(Usha rallies to win the Open Mind Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

DETERMINED USHA BOUNCES BACK TO WIN $268,500 OPEN MIND

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026) – A determined Usha battled gamely along the inside rail and turned back a late charge from Look Forward to win Saturday’s 17th running of the $268,500 Open Mind (Listed) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs by three-quarters of a length.

Ridden by Flavien Prat for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Usha ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.55.

Following a subpar third at Saratoga in the $200,000 Johnstone for New York-breds, Usha rebounded to collect her third career stakes win. Last December, she took the $300,000 La Brea (Grade I) at Santa Anita and won the $250,000 Winning Colors (GIII) at Churchill Downs in June.

On Saturday, Usha was forwardly placed away from post No. 1 and relaxed in third behind pacesetter Modoand stablemate Cash Call as the leader rattled off early quarter mile splits of :22.53 and :45.62. Usha was set down for her best run with three-sixteenths of a mile to finish, grabbed the lead inside the sixteenth-mile pole and fought off a driving Look Forward, the winner of last year’s Eight Belles (GII), for the victory.

          Usha, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, banked the $151,900 first prize and improved her record to 13-5-2-4—$718,270.

Usha returned $5.08, $3.12 and $2.36 as the 3-2 favorite. Look Forward, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $3.62 and $2.60 at 2-1 with Cash Call another 1 ¾ lengths back in third under Jose Ortiz and paying $2.48 to show at 4-1.

Benedetta was fourth and was followed by Modo, Asternia and Flat Out Time.

Usha is a 4-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law out of the Leroidesanimaux mare Animal Appeal and was bred in New York by Esler & Raine.

Saturday’s race saluted the late Eugene Klein’s Hall of Fame filly Open Mind, the D. Wayne Lukas-trained winner of the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Churchill Downs who returned to the Louisville track the following spring to win the Kentucky Oaks. The New Jersey-bred filly was an Eclipse Award champion at ages two and three. A winner of 12 races and $1,844,372 in 19 starts, the daughter of Deputy Minister was enshrined in Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2011.

OPEN MIND QUOTES

 

Flavien Prat, jockey, Usha, winner: “She broke well and I tried to get her to the outside, but she felt comfortably traveling there and I didn’t want to change it. She came through the rail and ran a good race.”

Bob Baffert, trainer, Usha, winner, Cash Call, third: “(Usha) just didn’t show up last time in New York, but she came back here and trained really well out of it. I didn’t like her drawing the inside because she doesn’t really like being down there. We wish she would’ve run one-two with Cash Call, but they both ran well.”