breeders' cup classic | Horse Racing Free Tips

Max Player Earns 102 Beyer Speed Figure For Gold Cup Win, Will Train Up To BC Classic

After garnering his first Grade 1 conquest in Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., George E. Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player will train up to the $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said.

The victory was a second consecutive graded stakes win at 10 furlongs for Max Player, who earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the win. He previously defeated Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 3 over a sloppy and sealed track at Belmont Park. Ricardo Santana, Jr. piloted the 4-year-old for both races.

Asmussen said Max Player has shown considerable physical improvement from his sophomore season, where he finished third to Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

“Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this. His next race will be the Breeders' Cup Classic,” Asmussen said. “There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger.”

The last time Del Mar hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, Asmussen won the Classic with subsequent Horse of the Year Gun Runner. In preparation for this year's Breeders' Cup, Asmussen said he plans on shipping Max Player to California early to prepare for his next engagement.

“We just want to acclimate them to West Coast time,” Asmussen said. “For previous Breeders' Cups in California, we like to get out there and be on Pacific Coast time and I think we've gotten solid runs doing that, so we're planning on doing the same this time. Last time the Breeders' Cup was at Del Mar, we had Gun Runner. He went out and trained at Santa Anita before going to Del Mar.”

Asmussen found the winner's circle in four of the last six editions of the Breeders' Cup hosted in California, winning with Mitole [2019 Sprint at Santa Anita], Gun Runner [2017 Classic at Del Mar], Untapable [2014 Distaff at Santa Anita], and Tapizar [2012 Dirt Mile at Santa Anita].

Co-owner George E. Hall said he was equally delighted to see his horse secure a Grade 1 victory.

“You have to give all the credit to Steve and Ricardo,” Hall said at the Asmussen barn on Sunday morning. “I think having Ricardo on him consistently now; he knows the horse and Steve knows what instructions to give him. He just has to stay with the pace. He can't get so far behind and have too much ground to make up.”

Hall echoed similar sentiments to Asmussen in terms of Max Player's physical development from age three to four.

“You look at his record, he didn't have a lot of wins, but there was no shame in losing to Tiz the Law and Authentic,” Hall said. “Those were great horses. He's still maturing as a 4-year-old and we're pretty excited about his prospects.”

A three-time Grade 1-winner this meet, Asmussen could add to his ledger with Echo Zulu in the Grade 1 Spinaway as well as Gunite in the Grade 1 Hopeful on Closing Day Monday.

A 2-year-old son of Gun Runner, Gunite was a last out second in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 14.

“He's run faster in every one of his races and I expect that to continue,” Asmussen said.

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Happy Saver Will Try To Join Elite Company With Back-To-Back Wins In Jockey Club Gold Cup

Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver is out to protect his title and etch his name amongst a quality group of horses to secure multiple triumphs in the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and upward going 1 ¼ miles at Saratoga Race Course, which will host the 103rd edition on Saturday.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Since its inception in 1919, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been one of the most prestigious events on New York's racing calendar, won by Hall of Famers Man o' War [1920], Hill Prince [1950], Sword Dancer [1959], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967], Forego [1974], John Henry [1981], Easy Goer [1989], and Cigar [1995].

The great Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup a record five straight years from 1960-64. Nine Kentucky Derby winners have won the prized event, including Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox [1930], Whirlaway [1942], Citation [1948] and Affirmed [1979]. Contested at Belmont Park from 1975-20, the historic event was moved to Saratoga for the first time this year.

Happy Saver, a son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, will attempt to become the 11th horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, joining Hall of Famers Nashua [1955-56], Shuvee [1970-71], Slew o' Gold [1983-84], Skip Away [1996-97] and Curlin [2007-08]. The most recent horse to secure this task was Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist [2014-15].

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver was undefeated when taking last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup, engaging in a dramatic stretch duel with Mystic Guide [the subsequent winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup] in his first start at graded stakes level. The 4-year-old chestnut colt arose from a seven-month hiatus in style, capturing a one-turn mile allowance optional claiming event on May 28 at Belmont Park in tactical fashion.

Happy Saver finished third last out in the 10-furlong Grade 2 Suburban contested on a sloppy and sealed main track on July 3 at Belmont, finishing 2 3/4-lengths back of returning rival Max Player.

