Multiple G1-winner Formidable Man pursues another meaningful win G3 $2 million Mint Millions Inv

William K. Warren and Suzanne Warren’s multiple Grade 1-winner Formidable Man headlines a 10-horse field that includes eight other Graded winners in Labor Day Monday’s Grade 3, $2 million Mint Million Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going one mile at Kentucky Downs.

The Mint Millions Invitational is one of five stakes carded for Labor Day Monday, the final day of the U.S. Open of Turf Championships. Also being run on the blockbuster program are the Grade 2, $1.5 million The Mint Franklin-Simpson, as well as the $1.75 million KTDF Gun Runner, the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies, and the $250,000 Lucky Lantern.

Formidable Man’s sharp form includes six Graded triumphs, three of which came at Grade 1 level. The 5-year-old millionaire captured Grade 1 races at ages 3, 4, and 5 when taking the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November 2024 at Del Mar before winning the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita the following March. After rounding out a prominent season with a second-place finish in last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar, he secured a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure with a victory in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 25 at Santa Anita.

Trainer Michael McCarthy also conditioned Formidable Man’s Grade 1-winning and Champion-producing sire City of Light.

“The horse has been a model of consistency, he reminds me a lot of his sire City of Light. They both have similar physical attributes,” McCarthy said. “He’s a horse that aims to please, gives you the best that he’s got every time you lead him over. He’s obviously a very talented horse.”

Formidable Man enters the Mint Millions from two starts this season. Following his Shoemaker Mile conquest, he finished a narrow third, beaten a head in the Grade 2 Eddie Read at Del Mar, a race that he won last year.

“He had an unlucky trip last time in the Eddie Read,” McCarthy said. “In the Shoemaker Mile, we expected exactly what he delivered that day. He had been training very, very well.”

McCarthy, who primarily campaigned Formidable Man on the west coast, decided to take a detour this time around due to the Mint Millions’ lucrative purse.

“We were thinking of following the same plan that we followed last year with him, but obviously a $2 million purse this time of year is a big deal,” McCarthy said. “The Warrens are supporting people, and they were very game to go ahead and give this race a try. We just had to go ahead and try something a little bit different for such a big purse. The horse is training as well as we could ask him to be doing. We’re looking forward to running.”

An earner of $1,715,425, Formidable Man has a lifetime record of 18-9-3-1. He will be piloted by reigning Eclipse Champion Jockey Flavien Prat from post 9.

A pair of European invaders will seek stateside success in the Mint Millions with multiple Grouped stakes-winner Haatem and Group 1-winning multimillionaire Facteur Cheval.

Wathnan Racing’s Haatem will attempt his first victory since capturing a 10-furlong stakes test last year at Royal Ascot for trainer Richard Hannon. The Irish-bred 5-year-old son of Phoenix of Spain will seek to regain his winning form from his sophomore campaign, when he captured the Group 3 Craven at Newmarket and the Group 3 Jersey at Royal Ascot. That same year, he was a narrow second in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh following a third-place finish to Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Notable Speech in the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. He enters the Mint Millions from a fifth-place finish beaten one length at stakes level going 1 ¼ miles at Goodwood.

Haatem will be piloted by Jamie Spencer, from post 4.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s world traveler Facteur Cheval will add the United States to his list of destinations, having competed in Italy, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and his home base of France. Trained by Jerome Reynier, Facteur Cheval boasts field-high earnings of $5,664,990 through a 26-6-7-6 record, which includes a victory in the Group 1 Dubai Turf in March 2024 at Meydan Racecourse. The 7-year-old Ribchester gelding has maintained competitive form at a high caliber with a runner-up finish in this year’s Group 1 Neom Turf Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, as well as a pair of thirds at Group 3 level at San Siro in Italy.

Jockey Joel Rosario will attempt his second Mint Millions triumph when piloting Facteur Cheval from post 3.

Klein Racing’s multiple Graded stakes-winning homebred Brilliant Berti [post 2, Brian Hernandez, Jr.] will pursue his seventh stakes victory for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux. The 5-year-old son of Noble Mission enters from a victory in the Green River Island on August 1 at Ellis Park, which was his first trip to the winner’s circle since winning the Grade 2 Wise Dan last June at Churchill Downs. Fourth in last year’s Mint Millions, Brilliant Berti also won the Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs during his 3-year-old season.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. will saddle Chilean-bred Gran Oriente [post 8, Tyler Gaffalione] following a narrow runner-up to Burnham Square in the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 1 at Colonial Downs. A Group 1 winner during his campaign in his native country for trainer Jose Alvarez, Gran Oriente ran 11th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile before being transferred to California-based Marcelo Polanco for four starts. He made his first two starts for Joseph, Jr. winning ones, which came at stakes level over the Gulfstream Park turf.

Grade 1-placed Chasing the Crown [post 7, Ben Curtis] is wheeling back off just over one week’s rest for Kentucky Downs’ all-time leading trainer and two-time Mint Millions winner Mike Maker. On August 29, the 7-year-old millionaire won the Tight Spot Overnight Handicap for the second straight year, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure from his most recent conquest. Last year, he earned a Grade 1 placing when third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Completing the field are Graded stakes winners Quatrocento [post 1, Julien Leparoux], Mi Bago [post 5, Luis Saez], Giocoso [post 6, Jaime Torres], and Lagynos [post 10, Jose Ortiz].

The Mint Millions is carded as Race 10 on Labor Day Monday’s 14-race program with a scheduled post time of 4:45 PM CT. First post is 11:30 AM CT.

The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kydownsracing. NBC Sports also will provide live coverage of Opening Day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, September 5 during the same time slot.

Contact: Ryan Martin

(502) 523-4935