The Salvator Mile (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
MTH- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
June 14, 2025

Heading to MTH this Saturday for the 19th running of the Salvator Mile, a smaller Grade 3 that will run for a $150.000 purse. Back in the day, this is a race was that dominated by Australia Wide, as the trainer won four in a row between 2008 and 2011, with horses like Whats Up and Madhouse. The purse was larger then to attract names like that and would be dropped to the present level of $150.000 in 2013, although there was a period where it was as low as $100.000. Last year’s Salvator Mile was won by Electric, for Angelos Stable. The now seven-year-old gelding continues to be productive and was recently second in the Grade 3 Sexton Mile down at LS. Nine horses will look to become the next name added to the winner list, so let’s check them out:

1- Imposing Scenario (The Sidley Stud, ridden by J L Gonzalez)- Dead heats are not unusual for Imposing Scenario, as he has finished in one over his last four races, although for varying positions on the running order. We last saw him just two weeks ago in the Grade 3 Cartier Stakes up at WO, where he was third in a dead heat, and finishing in that approximate spot has been the story of his last four graded attempts. He’ll go a mile for the first time since November, and his history in such races is similar to his sprinting history. The biggest concern surrounding him is that this is his third race in five weeks.

2- Fire Chase (Bigking, ridden by D Davis)- Ran in the BC Classic last fall, and while it was not his best performance, he was there and that says enough. However, prior trainer Riggins Racing was let down by that result quite a bit, and dropped him into open allowances right away. When those didn’t go well either, Fire Chase was placed into a $20.000 claimer in April at LS. Several trainers put in the claim, and the shake went to Bigking. Debuted a month later in his new silks with a nice-looking open allowance win at CD and this is a great spot for him to rejoin the graded ranks.

3- Horse Ventura (Buckeep Farm, ridden by Sa Camacho)- Claimed for $5.000 in July 2023, and had a long stretch of productive, though not jaw dropping performances in allowances before Buckeep Farm tried a TX-bred stake with him, the $75.000 Hooper Stakes, in February of this year. After running second, then winning the Star of TX Stakes a month later, it was off to the Grade 3 Westchester. On a sloppy track, Horse Ventura struggled, but there is no reason to think that he cannot bounce back here.

4- Thx (Nynl Stables, ridden by I Castillo)- It’ll be a year to the day where I was able to pick up this then unraced horse for $3.300 in the auction, and he’s turned into a productive runner for me, first in long sprints before ultimately showing that he can handle running a mile. Perhaps there will be longer distances in his future, but for now he’s looking to build upon his fifth place showing in the slop in the Grade 3 Westchester. While I don’t think it has to be dry for him to run well, I am certainly hoping we’ll be fast on race day. Castillo has ridden two of the last three winners in this race.

5- Apocalyptic (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Barbosa)- A month ago, Apocalypic came from the back in the Nerud to get up for fifth and will now hope that more room to run will be all it takes. Since his last win in December, Apocalyptic has run four times, with decent results that will also not jump out at you. His career highlight comes further back when he won the $250.000 Super Derby in September, which is a nine-furlong race, so he may enjoy the longer distance here.

6- Continuously (Jediminds Stables, ridden by A Concepcion)- After fatiguing late in the Affirmed around this time last year, the Neon Wolf colt was continuously seen on the turf, showing potential for a while in ungraded races before that ultimately fizzled out. His first three races of the year were all struggles, including a particular flat performance against some of the best in the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile. Last time out, he was moved back to the dirt, and into an optional claimer at PRX, and that was the recipe for a win. If all he needed was the confidence booster, watch out for him here.

7- Puppy Plex (Riggins Racing, ridden by J Bravo)- There was a time when there was a lot of talk in the forum about this horse, and he showed that potential early in his racing career. Ultimately, he fell out of the spotlight, but he never became a bad horse. Instead, he seemed to find his niche in ungraded races, finishing second three times in a row in such races before he was sold in private sales. His first race with Riggins extended that second place ungraded streak to four, and that would end a month later in the best way possible: a win, coming in the Shackleton. Works well and should be considered on the top choices in here.

8- Snip That Thing (Night Rider Stables, ridden by S Marin)- It’s not too often when you can say a horse lived up to their name before they hit the track. The immediate gelding began his career with First Flight Stable and was solid in that barn in overnights before being claimed. He’s been passed around in claimers a few times afterward and will make his debut with Night Rider Stables here after the trainer picked him up for $14.000. Night Rider Stables has a good eye for talent in claimers and has often gotten more out of them. He’s had two months to work with this one, and we’ll see how it works out.

9- Disciplinary (Nakamura Stables, ridden by F Jara)- A winner of three of his last four races, all in mid or high-level open allowances. In between that came the Grade 3 KY Cup Classic at TP, but he was only able to beat one of his rivals that day. He’s picked up stake wins earlier in his career and will be hoping his 40th career start can see him do that once again. Consistent runner in terms of speed figures, and a similar effort will certainly give him a great shot here.

Prediction:7-9-4-2

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES