippenberg, was a gutsy winner of last month’s Arlington Stakes (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs, defeating fellow Wise Dan competitor Brilliant Berti by a neck. Prior to the Arlington, Mercante was victorious over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park in the Kentucky Cup Classic (Grade 3) and finished three-quarters of a length behind Spirit of St Louis in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade 1) on Kentucky Derby Day. Jockey Joe Ramos, who’s been aboard Mercante in his last four starts, will retain the mount for the Wise Dan and break from post four.
Florida-bred contender Seminole Chief has won five of ten career starts, earning $420,325. After breaking his maiden at Finger Lakes in 2023, he captured the FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream Park that December. Following a three-race 2024 campaign that included a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, he returned with two 2025 victories to-date in an allowance race and the Listed Appleton Stakes.
Last out he finished ninth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 26.
The four-year-old gray gelding by Girvin out of Secret Song was bred by Brad and Misty Grady. He sold for $80,000 as a two-year-old at Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company before coming under the current ownership of Bradley R. Grady and David Grund.
(Seminole Chief’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)
Brilliant Berti will attempt to turn the tables on Mercante in the Wise Dan. Owned and bred by Klein Racing, Brilliant Berti’s 10-race resumé includes six victories including the Bryan Station (G3), American Derby (Listed), Opening Verse (Listed) and Gun Runner Stakes. The Cherie DeVaux trainee will be ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr. out of post seven.
Also entered in the race is Grade 2 winner Mi Hermano Ramon. Owned by Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners and Red Baron’s Barn and trained by Mark Glatt, Mi Hermano Ramon won last year’s Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) at Del Mar. Most recently, the 5-year-old son of Creative Cause just missed winning the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, finishing a neck behind King of Gosford. Jockey Antonio Fresu has the call in the Wise Dan from post three.
Another accomplished horse entered in the race is Magic Cap Stables’ Fort Washington, who was victorious in both the Dinner Party (G3) and Canadian Turf (G3) in his last two starts. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Fort Washington has won six of 26 starts while banking purse earnings of $724,922. The 6-year-old son of War Front will have Kentucky Derby 151-winning rider Junior Alvarado in the saddle out of post eight.
The complete field for the Wise Dan in order of post position (with jockey and trainer) includes: Henro (Rafael Bejarano, Chris Hartman); Lagynos (Flavien Prat, Steve Asmussen); Mi Hermano Ramon (Fresu, Glatt); Mercante (Ramos, Knippenberg); Event Detail (Irad Ortiz Jr., Will Walden); Taking Candy (Jose Ortiz, DeVaux); Brilliant Berti (Hernandez, DeVaux); Fort Washington (Alvarado, McGaughey); and Seminole Chief (Luis Saez, Jack Sisterson).
Steve Koch contributed to this story.
Return to the June 26 issue of Wire to Wire
