Test Winner Explora Returns in Dogwood

Parx Racing, which stages the Cotillion Stakes (G1) and the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) Sept. 19, is not the only American track featuring grade 1-winning 3-year-olds in racing action Saturday. Another top-level winner, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's last-out Test Stakes (G1) victress Explora, also competes in the $300,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) during a Downs After Dark evening card at Churchill Downs. Explora is the heavy favorite, pegged at 3-5 odds on the morning line in a matchup against five other 3-year-old fillies in the 7-furlong dash. The daughter of Blame, a five-time stakes winner with a $1.5 million bankroll, has earned more than the rest of the field combined. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert reunites her with California-based rider Juan Hernandez, who rode her over the first six starts of her 10-race career. She breaks from the rail. Back for another try against Explora are WinStar Farm's Movie Night and Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's Where Luck Lives, respectively, sixth and eighth in the Test. Both fillies stumbled at the start, which may have contributed to their sound defeats. A return to Churchill Downs should benefit Movie Night. She won both of her starts over the local surface during the spring meet for trainer Will Walden. Where Luck Lives finished fourth on debut last year at Churchill Downs in her lone start at 2, and then prevailed in her only other outing at Churchill Downs during the spring meet for trainer Brian Lynch. Class-rising longshot My Steel Magnolia and stakes winners Conceit and A Fine Chardonnay complete the field.