Breeders' Cup Distaff | Horse Racing Free Tips

Swiss Skydiver Jumps To Second In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

It has yet to be determined which Breeders' Cup race top sophomore filly Swiss Skydiver will enter. What is assured is that the Preakness Stakes winner will carry strong regard to any starting gate she enters as she continues to inch up the ranks in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

In the wake of her victory over Kentucky Derby winner and poll leader Authentic in the October 3 Preakness, Swiss Skydiver remains under consideration for a start in either the Breeders' Cup Distaff or another showdown against males in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7. The daughter of Daredevil was one of the few movers on this week's poll, earning 12 first-place votes and 303 points to move up one spot to second, just ahead of Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law (8 first-place votes, 301 points) in third.

Authentic continues to hold down the top spot in the 3-Year-Old Poll with 14 first-place votes and 312 points. Both Authentic and Tiz the Law are scheduled to be part of the Breeders' Cup Classic field.

Grade 2 winner Art Collector (185 points) ranks fourth ahead of Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver (173). Honor A. P., who has been retired to stud, is sixth with 113 points followed by multiple Grade 1 winner Gamine (97 points), who is expected to contest the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil and Max Player remain tied for eighth with 82 points apiece while Mystic Guide, who was second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, rounds out the top 10 with 60 points.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Improbable is likely to vie for favoritism in the Breeders' Cup Classic as the son of City Zip continues to hold the lead in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 29 first-place votes and 335 points. Trained by Bob Baffert, Improbable will bring a three-race win streak into the Classic with his most recent win coming in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park on September 26.

Champion Maximum Security was bested by Improbable in the Awesome Again Stakes and remains behind his stablemate in the poll with 2 first-place votes and 246 points. Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma (1 first-place vote, 206 points) moves up one spot this week to third, two points ahead of fellow top-level winner Tom's d'Etat (2 first-place votes, 204 points).

Champion Monomoy Girl (192 points) holds in fifth followed by multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards with 130 points. Authentic (107 points) and Tiz the Law (104) rank seventh and eighth, respectively, with Swiss Skydiver (89) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (62) completing the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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Weaver Leaning Toward Sprint With Vekoma, Hoping For Hot Distaff Pace For Point Of Honor

Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' multiple Grade 1-winner Vekoma worked five furlongs in 1:01.28 Sunday on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in preparation for a start in either the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint or Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old Candy Ride chestnut is perfect in three starts this campaign, including a pair of G1 scores at Belmont in the Carter Handicap on June 6 and the Met Mile last out on July 4.

Weaver said Vekoma worked well in tandem with graded-stakes placed older horse Majestic Dunhill.

“He went in company with Majestic Dunhill, who has been a frequent workmate of his the past couple years. They worked together the whole way,” said Weaver.

A six-time winner from eight starts with more than $1.2 million in purse earnings, Vekoma has won at distances ranging from six furlongs on debut in September 2018 at Belmont up to 1 1/8-miles when capturing the 2019 G2 Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Weaver said both the Breeders' Cup Sprint and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile are still on the table for the versatile Vekoma.

“I'm leaning towards the Sprint, but the final decision will be made closer to the day,” said Weaver. “I think this horse would handle any track. He's a racehorse.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard for both G1 scores this season, is confirmed to ride.

Weaver also said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor, a 4-year-old Curlin chestnut, will make her next start in the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Point of Honor captured the G2 Black-Eyed Susan in a productive sophomore season that included runner-up efforts in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks and G1 Alabama at Saratoga.

Point of Honor has hit the board in all five starts this season [5-0-3-2], finishing second in the both the G1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont and last out in the G2 Beldame Invitational on Oct. 4 on Big Sandy in a compact four-horse field.

“I thought she ran well last time,” said Weaver. “She's been running well all year, we just haven't got her to the winner's circle. She hasn't dodged any competition and she's been running in tough races all year and she's always right there in the mix of it.

“We are planning on going to the Breeders' Cup with her,” added Weaver. “We think it will benefit her to have a fuller field and going back to a two-turn configuration at Keeneland.”

