breeders' cup juvenile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Million-Dollar Spielberg Looms Large In American Pharoah Stakes

A gutty runner-up in two summertime starts, Bob Baffert's highly regarded Spielberg looms the horse to beat in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. For 2-year-olds at a mile and one sixteenth, the American Pharoah has attracted a field of eight.

Most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs on Sept. 7, Spielberg, a $1 million Keeneland September Yearling, will try two turns for the first time and be ridden for the first time by eastern-based Luis Saez.

Third in the Del Mar Futurity, trainer Ryan Hanson's Weston, a Grade II winner going six furlongs in his second start, retains the services of Drayden Van Dyke, while trainer Rafael Becerra's Touchdown Brown, who owns the best last-out Beyer Speed figure in the field, is a California-bred facing open company for the first time.

The American Pharoah, named for Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner, is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Race qualifier to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

SPIELBERG

Owner: SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Second twice to Del Mar Futurity winner Dr. Schivel, Spielberg dug in gamely late while clearly second best. In what will be his third start, he'll try to provide Baffert with his record 10th American Pharoah victory.

WESTON

Owner: Chris Drakos & Ryan Hanson

Trainer: Ryan Hanson

Ridden in all three of his starts by Drayden Van Dyke, this bargain $7,000 Keeneland September Yearling showed brilliant speed in his June 21 debut here, winning by 1 ¼ lengths going 4 ½ furlongs. From there, he fought gamely to prevail by a neck in the Grade II Best Pal Stakes going six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 8 and was subsequently third, beaten 5 ½ lengths in the Del Mar Futurity after vying head and head for the early lead. Trained and co-owned by Ryan Hanson, who is married to Santa Anita simulcast television personality Michelle Yu, Weston is battle-tested and retains the services of Van Dyke.

TOUCHDOWN BROWN

Owner: Edward Brown, Jr., Alan Klein & Phillip Lebherz

Trainer: Rafael Becerra

The lone California-bred in the lineup, this colt by Cairo Prince was ultra impressive in his 4 ½ furlong debut on June 19, winning by 5 ½ lengths as the 3-2 favorite. Away awkwardly in the 5 ½ furlong Graduation Stakes on Aug. 2, he never got untracked and finished last, beaten 5 ½ lengths in a field of seven. Ridden for the first time by upstart Juan Hernandez in the six furlong I'm Smokin Stakes Sept. 4, Touchdown Brown was second, beaten a half length in a resolute effort that provided him with a lofty 75 Beyer Speed figure. With Hernandez back aboard, he looms dangerous going two turns in his fourth career start.

THE GRADE I AMERICAN PHAROAH STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Touchdown Brown—Juan Hernandez—122
Rombauer—Mike Smith—122
Dyn O Mite—Victor Espinoza—122
Notable Exception—Abel Cedillo—122
Spielberg—Luis Saez—122
Get Her Number—Flavien Prat—122
Weston—Drayden Van Dyke—122
Waspirant—Umberto Rispoli—122

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, Santa Anita's livestream video is free of charge at santaanita.com.

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Rising Star Holds Big Figure Edge in Iroquois

If he comes close to replicating his last two speed figures, it’s going to be pretty tough for anyone to best ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Churchill’s GIII Iroquois S.–which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Stephen Fidel homebred was second to Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) going five panels here June 19 before breaking through by 8 1/4 lengths at Keeneland July 11, good for an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. He was most recently second to Jackie’s Warrior in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 7, but the 81 Beyer he earned for that effort towers over his competition. Next-fastest on figures is the tough-to-read Dreamer’s Disease (Laoban). Hailing from the first crop of New York-based Laoban (Uncle Mo), the Southern Equine Stables homebred was a distant last after a rough journey sprinting at Ellis July 2. He switched to the turf and stretched out at the Pea Patch Aug. 8, and looked like a completely different horse, romping by four lengths, good for a 78 Beyer. Super Stock (Dialed In) and Pico d’Oro (Curlin) are the two who boast prior stakes wins. The former annexed the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Aug. 11, while the latter–also bred by Southern Equine and eventually acquired for $255,000 at OBSMAR–broke his maiden with a strong pace set-up in the seven-furlong Runhappy Juvenile S. at Ellis Park Aug. 9. The remaining seven cast members all enter off maiden-breaking outings on the Ellis main track. One to have on the radar is Thomas Humphries-owned and trained Belafonte (Tonalist), who blew the break in his Aug. 2 unveiling in the slop but uncorked an impressive turn move to win going away at 49-1. The $20,000 FTKOCT bargain buy will sport blinkers for the first time.

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Eurton Hoping To Hit Storm The Court’s Reset Button In Grassy La Jolla

The burgeoning but eventful, to say the least, career of Storm the Court comes full circle Sunday when the 3-year-old son of Court Vision gets tested on turf for the first time in the Grade III, $125,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

Barely less than a year ago, on August 10, 2019, the colt trained by Peter Eurton for Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen and partners, made his racing debut here a victorious one. Twenty-three days later, Storm the Court was bumped by bolting 1-2 favorite Eight Rings shortly after the start of the meet-climaxing Del Mar Futurity with both horses losing their riders.

Following that there was, as racing fans know, a 45-1 upset victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the honor of an Eclipse Award as top 2-year-old of 2019 and a 0-for-4 record in 2020 on the Kentucky Derby trail.

The La Jolla could turn out to be a fresh start on a new surface, or a continuation/affirmation of the still smoldering Derby fires.

“We're going to the grass to give us some options,” Eurton said Friday. “It seems like a good opportunity because, for one, we're here. We still haven't ruled out the Kentucky Derby. Even if he wins this race we won't know what we'll do. That will be something to discuss probably for the next week or two afterward.”

Storm the Court has accumulated 36 points in Kentucky Derby qualifying races and ranks 17^th in the current standings through Friday. The Run for the Roses field is set at 20.

“It's been an unusual year because of the change in schedule,” said Bernsen. “I don't think anyone has been able to stick with the plan they had after the Breeders' Cup. It will be exciting to see what he can do this weekend on the turf and it will give us some options going forward.

“His daddy won the Breeders' Cup Turf at big odds as well, and also won on dirt. So he was versatile and we think (Storm the Court) is too. That suggests it's worth giving it a shot to see what we have.

“It's nice to be able to do that and not have to travel. He's traveled quite a bit since the Breeders' Cup – Arkansas, Ohio – so it's good for us to be able to stay here and do this.”

Storm the Court's sire, Court Vision, was a five-time Grade I stakes winner. As a 2-year-old he took the Iroquois and Remsen on dirt. Switched to turf as a 3-year-old, after a 13^th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, Court Vision won at least one Grade I on grass each year from ages 3-6. He ran in the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and, in his last try, upset the great mare Goldikova at odds of 30-1.

Storm the Court has worked four times at Del Mar. He had an acclimation 4 furlong go on the turf on July 12, 5-furlong grass exercises on July 19 and 26 and a 5-furlong tightener on dirt last Sunday.

The first two were to Eurton's satisfaction, the third he described as a “hiccup” work. “He outworked his company, but he was too busy gawking,” Eurton said. “But the last one (:59.40, second-best of 72 at the distance) was really good.”

The field from the rail: I'm Leaving You (Giovanni Franco, 15-1); K P All Systems Go (Abel Cedillo, 6-1); Azul Coast (Drayden Van Dyke, 4-1); Ajourneytofreedom (Ruben Gonzalez, 12-1); Kanderel (Juan Hernandez, 10-1); Smooth Like Strait (Umberto Rispoli, 5-2); Storm The Court (Flavien Prat, 3-1), and Indian Peak (Mike Smith, 6-1).

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Desormeaux: Horse That ‘Changed My Life’ Continues To Pay Dividends

My Girl Red, who cruised to a 4 3/4-length victory in Friday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sorrento Stakes, is a daughter of 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red. Both were/are trained by Keith Desormeaux.

“Texas Red changed my life,” Desormeaux said after the Sorrento. “Texas Red was the culmination of a lifetime of telling myself, and other people, that you don't have to pay boxcar prices (for horses) to win major races.

“I'll always be appreciative of that, and it's icing on the cake to have the same ownership group breed this kind of mare in his first group. Hopefully, it's onwards and upwards for him.”

In making it 2-for-2 for her career, favored My Girl Red ($3.80), was in control virtually from the start without much encouragement and was merely taking stock of her surroundings during the final sixteenth of a mile.

“She's always shown that she has a lot of class and she has the physical attributes that I look for in a good horse,” Desormeaux said. “For her to win first time out is the (epitome) of class. It shows that you don't have to work forty-five and change in the morning to show that kind of speed in the afternoon.”

Like father, like daughter? Not around the barn.

“Texas Red didn't want you to touch him. He's was pretty ornery,” Desormeaux said. “He wasn't a lovable type. This filly really seems to like to be around people. None of those ornery traits for her.”

Asked if the Grade I, Del Mar Debutante (September 6) was next, Desormeaux didn't hesitate. “Oh, of course,” he said.

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