The times of operating strictly towards their very own age group are numbered for the 2021 crop and the Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs Nov. 23 will probably be the ultimate alternative for it is 9 runners.

The prospect to earn a graded stakes victory and the winner’s share of a $300,000 purse is an attractive method to finish the season, particularly for a gelding rising the ranks like Herchee .

The son of Twirling Sweet   is frivolously raced with 4 begins, having solely made his debut June 30 at Churchill Downs. He received that day by 3 1/2 lengths and adopted with a profitable bounce to allowance firm at Ellis Park.

The 100% Racing Secure homebred hit the board in his first two stakes makes an attempt behind the proficient Sensible Berti , together with a last-out third by 1 1/4 lengths within the Oct. 26 Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. Sensible Berti will not be within the beginning gate this time, leaving the door open for Herchee in his first begin at 1 1/16 miles.

Video: Bryan Station S. (G3T)

“His final two races have undoubtedly been towards more durable firm, however he stepped as much as the plate and tried his coronary heart out,” Pitts mentioned. “He loves the sport and he would not like getting beat.

“There are some first rate horses in right here, it is no straightforward spot. However we’re again on our residence turf and operating out of our personal stall. I am wanting ahead to it.”

Included in his competitors is one other rising 3-year-old, Frankly Talking’s Dashman .

After some high quality begins at 2, the Oscar Efficiency   colt returned from a seven-month layoff to win his seasonal debut in a July 22 Ellis Park maiden race. Like Herchee, he adopted up with a victory in allowance firm at Kentucky Downs.

“He is undoubtedly stepped it up as a 3-year-old. He confirmed a variety of expertise at 2, so when he got here and received off the layoff at Ellis it confirmed he was a runner,” Lynch mentioned. “For him to knock out the allowance in his subsequent begin, often that is an indication of a fairly proficient horse.”

In his stakes debut, the Oct. 5 Jockey Membership Derby Invitational Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack, he obtained caught in visitors coming into the stretch and was fourth, overwhelmed 1 3/4 lengths, behind two-time grade 1 winner Carson’s Run  and a number of grade 3 winner Deterministic .

One other horse on the enhance is the late-closing Ak Sar Ben Derby  for proprietor Millard R. Seldin Revocable Belief and coach John Ortiz. After taking six makes an attempt to interrupt his maiden, the Tapiture   gelding rattled off a second victory in a row within the Oct. 6 Hawthorne Derby, attending to the entrance simply in time to win by a head. He shortens up in distance Saturday as his final 4 begins have all come at 1 1/8 miles.

HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud’s Lagynos  has usually been the bridesmaid this yr, putting 4 occasions in stakes firm and thrice on the graded degree for Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen.

Making his tenth begin of the yr following a fifth within the Bryan Station, the son of Kantharos   will probably be ridden by jockey Flavien Prat for the primary time.

Gary Barber’s My Boy Prince  is twice grade 1-placed for Corridor of Fame coach Mark Casse however remains to be looking for an elusive graded triumph.

The Ontario-bred Cairo Prince   colt spent the beginning of his season pointing for his residence nation’s greatest race: the King’s Plate Stakes. After a slender three-quarter-length defeat in that race, he examined older horses within the Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) and set the tempo again towards 3-year-olds within the Bryan Station, ending off the board in each.