“I don't think he ran that badly on an off track last time,” Pletcher said. “The way the race unfolded going a mile and a quarter at Belmont and drawing the outside is never a good thing. I thought he ran well all things considered. He kept closing and it was his only his second start of the year, so hopefully he moves forward.”

Through a record of 6-5-0-1, Happy Saver has accumulated earnings $374,200. A Kentucky homebred, Happy Saver is out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor Mare Happy Week. A direct descendant of prolific broodmare Gay Missile, Happy Saver comes from the same extended family as champion and influential stallion A.P. Indy as well as American classic winners Summer Squall and Lemon Drop Kid.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., the pilot in all six lifetime starts, retains the mount from post 4.

George E. Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player arrives off a victory against Happy Saver in the Grade 2 Suburban, which he won at 11-1 odds for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The son of third-crop sire Honor Code battled gamely with Mystic Guide down the Belmont stretch and came out a neck on top while garnering a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Off the board in his four efforts prior to the Suburban, Max Player was a distant third to New York-bred hero Tiz the Law in both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers last year.

“He's coming off a nice win in the Suburban,” said Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi. “It was nice to see him step up again and run to his ability. This is a logical spot to run him back. He's done well up here, so we'll see how it goes.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will retain the mount from post 2.

Don Alberto Stables' Forza Di Oro brings three straight wins to his first Grade 1 engagement, arriving off a sharp three-length victory in his seasonal debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The 4-year-old chestnut son of Speightstown, who sired 2010 winner Haynesfield, earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure when defeating allowance optional claiming company traveling nine furlongs on July 21 over a muddy and sealed Saratoga main track off an eight-month layoff. He recorded the same figure capturing the nine-furlong Grade 3 Discovery on November 28 at Aqueduct in his previous start.

The lightly-raced Forza Di Oro has breezed four times at Saratoga out of his optional-claiming win, including a half-mile breeze in 49.95 seconds on August 29 over the Oklahoma dirt training track.

“I've been pleased with his works, visually,” said Mott, who trained Ron the Greek [2013], Flat Out [2012] and Cigar [1995] to Jockey Club Gold Cup scores. “He's indicating that he needs to be tried in that good company. Knock on wood, we have three days to go so we're hoping to get him over there in good shape.”

Mott is cautiously optimistic about Forza Di Oro's ability to handle the stretch out in distance.

“So far, he hasn't indicated that he can't handle it,” Mott said.

Jockey Junior Alvarado, the rider in all six lifetime starts, will be back aboard from post 1.

Trainer Dallas Stewart will saddle Chess Chief in attempt of his second graded stakes victory this season.

Owned by The Estate of James J. Coleman, Jr., the 5-year-old son of leading sire Into Mischief captured the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic under returning rider Luis Saez on March 20 at Fair Grounds in his most recent victory.

“We feel good about it. He's trained very well up here,” Stewart said. “He's a come-from-behind type of horse so we're just going to let Luis do his thing.”

Saez, the Saratoga meet's leading rider in overall wins and stakes victories, will vie for his third Grade 1 triumph of the meet from post 3.

After capturing the Grade 1 Whitney and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers this meet, Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will look to end Saratoga on a high note when sending out Night Ops for his Grade 1 debut.

Owned by Steve Landers, the 5-year-old bay son of Warrior's Reward has finished in the money in 11 of his last dozen starts, dating back to a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming triumph in November 2019 at Churchill Downs, besting subsequent graded stakes winner Pirate's Punch.

A winner of the Essex at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows in 2020, Night Ops is still in search of his first victory this year but has garnered stakes black type in all six 2021 starts. He commenced his season when third to eventual Grade 1-winner Silver State in stakes company at Oaklawn ahead of four runner-up efforts, most recently in the Alydar on August 6 at the Spa finishing 1 ½ lengths behind Art Collector, who exited that effort to win the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.

Night Ops boasts the highest bankroll in the field with earnings of $823,656 and a consistent record of 24-6-7-4.

Jockey Manny Franco seeks his second Jockey Club Gold Cup win from post 5.

Completing the field is owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis' Forewarned, who enters off a close second against fellow Ohio-breds in the Best of Ohio Governor's Buckeye Cup on August 14 at Thistledown.

The eight-time winner and earner of over a half-million dollars will attempt to give St. Lewis a second victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup after scoring a 45-1 upset in the 2018 running with Discreet Lover. Forewarned will also look to give his dual Jockey Club Gold Cup-winning sire Flat Out his first offspring to win the race. The last Jockey Club Gold Cup winner to sire a winner of the race was Nashua, the father of prominent distaffer and fellow Hall of Famer Shuvee.

Jockey Sonny Leon ships in to ride from post 6.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is slated as the closing race on Saturday's 12-race program, which also features the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational, a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The stakes-laden card is bolstered by the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress for sophomore fillies going six furlongs, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds colts at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Essential Quality Closing The Gap On Knicks Go In Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings

Godolphin's Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Essential Quality closed to within seven votes of stablemate Knicks Go after 10 weeks of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). This year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 6 as the final race of the 38^th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 5-year-old Knicks Go, owned by Korea Racing Authority and trained by Brad Cox, received 315 votes, and retained the No. 1 position for the fourth consecutive week. Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, also trained by Cox, received 308 votes following Saturday's Travers Stakes victory by a neck over Winchell Thoroughbreds Midnight Bourbon. The Travers was Essential Quality's third straight win, having captured the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga and the Belmont Stakes (G1) in his two previous starts.

Godolphin's Maxfield remained in third place with 253 votes. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 4-year-old Maxfield has won three races this year, including the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in June, in which he earned an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, is in fourth place with 206 votes. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and second in the Belmont Stakes. He crossed the wire first in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 17 but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and was placed seventh.

Hronis Racing's 4-year-old Tripoli stayed in fifth place with 119 votes. Trained by John Sadler, Tripoli won the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 21 and gained a “Win and You're In” berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska captured last Saturday's Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga for her fifth win of the year and her third Grade 1 stakes victory of 2021. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has 112 votes.

Midnight Bourbon joins the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings for the first time in seventh place, as many voters were impressed with his hard-fought second-place finish in the Travers. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon has 94 votes.

Prince A A Faisal's 4-year-old Mishriff (IRE), who earned an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Juddmonte International (G1) on turf at York Racecourse, drops one spot to eighth place. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff has 81 votes.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State slipped one spot to ninth place with 66 votes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State won his first four races of 2021 before finishing third in the Whitney.

Also new to the top 10 this week is Zedan Racing Stable's Medina Spirit, who captured the listed Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday in his first start since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes (G1). Medina Spirit is in 10^th place with 59 votes.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Sept 1, 2021*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Knicks Go	315	17	1
2	Essential Quality	308	11	2
3	Maxfield	253	4	3
4	Hot Rod Charlie	206	0	4
5	Tripoli	119	0	5
6	Letruska	112	0	5
7	Midnight Bourbon	94	0	Unranked
8	Mishriff (IRE)	81	2	7
9	Silver State	66	0	8
10	Medina Spirit	59	0	16

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

The 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

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. 11. 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.

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Medina Spirit, Rock Your World Both Under Consideration For Awesome Again, Pennsylvania Derby

Following Sunday's battle in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, first and second-place finishers Medina Spirit and Rock Your World could be pointing to the same next race, according to the Daily Racing Form.

The $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25 at Parx is one option both camps are considering, while the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2 is the other. The Pennsylvania Derby is restricted to 3-year-olds but requires a cross-country ship; the Awesome Again would pit the sophomores against older horses, but doesn't require a major ship and also offers an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Trainer John Sadler was pleased with Rock Your World's effort in the Shared Belief, and is in no hurry to decide the Santa Anita Derby winner's next start.

“I thought he ran well,” Sadler told DRF. “I liked the fact that he kept digging all the way to the wire. It wasn't like he got beat and backed up. It was a good, strong race.”

Meanwhile, Bob Baffert is looking forward to the future with Medina Spirit.

“A mile and a quarter, a mile and a half, I think he could handle anything, that horse,” Baffert told DRF. “He came back great. It was an exciting race. The fans were into it. That was nice to see. It was good racing.”