Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Grade 1 winner Explora will face five fellow 3-year-old fillies that entered next Saturday's $300,000 Dogwood Stakes presented by Resolute Racing (G3), one of three stakes on the Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs.
Run at seven furlongs, the Dogwood Stakes shares the Saturday spotlight with the $300,000 Harrods Creek and $200,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes (L).
Explora, trained by Bob Baffert, scored an impressive five-length victory in last month's Test Stakes (G1) going seven furlongs at Saratoga. Following the race, Baffert said the Blame filly would have one more start prior to a bid for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) going the same distance Oct. 31 at Keeneland. The Dogwood fit the bill.
As a 2-year-old, Explora won the Oak Leaf (G2) before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar. She began her 3-year-old campaign by winning the seven-furlong Santa Ynez (L), then stretched out around two turns and won the Honeybee (G3 prior to a fourth-place finish in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). In June, Baffert returned Explora to one turn where she won the Leslie's Lady (L), a prep for the Aug...