Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

International Racing, Stakes From Keeneland And Santa Anita Highlight TVG’s Weekend Coverage

TVG, America's horse racing network, has a loaded weekend of coverage featuring two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races from Ascot alongside the $15 million Everest, the world's richest turf race, from Randwick as well as stakes races from Santa Anita and Keeneland featuring the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) from Keeneland.

International racing will take center stage and Jason Whitham will be on-site at Randwick for the $15 million Everest on Friday as defending champion Classique Legend squares off against a field of eleven rivals. Post time for the Everest is 10:15 p.m. PT/1:15 a.m. ET. There are two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races scheduled for Saturday from Ascot – the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) which earns the winner a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) which will qualify the winner for the Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile (G1). These are the final two qualifiers of the year for the 2021 Breeders' Cup which will be held November 5-6 at Del Mar.

TVG's Todd Schrupp, Caton Bredar, Gabby Gaudet, Caleb Keller, Scott Hazelton and Joaquin Jaime will be trackside from Keeneland with exclusive interviews, analysis and handicapping selections throughout the weekend. The featured race is the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) for sophomore fillies on the turf. The race has drawn a field of ten including Group 1 winner Empress Josephine (IRE), third-place finisher in the First Lady Stakes (G1), for trainer Aiden O'Brien.

At Santa Anita, TVG's Mike Joyce, Christina Blacker, Britney Eurton, Simon Bray and Kurt Hoover will be live at Santa Anita with coverage of the weekend's races. The California breeding program will be in the spotlight in Saturday's featured race, the $100,000 California Distaff Stakes. The turf sprint for fillies and mares has drawn a field of six including graded stakes winner Warren's Showtime for trainer Craig Lewis. The consistent daughter of Clubhouse Ride will have Juan Hernandez aboard as she aims for her second win of the year.

Sunday will also feature the third annual telethon to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Fan favorite jockeys of today and years past will be on hand live at call centers in California and Kentucky from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. Throughout the day, TVG will be connecting with personalities and horsemen who have been involved with the PDJF's work in support of jockeys who have suffered serious on-track injuries. Fans are encouraged to donate by calling 1-844-TVG-PDJF or through the PDJF website.

In addition to racing from Keeneland and Santa Anita, will also be featuring Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Jessamine Runner-Up Diamond Wow Possible For Breeders’ Cup

Diamond Wow, a valiant runner-up in Wednesday's Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland, is a possibility for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, said trainer Patrick Biancone Thursday morning.

Although the daughter of Lookin At Lucky came up just a head short of winning an automatic and fees-paid berth into the Juvenile Fillies Turf Wednesday, she proved herself to be a prime Breeders' Cup candidate.

“It's a possibility. She's going to come back home Saturday, and we'll decide from there,” said Biancone, whose stable is based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “We don't want to force her. If she's really well, we may go.”

Biancone's daughter and assistant, Andie, who accompanied Diamond Wow to Keeneland and saddled the daughter of Lookin At Lucky, was pleased with the manner in which she exited the 1 1/16-mile turf event.

“She said she came out good,” Biancone said. “She took the race well.”

Scratched out of last last Friday's Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland after drawing the No. 11 post position, Diamond Wow – as (bad) luck would have it – drew the far-outside No 14 post for the Jessamine.

Diamond Wow rated off the early pace while racing four-wide before kicking in through the stretch to gain a narrow lead over odds-on pacesetter Turnerloose nearing the wire, only to be caught by wide and charging California Angel.

“[She ran] around the ducks, like in the morning,” Biancone quipped.

Diamond Oops went into the Jessamine undefeated in two starts at Gulfstream Park, where she scored a three-length debut victory in a five-furlong turf race Aug. 28 before scoring a 1 ¾-length triumph in the off-the-turf Our Dear Peggy Stakes at seven furlongs Sept. 18.

