Tag: Breeders’ Cup

CHC, Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's 4-year-old Life Is Good, winner of last Saturday's Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, has moved into second place behind the undefeated Flightline in the latest Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, while Happy Saver, the Whitney runner-up, moved into the rankings for the first time at No. 7. The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings is a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 5.

Life Is Good, trained by Todd Pletcher, won his third race in four starts this year, and his second Grade 1 triumph of 2022, having taken the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in January. Life Is Good rose from third place to second in the rankings with 292 points. He trails Flightline, who leads the rankings for the seventh consecutive week with 332 votes. Owned by Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing, LLC, Flightline is scheduled to start next in the Sept. 3 TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In automatic qualifier for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter is the highest-rated 3-year-old in the rankings. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Epicenter, winner of Saratoga's Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) on July 30, improved from fourth place to third this week, garnering 216 votes. Country Grammer, who won the Dubai World Cup (G1) and was recently second in the San Diego Handicap (G2), moved up one position from sixth to fifth place. Owned by Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, LLC, WinStar Farm LLC, and Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., and trained by Bob Baffert, Country Grammer has 215 votes. Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss' 4-year-old Hot Rod Charlie, second in the Dubai World Cup (G1), and third in the Whitney, rose one spot to fifth place with 148 votes.

Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods 4-year-old Olympiad finished fourth in the Whitney after winning his first five starts this year. Trained by Bill Mott, Olympiad drops from second to sixth place with 130 votes. Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver made the biggest leap in the rankings this week, rising from 15^th to seventh place after finishing 2 lengths behind Life Is Good in the Whitney. The 5-year-old Happy Saver, who finished second behind Flightline in the Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) before the Whitney, earned 109 votes.

Fox Hill Farms, Inc. and Siena Farm LLC's 6-year-old gelding Royal Ship (BRZ), winner of the San Diego Handicap, drops from seventh to eighth place with 86 votes.

Gold Square LLC's 3-year-old Cyberknife, winner of the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G2) on July 23 for trainer Brad Cox, slipped one spot to ninth place with 79 votes. Pletcher's third runner in the top 10 is Whisper Hill Farm LLC's 3-year-old Charge It. A 23-length winner of the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park on July 2, Charge It is in 10^th place with 37 votes.

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 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 9, 2022*

Rank	Horse	Votes	First-Place Votes	Previous Week
1	Flightline	332	27	1
2	Life Is Good	292	4	3
3	Epicenter	216	2	4
4	Country Grammer	215	1	5
5	Hot Rod Charlie	148	0	6
6	Olympiad	130	0	2
7	Happy Saver	109	0	15
8	Royal Ship (BRZ)	86	0	7
9	Cyberknife	79	0	8
10	Charge It	37	0	9

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

The 2022 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track at Keeneland, is limited to 14 starters. The race will be broadcast live on NBC.

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Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith's recent Group 2 winner Lily Pond (IRE) will be in search of Grade 1 glory in her first stateside start in the 32nd running of the $500,000 Beverly D (Grade 1) on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Beverly D. will go as Race 5 of 11 on the Arlington Million Day program at 3:01 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m. with the $1 million Arlington Million slated as the finale at 6:25 p.m.

The Beverly D. is part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” series. The winning horse will get an automatic berth into the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf (GI), which will be held Nov. 5 at Keeneland Race Course.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Lily Pond had her first training session over the Churchill Downs dirt course Tuesday where she had an easy six-furlong gallop. The daughter of late Coolmore stallion Galileo (IRE) was the half-length winner of the Kilboy Estate Stakes (G2) in her last start at the Curragh. O'Brien and Lily Pond's ownership team won last year's Beverly D with Santa Barbara (IRE). Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will have the mount and break from post No. 5

Among the rivals to Lily Pond in the Beverly D. is Susan and John Moore's five-time graded stakes winner Princess Grace. The seasoned 5-year-old mare by Karakontie (JPN) was victorious in the last two runnings of the $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (G3) at Parx. Locally, Princess Grace won the $200,000 Mrs. Revere (G2) in 2020 when it was taken off the grass and run at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Her other notable graded stakes victories are the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2) and the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3). Jockey Florent Geroux will have the mount from post 3.

Another talented mare that entered the Beverly D. is Hunter Valley Farm, Debra O'Connor and Marc Detampel's $750,000 New York Stakes (G1) runner-up Family Way. The Brendan Walsh trainee was victorious in the $150,000 Orchid (G3) in April at Gulfstream Park. Family Way has competed at several distances in her 16-race career and four of her five victories have come in races greater than 1 1/8 miles. Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 2.

Peter M. Brant and Michael B. Tabor's Beaugay (G3) winner Rougir (FR) looks to improve upon a fourth-place in the $500,000 Diana (G1) at Saratoga on July 16. The 4-year-old filly is trained by Chad Brown, who has won the Beverly D. a record six times, including five in a row from 2015-19. Manny Franco will ride from post 4.

Here is the complete field for the Beverly D. from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Dalika (GER) (Brian Hernandez Jr., Al Stall Jr)
2. Family Way (Gaffalione, Walsh)
3. Princess Grace (Geroux, Mike Stidham)
4. Rougir (FR) (Franco, Brown)
5. Lily Pond (IRE) (Velazquez, O'Brien)

The Beverly D. will be run in Lane 3 on the Matt Winn Turf Course, 24 feet from the inside rail.

The post Aidan O’Brien-Trained Lily Pond Tops Field Of Five For ‘Win And You’re In’ Beverly D appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Undefeated Flightline closed as the favorite following the completion of betting on Sunday in Pool #1 of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Future Wager. A $2 wager on Flightline will pay $6.98 with Kentucky's penny breakage, which puts him at 2-1 on the final odds board. Winner of the Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 11, Flightline led the field of 23 horses and one “all others” wagering interest in the first Future Wager pool for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which will be run at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 5.

Pool #1 of the Future Wager generated $205,249 in total handle, which was a 138% increase from the first pool of the Classic Future Wager in 2018, the last time this wager was offered. The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Future Wager is a win bet only with a $2 minimum.

Flightline was followed in the Future Wager by Life Is Good at 6-1 ($15.56). Trained by Todd Pletcher, Life Is Good was an impressive winner of Saturday's Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The 3-year-old Epicenter, winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga on July 30, was next at 7-1 ($17.42). Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Country Grammer was the fourth betting choice at 12-1 ($27.14). (Complete list of Will Pays for the 24 betting interests appears below).

The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Future Wager enables fans to bet on possible contenders for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic well in advance of the World Championships in November. Odds on horses in the pools could be more attractive than those available on Nov. 5.

The second Future Wager will be offered over Labor Day weekend with the pool opening on Friday, Sept. 2 at 12 p.m. ET and ending at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5.

Betting on all Breeders' Cup Future Wagers will be offered via Breeders' Cup partner TVG.com, and other advanced deposit wagering (“ADW”) sites, racetracks, casinos, simulcast centers, and off-track betting sites.

Complete Longines Breeders' Cup Future Wager information is available at BreedersCup.com/FutureWager.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Future Wager
	POOL #1
	Horse	$2 Will Pays
1	Americanrevolution	66.60
2	Charge It	32.12
3	Corniche	166.40
4	Country Grammer	27.14
5	Cyberknife	37.48
6	Dynamic One	127.60
7	Early Voting	68.40
8	Emblem Road	156.86
9	Epicenter	17.42
10	Express Train	148.36
11	First Captain	141.08
12	Flightline	6.98
13	Hot Rod Charlie	50.10
14	Life Is Good	15.56
15	Mandaloun	139.14
16	Olympiad	36.94
17	Nest	82.60
18	Rich Strike	71.08
19	Royal Ship (Brz)	105.34
20	Stilleto Boy	220.46
21	Taiba	30.80
22	Tawny Port	160.66
23	Zandon	53.86
24	“ALL OTHER STARTERS THAT ARE NOT LISTED”	48.36

The post Flightline Closes As 2-1 Favorite In Pool 1 Of Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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