Autumn Stakes – (Grade lll)

Purse $175.00 – For Three Year Olds And Upward

1 1/8 Miles – Dirt Woodbine – November 7, 2026

The 20th edition of the Autumn Stakes this Saturday at Woodbine draws seven older dirt horses competing around 1 1/8 miles on the dirt! This race has always been carded at 1 1/16 miles, but it was stretched out an extra half furlong starting in 2024. No owner has been more successful in the Autumn Stakes than Serenity Stables, who sits atop the all-time leaderboard with two victories in 2020 & 2022. TwinTowersRacing and Mb Stables have one win in this event since the inaugural running and both have one entrant this year. They could very well join Serenity Stables in sharing the top spot. Angle Of Attack currently holds the stakes record after an impressive outing two years ago under jockey Kazushi Kimura. He took command early in the stretch and was able to hold off closing rivals in a final time of 1:47.29. Graded stakes experience runs deep in this field, with enough runners having competed at that level multiple times to make it difficult to separate the contenders on class alone. Let’s talk about each one to see who stands out!

1. Fried Chicken – (Angelos Stable, H M. Vanek) Comes into this race for Angelos Stable off back-to-back wins at 1 1/2 miles. Fried Chicken followed an open allowance victory at Louisiana Downs by rallying from twelve lengths back to take the Greenwood Cup at Parx as the favorite last time out. In three starts at this distance earlier in the year, this gelding missed by a neck in the KY Cup Classic (G3) and finished sixth beaten just two lengths in the MTH Cup (G3). His victory in last year’s Whitney (G1) at Saratoga shows what he can do at 1 1/8 miles on dirt. An honest early pace would help Fried Chicken’s late run as he cuts back in distance. Definitely a contender.

2. Nationalist – (TwinTowersRacing, D. Moran) Nationalist is a TwinTowersRacing homebred who finished eighth in the seven-furlong Vosburgh (G3) last time out. He also ran eighth in the Connaught Cup (G2) on the Woodbine turf and has missed the board in four straight graded-stakes starts. The son of Van Gogh’s last win came in April when he led throughout a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Keeneland and drew clear by three lengths. He also broke his maiden on the front end at Saratoga over this same distance on dirt. The stretch-out could give Nationalist a chance to get forward early after racing near the back in his recent starts. His only two wins have come in wire-to-wire fashion.

3. Littiputian – (Mojica Racing, P. Moran) This New Jersey-bred has hit the board in all seven starts this year and comes in off consecutive seconds at 1 1/2 miles. Littiputian set the pace in the Greenwood Cup last time out at Parx before Fried Chicken caught him late to win by half a length. He was beaten a length in the Birdstone after tracking the leader throughout. The son of Grandeur’s latest victory came in a 1 1/16-mile N1X allowance where he rallied from fourth to score by a length. That ability to lead or stalk gives him options as he cuts back to 1 1/8 miles and steps into graded company. Littiputian no doubt is starting to pay dividends after being claimed for $10.50.

4. Individuation – (Mb Stables, R M. Hernandez) Individuation brings ten graded stakes wins into this race for Mb Stables. The seven-year-old missed by a nose in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) and went on to win that fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). This year, he finished fourth in the CT Classic (G2) before setting the pace and holding third by a length behind the winner in the Lukas Classic (G2). His latest victory came at Woodbine in August when he led throughout the Seagram Cup (G3) to draw clear by two lengths. Individuation also ran second over this course and distance in the Dominion Day (G3) after sitting just off the pace. Any horse with over $8,800.00 in career earnings gets the nod as my top pick.

5. Caveat Emptor – (High Voltage, L. Salles) Makes his first start since July after finishing seventh as the favorite in the Hall Memorial Stakes at Ellis Park. Caveat Emptor also ran ninth in the Salvator Mile (G3) and is winless in five starts this season. His best finish of the year came at Santa Anita in January when he closed from last to get third by a length in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer. This gelding showed stronger form at 1 1/8 miles last fall when he rallied from 12 lengths back to finish third in the Goodwood (G1) and followed with a fourth in the Fayette (G3). Caveat Emperor’s last win came at Woodbine over seven furlongs in May 2025. He will obviously need to take a step forward.

6. Whipped – (The Sidley Stud, E J. Wilson) Whipped showed he could handle the main track when he ran third in the Tokyo City Cup (G3) at Santa Anita last time out. The six-year-old was last early and still had six lengths to make up in the stretch before closing to within a quarter of a length of the winner. One start earlier he finished fifth, beaten two lengths in the Singspiel (G3) on the Woodbine turf. All six of this gelding’s career wins have come on grass, including the Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream in February. The extra half-furlong here at Woodbine gives him more ground to work with as he tries to build on that Santa Anita effort. This is going to be another serious contender.

7. Transformer – (The Sidley Stud, S. Civaci) The second entry for The Sidley Stud and has won twice since the barn claimed him for $10.00 in February. Transformer took the lead in the stretch of a 1 1/8-mile starter allowance at Parx last time out before getting edged by a neck at the wire. Two starts back, the son of Apples To Oranges rallied from fifth to beat Littiputian by a length in the 1 1/2-mile Birdstone at Saratoga. His other win for the barn came in a mile-and-70-yard N4L allowance back in May. There’s no question this will be a step up, but Transformer has hit the board in four of five starts since the claim. It will also be his second time taking on graded stakes company.

– AJM

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES