breeders' cup classic | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pletcher Points Sainthood To Belmont Derby; Happy Saver Suburban Bound

The Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge did not end up being the turf debut that Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had in mind for Sainthood when inclement weather forced the nine-furlong test onto the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Nevertheless, Sainthood recorded his first graded stakes triumph, registering a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Since finishing 11th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby earlier this month, Pletcher breezed the Mshawish colt twice on grass. His anticipated turf debut will come in his next start however, as Sainthood is targeting the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 10, first leg of the Turf Triple series.

Owned by WinStar Farm and CHC, Sainthood broke his maiden over the main track at Fair Grounds Race Course en route to a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 20 over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

“I talked to [WinStar Farm CEO and racing manager] Elliot Walden after the race and felt like the Belmont Derby is probably the logical place to point,” Pletcher said Sunday morning. “He still has to prove himself on turf but judging by the way he ran on synthetic and the way he breezes on the turf, he should take to it. It's a big race and we have the option of going back to the dirt down the road, but we'll focus on the turf for now.”

Pletcher said Wertheimer et Frere's Happy Saver will return to graded stakes action in the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban on July 3, a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

The son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, also trained by Pletcher, made his 4-year-old debut a winning one on Friday against salty allowance company going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park. The conquest, which garnered a 96 Beyer, kept his undefeated record intact with his previous effort taking place in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in October.

A start in the historic 10-furlong test could result in a rematch with Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide, who previously finished second to Happy Saver in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and also is targeting the Suburban.

“He came out of it in good order, I thought he ran well off the bench,” Pletcher said. “We didn't have him fully cranked up, so being able to come back and win off the layoff off sort of a moderate work tab was good. Hopefully, he'll move forward off that, the Suburban is on the radar. Timing wise, it's good, he's bred to go a mile and a quarter and obviously has already won at that distance. That's the most likely target.”

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‘Still Growing’ Malathaat To Bypass Belmont Stakes, Point To CCA Oaks At Saratoga

Shadwell's undefeated multiple Grade 1-winning 3-year-old filly Malathaat, winner of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) on April 30, will skip the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) on June 5 and point toward Saratoga. The ultimate plan for the Stonestreet-bred, Todd Pletcher-trained divisional leader is the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, according to Shadwell Farm's Vice President and General Manager Rick Nichols.

“Todd and I have talked and have elected to bypass the Belmont,” Nichols said. “She is a little light right now because she is still growing into the frame that she has. We want to give her a nice break and hopefully put some weight on her.

“We will point her toward the CCA Oaks at Saratoga, which is 12 weeks from the Kentucky Oaks,” he continued. “Then we will aim for the Alabama, which is the main target, four weeks later. Then we will be able to give her a nice 10-week breather and head toward the Breeders' Cup.”

The $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) is scheduled for July 24 over the same nine furlongs of the Kentucky Oaks, while the $600,000 Alabama (G1) is slated for Aug. 21 over 10 furlongs.

The Breeders' Cup World Championships take place on Nov. 5 and 6 at Del Mar. A specific race goal, either the $2 million Longines Distaff (G1) over nine furlongs or $6 million Longines Classic (G1) over 10 furlongs, will be determined at a later date.

In five perfect starts, the sophomore star has amassed $1,125,150 in earnings and four stakes wins, including graded scores in the aforementioned Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, G1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland and G2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. Her '6' on the Ragozin Sheets from the Kentucky Oaks was equal to that of Medina Spirit one day later in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Bred in Kentucky and a daughter of Stonestreet stars Curlin and Dreaming of Julia, the sizable filly was consigned by Denali Stud and purchased for $1,050,000 at Keeneland's September Sale in 2019, one of the final in-person purchases of her late owner, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. She is already the third-highest earner for Shadwell's 36-year US-based operation, trailing only Breeders' Cup-winning champions Invasor and Lahudood.

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Big ‘Cap Winner Idol To Miss Gold Cup; Long-Range Goal Still Breeders’ Cup Classic

Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol will miss the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 31 due to an undisclosed issue that does not appear to be career-threatening.

Trainer Richard Baltas still has the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6 as a long-range goal for the 4-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.

With his victory in Santa Anita's marquee race for older horses on March 6, Idol was in line for a $1,870,000 bonanza offered in the inaugural $1 Million Wild West Bonus.

The Gold Cup is leg two and the Big 'Cap was the first leg of the unique event formed by Santa Anita and Del Mar, which will present the third and final version with the running of the TVG Pacific Classic on Aug. 21.

Each race is run at the North American classic distance of a mile and a quarter, and including the $1 million bonus, any horse winning all three races would earn a total of $1,870,000.

“I wanted to train him up to the Gold Cup, but that's off,” Baltas said of Idol, owned by Calvin Nguyen. “I wasn't in a hurry with him because our ultimate goal is the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

Despite a slow start to Santa Anita's meet, Baltas currently is fifth in the race for training honors with 23 victories, and third in purse earnings with $1,865,400.

