The Green River Island

Purse $300.00 – For Three Year Olds And Upward

1 1/16 Miles – Turf

Ellis Park – August 2, 2026

After nine long years, the Guilliams Handicap has been rebranded to The Green River Island and returns to the Ellis Park stakes calendar for its 12th running. The race also returns with a much richer purse, increasing from $50.00 in 2017 to $300.00 this year. Dating back to the early 2000s, the fields we’ve seen have been a mix of graded stakes performers looking to rebound and allowance horses hoping to springboard themselves into graded company later in the season. History could be made this year as Nakamura Stables looks to become the first owner to win this race twice, having captured the 2017 running. It’s also worth noting that jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. has been victorious in The Green River Island four times. The stakes record was set back in 2012 when Jerry Garcia Racing’s Eclipse closed from off the pace as the favorite, stopping the clock in 1:39.13. The six-horse field this time around brings together a balanced group, setting the stage for another competitive renewal. Let’s take a look at each contender!

1. Legit – (Bigchief Stables, P. Lopez) Started off his 2026 campaign with a win in the Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds. The son of People Pleaser has been running against graded company since that victory. He ran second in a Grade Three down in Florida on soft ground behind the 2024 Belmont winner, Good Memories. Connections stretched out Legit another furlong in The Fort Marcy and he failed to make up ground late to finish third. This New Mexico-bred comes out of The Poker Stakes at Saratoga going one mile. He actually held a slight advantage for most of the race by a head, but yielded late to get another third. Legit will need to show more late kick down the lane to be competitive in here.

2. Good Memories – (Mb Stables, J R. Velazquez) The only Grade One winner in the field and has over $3,400.00 in lifetime earnings. After spending the early part of his career exclusively on dirt, Good Memories switched to the turf at the end of last year. He went on a three-race win streak taking down two graded stakes in the process. Connections then tried going back into G1 company and stretching him out to 1 ¼ miles, but didn’t have much success. The son of Kashatreya comes into this race with back-to-back starts going one mile on the grass. Mb Stables might be experimenting with new instructions because one of those efforts was close to the lead and the other was from off the pace. Could be dangerous.

3. Architect – (Nakamura Stables, R. Santana Jr.) Architect broke his maiden second time out going two turns on the grass at Santa Anita. Later on in his three-year-old campaign, connections decided to give this California-bred a try on the main track. He ended up capturing The Sir Barton Stakes and the Magic City Classic Stakes. Architect was gelded at the start of this year after fifth and eighth-place efforts on the dirt. The son of Con Will Con started to fire on all cylinders winning two N3X’s, both sprinting and routing on the turf. He comes out of the Texas Turf at Lone Star Park, closing into fifth from eighth. With improving SRF speed figures in his last four starts, this gelding definitely deserves a look.

4. Powerful Explosion – (Maxmillion Farm, Mar. Garcia) Through 22 career starts, this gelding has sprinted 14 times with four allowance wins. He broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in 2023, going wire-to-wire at a mile on the green stuff. So it’s safe to say Powerful Explosion is extremely versatile. Most recently, this five-year-old beat a talented N4X group going six furlongs on the grass. Connections looked to build on that effort by taking a shot in the Opening Verse. He settled off the pace in seventh and closed into fourth. Last time out, Powerful Explosion was entered in the G3 Poker Stakes as the longshot at Saratoga. It was unfortunately the same result as his previous effort. A fast pace upfront is needed.

5. Stop Hammertime – (Bears Stable, F. Pennington) One of the top candidates this year with a ton of experience going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. True to his deep-closing style, Stop Hammertime has earned his highest speed figures coming from off the pace. The son of Manhunt recently jumped into graded company, running in the Canadian Turf and hitting the board in the American Stakes. Connections tried something new two starts back by putting this gelding on the lead at Monmouth Park. He ran extremely well but was run down late to finish second. Last time out, Stop Hammertime was seen in an open allowance at a mile on the grass and ran an even third. Expect an improved effort this time around.

6. Billions – (First Class Stable, V. Espinoza) An allowance runner who has been extremely consistent as of late. Billions hasn’t finished off the board in seven straight races, all coming on the turf. He recently put together back-to-back wins at Parx going a mile and 7½ furlongs. However, the son of First Class was disappointing last time out after not firing in an open allowance. He drew the rail in a field of six and was in perfect striking position. When it came time to make a move, Billions came up empty. This is an entry that makes sense because he has no allowance conditions left and his last six-furlong work was in 1:09.34. That bullet ranked among the top five six-furlong turf workouts ever at Ellis Park.

– AJM

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded