October, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weekend Lineup: Overlapping Turf Stakes For 3-Year-Old Fillies

In their infinite wisdom, race schedulers in New York and Kentucky carded identical conditions for graded stakes on Saturday, with Keeneland's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and Aqueduct's Grade 2 Sands Points both restricted to 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles.

Crazy, isn't it? Here we are in the final 10 weeks of the year when 3-year-olds are competing against and beating older runners and the American Graded Stakes Committee blesses these late season, age-restricted stakes, something no other major racing nation does. It may have been fine in the 1980s when the foal crop approached 50,000, but now that fewer than 20,000 Thoroughbred are foaled annually in North America, it just doesn't make sense to restrict graded stakes to 3-year-olds this late in the year.

You might think the entry box for the Queen Elizabeth II and Sands Points would be tough to fill, but have no fear, Chad Brown is here. He's got the two favorites in the QE II and a close second choice in the Sands Point as, shockingly, his only entry. He's won the former three of the last four years and the latter four of the last five.

Graded stakes action understandably is very limited this weekend and will be just as quiet in the next two weeks leading up to the Nov. 4-5 Breeders' Cup championships at Keeneland. The Breeders' Cup several years ago quashed a misguided push from some board members to add 3-year-old restricted stakes to its program. The Breeders' Cup shouldn't be like Little League, where everyone gets a trophy.

I've had my rant. Here's a quick look at some of this weekend's graded stakes:

Friday

5:16 p.m., Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland

Since no one wants to breed to mile and a half turf horses, this is a really fun, competitive division that can have rivalries that last for years. Witness just a few of the accomplished horses in the lineup: 8-year-old Arklow; 8-year-old Red Knight; 8-year-old Channel Maker; and 6-year-old Temple. Between them they've won 35 races and more than $8.5 million. Watch out for the youngster, 5-year-old Highland Chief, trained by Graham Motion, who's won this marathon three times.

Sycamore entries

Saturday

4:58 – Grade 2 Sands Point at Aqueduct (Belmont at the Big A meet)

Forecast is for no more rain in the area but there's likely going to be some give in the ground. Pizza Bianca, last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner for Christophe Clement, is the only graded stakes winner in the lineup but she has not been out since her trip to Royal Ascot did not fare well.

Sands Point entries

5:16 p.m. – Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland

Trainer Jessica Harrington sends Paris Peacock from Europe to take on the Chad Brown duo and four others in this running of what was originally hoped to be more of an international race to honor the recently departed beloved British monarch. However, it's been 11 years since a foreign-based runner has won it. Brown has the top two favorites, morning line even-money pick McKulick and 7-2 chance Gina Romantica, but there's more to the lineup than his non-coupled entry. From out west comes Phil D'Amato-trained Bellabel, the Irish-bred who ran second to the very talented Spendarella in the G1 Del Mar Oaks. And perhaps George Leonard-trained California Angel can work up the magic that saw her rally to a 17-1 upset of last year's G2 Jessamine over the Keeneland green.

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup entries

5:39 p.m. – Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes at Woodbine

Hazelbrook carries a 5-for-8 record into this six-furlong dash on the synthetic for traine Lorne Richards, whose small stable has won at a 30 percent rate (7-for-23) thus far this season. The rail may not be ideal for this late runner. Marie MacKay, who drew the outside post in this compact field of six, may be the speed, but she's had relatively easy leads in her three 2022 outings and unable to carry it to the goal line.

Ontario Fashion Stakes entries

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Eclectic Mix Gathers For Inaugural John Forbes Memorial

As someone who worked tirelessly throughout his career to promote New Jersey racing, first as a trainer then as a horsemen's rep, John Forbes no doubt would have liked what's being offered Saturday at the Far Hills hunt meet in the race named in his honor. The John Forbes Memorial is worth $100,000, has attracted an evenly matched field of 14 and, run at two miles on the flat, is at a distance that makes it a handicapping puzzle.

The Forbes Memorial is among the highlights on a card that also includes the $250,000 GI Grand National Hurdle.

Forbes, the late husband of the TDN's Director of Customer Services Vicki Forbes, passed away Jan. 31, 2021 at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer.

“John was New Jersey racing,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park Racetrack, said at the time.

Forbes won 2,174 races before he stopped training in 2012 to focus on horsemen's issues, becoming the president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association when the group took over the lease for Monmouth Park from The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. He was the leading trainer at Monmouth Park five times and won seven training titles at the Meadowlands. Forbes's best horse was GISW sire Tale of the Cat, and he helped launch the career of Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone.

The 3-1 morning line favorite is Cross Border (English Channel), a two-time winner of the GII Bowling Green S and an earner of $1,173,354. But he has not finished in the money in six tries this year and, at age 8, may not be what he once was. After racing for Mike Maker, he will be making his second start for Keri Brion, who has plans to convert him to a jumper. Like all 14 in the race, he has never won at the distance of two miles on the flat.