The late-running Point of Honor has faced short fields in all but one start this season when she rallied for third, after breaking last-of-14, in the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap in April at Oaklawn Park.

Weaver said a larger field in the Distaff should present Point of Honor with a more favorable pace scenario.

“I think a bigger field would help her. There's been quite a few races this year that came up with short fields and she's really not able to adjust and adapt to slow paces and different scenarios,” said Weaver. “Truly, her best race comes when she can leave the gate and get in a comfortable rhythm and come running. She's really not one that you can try to place closer to the pace. There's only so much tinkering you can do with her. There's a certain style of running that she likes, so a fuller field with an honest pace around two turns will give her the best chance to win.”

Weaver said both Vekoma and Point of Honor will train up to the Breeders' Cup at Saratoga and ship in to Keeneland on Nov. 2.

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Vexatious, True Timber Work Toward Breeders’ Cup Assignments At Keeneland

Calumet Farm's Vexatious, winner of the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga over champion Midnight Bisou, continued working toward a probable start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on Nov. 7 with a half-mile breeze in :50.20 Saturday morning shortly after the track opened for training.

“She always goes at 5:30,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “She wants to go early and loves being outside. When the weather is nice, she will spend a lot of time out in the paddock.”

Saturday's work was the fifth half-mile breeze for Vexatious since finishing fifth behind champion Monomoy Girl in the La Troienne (G1) last month at Churchill Downs.

Sisterson also worked Calumet's True Timber, who is under consideration for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Nov. 7. True Timber worked 5 furlongs in company in 1:02.60 over the fast main track.

Sisterson took over the training of True Timber following Kiaran McLaughlin's retirement from training. True Timber has run three times for Sisterson, beginning with a third-place finish behind top Breeders' Cup contender C Z Rocket going 6½ furlongs here in July.

A millionaire, the 6-year-old True Timber has eight graded stakes placings on his resume but no graded victories.

“He's a horse that deserves to win a big race; he tries hard every time,” Sisterson said. “He's probably not a three-quarters horse and it was my mistake to run him in the (6-furlong) Vosburgh (G1) and he drew the rail. He had run so well in the (7-furlong) Forego (G1) beaten a little more than a length when he was third.”

Also working toward a possible Breeders' Cup engagement was Southern Equine Stable's Keepmeinmind.

Runner-up in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) here on Oct. 3, Keepmeinmind worked a half-mile in :49.20 with jockey David Cohen aboard.

“He worked fantastic,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said of the work at 7:30 a.m. following the first track maintenance renovation break. Keepmeinmind is targeting the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Nov. 6.

At The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) winner Ivar (BRZ) worked a half-mile in preparation for the Fan Duel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF.

“He went a half in an easy :50 like we planned,” trainer Paulo Lobo said via text about Ivar, who is owned by the partnership of Bonne Chance Farm and Stud RDI.

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Higher Power Getting ‘Acclimated’ To Keeneland, May Audition For Classic In Fayette

Hronis Racing's Higher Power, third in last year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita, could get an audition Saturday for this year's Classic to be run at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“He may go in the (Hagyard) Fayette (G2) if he trains well or he could straight into the Classic,” said Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler. “The main goal in coming here early was to get him acclimated. The last time he shipped was to Gulfstream Park (for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational-G1), and he didn't acclimate well at all.”

Entries for the Hagyard Fayette will taken Wednesday.

“It seems like he enjoys it here,” Leyva said of Higher Power, who worked 5 furlongs in 1:00 on Sunday.

Higher Power is a graduate of Keeneland's 2019 April Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Leyva also said another Sadler runner, Karen and Paul Eggert's Ollie's Candy, runner-up in Sunday's Juddmonte Spinster (G1), remains on track for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) here Nov. 7. Ollie's Candy is to be offered during the prestigious Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Nov. 9.

“She had a rough trip Sunday,” Leyva said. “She was bottled up on the inside, where she doesn't like to be, and ate a lot of dirt. She made her move, but it was a little too late.”

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