Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Fall Stars Weekend Jumpstarts Keeneland’s Fall Meet, Fields Shaping Up For 11 Stakes

Keeneland's 17-day Fall Meet opens Friday with the start of Fall Stars Weekend, three days of exceptional Thoroughbred racing that will help determine the fields for the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the contenders for Eclipse Awards as United States champions.

The Fall Meet, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 28, will offer record prize money to North America's leading horses and horsemen along with inviting wagering offerings for horseplayers and exciting special events for fans.

Keeneland will present 22 stakes worth a record $9.05 million, which includes $1.3 million from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF). A total of $5.55 million of that amount will be awarded during 11 stakes on Fall Stars Weekend, eight of which are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Winners of those races will earn an automatic and free entry to the 40th Breeders' Cup Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita.

The Fall Meet continues a noteworthy run at Keeneland, which has established records for all-sources handle for the past five consecutive race meets while raising stakes purses to new heights. All-sources wagering during the 15-day Spring Meet in April was $224 million, a record for the Spring season at the track.

Post time for the first race each day of the Fall Meet is 1 p.m. ET, and all races will be livestreamed on Keeneland.com. Complimentary Equibase past performances will be available to download.

PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR FALL STARS WEEKEND STAKES

Fields are taking shape for the Oct. 6-8 Fall Stars Weekend, which includes eight races are Breeders' Cup Challenge tests (*) that award the winners fees-paid berths into corresponding races at the 40th World Championships, which will be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita.

According to Keeneland Stakes Coordinator Allison De Luca, the prospective fields for those stakes are as follows:

Friday, Oct. 6. Entries taken Monday, Oct. 2

*$600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1), 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles: Alpine Princess (trainer Brad Cox), Brightwork (John Ortiz), Candied (Todd Pletcher), Crazy Cami (Mike Maker), Emery (Cox), Our Keepsake (D. Wayne Lukas), Shimmering Allure (Kenny McPeek), V V's Dream (McPeek), Wine On Tap (Todd Pletcher).

*$350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs: Baytown Bear (Paul McEntee), Doctor Oscar (Tim Padilla), Hoist the Gold (Dallas Stewart), Manny Wah (Wayne Catalano), Nakatomi (Wesley Ward), Sibelius (Jeremiah O'Dwyer). Possible: Bango (Greg Foley).

*$350,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland November, 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles (turf): Abeyance (Eoin Harty), Bella Haze (Carlos Santamaria), Crown Imperial (Ortiz), Pharoah's Wine (Dale Romans), Smooth Waves (Maker), Time to Dazzle (Mark Casse), Toupie (Graham Motion), Tripolina (Kevin Attard).

Saturday, Oct. 7. Entries taken Monday, Oct. 2

*$1 Million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf): Annapolis (Pletcher), Atone (Maker), English Bee (Motion), Master of The Seas (IRE) (Charlie Appleby), Stitched (Foley), Up to the Mark (Pletcher). Possible: Carl Spackler (IRE) (Chad Brown).

*$600,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles: Awesome Road (Cox), Baytown Chatterbox (McEntee), Django (McPeek), Generous Tipper (McPeek), Just Steel (Lukas), Locked (Pletcher), Northern Flame (McPeek), The Wine Steward (Maker), West Saratoga (Larry Demeritte).

$750,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 mile (turf): Evvie Jets (Mertkan Kantarmaci), Gam's Mission (Cherie DeVaux), In Italian (GB) (Brown), Jumbly (GB) (Joseph O'Brien), New Year's Eve (Brendan Walsh), Whitebeam (GB) (Brown).

*$350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2), 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs: Last Leaf (Eddie Kenneally), Sharp Hero (Bradley Ross), Static Fire (Brian Lynch), Wicked Halo (Steve Asmussen), Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset). Possible: Fire On Time (Romans).

$350,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel, 3-year-olds and up, 5½ furlongs (turf): Arzak (Mike Trombetta), Eye Witness (Ward), Kaufymaker (Ward), Live In The Dream (IRE) (Adam West), Olympic Runner (Mark Casse), Our Shot (John Terranova II).

