The last time the span between Minaret Station’s races could be measured in weeks, not months, was during his 2-year-old season, as he followed a second-out maiden victory with a win in the Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes on Oct. 6, 2024, at Keeneland. Minaret Station has made two starts in the nearly 20 months since. He shipped to Del Mar for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup but was scratched after an unsettled journey – he pawed in his transit to and from the airport, as well as during the flight – led to a swollen pastern. He made just one start in 2025, winning the American Derby on June 28 at Churchill Downs, then went to the sidelines again. While he has certainly shown he can fire off the bench, Minaret Station has the benefit of a start under his belt this year as he goes in the Grade 3, $275,000 Arlington Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs. The colt was a solid fourth in the Opening Verse on April 30 in Louisville, and Will Walden, who trains the OXO Equine homebred, said being in a rhythm could “absolutely” help the colt take a step forward here. The Arlington is designed to serve as a local prep for the Grade 2, $500,000 Wise Dan on June 27. “I can’t express enough how talented I think this horse is,” Walden said. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. In the Opening Verse, contested the Thursday of Kentucky Derby week, Minaret Station was beaten just a length while earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96 against a tough field. The winner was multimillionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Lagynos, and graded winner Quatrocento was third. Minaret Station finished ahead of additional graded stakes winners West Hollywood (fifth), Balnikhov (sixth), and Giocoso (seventh). Lagynos, Quatrocento, West Hollywood, and Giocoso all return for the Arlington. “I thought it was extremely tough for a listed stake,” Walden said. “I mean, it is Derby week, Thurby, and people want to win a race that week. I get it. I thought it came up super tough. I thought it was probably a Grade 3 on paper, and I thought [Minaret Station] ran his eyeballs out for a horse that had one race in [the past year].” The Opening Verse was at a mile. The Arlington is 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which Minaret Station won the Bourbon and American Derby. He might want even more ground, but Walden opted for the Arlington to continue his current progression rather than awaiting the June 13 Chorleywood at 1 3/8 miles, which could attract divisional standout Burnham Square. “I think if anything gets him beat, it’s just the distance,” said Walden, while affirming that, talent-wise, Minaret Station belongs with this group. “I want to get this horse around three turns, and even 10-plus furlongs. His game could even take a step forward.” Lagynos, who has earned more than $2.2 million, looks to be in career form right now. Already a three-time stakes winner, including the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf in November 2024 at Churchill Downs, he has won three straight to open this season – the Grade 3 Fair Grounds and Grade 2 Muniz Memorial in Louisiana, followed by the Opening Verse. He sports a solid record of 9-2-2-4 on the Churchill Downs turf and was third in both the Arlington and Wise Dan in 2025. Those losses came at the hands of foes he faces again Saturday. Mercante and Brilliant Berti were one-two in the Arlington, which was the only loss in six starts on the Churchill turf for Brilliant Berti. With Mercante sidelined with an illness, Brilliant Berti went on to win the Wise Dan. Returning to his favorite course could help right the ship for Brilliant Berti, who opened this year finishing fourth in the Fair Grounds and then fifth in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. Brilliant Berti, who has earned more than $2.4 million, “looks awesome,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “He’s training really, really well and he loves Churchill.” Mercante once overcame more than a year’s layoff to return to the races with trainer Brian Knippenberg, who handled his rehabilitation, and is getting back into his own rhythm. Last year, after winning the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Classic on Tapeta, finishing a strong second in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill, and then winning the Arlington, Mercante developed a minor illness and was scratched from the Wise Dan. He was winless the rest of the year, although he did finish third in the Grade 3 River City in November at Churchill. :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  “I don’t know that it cost him any races. He showed up every time, but it never felt like we were quite in the right rhythm,” Knippenberg said. Mercante was second by three-quarters of a length in the Kentucky Cup Classic to start this year, then was fifth in the Turf Classic. Audubon Stakes My Favorite Bird was a $25,000 claim out of his maiden victory in December by trainer Kent Sweezey for Starry Night Racing. He’s since earned $97,800 while not missing the board in 2026, and he has a shot at a big payday in Saturday’s $275,000 Audubon Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf. The race leads toward the $275,000 American Derby on June 27 at Churchill. My Favorite Bird was third in the restricted Sophomore Turf to Mr Mo’s Magic and Serac, both of whom he faces again here before stepping into open company. He was second in the English Channel and then second by half-length in the James Murphy after leading in the stretch, two weeks ago at Laurel. The morning-line favorite, Touch of Fire, has won 2 of 3 starts. He was second in his lone stakes try, the Black Gold. ◗ Saturday's card will feature a $79,180 carryover in the late pick five after the bet went unsolved Friday. The sequence begins in race 7 (post: 3:53 p.m. Eastern) and consists of five Grade 3 stakes. – additional reporting by Marcus Hersh :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.