Road to Kentucky Derby 153 Begins With Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 1, 2027
The Road to Kentucky Derby 153 will start Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs with a stacked 11-race program for 2-year-olds that includes the Grade III Iroquois Stakes and Grade III Pocahontas as the first qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
A field of nine 2-year-olds is entered in the 45th running of the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade III), scheduled as Race 10 at one mile with a post time of 5:29 p.m. Eastern. The race is headlined by Zedan Racing Stables’ Salahudin, trained by Bob Baffert, who is undefeated and comes off a dominant victory in the Ellis Park Juvenile.
The 58th running of the $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes (Grade III), the opening leg on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, will feature nine 2-year-old fillies in Race 8 with a post time of 4:26 p.m. Eastern. Ellis Park Debutante winner Manuka Honey, who scored by seven lengths in her last start, will attempt to stay unbeaten as she stretches out in distance at Churchill Downs.
Saturday’s program at Churchill Downs will begin at 12:45 p.m. Eastern and will showcase five stakes races: the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove (GII), the $300,000 Iroquois (GIII), the $300,000 Pocahontas (GIII), the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society (Listed) and the $300,000 Open Mind (Listed), offering an early look at juveniles expected to figure on the 2027 Derby and Oaks trails.