Welch Racing’s Epic Ride and Harry Veruchi’s West Saratoga – both unplaced in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve – return to action here in Saturday’s $300,000 Perryville (G3). The 7-furlong Perryville for 3-year-olds attracted 14 entrants, including two on the also-eligible list.

Epic Ride, a graduate of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, established himself as a leading sophomore this year at Turfway Park, where he won the 1-mile Leonatus Stakes and was second in the John Battaglia Memorial (L) at 1 1/16^th miles.

He then was third in Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass (G1) in April before running 14^th in the Kentucky Derby.

“He came out of the Derby fantastic, and we gave him a little break,” trainer John Ennis said. “He’s bigger and stronger. He was a kid going into the Derby, and now he is a man. Physically, he has become a man, but mentally he has always been really solid. Very pleased to be starting him back in the Perryville. This is a salty race, but I would not swap my horse for anybody’s.”

Epic Ride enjoyed turnout time when out of training, and Ennis credits the crew at Martha Jane Mulholland’s Mulholland Springs in Lexington with giving him “fantastic” care.

“There was no problem bringing him back (into training),” Ennis said. “He’s a fresh horse now, and he has not missed a beat.”

Based at Keeneland’s The Thoroughbred Center, 15 miles northeast of Lexington, Epic Ride breezed 5 furlongs at Keeneland in :59.80 on Oct. 4. Ennis plans to bring him back this week for morning Paddock schooling.

West Saratoga, who was 12^th in the Kentucky Derby, has been out of action since his fifth-place effort in the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs at 1 1/16 miles on June 6. The September Sale graduate has two recent 5-furlong Keeneland breezes: 1:01.60 on Oct. 1 and 1:01.80 on Oct. 8.

Trained by Larry Demeritte, West Saratoga stamped himself as a Kentucky Derby contender when he was the runner-up in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway in March.

In the Perryville, West Saratoga and rider Julien Leparoux will leave from post 2, while Epic Ride and jockey Edgar Morales drew post 12. The stakes is the seventh of 10 races with a 4:12 p.m. ET post time.