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After Whitney Loss, Tom’s D’Etat Tied With Maximum Security Atop Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

San Diego Handicap (G2) winner Maximum Security and Tom's d'Etat, third in the Whitney Stakes (G1), are tied for first place with 281 votes in the 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington on Nov. 7.

The 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. 13. 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.

Owned by Gary and Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old Maximum Security moved up from second place last week to tie for the top spot. A winner in his first start for trainer Bob Baffert in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 25, Maximum Security is being pointed to the “Win and You're In” TVG Pacific Classic (G1) on Aug. 22, which will give the winner an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Tom's d'Etat, owned by Gayle Benson's GMB Racing, had been alone atop the Classic Rankings for the first two weeks. A 7-year-old bay son of Smart Strike, trained by Al Stall Jr., Tom's d'Etat had won four consecutive races, including the “Win and You're In” Stephen Foster (G2) prior to the Whitney at Saratoga, but stumbled at the start and could not overcome breaking last from the gate on Saturday, and wound up third.

The big mover in the rankings this week is the Whitney winner, Improbable (243 votes), who jumped from ninth to third place in the poll. Owned by WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and SF Racing, Improbable is also trained by Baffert. The 4-year-old chestnut son of City Zip earned a “Win and You're In” automatic starting position into the Breeders' Cup Classic following his 2-length victory in the Whitney under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. The win was Improbable's second Grade 1 triumph this year after taking the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 6.

Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law (208 votes), one of two 3-year-olds in the top 10, remains in fourth place. Unbeaten in three starts this year, the Sackatoga Stable's star, trained by Barclay Tagg, is scheduled to start in this Saturday's Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (144 votes), second in the Whitney, moves up two spots to fifth place. Trained by Bret Calhoun, By My Standards won the New Orleans Handicap (G2) and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) before finishing second to Tom's d'Etat in the Stephen Foster.

W.S. Farish's 4-year-old Code of Honor (117 votes) drops from third to sixth this week after finishing a non-threatening fourth as the 5-2 second choice in the Whitney.

Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou (95 votes) was upset by Vexatious in Saratoga's Personal Ensign (G1) on Saturday, losing by a neck as the odds-on favorite. The Steve Asmussen-trained dark bay daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Midnight Lute falls two spots to No. 7.

Juddmonte Farms' 4-year-old Tacitus (93 votes) retains eighth place in the Classic Rankings for the third consecutive week. Trained by Bill Mott, Tacitus rolled to an 8 ¾-length victory in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 4. He is expected to run next in the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 5.

The 4-year-old Vekoma, trained by George Weaver, moves up one spot to ninth place this week. Owned by R.A Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma is unbeaten in three starts this year, including two wins in Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races: the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1), for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), and the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Rounding out the top 10 is a new shooter in Bruce Lunsford's 3-year-old Art Collector. Unbeaten in three start this year, including the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11, Art Collector is expected to start in Sunday's Ellis Park Derby for trainer Tom Drury Jr.

CRK Stable's 3-year-old Honor A. P., second in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, dropped from sixth to 11th place.

Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 4, 2020*

RANK	HORSE	TOTAL VOTES	FIRST-PLACE VOTES
1	Maximum Security	281	13
1	Tom's d'Etat	281	13
3	Improbable	243	2
4	Tiz the Law	208	2
5	By My Standards	144	0
6	Code of Honor	117	1
7	Midnight Bisou	95	0
8	Tacitus	93	0
9	Vekoma	72	2
10	Art Collector	61	0

The post After Whitney Loss, Tom’s D’Etat Tied With Maximum Security Atop Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Harrington to Test Promising Juveniles at Leopardstown

Jessie Harrington is keen to put some of her most promising juveniles to the test in an intriguing card at Leopardstown on Thursday which features the G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. and G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. In the former, which has played host to the likes of Teofilo (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Rip Van Winkle (Ire) and Churchill (Ire) in recent times, she saddles Alpha Racing 2020’s impressive July 1 nine-length course-and-distance maiden winner Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Robert Scarborough and Susan Magnier’s Oodnadatta (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the O’Callaghans’ No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) are currently scheduled to go in the Silver Flash.

“Cadillac seems in good form. We’ve an awful wet morning here, so the ground might end up turning soft, but I don’t think that will bother him–I think he’d be fine on any ground.”

Easy conditions may not suit Oodnadatta, however, who beat the subsequent G3 Marble Hill S. winner Minaun (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and the July 28 11-length Galway maiden scorer Meala (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus) in a maiden also over this track and trip June 21. She may instead head for Saturday’s G3 Sweet Solera S., leaving the 6 1/2-length July 7 Roscommon maiden winner No Speak Alexander as the sole representative. “Oodnadatta is in good form, but it is a wet morning here today, so we might take her to Newmarket if the ground goes soft and just run the other filly at Leopardstown,” Harrington added. “No Speak Alexander is in good order. She improved from her first run to her second and I hope there’s more improvement to come.”

Aidan O’Brien has won nine of the last 10 renewals of the Tyros and 13 winners overall, while his tally is seven of the last 11 Silver Flash scorers and 11 in total. He has three colts in the Tyros, with Wayne Lordan booked for the maiden Van Gogh (American Pharoah) who was fourth on debut over this track and trip behind the re-opposing Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Charterhouse (GB) (Charming Thought {GB}). The latter was 66-1 when just denied by the Juddmonte rival there and trainer John Joseph Murphy sees him as a live outsider again in a year when the lesser-celebrated Irish stables are coming to the fore in the important juvenile staging posts. “He’s in tremendous form and I think he’s come on a lot from his first run,” he said. “You’ve got the horse that beat him there again and it does look a very hot renewal. We haven’t got a great draw and I hope they don’t get any more rain, as he definitely prefers quicker ground.”

Others to note in the Tyros are the Donnacha O’Brien-trained July 8 Gowran Park maiden scorer Southern Cape (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and July 11 course-and-distance maiden winner Vafortino (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) who hails from brother Joseph’s stable. Coolmore are well-represented in the Silver Flash by Ballydoyle’s July 19 Curragh maiden winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Donnacha’s July 8 Gowran Park mile maiden scorer Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while Jim Bolger saddles the aforementioned Meala, Dermot Weld runs Moyglare Stud’s June 26 six-furlong Curragh maiden winner A Ma Chere (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Joseph O’Brien pitches in John Oxley’s TDN Rising Star Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). She impressed over a mile at Bellewstown on the July 2 card which has already thrown up a subsequent luminary in the recent G2 Airlie Stud S. scorer Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

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Delaware Park Cancels Wednesday Racing After Heavy Rains

Due to the heavy rains from Tropical Storm Isaias yesterday, the live racing card at Delaware Park has been cancelled today.

The nearly five inches of rain that fell in the area yesterday has made the main track incompatible for racing.

Live racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow, Thursday, August 6, with a first race post time of 1:15 p.m. There is a carryover of $24,652 in the Pick-5 pool which starts in the third race with an approximate post time of 2:15 p.m.

Live racing will continue through closing day on October 17th. Racing will be conducted on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday. Thursday racing will continue through October 1st. First race post time is 1:15 p.m.

The post Delaware Park Cancels Wednesday Racing After Heavy Rains appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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2020 Runhappy Travers Stakes Cheat Sheet

One of the annual summer highlights of the horse racing calendar takes on an added importance in a year where COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of social life.