Trained by Michael Dickinson, Royne (Ghostzapper) should be in the mix. He was third in the Presious Passion S. last out at Monmouth and has done some of his best running in 11 and 12-furlong races. Then there's Agitare (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who will be making his first start in the U.S. after racing in Ireland for James Bolger. Fearsome (GB) (Makfi {GB}) will return to the flat after racing over the jumps at Colonial Downs.

The jockeys will no doubt play a major role in a race that pits flat riders versus steeplechase jockeys. Flat riders Isaac Castillo, Nik Juarez and Feargal Lynch have mounts and will go against 11 regulars on the jump circuit. With the horses in the race carrying between 140 and 148 pounds, the flat jockeys could be carrying as much as 30 pounds of “dead weight,” perhaps a disadvantage.

Trainer Jack Fisher, who will send out Mystical Man (Mucho Macho Man), has given the mount to jump rider Graham Watters.

“They had a flat race for jumpers at Colonial Downs and I used a flat rider and I thought he made a huge mistake, leaving the horse with too much to do,” Fisher said. “I think the jump riders are probably better simply because they are used to doing that trip, two miles.”

Fisher has what will be a solid favorite in the Grand National Hurdle in Snap Decision (Hard Spun). The leading contender in his division for an Eclipse Award, he was upset last time out at odds of 3-10 in the GI Lonesome Glory H. at Aqueduct. The winner was Noah And the Ark (Ire) (Vinnie Roe {Ire}), who will be seeking his third straight win in Saturday's $250,000 race. The difference this time could come down to the weights. Snap Decision carried 168 pounds in the Lonesome Glory, giving away 28 pounds to Noah And The Ark. The Grand National Hurdle is a weight-for-age race and all seven starters will carry 156 pounds.

The second choice in the race at 3-1 in the morning line is Hewick (Ire) (Virtual {GB}), a seven-time winner over the jumps in Europe.

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GISW Idol Retired To Taylor Made Stallions

Idol (Curlin), winner of the GI Santa Anita H. and a full brother to MGISW Nest, has been retired and will stand the upcoming breeding season at Taylor Made Stallions. A $375,000 Keeneland September grad, he retires with a record of 8-3-2-1 and earnings of $426,964. A Repole Stable/Taylor Made Stallions Venture, Idol will stand the 2023 season for $10,000 S&N.

“Idol fits the profile of what we are looking for,” said Taylor Made's Ben Taylor. “He's by a world-class sire and out of a world-class producer. He's got the looks and he's a G1 talent. It's the same ingredients Not This Time possessed when he arrived at Taylor Made.”

Himself a Churchill Downs track-record setter, Idol's full sister Nest has banked more than $1.8 million thus far in her racing career while his 2-year-old half-brother, Lost Ark (Violence), won the Sapling S. at Monmouth Park in August by 7 ½ lengths.

For more information on Idol, or to set up an inspection, contact Travis White or Liam Benson at (859) 885-3345.

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Background Check: Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Keeneland's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., a race with a short history but a lengthy reach.

Much has been written in the past few weeks about the christening of the “QEII” and its beginning to honor the late Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Central Kentucky–and Keeneland–in 1984. As such, there have only been 38 runnings and a good third or so of the winners are too young to have yet given a fair representation of their ability as producers.

In spite of the abbreviated list in a sport full of history, a handful of the previous QEII winners have already passed on some very special ability. Following are the some of the most important QEII winners by what impact they have had on the sport through their sons and daughters.

Memories of Silver (1993, Silver Hawk–All My Memories, by Little Current): Who can forget the signature blaze of this wonderful Darby Dan/Galbreath/Phillips mare coming down the stretch in so many top turf contests? Her prowess continued as a producer with four stakes winners, including MGISW Winter Memories and GSW La Cloche. Her descendants in just the last five years have included French MGSW Spinning Memories (Ire), as well as U.S. GSWs Hawkish and Bellavais, plus MSW & MGSP Winter Sunset and GISP Seasons.

Perfect Arc (1992, Brown Arc–Podeica {Arg}, by Petronisi {GB}): Only one daughter produced any foals, but they include 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year and three-time Canadian turf female champ Starship Jubilee, whose nine graded wins on both sides of the border included the 2020 GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile over males. Perfect Arc was bred in New York by Delehanty Stock Farm.

La Gueriere (1988, Lord At War {Arg}–Lady Winborne, by Secretariat): Bred by Wimborne Farm, she kicked off her broodmare career with MGSW & MGISP Lasting Approval and eventually added GISW Icon Project, as well as two other stakes performers. One of the nation's current leading sires, MGSW & MGISP Munnings, is out of a daughter, as is GSW Fashion Business (GB).

Lotka (1983, Danzig–Kennelot, by Gallant Man {GB}): This Kennelot Stables/Henryk de Kwiatkowski homebred produced three black-type winners, including GSW & GISP Lotta Dancing, while her daughters and granddaughters have produced GISW Centralinteligence and GSW Fantasticat, as well as Chilean G1 winners Kurilov (Chi), Kitcat (Chi), Knockout (Chi), Kossimo (Chi), and Kirikina (Chi).

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