Simpson Stakes – (Grade ll)

Purse $1,500.00 – For Three Year Olds

6 1/2 Furlongs – Turf

Kentucky Downs – September 7, 2026

The Simpson Stakes returns for its eighth edition as the richest race available to three-year-old sprinters on turf or dirt. This race began as a Grade Three with a $500.00 purse before being upgraded to a Grade Two and eventually turned into a Grade One. After offering $2,000.00 in each of the past two years, the race downgrades as a Grade Two this season with a $1,500.00 purse. It comes as no surprise that the HRP juggernaut Mb Stables leads all owners with three victories in the Simpson Stakes. He holds another strong hand this year with three entries looking to add to that total. Tormented with jockey C. J. Hernandez delivered a brilliant wire-to-wire victory in 2021, stopping the clock in 1:13.76—a time that still stands as the Kentucky Downs track record for 6 ½ furlongs. Well, there’s a lot of contenders to go through who bring in some impressive résumés. Weather also looks to be picture-perfect for this holiday card. Who’s going to make the most of this lucrative opportunity?

1. Great Scholar – (Nakamura Stables, D E. Centeno) Nakamura Stables’ homebred Great Scholar has definitely shown some versatility while winning three of his ten career starts. He began his career on dirt, progressing through the allowance ranks before switching to turf and capturing his grass debut going a mile in February. The son of Accredited Scholar stepped into stakes company next and finished fifth in the Cutler Bay, where he was beaten four lengths after encountering some traffic late. He returned to dirt with a runner-up finish before setting the pace and missing by a nose against older N3X runners on the turf last time out. The cutback to 6 ½ furlongs should complement his early speed. Step up will be needed.

2. Private Affair – (TwinTowersRacing, M J. Sanchez) Needed three starts to break his maiden—getting the job done on the dirt around two turns at Turfway Park in February. Private Affair struggled to make an impact in three subsequent allowance attempts on dirt, prompting connections to give him his first opportunity on the grass. That surface change produced a major turnaround as this California-bred tracked the pace and finished third by less than a length in the Grade Two National Museum of Racing Stakes at Saratoga. He now cuts back from a mile to 6 ½ furlongs, which should allow him to put his tactical speed to good use. Private Affair still owns only one victory from seven starts, but his last start showed that he belongs at this level.

3. Wolfman Jack – (Spankys Barn, T. Gaffalione) Has spent his entire seven-race career on the turf while competing at distances ranging from five furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. Wolfman Jack broke his maiden going a mile at Santa Anita before coming up short in both The Walker and Grade Three Pennine Ridge. Spankys Barn then shortened him back up, and he has improved across three allowance starts at Saratoga, culminating in a front-running victory going 5 ½ furlongs last time out. The added furlong should not be an issue given his route experience, and his speed could place him near the front from the start. This is a significant class test, however Wolfman Jack does enter in improving form. Last 6f work on turf was 1:09.84.

4. Meta – (D J C Racing Stables, F. Pennington) This son of Muth has finished in the top three in five of his seven career starts, all of which have come on the turf. After needing four attempts to break his maiden, he placed in back-to-back allowance races and missed by just half a length going seven furlongs at Fort Erie. This gelding made his stakes debut in the Grade Two Secretariat Stakes last time out, where he remained within striking range before weakening to sixth and finishing only three lengths behind the winner. Cutting back to 6 ½ furlongs may help Meta sustain his run after spending most of his career around two turns. A recent bullet six-furlong turf workout adds some appeal. Others do have more appeal in here.

5. Raining Prince – (Nakamura Stables, S X. Bridgmohan) Raining Prince brings the strongest résumé of the Nakamura Stables duo with six victories and more than $316.00 in career earnings. He won the ELP Juvenile on dirt last year as well as the Grade Three Hope Stakes, but his best form has surfaced since switching to turf. This California-bred captured his grass debut against older N4X runners going 6 ½ furlongs at Woodbine before missing by a head in a five-furlong allowance at Monmouth. He returned there last time out and battled his way to a narrow victory in the My Frenchman Stakes, improving his turf record to two wins and a second from three starts. Raining Prince looks like one of the top contenders.

6. No Prince – (Mb Stables, J R. Velazquez) The first of three Simpson Stakes entrants for Mb Stables and brings an exceptional record of three wins, six seconds, and two thirds from twelve starts. His lone off-the-board finish came after setting the pace in the Grade One American Turf, and he quickly rebounded with a third in the Audubon Stakes followed by a victory in the Saranac. No Prince turned in another strong performance last time out, leading until the final strides before finishing second by half a length in the Grade Two National Museum of Racing Stakes. Nearly all of his experience has come around two turns, making the cutback to 6 ½ furlongs the biggest question mark However, the recent 57 2/5 bullet turf workout indicates that this Florida-bred e may be sharp enough to handle the shorter trip.

