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TVG Featuring Live Coverage Of Seven ‘Win And You’re In’ Races From Santa Anita This Weekend

TVG, America's horse racing network and leading ADW platform, will be live on site at Santa Anita for a loaded opening weekend featuring seven Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races including the Awesome Again Stakes (GI), a qualifying race for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) featuring a showdown between two of the top older horses in the country, Maximum Security and Improbable.

There will be expert analysis and exclusive interviews on site at Santa Anita from Todd Schrupp, Britney Eurton and Christina Blacker. They will be joined by Simon Bray and Mike Joyce who will be contributing to the broadcast remotely.

On Saturday, there will be five Breeders' Cup Challenge races on the star-studded eleven race card – the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes (Juvenile Turf Sprint), the $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (Juvenile Fillies), the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (Filly and Mare Turf), the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (Classic) and the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (TVG Juvenile).

The Awesome Again Stakes (GI) will feature two of the stars of the Bob Baffert barn – 2019 Eclipse champion three-year-old Maximum Security and multiple Grade 1 winner Improbable. Maximum Security will be reunited with regular rider Luis Saez and comes into this race off of a victory in the TVG Pacific Classic (GI) in August. Improbable was last seen notching his second consecutive Grade 1 of the year in the Whitney Stakes (GI) at Saratoga.

On Sunday, the action continues with the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (Distaff) and the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (Sprint). The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held on November 6 and 7 at Keeneland.

Fans of international racing can tune in on Friday and Saturday morning as Candice Hare hosts the racing from Newmarket which will feature two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races – the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Juvenile Turf).

TVG's Caleb Keller will be live trackside at Remington Park on Sunday for the track's premier race, the $200,000 Oklahoma Derby (GIII). The race has attracted a field of nine sophomores including graded stakes winner Shared Sense who has been installed as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 for trainer Brad Cox.

TVG will also feature racing from marquee venues across the country including Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park and more.

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Baffert Will Leave Awesome Again Strategy Up To Riders Of Maximum Security, Improbable

Maximum Security, the nation's leading older horse, has run at six different tracks in his brilliant 12-race career and will add No. 7 when he debuts at Santa Anita in Saturday's Grade I Awesome Again Stakes.

It is one of five Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races presented Saturday, offering the winner a fees-paid berth to their respective Breeders' Cup races at Keeneland Nov. 6 & 7.

Maximum Security is trained by Bob Baffert, who has horses entered in four of the 11 races, seven of them stakes. Four of Baffert's runners also are in “Win and You're In” events: Princess Noor, Varda and $4,000 supplemental nominee Illumination in the Grade I Chandelier Stakes for two-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, and Spielberg in the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes for two-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

Luis Saez is reunited with Maximum Security and also rides Spielberg and Illumination. Drayden Van Dyke is back aboard Improbable in the Awesome Again. They won the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 6.

As for strategy, Baffert tends to leave it up to the riders.

“Saez knows the horse really well and Drayden knows Improbable really well, so they'll just figure it out themselves,” he said. “They know what to do.

“Even in a small field the break is very important, but both horses are doing exceptionally well. Hopefully they'll use this race as a steppingstone to the Big Show (Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7).

“I hate to really run them against each other, but it gives Improbable an extra two weeks to get ready for the Breeders' Cup. He runs better when he's a bit fresher, so that's why we're running them together.”

Improbable doesn't have to carry his track around with him. Of his 13 career races, eight have come on different tracks: Santa Anita, Saratoga, Oaklawn Park, Parx, Del Mar, Pimlico, Churchill Downs and Los Alamitos.

A multiple Grade I-winning son of City Zip, the four-year-old chestnut has won six times with three seconds, earning $1,529,520.

Maximum Security is coming off two straight wins for Baffert at Del Mar, including the Grade I TVG Pacific Classic. The four-year-old son of New Year's Day has won 10 of 12 career starts with an enormous bankroll of $12,191,900.

The bay colt looms an odds-on choice, one of two in that category Baffert has entered Saturday, the other being Princess Noor in the Chandelier Stakes.

Baffert also has the maiden Spielberg entered in the American Pharoah. The chestnut son of Union Rags out of the Smart Strike dam Miss Squeal was second to Dr. Schivel in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 7.

A $1,350,000 daughter of the prodigious young stallion Not This Time, Princess Noor drew the rail against four rivals, two of them also trained by Baffert. She will be going two turns for the first time, having won her debut race on the lead by 2 ½ lengths at 5 ½ furlongs before taking the Grade I Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 6, coming from just off the pace to vanquish three others by 6 ½ lengths.

She was the 7-10 favorite in both starts, each time ridden by Victor Espinoza, who guided American Pharoah to a Triple Crown sweep for Baffert in 2015 and who retains the mount on Princess Noor Saturday.

“She's fast; she's shown brilliant speed,” Baffert said. “She's coming back a little quick but she's been handling everything we've thrown at her, so we're looking forward to the race.

“I think Spielberg should like two turns. They went really fast early in the Futurity (45 flat for four furlongs and 1:10.60 for six furlongs) and he got beat by a really nice horse.

“I really think two turns will be better for him, just the way he moves and all. He's bred for it.”

The Chandelier, race three: Princess Noor, (2-5) Victor Espinoza; Make Mischief, (5-1) Abel Cedillo; Varda, (8-1) Drayden Van Dyke; Illumination, (6-1) Luis Saez; and Miss Costa Rica, (6-1) Flavien Prat.