“To be honest with you, in that family, the good ones come to form early. The mother was like that – she won a stakes as a 2-year-old. Diamond Oops, the three-quarter brother, won at 2,” Biancone said. “I know she's going to improve. She's naturally and extremely talented. She's a very, very good filly.”

Diamond Wow, who is owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, Amy Dunne and Biancone, is out of Patriotic Diamond, a daughter of Hat Trick who broke her maiden in the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar in her second career start. Patriotic Diamond is a half-sister to Biancone-trained Diamond Oops, a multiple graded-stakes winner with more than $1.3 million in purse earning.

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‘I Haven’t Woken Up From The Dream’: California Angel Taking Leonard To First Breeders’ Cup

Winning Wednesday's $200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland as a 17-1 longshot earned California Angel a fees-paid entry and travel expenses to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be run on Nov. 5 at Del Mar, and she became trainer George Leonard III's first graded stakes winner.

“She came back from the race in excellent shape; I couldn't ask for better,” Leonard said about the daughter of California Chrome. “I haven't made travel arrangements yet. I haven't woken up from the dream.”

Leonard had little time to celebrate the milestone victory because he had to drive California Angel back to his Indiana Grand base about 2½ hours northwest of Lexington. He also had no time to entertain any offers from those interested in purchasing the filly, a Keeneland sale graduate as a weanling who sold to current owner Chris Walsh as a 2-year-old in training.

“I put her in her stall and stayed for an hour or two to make sure she was comfortable and then went home,” Leonard said. “I didn't answer many calls after the race – only those from my immediate family. I wasn't too talkative to a lot of people. I was just enjoying my time.”

Leonard, who is from Louisiana, sent out his first starter in 1991. He said Walsh is an Indiana resident who he has known “for quite a few years.”

“They are good people who I always talked to and watched their horses run (for other trainers),” he said. “They have other trainers, and I am fortunate to have them.”

California Angel won her career debut on grass at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 8 as a 28-1 longshot. Three weeks later, she was third in a Churchill Downs allowance race on dirt in her only other start.

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California Angel Gives Trainer George Leonard First Graded Victory In Jessamine

California Angel is going to California.

So said trainer George Leonard III after Chris Walsh's daughter of California Chrome rallied from far back to post a head victory over Diamond Wow in the 31st running of the $200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) for 2-year-old fillies Wednesday afternoon at Keeneland.

With the victory, California Angel earned a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 5 at Del Mar. The JPMorgan Chase Jessamine was the 10th and final Breeders' Cup Challenge race offered by Keeneland to start the 17-day Fall Meet.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, California Angel covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course labeled as good in 1:44.30.

California Angel was Leonard's first starter in a graded stakes. She netted Bejarano his 19th Keeneland stakes win and first here since Oct. 8, 2010, aboard Wickedly Perfect in the Darley Alcibiades (G1).

Favored Turnerloose quickly bounded out for the lead in the field of 13 as California Angel raced near the rear of the field. With Florent Geroux aboard, Turnerloose maintained a daylight advantage until upper stretch when Diamond Wow applied pressure.

At the head of the lane, California Angel had one horse beat as Bejarano swung her eight wide for a clear run at the field. She was still 5 lengths back at the eighth pole and got up in the final yards to ease by Diamond Wow and Turnerloose.

Now 2-for-2 on the turf, California Angel is a Kentucky-bred daughter of California Chrome out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Sea Mona. California Angel increased her career earnings to $213,700 with Wednesday's $120,000 check.

California Angel returned $37.60, $14 and $5.60. Diamond Wow, ridden by Mike Smith, returned $10 and $5.40 and finished a neck in front of Turnerloose, who paid $2.60 to show.

It was another length back to Dressed, who was followed in order by Opalina, Roughly a Diamond, Misthaven (IRE), Kneesnhips, Bhoma, Queen Judith, Rigby, Boxing Day and Ontheonesandtwos.

Racing continues Thursday with a 10-race program beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

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