7. Furious Luka – (Night Rider Stables, E. Jaramillo) Furious Luka has steadily climbed the class ladder since breaking his maiden for a $7.50 tag last summer. The Night Rider Stables homebred has finished in the top three in nine of his ten turf starts, with his only other result being a fourth-place finish in The Notebook. He has been particularly sharp since returning to sprinting, missing by a nose in a Saratoga allowance before falling just a head short in the Grade Three Mahony Stakes last time out. Although this gelding stretches out an additional furlong, his prior success around two turns suggests the distance will be within his reach. A sharp workout over the Kentucky Downs turf shows he has taken to the course as well.

8. Suicide Pact – (Spb Racing, B. Curtis) Connections claimed this son of Truce for $13.50 last October, and has now been developed into a graded stakes winner. Suicide Pact has only been off the board twice and strung together consecutive N3X victories at Monmouth earlier this summer. That showed that he was ready for another opportunity against stakes company. This New York-bred delivered in the Grade Three Mahony last time out, wearing down Furious Luka to prevail by a head and extend his winning streak to three. He has the tactical speed to secure a favorable position while also proving that he can fight through the stretch. The additional furlong will be perfect, making him extremely dangerous in this field.

9. Blooming Attack – (Mb Stables, R. Santana Jr.) Blooming Attack is the second of three entrants for Mb Stables and has earned more than $871.00 since being claimed for $40.00 last fall. He began this season with a runner-up finish in the Cal Cup Derby before capturing the Grade Two Rebel. This California-bred later finished second in the Grade One Stephens going seven furlongs. He returned to turf in the Grade One Belmont Derby and ran a respectable fourth by two lengths despite stretching out to 1 ⅛ miles. Blooming Attack shortened back to 6 ½ furlongs in the Grade Two Amsterdam last time out, setting the pace before finishing third by only a quarter-length over a sloppy track. Already a winner sprinting on grass, he should appreciate the return to turf.

10. Petit A Petit – (Jerry Garcia Racing, R M. Hernandez) Jerry Garcia Racing’s homebred Petit A Petit brings plenty of dirt class into his first start on the turf. After breaking his maiden at Santa Anita, he missed by a neck in the Lafayette Stakes and then captured the Grade Two Pat Day Mile by a quarter-length. The son of  Excoriator came up empty in The Preakness but performed much better in the Grade Three Ohio Derby, setting the pace before finishing fourth by only one length. The cutback to 6 ½ furlongs should suit a colt who has already excelled at seven furlongs and a mile. Turf remains the major question, although his recent grass workouts definitely offer some encouragement. Longshot play.

11. Red Party – (T Boy Racing, A E. Birzer) Very few runners enter the Simpson Stakes in better form than Red Party, who arrives riding a five-race winning streak. After finishing sixth in his 2026 debut, he fired off two allowance victories before capturing the Palisades Turf Sprint and The Walker in consecutive starts. This colt then handled his first graded test with ease, tracking the pace before drawing clear to win the Grade Three Quick Call by three-quarters of a length. All five victories during his streak have come in turf sprints, and his earlier dirt experience at 6 ½ and seven furlongs should help him handle the added distance. With tactical speed and consistent figures, Red Party is a major threat to extend his streak to six. My top pick.

12. Cosmic Energy – (Mb Stables, P. Lopez) Cosmic Energy rounds out the three-horse entry for Mb Stables and has never finished worse than fourth through six career starts. He broke his maiden on debut going five furlongs, then earned minor awards in three consecutive stakes appearances on dirt. The son of Solar System made his turf debut in the Dade Park Dash and finished second by one length before running third against older N3X runners at Saratoga last time out. He led into the stretch in both grass attempts, while his previous efforts at seven furlongs indicate that the added distance should not work against him. Cosmic Energy still has only one career victory, but his consistency, early speed, and sharp recent turf workouts make him an intriguing contender.

13. Forgotten Shark – (Mo Mentum Farm, F. Prat) Mo Mentum Farm claimed Forgotten Shark for just $6.25 out of a maiden victory on the dirt at Tampa Bay Downs. He made his first start for the new connections on turf at Woodbine and immediately captured an N1X allowance going this exact 6 ½-furlong distance. This gelding has not finished outside the top three since, adding a claiming victory at Saratoga before missing by a neck against N3X runners on dirt last time out. His four-start turf record stands at two wins, one second, and one third, showing that the surface switch has brought out his best. This Grade Two is a major class jump, but Forgotten Shark has proven to be an excellent claim and continues to move in the right direction.

– AJM

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES