belmont park | Horse Racing Free Tips

O’Brien Ships Heavy-Hitter Bolshoi Ballet For Belmont Derby Invitational

Trainer Aidan O'Brien, renowned for his talented turf stock, will bring one of his heaviest hitters to North America in Bolshoi Ballet, who will compete as part of a nine-horse field in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles over the inner turf course at Belmont Park.

Previously run as the Jamaica Handicap prior to 2014, the Belmont Derby Invitational is the first leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for sophomores, with the first leg of the filly series, the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, also set for Saturday. The Turf Triple series for colts will continue with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7 and the $1 million Jockey Club Derby on September 18 back at Belmont.

Bolshoi Ballet, owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, makes the cross-Atlantic trip following a disappointing seventh as the beaten favorite in the Group 1 Epsom Derby on June 5, from which he emerged with a cut to his right hind leg.

Prior to his last start, the son of international champion-sire Galileo won his prior sophomore engagements, both at Leopardstown going the Belmont Derby distance, when conquering the Group 3 Ballysax by 1 1/2 lengths on April 11 and the Group 3 Derrinstown by six lengths on May 9.

“He's been training well since the Derby,” said O'Brien's travelling assistant T.J. Comerford. “Once he has good to firm ground, that makes a difference. I suppose the race wasn't ideal that day at Epsom. The ground may have gone against him.

“He's coming here now trying to pick up the pieces where he left off at Leopardstown,” Comerford added. “He won both the Ballysax and the Derringstown well. It didn't work out that great at Epsom, but I'm sure he's still on the right path to picking it up from there. He's a good mover and he's just a good-looking horse himself.”

A Bolshoi Ballet victory would add to O'Brien's recent global success. This past weekend, the internationally acclaimed conditioner sent out St. Mark's Basilica to victory in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse on July 3 at Sandown in Great Britain as well as Broome, who shipped to France to capture the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on July 4.

“We're having a good run of it in France, England and Ireland at the moment,” Comerford said. “He likes to bring horses over here and try to win these races. It's kind of an annual thing we do. We bring over good chances, so there's effort that goes into it.”

Bred in Ireland by Lynch-Bages and Rhinestone Bloodstock, Bolshoi Ballet is out of the Anabaa mare Alta Anna. He is a full brother to Southern France, who was a dual grouped-winning stayer in Ireland and Australia.

Ryan Moore will ride Bolshoi Ballet from post 2.

If Bolshoi Ballet wants to earn redemption stateside, he'll have to get through a group of talented local runners including Robert LaPenta, Augustin Stable and Madaket Stables' stakes-winner Hard Love.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the consistent bay ridgling commenced his sophomore season off five month's rest in the Woodhaven on April 17 at Aqueduct, defeating next-out winner It's a Gamble by 1 1/4 lengths.

Initially pointed to the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge on May 29, Thomas called an audible and entered Hard Love against elders in a second-level allowance over the Belmont inner turf on Belmont Stakes day, where he displayed his usual tactical running style and narrowly defeated international three-time winner Desert Peace by a head.

“We had to reroute, but thankfully the race was in the book and went,” Thomas said. “It gave us a good opportunity to get another race under his belt. I was proud of how he handled himself and was able to get himself into a bit of a dog fight that last eighth of a mile against a seemingly nice older horse.
Subsequently, he's come out of it well and trained nicely. The whole idea was hoping he was talented enough to get to this race and the luck of getting to it.”

A victory in the Belmont Derby would be a second triumph in the race for Thomas and co-owner Robert LaPenta, who campaigned 2018 winner Catholic Boy. It also would be a third win in the past five runnings for prestigious turf sire Kitten's Joy, who produced Belmont Derby victors Oscar Performance [2017] and Henley's Joy [2019].

Hard Love won his debut October 10 at Belmont Park at 11-1 odds and followed with a strong second-place effort to Never Surprised in the Central Park on November 28 at Aqueduct.

Like Hard Love, Catholic Boy also was slightly overlooked on debut, when the latter broke his maiden at 5-1 in June 2017 over the Gulfstream Park turf.

“Some of our nicer horses have broken their maiden at first asking without being squeezed on, which is indictive of their talent,” Thomas said. “Since he broke his maiden last year, the idea was to figure out how to get to this race. We liked him first out, but we didn't anticipate him breaking his maiden, but it's always nice when they can.

“He's done nothing wrong up to this point,” Thomas added. “Catholic Boy was more of a flashy horse in the morning. Turf, dirt, whatever, he always breezed sharply. He was a much more aggressive horse training in the morning. This one seems to be more laid back and is not a dirt horse. They have some similarities, but let's just hope that the biggest similarity they have is winning the Belmont Derby.”

Jockey Manny Franco pilots Hard Love from post 6.

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Sainthood will make his turf debut after capturing the off-the-turf Grade 3 Pennine Ridge by a length over a sloppy and sealed track.

The son of Mshawish gave his second-crop sire his first graded stakes winner in the nine-furlong Pennine Ridge, which came after finishing 11th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Sainthood has shown ability in his quintet of starts, all over different racetracks. Following a second on debut at Gulfstream Park, he shipped to Fair Grounds to break his maiden in his two-turn debut in a race which featured subsequent graded stakes-winner Masqueparade. Sainthood followed with a second beaten a length over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park in the Grade 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 27.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the dark bay or brown colt should take to the turf based on how well he has trained over the surface.

“His works on the turf indicate that he likes it, and his pedigree certainly suggests that he will like it,” Pletcher said. “He ran well on the synthetic and everything we've seen indicates he'll handle it well. He's tactical enough that hopefully we can get a bit of cover because I do think his turn of foot, from what we saw in his breezes, is pretty good.”

Breaking from post 4, Sainthood will be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott vies for his fourth Belmont Derby triumph, with Natalie J. Baffert and Debbie Lani's Du Jour.

The son of Temple City has displayed a clear appetite for victory having done no wrong since breaking his maiden at third asking three starts back. Following his maiden triumph in February going one mile over the Santa Anita turf, Du Jour defeated winners over the southern California oval in March before taking his talents outside the Golden State for the first time with a victory in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs.

Du Jour, to be piloted by Flavien Prat from post 5, will see ten furlongs for the first time in his upcoming engagement, having never raced past 1 1/16 miles.

Bred by Woods Edge Farm, Du Jour is out of the Bernardini mare Guiltless and was a $280,000 acquisition from the Off The Hook consignment at the OBS April 2020 Sale. His fourth dam is prolific broodmare Baby Zip – the dam of champion-producing stallions Ghostzapper and City Zip.

John C. Oxley's Palazzi is the most seasoned horse in the field with a record of 2-2-2 through ten starts for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

The bay son of Pioneerof the Nile earned his two trips to the winner's circle over the winter, capturing a maiden special weight victory at 15-1 on December 19 at Fair Grounds ahead of a nose score in the Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston on January 31. He arrives off a close second to Belmont Derby-rival Cellist in the Audubon on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

“Churchill Downs is never easy to close and it's even tougher to close when the rails are out,” Casse said. “There wasn't a whole lot of speed in his last race. I thought he ran really well. I think he'll really like Belmont's turf course as well. He's a classy dude.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride Palazzi from the inside post.

Tokyo Gold will also ship from Europe for the Belmont Derby. Owned by Teruya Yoshida and trained by Shinya Kobayashi, Tokyo Gold last out captured the 11-furlong Derby Italiano on May 23 at Campanelle Race Course in Italy, which was his first start outside of France.

Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez has the call from post 7.

Trainer Rusty Arnold seeks his first win in this race since saddling West by West in 1992, sending out Calumet Farm's up-and-comer Cellist, a last-out winner of the Audubon on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

The son of Big Blue Kitten was in command throughout the entire nine-furlong journey, repelling Palazzi's late bid to win by three-quarters of a length.

Cellist is out of the English Channel mare Cello, and comes from the direct line of prolific Phipps family-owned mare Blitey.

Jockey Julien Leparoux will ride Cellist from post 8.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sends out L and N Racing's Hidden Enemy following fourth-place finishes in the Grade 2 American Turf and Audubon. The well-bred son of Galileo broke his maiden at sixth asking over the Fair Grounds turf on March 20 going one mile.

Hidden Enemy is out of the Grade 1-winning Empire Maker mare Acoma and hails from the prestigious family of influential broodmare Courtly Dee.

Jockey Luis Saez will be in the irons from post 9.

Completing the field is WellSpring Stables' two-time winner Safe Conduct.

Trained by Phil Serpe, the Ontario-bred son of Bodemeister broke his maiden in frontrunning fashion when travelling two turns for the first time in August over the Mellon turf course at Saratoga. After a seven month break, he returned to action with a second at Gulfstream Park against winners before notching an upset triumph at the same condition on May 2 at Belmont Park.

Jockey Jose Lezcano, a three-time winner of this race, will ride from post 3.

The Belmont Derby Invitational is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The post O’Brien Ships Heavy-Hitter Bolshoi Ballet For Belmont Derby Invitational appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Half-Sister To Two Breeders’ Cup Winners, Santa Barbara Headlines $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational

An international field led by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Santa Barbara will assemble for Saturday's $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Oaks is one of three stakes on the final Saturday of the Belmont spring/summer meet, including the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares.

Inaugurated in 2019, the Turf Triple series for fillies begins with Saturday's 1 1/4-mile (2,000 meters) test on the Belmont inner turf. The series continues at Saratoga Race Course on August 8 with the $700,000 Saratoga Oaks, held at 1 3/16-miles (1,900 meters) on the Saratoga lawn; and concludes with the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks at 1 3/8-miles (2,200 meters) on the Belmont turf on September 18.

A winner at first asking in September at the Curragh, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Santa Barbara entered the Group 1 Thousand Guineas as the mutuel favorite, finishing fourth over one-mile of good going at Newmarket in May.

Santa Barbara was a distant fifth traveling 12 furlongs in the Group 1 Epsom Oaks over good-to-soft going on June 4, but showed grit and determination last out when a willing second in the Group 1 Pretty Polly defeated a head to 4-year-old Thundering Nights, who missed by a nose when second to multiple graded-stakes winner Mean Mary on June 4 in the Grade 2 New York at Belmont.

“Every race she's had this year has been a Group 1 and she's been running very well in them,” said O'Brien's traveling assistant T.J. Comerford. “I suppose the ground was bad at Epsom when she ran in the Oaks.

“Quicker ground suited her better taking on the older fillies [in the Pretty Polly] and she ran well,” Comerford added. “She came here on the back of that. It doesn't seem to have fazed her at all. She looks magnificent. She looks like a colt, actually.”

The regally-bred Santa Barbara, by Camelot and out of the Danehill mare Senta's Dream, is a half-sister to 2019 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf-winner Iridessa and 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile victor Order of Australia.

Comerford said Santa Barbara has the potential to match the ability of her accomplished siblings.

“They're Breeders' Cup winners and I suppose there's no reason why this one can't be of the same mold as those two,” Comerford said. “She obviously has a lot to live up to, but at the same time she's doing all the right things. Aidan thinks a lot of her. Her work at home has been all good. She probably is just running in tough races and getting all the experience from running in them.”

Santa Barbara, who will exit post 5 under Ryan Moore, is following a similar path to the O'Brien-trained Athena, also by Camelot, who finished third in the 2018 Pretty Polly and wheeled back on six-days rest to post a 2 1/2-length score in the Belmont Oaks under Moore.

“Aidan is very keen on her, so hopefully she doesn't disappoint,” said Comerford. “We did it before with Athena where it was only a week from when we ran her at the Curragh in the Pretty Polly. Athena came back and ran super at Belmont, so we're hoping to see the same from this one. She's coming here in good shape.”

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Kent Starr, Sara Starr and Gary Finder's Cirona, trained by Christophe Ferland, captured the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte in April at Longchamp traveling a prominent trip over one-mile of firm footing.

The British-bred daughter of Maxios followed with a narrow head defeat to Incarville after carving out the fractions in the 10-furlong Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary on soft turf in May at Longchamp.

Last out, Cirona failed to make the lead and never saw daylight when 10th, defeated just 3 1/4-lengths, in a 17-horse field in the 1 5/16-mile Group 1 Prix de Diane on June 20 at Chantilly.

Cirona will emerge from post 2 under Jose Lezcano.

Local hopes will be carried by the one-two finishers of last month's nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again in Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus and Troy Johnson's Con Lima and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Plum Ali.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Con Lima sat a stalking trip in the Wonder Again under Flavien Prat, prevailing by a half-length over the Christophe Clement-conditioned Plum Ali, who rallied wide from last-of-9 under Joel Rosario.

Con Lima, a Texas-bred daughter of Commissioner, was elevated to victory in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February at Gulfstream Park after Belmont Oaks-rival Spanish Loveaffair, who crossed the wire first, was disqualified and placed fourth.

“She shows up and runs well every time,” said Pletcher. “She finished up the mile and an eighth really well last time and being a daughter of Commissioner, you'd think the mile and a quarter would be within her scope. We're happy with the way she's doing and looking forward to giving her a shot.”

Boasting a consistent record of six wins and four seconds from 11 starts, Con Lima will exit the inside post under Prat.

“I'd like to see her prominent early, possibly on the lead. She seems to run effectively that way,” said Pletcher.

Plum Ali, a Kentucky-bred daughter of First Samurai, won her first three starts, culminating in a 2 1/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont. She completed her campaign with an even fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf won by Aunt Pearl in November at Keeneland.

The talented chestnut entered the Wonder Again from a close third in the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland in her seasonal debut.

Clement said the wide, late-running trip last out was due to exiting the outermost post 9 and he expects a different trip this time when Plum Ali leaves post 7 with Rosario in the irons.

“She can be wherever she wants,” said Clement. “The other day she was drawn on the outside, which is why she was so far back in the race. With a good draw, there's no reason for her to be so far back.”

Clement said the added furlong shouldn't be an issue.

“She finished well going a mile and a furlong, so we'll give her another eighth of a mile and see what happens,” said Clement. “She's been a little bit unlucky, but hopefully she can put it all together.”

The French-born conditioner said he relishes the opportunity to take on a field laden with European talent.

“This is what happens in these kind of races with big purses,” said Clement. “The competition doesn't get easier, it gets tougher. Welcome to New York. My filly is nice too, we'll take them on.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber's multiple graded-stakes placed Spanish Loveaffair enters from a narrow runner-up effort as the mutuel favorite to Belmont Oaks-rival Gam's Mission in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Regret, contested over good going on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Karakontie bay captured the Sharp Susan in August at Gulfstream ahead of a good second to Aunt Pearl in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Jessamine in October at Keenland.

“There was some give in the ground last time and I think she'd prefer it a little firmer,” Casse said of the Regret effort. “She had a minor throat issue, so she missed some time. I thought, given the layoff, it was a really good effort. I was very pleased with her last start.”

Casse said Spanish Loveaffair required treatment following her sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland in her start prior to the Regret.

“In her start at Keeneland, we discovered a kind of fungus afterwards that she had,” said Casse. “It was a weird deal; our vet said he hadn't seen it in 15 years. So, she had to go through some therapy and treatment but she recovered from it and ran well in the Regret.”

Casse said he is hopeful Spanish Loveaffair can take another step forward on Saturday.

“She'll have to be good, it's a tough field. She should build off her last race,” said Casse.

Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount from post 4.

Gam's Mission, a Lazy F Ranch homebred trained by Cherie DeVaux, has won 3-of-4 career starts. The Noble Mission bay graduated at second asking in a key 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on firm Fair Grounds turf in March and followed with a neck score in a 1 1/16-mile Churchill Downs allowance in May.
Last out, she closed from fifth to win her stakes debut in dramatic fashion by three-quarters of a length.

Adam Beschizza retains the mount from post 8.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle allowance-winner Higher Truth in search of extending his Belmont Oaks record to six wins after previous scores with Samitar [2012], Alterite [2013], Minorette [2014], Lady Eli [2015] and New Money Honey [2017].

Michael Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley's Higher Truth, an Irish-bred daughter of Galileo, has won her last two starts going 10-furlongs on firm Belmont turf. The lightly-raced bay graduated on April 22 and followed with an allowance score over older fillies and mares on June 10.

Jose Ortiz will guide Higher Truth from post 3.

Nazuna, an Irish-bred daughter of Kodiac, is trained by Roger Varian for his wife, Hanako.

Following a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Group 2 Rockfel in September at Newmarket, Nazuna made her North American debut with a 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to close out her 2-year-old campaign in November.

Nazuna made her seasonal debut with a runner-up effort in the 1 1/16-mile Group 3 Princess Elizabeth on June 5 at Epsom.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Nazuna from post 6.

The Belmont Oaks is slated as Race 7 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The post Half-Sister To Two Breeders’ Cup Winners, Santa Barbara Headlines $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Mychel Sanchez Hoping To Make His Presence Felt At Monmouth Park This Summer

Though jockey Mychel Sanchez has been a proven commodity at Parx, where he has won the past two riding titles, the 25-year-old is trying to make his presence felt at Monmouth Park this summer as well.

“I was always at Parx, and I think I am built for more than just one track,” said Sanchez. “I think I am more of a jockey than just Parx, and I think I can do better by going to New York, here at Monmouth, and other places on the East Coast.”

During his career Sanchez has raced primarily at Parx, where he has posted 52 wins and is winning at a 14 percent clip in 2021. This summer he has had the opportunity to ride in stakes races at Monmouth Park, Pimlico, Delaware Park (where he is 11-for-34 overall this year) and Belmont Park.

The native of Venezuela is on pace to ride the most he ever has in his career, which started in 2013, with 439 mounts this year alone. The most mounts he has in a single season was 859 in 2019.

He is just beginning to get a foothold at the Monmouth meet too, with a 3-2-4 line from 29 mounts. Overall he has 67 wins entering the day.

“I think it is time for me to go out there, get to know more people and get bigger opportunities,” said Sanchez. “I want to be a jockey who travels around and competes in big races.”

Sanchez has one career graded stakes victory, which came in 2018 when he rode Dixie Serenade to a victory at Belmont Park in the Grade 3 Victory Rides Stakes. The winning ticket had a payout of $97.50. He has been clamoring for more opportunities to ride in bigger races ever since.

“I think I can do better in stake races. I think I am built for it,” he said. “I believe I can ride against anybody if I have the right horse.”

Sanchez' first stakes win of the Monmouth Park meet happened June 27, when he rode Groovy Surprise to victory the Smart N' Classy Handicap. The jockey has had mounts in two grade 3 stakes races at Monmouth Park so far this summer — the Salvator Mile and the Eatontown Stakes — but a second graded stakes career victory has eluded him so far.

“Most of the time it's all about the horse, but you still have to go out there and do the job, and do the right thing as a jockey,” said Sanchez. “I think I can do anything, and if I have the right horse, I will win.”

Besides winning graded stakes races, he has aspirations of being the top rider at Monmouth Park and reaching the 1,000-win mark. He currently has 843 career wins.

“I am hoping to accomplish a lot of things in my career, like (winning) graded stakes, and hopefully winning more riding titles at tracks other than Parx — like Monmouth,” said Sanchez. “Getting 1,000 wins would be great. I work hard and I try hard, and I could do anything that a trainer needs me to do. I just need the opportunity.”

With Scott Silver as his agent, and given an opportunity with top trainers, Sanchez feels his name can spread throughout the Eastern seaboard.

“Just give me the chance. Like I told my agent, just put my name out there and I will open the doors,” he said. “More people are starting to notice.”

Coming from a family where his father, uncle and brother were all riders, Sanchez hopes to carry on his family's name, and leave a legacy that aspiring riders will hope to replicate.

“I want my career to end with my name in the history books,” he said.

The post Mychel Sanchez Hoping To Make His Presence Felt At Monmouth Park This Summer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Grade 1 Woodward Returns To Belmont Park’s Fall Stakes Schedule

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 28-day fall meet at Belmont Park, which will include 20 graded stakes among 47 total stakes worth $11.15 million in purses.

The fall meet, which will run from Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, October 31 will offer four Grade 1 races and five “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar.

The highlight of the meet will be the return of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on Oct. 2. The Woodward has been run at Saratoga since 2006, but had previously been held at Belmont Park and makes it's return to the Elmont track this year.

The first two stakes will come during the meet's second day, with a pair of $100,000 six-furlong turf sprints on Friday, September 17, with the Allied Forces for sophomores and the Christiecat for 3-year-old fillies. The following day will feature the first Breeders' Cup qualifier on the docket with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/2 miles on the turf in the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series that will commence with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby in July and continue with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

September 18 will also see the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple for 3-year-old fillies, held at 1 3/8 miles, with the card bolstered by the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational.

The weekend of September 25-26 will encompass the meet's first graded stakes races, with that Saturday offering the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the main track and the Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia for fillies and mares 3-years-old competing at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The following day will see fillies and mares 3-and-up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, with the undercard rounded out by the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles going seven furlongs.

Seven graded stakes will comprise the weekend of October 2-3, with a pair of Grade 1s highlighting the Saturday card with the $500,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles on Big Sandy and the $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo will see juvenile fillies running 1 1/16 miles on turf that day, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass.

Sunday, October 3 will continue the high-level action, with the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies at one mile with a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies up for grabs. The day will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya at 1 3/8 miles in a turf route for fillies and mares 3-and-up.

The following weekend will again provide a chance to see top-caliber racing, with Saturday, October 9 showcasing the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up in a marathon 1 1/2-mile turf competition, with the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh, a six-furlong “Win and You're In” event for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, bolstering the undercard along with the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron for juvenile fillies.

October 10 will offer the fall meet's final Breeders' Cup qualifier with the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the turf providing a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Juvenile Turf Sprint. Also on tap that day will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame at nine furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Closing weekend on October 30-31 will see a packed Saturday that will offer eight stakes for New York-breds on Empire Showcase Day, led by the $300,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. A trio of $250,000 stakes includes the Empire Distaff, Sleepy Hollow and Maid of the Mist. Also on tap will be two $200,000 contests in the Mohawk and Ticonderoga, along with a pair of $150,000 stakes in the Iroquois and Hudson.

Closing Day on Sunday, October 31 will conclude the meet with five stakes: the $150,000 Zagora for fillies and mares 3-and-up; the Pumpkin Pie for the same division going seven furlongs; the $100,000 Awad for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the $100,000 Chelsey Flower for 2-year-old fillies going the same distance.

Three stakes have been added to the fall schedule, starting with the $100,000 Glen Cove for sophomores fillies sprinting seven furlongs on the turf on October 15. The $100,000 Carle Place, for 3-year-olds also going seven furlongs on the turf, will be held October 22, while the $100,000 Oyster Bay for 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the turf will be run on October 29.

For the complete Belmont Park fall meet stakes schedule, please visit NYRA.com/stakes

The post Grade 1 Woodward Returns To Belmont Park’s Fall Stakes Schedule appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post