The holiday weekend kicks off with a hefty pile of graded stakes races on a solid Saturday of racing, including good cards from both Ellis Park and Woodbine Racetrack.
Following the shift of the remainder of Churchill Downs' Sprint Meet to Ellis Park, the Henderson, Ky. track will host its first Grade 1 race this Saturday in the Stephen Foster. The “Win and You're In” contest for the Breeders' Cup Classic drew a field of eight, topped by a pair of Ken McPeek-trained stablemates in Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll. Two other Grade 1 winners are in the field – Proxy and Stilleto Boy – as well as Grade 2 winners West Will Power and Last Samurai.
The Stephen Foster leads a card with five other stakes, including the G2 Wise Dan and G2 Fleur de Lis. On Sunday, Ellis Park plans to host three additional listed stakes races, including a pair of 2-year-old contests.
Woodbine's Saturday card celebrates Canada Day, and includes five graded stakes. Last year's juvenile champion filly Wonder Wheel will try to get back on track in the G3 Selene, while Canada's reining Horse of the Year headlines the G2 Nassau.
Belmont Park also features a pair of graded stakes on Saturday, the G2 John A. Nerud for older sprinters and the G3 Dwyer for 3-year-old milers. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott sends out Nerud favorite Candy Man Rocket against a field of six rivals.
Delaware Park has carded two Grade 3 stakes races for Saturday, as well: the G3 Delaware Oaks and the G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial.
Gulfstream's Grade 3 Smile Sprint features an intriguing newcomer to the graded ranks in Chilean-bred Todo Fino, an 11-time winner from 16 career starts, including two allowance races in the U.S. last fall.
Listed stakes action will be on offer with a trio at Laurel Park, five at Lone Star, and one at Monmouth Park.
Saturday
4:00 p.m. – Grade 3 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park
Miracle tops a field of ten entered in the $300,000, Grade 3 Delaware Oaks this Saturday. The New York-bred daughter of Mendelssohn travels well: from her seven career starts, she has only been out of the money once while racing over five different tracks. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she has a win, four seconds, and a third with earnings of $229,675.
Miracle has made three starts in 2023. On Feb. 18, she ran second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at the Fair Grounds, then followed with a fifth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on April 1. In her most recent out, she ran second in the New York state-bred Bouwerie Stakes at Belmont Park on May 29. Miracle will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy, who won the Delaware Oaks in 2014 with Fortune Pearl.
Cover the Spread and Cats Inthe Timber will be representing the home team. Both are conditioned by Brittany Russell, the current leading trainer at Delaware Park with a record of nine wins, eight seconds, and six thirds from 29 starts.
4:22 p.m. – Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Ellis Park
Grade 1-winning filly A Mo Reay top eight fillies and mares entered in the $400,000 Fleur de Lis (G2).
Trained by Brad Cox, A Mo Reay achieved her greatest glory two starts ago in the Beholder Mile (G1) March 11 at Santa Anita. That victory followed up consecutive triumphs Bayakoa (G3) in February at Oaklawn Park and Pago Hop Dec. 31 at Fair Grounds. Overall, A Mo Reay sports a solid record of 13-5-1-3 with $728,275 in purse earnings. Jockey Flavien Prat will have the mount from post No. 6.
Other notable entrants in the Fleur de Lis include Stonestreet Stables' Grade 1 winner Pauline's Pearl, Farfellow Farms' two-time stakes winner Moon Swag, and Kaleem Shah's multiple graded stakes-placed Bellamore.
4:55 p.m. – Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes at Ellis Park
Set Piece was victorious two years ago in the $400,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and will attempt for a second score in Saturday's 34th edition of the 1 1/16-mile turf contest at Ellis Park.
Set Piece, trained by Brad Cox, arrived stateside in 2020 and has since been victorious in seven stakes contests including the 2021 Wise Dan. Set Piece's 2023 campaign began on May 4 at Churchill Downs when he finished third in the Opening Verse (Listed). One month later he returned in the $225,000 Arlington Stakes (G3) at the Louisville oval where he rallied from six lengths off the pace to beat Get Smokin by one length. Jockey Florent Geroux, who has ridden Set Piece in 14 of his 27 lifetime starts, will have the return call in the Wise Dan and break from post No. 8.
Get Smokin will attempt to avenge his Arlington defeat in the Wise Dan. Owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners, Six-year-old Get Smokin is a multiple graded stakes winner for trainer Mark Casse. Among the accolades on Get Smokin's resume includes victories in the Hill Prince (G2) and Tampa Bay Stakes (G3). Get Smokin will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. from post 4.
5:03 p.m. – Grade 2 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine
One Timer, a 4-year-old son of Trappe Shot-Spanish Star, is no stranger to Woodbine, having won the main track Victoria Stakes in 2021. Trained by Larry Rivelli, the bay returns to the Toronto oval for the Highlander a graded stakes winner after taking the $600,000 Franklin-Simpson (G2T) last September at Kentucky Downs. One Timer returned to action on June 1 and notched a 4 ¼-length triumph over five furlongs on the Belterra Park turf.
Other starters include multiple graded stakes placed Masseto (GB), graded stakes placed Oceanic, and multiple graded stakes winner Silent Poet.
