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Road to Breeders’ Cup: Sneak Peek at Keeneland Fall Stars Races
The first full weekend in October is traditionally one of the busiest and most important in North American Thoroughbred racing, as the final round of “Win and You’re In” qualifying races for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships are held at various racetracks.
Santa Anita Trio Slow Down Andy, Dr. Schivel, Lane Way Eye Breeders’ Cup
All four winners of Santa Anita's stakes on Saturday – Slow Down Andy, Dr, Schivel, Lane Way, and Hong Kong Harry – were resting and doing well Sunday morning. Three from that group will now head to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Nov. 3-4.
Slow Down Andy, front-running winner of the Awesome Again (G2), “ate up a full feed tub and is doing great this morning,” said Leandro Mora, assistant for trainer Doug O'Neill.
Slow Down Andy won the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again by 2 ¼ lengths as the 2-1 favorite under Mario Gutierrez, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. The victory was his first since winning the Del Mar Derby (G2) on turf last September and his first-ever Grade 1 score. In three previous starts this year, the 4-year-old Nyquist colt was third in the Pacific Classic (G1), second in the San Diego Handicap (G2) and off-the-board in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park on July 29.
Second in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland, Slow Down Andy this year will target the $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at 1 ¼ miles.
Dr. Schivel scored by a determined head over Speed Boat Beach in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) under Juan Hernandez, earning a 103 Beyer.
“This horse keeps coming back off extended vacations and is always pretty much the same horse,” Glatt said. “That's pretty hard to do. We'll see if he has one more good one in him.”
Dr. Schivel will now get a second crack in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Two years ago at Del Mar in the Del Mar Sprint, the now 5-year-old Violence colt endured a heart-breaking nose loss to Aloha West.
“You're just hopeful for opportunities and the Breeders' Cup is a big one,” Glatt said. “He'll be on his home track. There will be plenty of tough competition I'm sure, but we'll give it our best shot.”
Lane Way's victory came by a half-length under Mike Smith in the Eddie D (G2), which was originally scheduled for the downhill turf course but was moved to the turf chute and run at 6 ½ furlongs due to rain. It was Lane Way's second stakes tally this year and first career graded-stakes win.
Trained by Richard Mandella, the 6-year-old gelding by Into Mischief earned a 95 Beyer and will be pointed to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) on Nov. 4. It will be contested at five furlongs, which Mandella acknowledged is perhaps shorter than Lane Way's ideal trip.
“They're not going to change it for me,” he said.
Hong Kong Harry, a neck winner of the City of Hope Mile (G2), is not nominated to the Breeders' Cup and won't be supplemented, trainer Phil D'Amato said Sunday.
“The owners would have to put up a couple hundred thousand to run. We're going to just wait for the Seabiscuit,” D'Amato added. The Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) at 1 1/16 miles on turf is scheduled for Nov. 25 at Del Mar.
Owned Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegaw,a and Tony Vallaza, 6-year-old Hong Kong Harry, who earned a 96 Beyer yesterday, has a record of 10-2-3 in 17 starts and earnings of $775,097.
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38th Annual Maryland Million Anchors Laurel Park’s Fall Meet Stakes Action
Laurel Park will continue the stakes action during its calendar year-ending fall meet Saturday, Oct. 14 with the 38th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million.
'Maryland's Day at the Races,' the Maryland Million celebrates the progeny of stallions standing in the state with eight stakes and four starter stakes worth a combined $1.08 million in purses and highlighted by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up. The groundbreaking event has spawned copycat programs across the U.S. and Canada since its debut in 1986.
Maryland Million will also offer the $125,000 Turf (3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles), $125,000 Ladies (fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles), $100,000 Sprint (3-year-olds and up, six furlongs), $100,000 Distaff (fillies and mares 3 and up, seven furlongs), $100,000 Turf Sprint (3-year-olds and up, 5 ½ furlongs), $100,000 Lassie (2-year-old fillies, six furlongs) and $100,000 Nursery (2-year-olds, six furlongs).
Pre-entries for the Maryland Million were due Sunday. Final entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday, Oct. 8.
A total of 32 stakes worth $3.13 million in purses will be offered during Laurel's 50-day fall stand, which opened Sept. 29 and continues through Sunday, Dec. 31 with four-day live racing in October and November and three-day live racing in December. There will be no racing Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
Following opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday in October and November and Friday through Sunday starting Dec. 1. Post time will be 12:25 p.m. (ET) with the exception of Maryland Million Day, Oct. 14 (11:30 a.m.) and Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23 (11:25 a.m.)
Juveniles will be on center stage Saturday, Nov. 11 in the $100,000 James F. Lewis III and $100,000 Smart Halo, the latter for fillies, both at six furlongs. The card will also include the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares 3 and up.
Laurel Park will serve up a total of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses over back-to-back days on Thanksgiving weekend. Maryland-bred/sired horses are featured Friday, Nov. 24 with the seven-furlong, $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and up and six-furlong, $75,000 Politely for fillies and mares 3 and older.
Saturday, Nov. 25 offers the last stakes races in Maryland for straight 3-year-olds, the $100,000 Safely Kept for fillies and $100,000 City of Laurel, both sprinting seven furlongs. In addition, horses aged 3 and up will travel 1 1/8 miles in the $100,000 Richard W. Small. All three stakes are listed.
The final month of the calendar year will feature eight stakes worth $800,000 in purses, launched by the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly, each at seven furlongs, Saturday, Dec. 2.
Christmas weekend begins with four stakes worth $400,000 Saturday, Dec. 23 – the $100,000 Dave's Friend for 3-year-olds and up and $100,00 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older, respectively sprinting six and 6½ furlongs; $100,000 Carousel for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso for runners 3 and older going 1 1/16 miles.
The 2023 stakes calendar concludes Saturday, Dec. 30 with the $100,000 Heft for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs.
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