Dual Graded Winner Mercante Returns at Ellis Park

Carl Pollard's dual graded stakes winner Mercante , scratched from the June 28 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs after trainer Brian Knippenberg was dissatisfied with the turf horse's prerace energy and appetite, returns against 11 rivals Aug. 2 in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile Stakes at Ellis Park.

The mile grass race is one of three $250,000 stakes Saturday, all of which serve as automatic qualifiers for their winners into designated high-value stakes during the short Kentucky Downs meet in late August and early September. 

A 5-year-old gelded son of Gun Runner   out of Pollard's champion Caressing , Mercante is in the midst of a breakout year, notching three victories from five starts, two of them in stakes. Winner of the May 31 Arlington Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs and the March 22 Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (G3) on synthetic at Turfway Park earlier in the year, the gelding also finished second by three-quarters of a length to Spirit of St Louis  in the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) on Kentucky Derby Day.

Among his chief foes at Ellis Park are fellow graded stakes winners Taking Candy , Encino , Komorebino Omoide , and Steal Sunshine .

In the two other black-type events, Calumet Farm's Native Runner  leads the Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby, and G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Bling  heads the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes.