Mint Million – GIII

$2,000.00 For Three Year Olds And Upward – 1 Mile – Turf
Kentucky Downs – September 7, 2026

The sixth running of the Mint Million has drawn a full field of fourteen. That is not a surprising fact given that this G3 mile event on the grass offers a huge purse of $2,000.00. Big purses is what Kentucky Down$ is famous for and it makes this short boutique meeting something that every barn with a talented turf competitor looks forward to. We have a full field of the top turf milers ready to burst out the gate on Labor Day and grab a big payday so let’s take a look at who is scheduled to appear.

1. Neon Lightning (Nakamura Stables/R. Santana Jr.) Nakamura homebred is a G1 winner of the Hollywood Derby last year as a three year old. That was his last win. It was also the last time that he hit the board. Yes, he has been facing top competition in graded stakes but he has not yet shown the same kind of form as a four year old as he did last year. 

2. Anna Anna Anna (Maxmillion Farm/L.R. Rivera) Five year old is coming into this race in the best form of his career. He has won his last two starts. Both of those wins were graded stakes and he put up triple digit SRF speed figures in both the G3 The Poker Stakes and the G2 Connaught Cup Stakes. Has a good draw and has to be taken seriously.

3. Be A Nice Boy (Maxmillion Farm/Mar Garcia) Draws right outside his stablemate and although he doesn’t boast a last out graded stakes win he just missed taking the G1 The Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga missing out to winner Prince Mblini (in post 12) by a nose. He was getting two pounds from the winner that day and they are at equal weights today but that last race was too good to ignore.

4. Rearranger (Our Athletes/T. Gaffalione) Will meet familiar foes today. He lost the G3 The Poker Stakes by a head to Anna Anna Anna two starts back and finished a solid fourth in the aforementioned G1 The Fourstardave Handicap where he was a length behind Prince Mblini at equal weights. He is a multiple G1 winner in his three year old season and seems to be finding his best form again. Always near the winner at the wire. 

5. Cahokia (Mb Stables/F. Pennington) Makes his first start for Mb Stables after being purchased a couple of weeks ago for $300.00. New barn wastes no time showing the faith they have in their new acquisition. He has two wins in his ten race career and nothing from those races would make him the pick here. He has super fast works but needs to translate that to race day. He is in the right barn if he is going to get the light switch turned on. 

6. King Luka (Night Rider Stables/J.R. Leparoux) He is a G1 winner and has banked over $1,000.00 in his career. You have to respect those bullet points on his resume. However, you can’t ignore that he has only hit the board twice posting two thirds in the last two years over fifteen starts. The bright spot is a good third in the G3 Kelso two races back where he earned a 103 SRF speed figure which is the best of his career.

7. Derby Dreams (TwinTowersRacing/R.M. Hernandez) Another who is a G1 winner with over $1,000.00 in earnings. His G1 win in The Hirsch Turf Classic was last September at Aqueduct so we are not talking ancient history but he has not come close to replicating that form since. He did get a confidence building win two starts back in an optional claimer at Saratoga. 

8. Turning Point (TwinTowersRacing/M.J. Sanchez) Four year old colt has been given plenty of looks at graded stakes competition but has yet to gain any placings in nine graded attempts. He has two turf starts and did not threaten in either of those races. It would be a huge turning point were he to score a win here. 

9. Nothing Like It (Nakamura Stables/D.E. Centeno) Six year old has made one stakes start in his thirty race career which was the statebred California Flag at Santa Anita two years ago. He finished third that day but hasn’t seen the starting gate in a stakes race since He has a second and two thirds in five races this season and now jumps into a G3 with a $2,000.00 purse. Is showing speed in the morning but will have to up his race game. 

10. Ged (Mb Stables/P. Lopez) Comes out of the G1 The Fourstardave Handicap like several others in this race. Although he finished seventh he was making a big late run and he only missed by a length. Two wins and two seconds in five 2026 starts shows good form and that he likes to compete but he draws post ten and will need to have his best form.

11. Magnum Opus (Mojica Racing/J.L. Ortiz) He is a lightly raced five year old with only thirteen starts to date. He was claimed for $7.50 in June from the free tracks and has made two starts since. He won an allowance race at Lone Star Park in July and then made his stakes debut in the Jones Stakes where he finished a closing third. Neither of his races in his new barn were on grass but he is one for two on that surface having won a free track route in a $7.50 claiming race. He will face the best field he has faced by far and needs to find several gears to make his presence felt. 

12. Prince Mblini (Winning Link Stables/B. Curtis) Was purchased at auction for $22.00 in March and has since made four starts for his new barn winning three of them including two graded stakes. He won the G3 Arlington Stakes at Churchill Downs in May and then won the prestigious G1 The Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga a month ago carrying high weight and beating several who are in the field today. He draws an unfortunate outside post but the new barn seems to have found his niche and has him in the best form of his career. 

13. Chagrin Falls (Mo Mentum Farm/J.R. Velazquez) If the eight year old has slowed down at all it has not been by much. The winner of last years G1 Breeders Cup Turf returned in 2026 to win the G1 The Pegasus World Cup Turf and the G2 Read Stakes in his last start bringing his career earnings to a gaudy $5,702.71. He may be at his best going longer than a mile but he has won grade ones at this distance before. He has been challenged with post thirteen but he has to be considered the favorite despite that.

14. Jakarta (Nakamura Stables/S.X. Bridgmohan) Like Chagrin Falls to his inside he is also a Breeders Cup winner having taken the G1 Breeders Cup Mile in 2024. Like Chagrin Falls he has impressive earnings as well having banked $4,327.20. His best race this season was a fourth in the G1 Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland in April but his two wins this season have been in allowance races getting some class relief. He won his last race by four lengths at Del Mar and that should give him some confidence coming into this race but he will have to overcome post fourteen. 

It is a full field over a unique course with several horses making jumps up in class as well as recent purchases with new connections etc… However, I think Chagrin Falls has to be given the nod given his record and his excellent form this year. In that regard he towers over the field. Prince Mbilini comes off a G1 win at Saratoga so he earns the place pick followed byAnna Anna Anna and Jakarta. 

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES