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Keeneland Releases Fall Stakes Schedule, Including Nine ‘Win And You’re In’ Races

Keeneland will be the focus of Thoroughbred racing this autumn when the track presents 18 stakes worth a total of $4,775,000 during its 2020 Fall Meet, to be held Oct. 2-24 ahead of the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 6-7.

The prestigious Fall Stars Weekend opens the 17-day season, which also features the repositioning of the Hagyard Fayette (G2) to join the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana on the second Saturday of the meet and serve as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 7.

“The Keeneland fall racing season is highly anticipated by horsemen and fans alike, but this one is even more exciting as it serves as a prelude for the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Bob Elliston said. “We expect to welcome many Breeders' Cup-bound stars, both human and equine, that will boost the racing competition and the handicapping fun during the Fall Meet and build momentum leading into the World Championships.”

Keeneland will host the Breeders' Cup for the second time following its successful debut at the track in 2015.

Nine Fall Stars Weekend stakes are “Win and You're In” events, part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Presented by America's Best Racing that awards each winner an automatic and free entry into the World Championships: $350,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) (Juvenile Fillies-G1) and $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) (Sprint-G1) on Friday, Oct. 2; $750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) (TVG Mile-G1), $400,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) (TVG Juvenile-G1), $350,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (G1) (Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf-G1) and $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) (Filly and Mare Sprint-G1) on Saturday, Oct. 3; and $400,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) (Distaff-G1), $200,000 Bourbon (G2) (Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America-G1) and $150,000 Indian Summer (L) (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2) on Sunday, Oct. 4.

The other graded stakes during Fall Stars Weekend, also being run Saturday, Oct. 3, is the $150,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG.

Last year, Fall Stars Weekend produced three Breeders' Cup winners. Darley Alcibiades winner British Idiom won the Juvenile Fillies; Juddmonte Spinster winner Blue Prize (ARG) took the Distaff and First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare winner Uni (GB) captured the Mile. British Idiom and Uni both were division champions.

Keeneland's 10th Breeders' Cup Challenge race, set for Wednesday, Oct. 7, is the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2). The winner earns a spot in the starting gate for the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

The Fall Meet's sixth Grade 1 stakes, the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, an invitational turf race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles, will be held Saturday, Oct. 10.

Keeneland 2020 Fall Meet Stakes Schedule: Oct. 2-24

Date	Stakes	Division	Distance
Oct. 2	$350,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)*	2YO Fillies	1 1/16 Miles
Oct. 2	$200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2)*	3YOs & Up	6 Furlongs
Oct. 3	$750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1)*	3YOs & Up	1 Mile (T)
Oct. 3	$400,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1)*	2YOs	1 1/16 Miles
Oct. 3	$350,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (G1)*	3YOs & Up, F&M	1 Mile (T)
Oct. 3	$200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2)*	3YOs & Up, F&M	6 Furlongs
Oct. 3	$150,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG	3YOs & Up	5½ Furlongs (T)
Oct. 4	$400,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1)*	3YOs & Up, F&M	1 1/8 Miles
Oct. 4	$200,000 Bourbon (G2)*	2YOs	1 1/16 Miles (T)
Oct. 4	$150,000 Indian Summer (L)*	2YOs	5½ Furlongs (T)
Oct. 7	$150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2)*	2YO Fillies	1 1/16 Miles (T)
Oct. 9	$150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3)	3YOs & Up, F&M	5½ Furlongs (T)
Oct. 10	$500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana (G1)	3YO Fillies	1 1/8 Miles (T)
Oct. 10	$200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2)	3YO & Up	1 1/8 Miles
Oct. 15	$150,000 Sycamore (G3)	3YOs & Up	1½ Miles (T)
Oct. 16	$150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3)	3YO Fillies	1 1/16 Miles (T)
Oct. 17	$200,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2)	3YO Fillies	7 Furlongs
Oct. 18	$125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3)	3YOs & Up, F&M	1½ Miles (T)

*Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes

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Santa Anita Releases Fall Stakes Schedule, Including Seven ‘Win And You’re In’ Events

Santa Anita's 2020 Autumn Meeting will kick into high gear on opening day, Saturday, Sept. 19, with the Grade III, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs and will offer fans and horsemen a total of 24 stakes over 18 racing days, through closing day, Oct. 25.

(Most recently run as the Grade III LA Woman Stakes, the Chillingworth has been renamed in honor of the late Sherwood Chillingworth, a longtime Director of the Oak Tree Racing Association who was held in the highest regard throughout North American racing).

Customarily high on the Autumn Meet stakes agenda is a series of Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races, which provides the winners of each race an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 6 & 7.

In addition to the Grade III Chillingworth on Sept. 19, the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, for 2-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, is the first of seven “Win and You're In” events, with the Speakeasy serving as a prep for the Grade II Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, four “Win and You're In” stakes, the Grade I, $300,000 Rodeo Drive, a prep for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; the Grade I, $300,000 American Pharoah, for 2-year-olds prepping for the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the Grade I, $300,000 Awesome Again, for 3-year-olds an up prepping for the Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic, and the Grade II, $200,000 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies prepping for the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will all be offered on what promises to be a blockbuster afternoon that will include a total of six stakes.

The remaining two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” stakes, the Grade II, $200,000 Zenyatta, a pivotal steppingstone to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Distaff, and the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, which preps 3-year-olds and up for the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint, will both be offered on Sunday, Sept. 27.

The always-popular Grade II, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, named in honor of one of racing's all-time great jockeys, retired Hall of Famer Eddie Delahoussaye, is for 3-year-olds and up at 5 ½ furlongs on turf and will be run Friday, Sept. 25.

Fans are encouraged to watch and wager via XpressBet.com or 1stBet.com. For additional wagering information, please visit santaanita.com.

Santa Anita's complete 2020 Autumn Stakes Schedule is available at www.santaanita.com/stakes-schedule/. In addition to our website, fans can get additional information regarding the upcoming Autumn Meet, by calling (626) 574-RACE.

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Collusion Illusion, Fashionably Fast Top ‘Win And You’re In’ Bing Crosby

The 3-year-old Collusion Illusion and the 5-year-old Fashionably Fast lead a nine-horse field of talented sprinters in Saturday's 6-furlong, $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) on NBCSN, with live coverage from Del Mar beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The Bing Crosby winner will receive an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The three-hour program, in association with TVG, marks the fifth telecast this year in the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., scheduled for Nov. 6-7 on NBC and NBCSN. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here.

Commentary and discussion for the telecast will be anchored by TVG's Todd Schrupp and Simon Bray. Post time for the Bing Crosby is 9:30 p.m. ET.

Collusion Illusion, trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by Flavien Prat, has won four of five starts, but will be challenging older horses for the first time. He comes into the Bing Crosby off an excellent performance in the 6 ½-furlong Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park on June 20, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. Owned by Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider and John Xitco, Collusion Illusion won both his starts at Del Mar last year, breaking his maiden at 5 furlongs in July, and following up that performance with a win in the Best Pal Stakes (G2).

Collusion Illusion made his next start in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 27, and was pulled up in the stretch. After a nearly eight-month layoff, he returned in May for his 3-year-old debut with a sharp 3-length win in a 6-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita.

California-bred Fashionably Fast, trained by Dean Pederson and ridden by Tiago Pereira, won six consecutive races dating back to July of last year, including three at Del Mar, before stepping into graded stakes company in the 7-furlong Triple Bend (G2) at Santa Anita on June 7. He put up a tough battle against top older horse McKinzie into the stretch, but finished second by 1 ½ lengths.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert entered McKinzie in the Bing Crosby, but said Wednesday that he would be scratched.

Prior to the Triple Bend, Fashionably Fast opened this year winning the California Cup Sprint Stakes and the Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita.

A challenge from Kentucky comes from Calumet Farm's 4-year-old Lexitonian, who is being shipped to California following a scratch at the gate in last Saturday's Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. A chestnut son of 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Speightstown, Lexitonian, trained by Jack Sisterson and ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, finished third by less than a length in last October's Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. After a 10th-place finish in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn in April, Lexitonian rebounded with a solid win in a 7-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 29.

Harris Farm's 6-year-old gelding Desert Law fought Cistron down the stretch in last year's Bing Crosby Stakes, finishing second by a half-length. A California-bred son of Desert Code, trained by Carla Gaines, Desert Law made his first start of this year in the 6-furlong Thor's Echo Stakes on June 13 at Santa Anita, finishing third as the even-money favorite. Desert Law will be ridden by Victor Espinoza.

W.C. Racing's 4-year-old gelding Wildman Jack, winner of four of nine starts, will make his dirt track debut on Saturday. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Wildman Jack, a bay son of two-time Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Goldencents, made his biggest career score on March 7 when he captured the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) in stakes-record time at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. He was scheduled to make his next start in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan but the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He returned to the U.S. and won the Daytona Stakes (G3) on the turf at Santa Anita on May 23 by a nose over Sparky Ville. However, in his most recent start, he trailed the field in the Shakertown Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11.

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Classic Winners Kameko, Siskin Clash In Wednesday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Sussex Stakes

Classic winning 3-year-olds, Kameko and Siskin, are set to clash in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood on Wednesday. The winner will earn an automatic berth into the US$2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

QIPCO 2000 Guineas (G1) winner, Kameko, and Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) winner, Siskin, will take on the older generation on Wednesday in the British Group 1 mile showpiece.

Prince Khalid Abdullah's unbeaten homebred colt Siskin travels from Ireland for this hot contest. The son of First Defense (USA), trained by Ger Lyons, has not been seen on a racecourse since scoring in impressive fashion at the Curragh.

Lyons said: “On form figures we have to improve. I think he has but we won't know until the day. The horse has done everything I've asked him and has been working well at home. Physically he is improving — you can see him getting stronger. It is going to be a tough contest.”

Regular jockey Colin Keane will take the ride despite facing 14 days' quarantine on his return to Ireland, with Lyons adding: “These are the races that you want to win. He has to self-isolate when he comes home. These are strange times though, and we are lucky to be racing.”

Owned by Qatar Racing and trained by Andrew Balding, Kameko steps back down in trip after finishing a credible fourth in the Investec Derby (G1) last time out. The dual Group 1 winner set a course record over a mile in the 2000 Guineas (G1), beating Ballydoyle's Wichita (IRE) by a neck.

Wichita is one of three runners for trainer Aidan O'Brien, alongside Queen Anne (G1) winner Circus Maximus (IRE) and Irish Guineas runner-up Vatican City (IRE). The former's Royal Ascot victory guarantees his place in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.

Others lining up at Goodwood for the Qatar Sussex Stakes and looking to earn their place at this year's Breeders' Cup include Mohaather (GB) and San Donato (IRE), the first two home in the Group 2 Betfred Summer Mile at Ascot this month.

Mohaather was an emphatic winner that day, having previously endured a luckless run behind Circus Maximus in the Queen Anne Stakes. His trainer Marcus Tregoning is hoping for his first Group 1 success since landing the Derby with Sir Percy in 2006.

Marcus Tregoning said, “It's a tough order but I don't think we could have Mohaather any better and he deserves a crack at it. He took his race in the Summer Mile very well and was back cantering the next day.

“I don't see why he won't handle the track because he's a neat horse who travels well and has plenty of speed. Hopefully he's going to run a big race.”

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Qatar Sussex Stakes to start in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run over 1 mile at the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

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