(Ayra Stark to run in Saturday’s Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs / Photo by Coady Media)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

MULTIPLE GRADE III WINNER SULTANA HEADLINES

SATURDAY’S $250,000 KEERTANA AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, May 17, 2026) – Lou Donato, Theodore Manziaris, Paul Borrelli and Lanni Bloodstock’s multiple Grade III winner Sultana headlines a field of eight fillies and mares entered in Saturday’s 13thrunning of the $250,000 Keertana Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

          Run at 1 ½ miles on turf, the Keertana will go as the featured ninth race on the 11-race program with a post time of 4:56 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m.

          Trained by Kevin Attard, Sultana enters the Keertana following consecutive graded stakes scores in the Maple Leaf (GIII) at Woodbine and Orchid (GIII) at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Always Dreaming will be ridden byJunior Alvarado from the rail.

          Chief among her rivals is Haymarket Farms’ Ayra Stark (ARG), who finished a neck behind in the Orchid. Trained by Horacio De Paz, Ayra Stark is a six-time winner from 15 starts but is searching for her first stakes victory in North America. Prior to the Orchid, Ayra Stark finished second in the Christophe Clement (GIII) at Gulfstream Park and second in the Florence Stakes at Turfway Park. Jose Ortiz has the mount from post No. 3.

          The lineup for the Keertana in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

  • Sultana (Alvarado, Attard)
  • Awesomesauce (Irad Ortiz Jr., Joe Sharp)
  • Ayra Stark (ARG) (Jose Ortiz, De Paz)
  • Golden Sunshine (Jaime Torres, Eoin Harty)
  • Way to Be Marie (Luis Saez, Eddie Kenneally)
  • Virgin Colada (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker)
  • Queens Command (IRE) (Ben Curtis, Joe Sharp)
  • Venencia (FR) (Vincent Cheminaud, Saffie Joseph Jr.)

After dark days Monday-Wednesday, Churchill Downs will run a five-day race week starting Thursday and continuing through Memorial Day on Monday. Daily first post is 12:45 p.m. except Twilight Thursday, which will get underway at 5 p.m.

For the latest information about the Churchill Downs Spring Meet and to purchase tickets, visitwww.churchilldowns.com.