“We're doing fine,” Baltas said. “Forgetting all about wins, it's about making money and bringing the right horses in. I've got a lot of nice horses coming up for the fall, five or six coming off layoffs that are very talented horses.”

Among them are 2020 San Vicente Stakes runner-up Ginobili and last year's winner of the Grade II Las Virgenes Stakes, Venetian Harbor.

“I'm looking forward to running them again,” Baltas said.

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2021 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series To Include Record Nine ‘Win And You’re In’ Races For Classic

The Breeders' Cup announced its 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series schedule consisting of 84 automatic qualifying stakes races into the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This year's series, which includes a record nine “Win and You're In” races for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic division, will take place in 10 countries.

The complete 2021 schedule is available here.

Horses from around the globe will be qualifying through the Challenge Series for the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6, and will be televised live on NBC and NBCSN.

The Challenge Series, now in its 15th year, will be hosted at many of the world's premier racetracks in Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, South Africa and the United States.

There are two new Challenge Series races in 2021: The Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 3, which grants a berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and the Calumet Kentucky Cup (G2) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 11, which offers a spot in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

The first North American Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race of the year will be the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park on May 31. The Shoemaker Mile winner will gain a free starting position into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

As part of the benefits to horsemen, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for all Challenge Series race winners. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

In addition, Breeders' Cup will provide a $40,000 travel allowance to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America and a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of California.

In support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which was signed into law in the U.S. last December, all Breeders' Cup Challenge races this year will not permit medications to be administered within 24 hours of race day.

“We look forward to the return of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series with horsemen from around the world participating in and taking advantage of the many incentives, such as automatic starting positions and paid entry fees, to qualify for the World Championships,” said Breeders' Cup President and CEO Drew Fleming. “We also thank our international and domestic racetrack partners for their important work and dedication to support the Challenge Series.”

Some of the highlights of this year's Challenge Series are as follows:

Providing fans with a path to the World Championships, NBC Sports will televise the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In Series presented by America's Best Racing,” featuring 12 live programs in the U.S. this summer and fall. The full 2021 television schedule will be announced Wednesday, April 21.

There will be a record nine automatic berths awarded for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. The 4-year-old Cafe Pharoah became the first horse to qualify for this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan on Feb. 16. The next automatic qualifier in the division will be the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26; followed by the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 3; the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on July 17; the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 7; the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York in England on Aug. 18; the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 21; The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 4; and the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 2.

In the U.S., there will be six “Win and You're In” races for the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), starting with the Ogden Phipps (G1) on June 5 as part of the Belmont Stakes (G1) day program at Belmont Park. The Ogden Phipps will be followed by the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26; the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 1; The Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 28; the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 3; and the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 3.

The European leg of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series will begin with four races at the Royal Ascot meeting in England: The Queen Anne Stakes (G1) on June 15 with an invitation to the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1); the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) on June 16 with an invitation to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1); the Norfolk Stakes (G2) on June 17 with an invitation to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2); and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1) on June 19 with an invitation to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

Three other prestigious European automatic qualifiers for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) are also back: The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot on July 24; the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown on Sept. 11; and the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 3, one of five Breeders' Cup Challenge races on the Arc day program.
Canada will be represented by three Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races at Woodbine, led by the Ricoh Woodbine Mile on Sept. 18 with an invitation to the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), and Natalma Stakes with an invitation to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and the Summer Stakes with an invitation to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), both on Sept. 19.

The international portion of the series began on Dec. 19 when the 3-year-old Cool Day (ARG) captured the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini (G1) at Hipodromo de San Isidro in Argentina to gain the first automatic starting berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). Three more South American races will be part of the 2021 Challenge Series: the Gran Premio Criadores (G1) from Palermo in Argentina on May 1 with an invitation to the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1); the Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1) at Club Hipico in Chile on May 2 with an invitation to the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1); and the Gran Premio Pamplona (G1) at Hipodromo de Monterrico in Peru on June 26 with an invitation to the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

On Jan. 9 at Kenilworth Racecourse in South Africa, two horses gained “Win and You're In” berths. The 3-year-old Jet Dark (SAF) won the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) for a free spot in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), and the 5-year-old mare Queen Supreme (IRE) earned an automatic qualifying position into the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) by winning the Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1). On March 21, Mike de Kock, trainer of Queen Supreme, indicated that she will be pointed to the World Championships this fall.

Last year, five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series winners also won a World Championships race: Authentic (TVG.com Haskell Stakes, G1) winner of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1); Tarnawa (IRE) (Prix de l'Opera Longines, G1) winner of the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1); Glass Slippers (GB) (Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes, G1) winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1); Essential Quality (Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, G1) winner of the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Aunt Pearl (IRE) (JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes, G2) winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

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