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‘He Does It So Easy’: Belmont Stakes Winner Arcangelo Breezes Toward Travers

Working for the second time since his dynamic Belmont Stakes victory, Arcangelo was credited with a six-furlong workout at Saratoga on Monday. The 3-year-old son of Arrogate covered the distance over the main track in 1:14.03, piloted by his Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.

According to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, Arcangelo breezed five furlongs in 1:00.52, then galloped out in 1:14.03, 1:26.74, and 1:41.27 for a mile.

Castellano was pleased with the work, as was trainer Jena Antonucci.

“I liked everything. The way he breezed at the beginning was very nice, comfortable rhythm he started picking it up himself in a good way,” Castellano told DRF. “The challenge with him is you got to be careful because he does it so easy, very comfortable, but he clocks a [fast] number and you feel like you go slow but he reaches out with that beautiful stride, long stride, and I don't want to go too fast.”

Antonucci posted a video of the work on Twitter.

Arcangelo is expected to target the Travers Stakes at the end of the summer season at Saratoga. The colt, owned by Blue Rose Farm, won the Belmont in just his fifth career effort after requiring three starts to break his maiden. Arcangelo won the G3 Peter Pan Stakes in preparation for the Belmont Stakes, so his overall record stands at three wins from five starts and earnings of $1,067,400.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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Cody’s Wish Leads First Week Of Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Godolphin's Cody's Wish, winner of both of his starts this year, is the No. 1 rated horse following the first week of tabulated votes for the 2023 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings. The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which will be run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, on Nov. 4.

Cody's Wish, a 5-year-old son of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Curlin, topped the list with 287 total votes, which included 22 first-place votes. Trained by Bill Mott, Cody's Wish won the Churchill Downs Stakes presented by Ford (G1), and the Hill 'N' Daile Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park this year. Winner of last year's Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Cody's Wish is expected to start in the 1 1/8-mile Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 5. The Whitney is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race, which provides the winner with an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Gary and Mary West's 6-year-old homebred West Will Power is in second place with 210 votes. Trained by Brad Cox, West Will Power has won two of three starts this year, including a victory last time out in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), in which he earned a free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's 3-year-old Forte, winner of the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and second in the Belmont Stakes (G1), is in third place with 194 votes. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Forte won last year's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) and was voted champion 2-year-old of 2022.

Defunded, back-to-back winner at Santa Anita in the Californian (G2) and the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1), is in fourth place. The 5-year-old gelding, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, and trained by Bob Baffert, has 169 votes.

Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo is in fifth place with 151 votes for Blue Rose Farm and trainer Jena Antonucci. Mage, winner of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), is in sixth place. Owned by OGMA Investments, LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, LLC, and CMNWLTH, and trained by Gustavo Delgado, Mage has 149 votes.

Lucky Seven Stable's 4-year-old Rattle N Roll, winner of three graded stakes this year and runner-up in the Stephen Foster, is in seventh place with 122 votes for trainer Kenny McPeek.  Whisper Hill Farm, LLC's Charge It, a 4 ¾-length winner of the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, is in eighth place with 100 votes. Charge it is also trained by Pletcher.

Bruce Lunsford's 6-year-old Art Collector, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes presented by Baccarat (G1), is in ninth place with 46 votes and is followed in 10th place by Steve Moger's 5-year-old gelding Stilleto Boy, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava' Resort and Casino (G1), with 42 points.

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers, and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 10. A list of voting members can be found here.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – July 18, 2023*

Rank Horse Total Votes First-Place Votes
1 Cody's Wish 287 22
2 West Will Power 210 3
3 Forte 194 2
4 Defunded 169 3
5 Arcangelo 151 0
6 Mage 149 0
7 Rattle N Roll 122 1
8 Charge It 100 0
9 Art Collector 46 0
10 Stilleto Boy 42 0

*Note – The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings have no bearing on qualification or selection into the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2023 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track at Santa Anita, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

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Kentucky Derby Winner Mage To Start In Saturday’s Haskell

Kentucky Derby winner Mage will make his next start in this Saturday's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, trainer Gustavo Delgado, Sr. announced on Twitter Tuesday. The 3-year-old son of Good Magic is being pointed to the G1 Travers at the end of the summer season at Saratoga; the Haskell will be the “prep run” for that goal.

Mage has not started since finishing third in the G1 Preakness Stakes on May 20. The colt,  owned by OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC, and CMNWLTH, boasts a record of two wins, a second, and a third from five career starts for earnings of $2,288,700.

“Our summer goal since the Preakness was run, for us personally, has always been the Travers (at Saratoga on Aug. 26),” said Restrepo. “We were thinking about the best way to get to the Travers. The Haskell falls five weeks out and gives us an opportunity to come back in a strong race against a solid field – and against some of the best 3-year-olds in the country.

“We're excited for the opportunity to get him back in action.”

Mage, unraced at 2, will be making his fourth straight start in Grade 1 company in the Haskell.

“He had a great break after the Preakness – 17 days of no saddle and no racetrack,” said Restrepo. “The break was good for him.

“We've only had three works since then. The weather played a role in that. But it's time to get the train started again. Three works for this race is not ideal but we've got to get the ball rolling.”

Mage will ship in from Kentucky tomorrow, Restrepo said.

“We're pleased to have the opportunity to race in historically famous races with a lot of tradition and to be part of race at a beautiful setting like Monmouth Park,” he said.

Javier Castellano has the mount.

Other 3-year-olds expected to start in the Haskell are Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher),  Awesome Strong (Jorge Delgado), Geaux Rocket Ride (Richard Mandella), Arabian Knight (Bob Baffert), Howgreatisnate (Elizabeth Dobles), Salute the Stars (Brad Cox), and Extra Anejo (Steve Asmussen).

Post positions will be drawn at noon on Wednesday, July 19.

The 56th edition of the $1 million Haskell Stakes headlines a 14-race card that includes the Grade 1, $600,000 United Nations at a mile and three-eighths on the turf and three Grade 3 stakes – the $500,000 Molly Pitcher, the $400,000 Monmouth Cup and the $300,000 WinStar Matchmaker.

The Haskell offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Santa Anita Park.

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