The final weekend before Breeders' Cup is held at Santa Anita Park will feature plenty of eyes on the last-gasp preparations for this year's World Championships, but it also offers plenty of stakes action on the Eastern side of the continental U.S.
The Fayette serves as the closing-day feature of the 17-day Fall Meet at Keeneland: it features a Group 1 winner in Chile, a Grade 2 winner at Santa Anita, and five Grade 3 winners among 14, including two also-eligibles, entered for the 1 1/8-mile contest.
The Grade 2 Forty Niner (previously the Kelso), is one of three stakes on Saturday's lucrative 11-race program at Aqueduct, including the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose, and the listed $135,000 Awad.
For the third time this fall, the jumpers return to Virginia on Saturday, where they'll compete for $325,000 in purses at the International Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow Race Course in The Plains, the second richest program on the National Steeplechase Association autumn calendar. The card consists of eight races – over timber, hurdles, and a mixed bag of obstacles – as well as events for runners at all levels of competition from maiden claiming to stakes. In all, 57 horses have been entered.
On Sunday, the 1 1/16-mile Street Sense Stakes is the featured event on opening day of the 21-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs, and offers the winner 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby for 2024. The 11-race program will feature all 2-year-old racing. Two races prior to the Street Sense is the $200,000 Rags to Riches Stakes (Listed) for 2-year-old fillies.
A total of 100 New York-breds are entered for a special 10-race card on Closing Day Sunday at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet to celebrate the best of New York for the annual Empire Showcase Day, featuring eight stakes races worth $1.6 million, led by the $250,000 Empire Classic and $250,000 Empire Distaff.
Saturday
3: 48 p.m. – Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes at Aqueduct
Xigera will look to make the grade in Saturday's $250,000 Mother Goose, a nine-furlong route for sophomore fillies. Trained by Philip Bauer, the Nyquist dark bay has flashed talent on turf and dirt, taking the Tepin over the Ellis Park green in July and the Seneca Overnight last out on September 23 over the Churchill Downs main track.
Defining Purpose [post 7, Junior Alvarado] earned Grade 1 glory in April at Keeneland with a 20-1 upset score in the Ashland when posting a prominent half-length score over Punchbowl, who was a neck better than returning rival Julia Shining. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the Cross Traffic grey followed with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks but redeemed herself off a two-month break by winning the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks. She was last seen finishing a distant fifth in the Grade 1 Cotillion contested at 1 1/16-miles over a sloppy and sealed main track on September 23 at Parx.
Chad Brown trainee Occult [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] exits a third-place finish in the Cotillion, rallying from last-of-9 to finish 1 3/4-lengths back of Ceiling Crusher, who successfully shipped in from the West Coast. Brown will also saddle a pair of sophomore contenders for Klaravich Stables in dual graded stakes-placed Undervalued Asset [post 4, Manny Franco] and maiden winner Peak Popularity [post 2, Dylan Davis].
Foggy Night [post 1, Jose Lezcano], winner of the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks in July for trainer Butch Reid, Jr., will look to make amends from a distant sixth-place finish last out in the Grade 1 Cotillion.
The regally-bred Julia Shining [post 3, Javier Castellano] made the grade at second asking here for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, overcoming a bobbled start to post a neck score in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Demoiselle over sloppy and sealed footing. Julia Shining followed with third-place efforts in the Suncoast in February at Tampa Bay Downs and the aforementioned Ashland in April at Keeneland. Last out, she was eased when ninth in the Grade 1 Alabama in August at the Spa where she has continued to work regularly over Oklahoma training track.
4:53 p.m. – Grade 2 Forty Niner Stakes at Aqueduct
Stakes-winner Everso Mischievous will make his first start in graded company in Saturday's $300,000 Forty Niner, a one-mile test for 3-year-olds and up that was previously run as the Kelso, at Belmont at the Big A. Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the sophomore son of Into Mischief was last seen winning the seven-furlong Harrods Creek on September 23 at Churchill Downs where he raced one length off the pace in second under Cristian Torres before taking command at the stretch call and drawing off to a 3 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:22.15.
Graded stakes-winning Maryland-bred Double Crown [post 1, Jose Gomez] looks to defend his title in this event on the heels of a closing third-place effort in the Maryland Million Classic on October 14 at Laurel Park. Trained by Ray Ginter, Jr., the son of Bourbon Courage won the Polynesian against open company two starts back at Pimlico Race Course with a driving finish up the rail.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown sends out a strong pair in dual graded stakes-placed Accretive [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Dr Ardito [post 5, Manny Franco].
Film Star [post 4, Jose Lezcano] arrives at the Forty Niner in impressive form as he makes his ninth outing for trainer Linda Rice after being haltered for $75,000 out of a win in April at Keeneland. The Flatter bay was most recently second to Zandon in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Woodward.
Completing the field are the pair of multiple graded stakes-placed Synthesis [post 8, Isaac Castillo] and five-time winner Business Model [post 7, Dylan Davis] for owner/trainer David Jacobson; Swiftsure [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche], who enters off a pair of wins for trainer Horacio De Paz.
5:16 p.m. – Grade 2 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland
A Group 1 winner in Chile, a Grade 2 winner at Santa Anita, and five Grade 3 winners are among 14, including two also-eligibles, entered for the 66th running of the $350,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland on Saturday.
O'Connor (CHI) has the 2022 Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) at the top of his 10-win resume. Now trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., O'Connor is winless in five starts this year but is graded stakes-placed in three of those races. He most recently was fifth in the Woodward (G2) Oct. 1 at Belmont at the Big A. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount from post 9.
Also coming in from New York is Law Professor. Trained by Rob Atras, Law Professor is a four-time stakes winner with his biggest victory coming in the Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) in 2021. He was most recently was third in the Woodward. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 8.
The Grade 3 winners in the field are Happy American, King Fury, Giant Game, Il Miracolo, and Best Actor.
Sunday
5:35 p.m. – Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill
Generous Tipper, the recent third-place finisher in the Breeders' Futurity (Grade 1), tops a field of eight 2-year-olds for the $200,000 Street Sense Stakes (G3) on “Stars of Tomorrow I” at Churchill Downs. Generous Tipper, trained by Kenny McPeek, was a 7 ½-length maiden special weight winner on closing day of the Ellis Park meet in late August. The son of this race's namesake, Street Sense, finished third to Locked and The Wine Steward three weeks ago in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will retain the mount from the rail.
The Street Sense field also includes eye-catching debut winner Parchment Party. Owned by Pin Oak Stud and trained by Bill Mott, Parchment Party rallied from 11 lengths off the early pace to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Sept. 15 at Churchill Downs. The son of Constitution will once again be ridden by James Graham from post No. 5.
Other Street Sense entrants include Iroquois (G3) third-place finisher Liberal Arts; Belmont at Aqueduct eight-length maiden winner Moonlight; and gutsy Churchill Downs maiden special weight winner Informed Patriot.
The Street Sense is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season where the top five finishers will be awarded points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale towards qualifying for the 150th Kentucky Derby.
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