Carl Pollard’s 6-year-old homebred gelding Mercante surged to the front early and held off a persistent challenge from 2-1 favorite Kupuna to win Saturday’s $300,000 River City (G3) by half a length at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by 28-year-old jockey Walter Rodriguez, who earned his first graded stakes and first Churchill Downs stakes victory, Mercante finished the 1 1/8 miles on a firm track with rails 12 feet out in 1:47.20. Rodriguez, from El Salvador, rode for trainer Brian Knippenberg.
“It was a very special win, and I’m so grateful to Brian and Mr. Carl Pollard,” Rodriguez said. “After riding him this winter at Turfway, where we placed second in the Grade 3 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic, I knew what a classy horse he is—both in the mornings and on race day.”
Starting from post 2 in a tight field of six older horses, Mercante broke smoothly and quickly took the lead along the rail. Kupuna tracked closely about a length behind. After a quarter-mile split of :23.34 and a half-mile in :47.10, Kupuna edged within half a length. The two shared the pace coming out of the final turn in 1:10.59, battling down the stretch, but Mercante wouldn’t relinquish the lead.
“On paper, he’s got early speed, and everyone saw that,” Rodriguez noted. “He carried me right to the front, and I knew he would be tough to beat from there. I’m proud of how he fought throughout the stretch to keep Kupuna at bay—he gave his all to the wire.”
Mercante, the fourth betting choice at 4-1, paid $10.12 to win. Kupuna finished second, 2¼ lengths ahead of Vote No. Rounding out the field were Ole Crazy Bone, Carcano, and Lambeth. Plensa and Teao (CHI) were scratched.
The win earned Mercante $183,450, boosting his career earnings to $1,292,952 with a record of 6 wins, 3 seconds, and 4 thirds in 23 starts. This marked Mercante’s third stakes victory and second at Churchill Downs. At age 5 last year, he claimed the Kentucky Cup Classic on Turfway Park’s Tapeta surface and the Arlington (G3) at Churchill Downs.
A son of Gun Runner out of the Honour and Glory mare Caressing, Mercante was bred in Kentucky by Pollard’s CFP Thoroughbreds LLC.
This story originally appeared in the Paulick Report’s News section on November 7, 2026.
Fan Take: Mercante’s triumph is a thrilling testament to homebred talent and resilience, proving that perseverance and strategic riding can overcome even the strongest favorites. This victory not only elevates Walter Rodriguez’s rising career but also highlights the vitality and excitement that graded stakes racing continues to bring to horse racing enthusiasts.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
