Race 10 at Churchill Downs | Saturday, June 28 | Post Time 5:31 PM Eastern

Wise Dan Stakes – Grade 2 | Purse $500,000 | One Mile and One-Sixteenth on Turf | Four Year Olds and Upward

Top Contenders: Event Detail (5), Fort Washington (6), Mi Hermano Ramon (3), Mercante (4)

Brilliant Bertie (7) and Taking Candy (6) are contenders to complete the exacta.

Event Detail (5) is very intriguing in this race, and likely to go to post at about the same odds as his morning line odds of 8 to 1, so could offer excellent profit potential as well. He has run 11 times, finishing first or second on more than half of those races, six times to be exact. His turf record is underwhelming at 3-0-1-1 but that’s even more reason to pay attention at his more than decent starting odds. As a three-year-old in 2023 he was highly regarded enough to run in the Rebel Stakes on dirt on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, but he finished 10^th and then he was away from the races for 17 months. Returning in August of last year in the hands of a new trainer, William Walden, Event Detail won at a mile rather impressively when rallying from last of eight. After two poor efforts including his first try on grass, fairly irrelevant as it was a mile and one-half, Event Detail finished fast from last of 12 to miss by a neck, but then he was sidelined for three months.

Returning in March, Event Detail earned a career best 105 Equibase Speed Figure winning at a mile on all-weather then ran even better when moved to grass for only the second time in his career, finishing second at 11 to 1 and earning a 115 figure. In his only start since then, the horse finished fourth in the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes at Churchill Downs, beaten just a length or so for the win. The KEY here is the fact Irad Ortiz, Jr., the leading jockey in North America the past few years and currently second, rides the horse although he has never previously. Per a Race Lens stat, Ortiz, Jr. has ridden for Walden 14 times previously, with an EXCEPTIONAL record of 6-4-2 in 14 races including winning three of six turf races. It's not hard to imagine when Walden calls Ortiz, Jr.’s agent, it’s for a horse which has a big shot to win. Such is the case with Event Detail, who is bred to adore the grass and who can win by repeating his 4/29 effort in this race.

Fort Washington (8) also opens at odds of 6 to 1 which are higher than they should be considering he’s won two stakes races in a row in turf, including the Dinner Party Stakes on Preakness day with a 116 figure which is good enough to win. That was no fluke as the horse earned a 114 figure when missing by a neck in the Fort Lauderdale Stakes three races before that. Alvarado rides and is two-for-two when in the saddle on this excellent turf runner approaching three quarters of a million dollars in earnings on grass and who has a nice shot to win his third stakes race in a row.

Mi Hermano Ramon (3) nearly won the higher-level Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in his most recent start on May 26, at 3 to 1, yet opens at 9 to 2 here. He won the Seasbiscuit Stakes last November with a career-best 122 figure and can improve off the 111 in the Shoemaker, which was his first race after nearly three months off. California based jockey Antonio Fresu accompanies the horse and has a very strong record when riding for trainer Glatt, 13-7-8 in 46 races over the past five years. With seven first or second place finishes in 13 career turf races, Mi Hermano Ramon is yet another horse who would be no surprise if winning.

Mercante (4) won the Arlington Stakes last month by a neck over Brilliant Bertie (7), with Lagynos (2) another half-length back in third and Event Detail another half-length back in fourth. Mercante finished second in the higher-level Grade 1 Turf Classic on Derby Day prior to that, and won two in a row before that, so has now run four “A” races in a row and can be expected to do so again. However, opening at 5 to 2, he doesn’t offer the value for win bets as do others, and although he’s a contender to win, he’s just as probably as the three above, no more, no less.

Win Bets: We must start with Event Detail (5) and Fort Washington (8), who both should be considered for win bets at odds of 3 to 1. Personally, I would not hesitate betting both to win.

Mi Hermano Ramon (3) and Mercante (4) have fair odds of 7 to 2

Exactas:

Event Detail (5) and Fort Washington (8) over Event Detail (5), Fort Washington (8), Mi Hermano Ramon (3), Mercante (4), Taking Candy (6) and Brilliant Berti (7).

Event Detail (5), Fort Washington (8), Mi Hermano Ramon (3), Mercante (4), Taking Candy (6) and Brilliant Berti (7) over Event Detail (5) and Fort Washington (8).