5:19 p.m. – Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park
Dual graded-stakes winner Candy Man Rocket will look to double up on stakes scores in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud, a seven-furlong main-track sprint for older horses. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old Candy Ride horse garnered a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure last out with a stalking score in the six-furlong Grade 3 Runhappy on May 13 at Belmont.
Pennsylvania-bred Twisted Ride [post 4, Andy Hernandez] picked up graded black type for the first time last out in the Runhappy. Trained by Michael Moore, the 4-year-old Great Notion gelding dueled for the lead with mutuel favorite Beren through sharp splits of 22.60 seconds and 45.15, staying on strong to complete the exacta behind Candy Man Rocket while Beren faded to fourth.
Graded-stakes winner Little Vic [post 5, Carlos Olivero] will make his first start since finishing a troubled last-of-6 in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 4-year-old Practical Joke colt earned a career-best 102 Beyer for his 1 1/2-length score in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap in March at the Big A, but he was reported to have bled in the Carter where he attended a rapid early pace before fading. Trained by Juan Carlos Avila for Victoria's Ranch, Little Vic boasts a record of 14-5-3-1 for purse earnings of $327,730.
Ontario-homebred Weyburn [post 3, Jose Ortiz] will make his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 5-year-old Pioneerof the Nile horse spent 11-of-16 career starts in the care of conditioner James Jerkens, who now trains in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud. He was last seen finishing a distant third in the Grade 3 Westchester here on May 5, landing six lengths back of the victorious Repo Rocks while registering a 100 Beyer.
Multiple graded stakes-placed Three Technique [post 2, Javier Castellano] finished a close third in the 2021 John A. Nerud when in the barn of conditioner Jeremiah Englehart. The 6-year-old Mr Speaker horse was haltered by his current trainer, Jason Cook, for $40,000 that November from a runner-up effort in a Churchill Downs sprint. He captured the restricted Knicks Go last May traveling one-mile at Churchill Downs and finished a closing third in his title defense two starts back. Last out, he notched a head score in an optional-claiming mile on May 27 at Churchill Downs.
5:26 p.m. – Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes at Ellis Park
Multiple graded stakes-winning colt Smile Happy headlines an accomplished field of eight older horses entered for next Saturday's 42nd running of the $1-million Stephen Foster (G1) at Ellis Park.
Smile Happy won his second career Grade 2 contest on Kentucky Oaks Day May 5 at Churchill Downs when he powered home to a two-length score in the Alysheba. As a 2-year-old, Smile Happy was victorious in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) before he tested the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The son of Runhappy qualified for last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) but finished eighth behind Rich Strike. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Smile Happy's 4-year-old record includes an allowance victory and a third-place finish in the Oaklawn Mile (G3). Jockey Corey Lanerie will have the mount aboard Smile Happy in the Stephen Foster and the duo will break from post No. 5.
Another top entrant in the Stephen Foster is Smile Happy's stablemate Rattle N Roll. Rattle N Roll won the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3) in his most recent start. Prior to his 1 ¼-length score in the Blame, Rattle N Roll was victorious in the Pimlico Special (G3) and Ben Ali Stakes (G3). Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard both Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll in their most recent starts, will have the mount from post 4.
Grade 1 winner Proxy will ship in to Ellis Park for the Stephen Foster. Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy narrowly got by Last Samurai to win the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in late April. Among Proxy's other accolades in his career includes a three-quarters of a length win in last fall's Clark Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. The well-traveled Proxy has five career wins from 16 starts and has banked earnings of $1,775,970. Joel Rosario will ride Proxy and break from the rail.
Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy achieved Grade 1 glory two starts ago in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). The speedy son of Shackleford is based in California for trianer Ed Moger Jr. but has traveled to tracks throughout the country including Oaklawn, Prairie Meadows, and Gulfstream Park. Stilleto Boy was the pacesetter in the Oaklawn Handicap but could not hold off Proxy and Last Samurai. Among the other notable victories in Stilleto Boy's include the 2021 Iowa Derby and the 2022 California Stakes (G2). Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux will make the journey from California to Henderson for the mount and break from post 2.
Another horse that could show speed in the Stephen Foster is West Will Power. Trained by Brad Cox, West Will Power dueled on the lead in the Alysheba but gave way late to Smile Happy. Prior to the Alysheba, West Will Power dominated six rivals by 4¾ lengths in the New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds. Jockey Flavien Prat will ride the six-time winner from post 6.
6:05 p.m. – Grade 2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine
Moira, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, will make the second start of her 4-year-old campaign in the Nassau. Trained by Kevin Attard, the daughter of Ghostzapper, who also earned champion 3-year-old filly at the Sovereign Awards ceremony earlier this year, finished second in the Belle Mahone (G3), a neck behind Super Hoity Toity in the 1 1/16-mile main track race.
This will be Moira's third try on the grass. She finished second but was demoted to eighth in last year's E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) and was fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Keeneland on November 5.
Other starters include multiple graded stakes placed Eminent Victor, graded stakes winner Fev Rover (IRE), multiple graded stakes placed Scotish Star (ARG), graded stakes placed Millie Girl, and graded stakes placed Sweet Enough (GB).
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