The American Pharoah, race eight: Touchdown Brown, (5-1) Juan Hernandez; Rombauer, Mike Smith; Dyn O Mite, (20-1) Victor Espinoza; Notable Exception, (7-2) Abel Cedillo; Spielberg, (3-1) Luis Saez; Get Her Number, (7-2) Flavien Prat; Weston, (6-1) Drayden Van Dyke; and Waspirant, (6-1) Umberto Rispoli.

The Awesome Again, race 10: Take the One O One, (20) Jose Valdivia Jr.; Improbable, (8-5) Drayden Van Dyke; Sleepy Eyed Todd, (12-1) Umberto Rispoli; Midcourt, (6-1) Victor Espinoza; and Maximum Security, (3-5) Luis Saez.

First post time for Saturday's stakes studded card is 12:30 p.m.

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Maximum Security Faces Stablemate Improbable, Shirreffs-Trained Midcourt In Awesome Again

Unbeaten in two starts for Bob Baffert, Gary and Mary West's homebred Maximum Security, roundly regarded as the best in training today, heads a field of field of five 3-year-olds and up going a mile and one eighth in Saturday's Grade I, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita.

A two-time stakes winner at Del Mar this past summer, Maximum Security comes off a huge three length win in the Grade I Pacific Classic on Aug. 22 and will once again be a prohibitive favorite in what will be his 13th career start.

Baffert's Improbable, a Grade I winner of the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 1, earned a career-best Beyer Speed figure of 106 and will be bidding for his third consecutive win.

The John Shirreffs-trained Midcourt, who was beaten a nose by Maximum Security two starts back in the San Diego Handicap, was a well beaten third behind “Max” in the Pacific Classic and will be facing him for the third consecutive time on Saturday.

The Awesome Again, named for the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic winner that was bred in Ontario, Canada by Frank Stronach and owned by his Stronach Stables, is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the Grade I, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

MAXIMUM SECURITY

Owner: Gary & Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor & Derrick Smith

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Immensely talented but star-crossed, this 4-year-old colt by New Year's Day appears to be thriving in Baffert's care. Ridden in his two Del Mar starts by Abel Cedillo, he'll be reunited with eastern-based Luis Saez, who has finished first on him in six out of seven starts, most recently in Saudi Arabia, where he took the $20 million Saudi Cup by three quarters of a length. Although the Saudi Cup results remain official, Maximum Security's purse earnings remain on-hold as an investigation into his original trainer Jason Servis continues. Adding to his hard-luck resume is the fact he became the only Kentucky Derby winner to ever be disqualified for a racing infraction in the 2019 Derby, a race he won by 1 ¾ lengths with Saez aboard. An official winner of 10 out of his 12 starts, Maximum Security has banked $12.1 million and will be making his first-ever start at Santa Anita.

IMPROBABLE

Owner: WinStar Farm, LLC, China Horse Club Intl., Ltd and SF Racing, LLC

Trainer: Bob Baffert

The 4-1 post time favorite in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, he finished fifth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Maximum Security. A winner two starts back of the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup, run at Santa Anita on June 6, he'll be reunited with Drayden Van Dyke, who did not ride him at Saratoga. Van Dyke has won aboard Improbable in five out their seven pairings, including his Gold Cup win. A winner of six out of his 13 starts, Improbable, a 4-year-old colt by City Zip, has earnings of $1.5 million.

MIDCOURT

Owner: C R K Stable, LLC

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Although narrowly beaten two starts back in the San Diego Handicap, this 5-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute was no match for Maximum Security in the Pacific Classic when third. A shining testament to Shirreffs' horsemanship, Midcourt has been able to overcome his idiosyncrasies, including bad manners in post parade. If his mind is right, he rates an upset chance over a track on which he is 8-3-1-2.

THE GRADE I AWESOME AGAIN STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Take the One O One—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—122
Improbable—Drayden Van Dyke—126
Sleepy Eyes Todd—Umberto Rispoli—124
Midcourt—Victor Espinoza—124
Maximum Security—Luis Saez—126

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. With no public admittance, fans are encouraged to follow Santa Anita's live video stream at santaanita.com.

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Luis Saez Returns To Partner Maximum Security In Saturday’s Awesome Again

Luis Saez returns on Maximum Security in Saturday's Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, Bob Baffert confirmed via text. The Awesome Again is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be held at Keeneland the first weekend of November.

Saez, a 28-year-old native of Panama City, has ridden the four-year-old son of New Year's Day in seven of his 12 career races, crossing the wire first six times and second in the Pegasus at Monmouth in June 2019.

Abel Cedillo had ridden Maximum Security in his last two races, winning both, the San Diego Handicap and the Grade I Pacific Classic.

Maximum Security was disqualified from victory two times with Saez aboard, first in the Saudi Cup Feb. 29 after which Saudi officials withheld distribution of $20 million in purse money pending investigation of his trainer at that time, Jason Servis, and others in the United States. The bay colt also was disqualified from first for a riding infraction at the top of the stretch in last year's Kentucky Derby.

Saez also will ride the maiden Spielberg in the American Pharoah Stakes for Baffert. Saez is fourth nationally in purse earnings this year with more than $10 million and second to Irad Ortiz Jr. in victories, 234 to 202.

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