Sunday, Oct. 8. Entries taken Tuesday, Oct. 3

*$600,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1), 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles: Bellamore (Santamaria), Idiomatic (Cox), Malloy (Catalano), Misty Veil (Maker), Nest (Pletcher), Secret Oath (Lukas). Possibles: Hidden Connection (Bret Calhoun), Le Da Vida (CHI) (Ignacio Correas IV).

*$350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles (turf): Coin Miner (Keith Desormeaux), Depiction (DeVaux), Double Your Money (Lynch), First World War (Walsh), Nomos (Pletcher), Palm Tree (Walsh).

$250,000 Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select, 2-year-olds, 5½ furlongs (turf): Bledsoe (Ward).

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Breeders’ Cup: Hopefuls Arcangelo, Asmussen Quartet Gallop Saturday At Santa Anita

Top-rated Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) hopeful Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) in his two most recent starts, galloped for the second straight day Saturday at Santa Anita under exercise rider Robert Mallari.

Mallari said Jena Antonucci, Arcangelo's trainer, was expected to visit Santa Anita from New York early next week.

Also galloping Saturday were four Breeders' Cup-bound horses trained by Steve Asmussen: former champion Echo Zulu and Grade 1 winners Clairiere, Gunite, and Society.

Scott Blasi, Asmussen's assistant, reported all four horses under his care have continued to do well in their first week at Santa Anita. He added that none of the foursome was likely to have a work until sometime next week.

The other Classic contender on the grounds is Grade 1 winner White Abarrio, who has been only jogging. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. was expected visit Santa Anita this weekend, his assistant and brother Chip Dutrow said on Friday.

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WATCH: Ghostwriter Stays Unbeaten With ‘Win & You’re In’ Royal Lodge Score

Ghostwriter coasted clear of rivals in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) Saturday at Newmarket in an impressive manner to win his group stakes debut. With his victory in the one-mile race for 2-year-old colts, the son of Invincible Spirit  earned an automatic starting position into the $1-million Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

After a level break, the nine-runner field split into two groups as Richard Hannon-trained Son and 9-5 favorite Capulet, trained by Aidan O'Brien, set a steady pace.

As the runners approached the halfway mark, Ghostwriter, trained by Clive Cox, was settled midfield alongside Caviar Heights and Al Musmak. Inside the final two furlongs, the eventual winner was traveling with ease. He responded well when jockey Richard Kingscote asked him to quicken and surged to keep his unbeaten record intact with a 1 1/4-length victory at odds of 3-1.

Al Musmak finished second, a half-length ahead of Capulet in third.

Ghostwriter, now 3-for-3, completed the mile in 1:37:06 over a course listed as good to firm.

Cox, who is closing in on his 1,000th winner as a trainer, said: “He was very much learning on the job on each of his first two runs. Today was a proper test and we couldn't be more pleased. He's got lots of class. I'm so pleased for Jeff (Smith), and all the team at home.

“It's a real joy to have a winner like this on a day like this. He's definitely going to want a bit further, but we'll take it one step at a time. It looks like he could be exciting.”

Kingscote said: “He jumped and got in a nice rhythm… (and) picked up nicely heading into the dip. He's a very likable sort going forward. He's going to be a middle-distance horse next year, but he's not short of toe, he's got a bit of class.”

Ghostwriter was bred in Ireland by Norelands Bloodstock and Irish National Stud. From the family of Zafonic, his dam is the Champs Elysees mare Moorside, who was stakes-placed.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Ghostwriter to start in the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, which will be run at 1 mile. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.

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Kirstenbosch Eyes Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint After Chillingworth Win

With a fast pace to run at, John Sadler's Kirstenbosch flew late to take Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes on Santa Anita's Autumn Meet opening feature by 1 ¾ lengths.  Owned and bred by Keith Abrahams and ridden by Hector Berrios, Kirstenbosch, a 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.37 and is now headed to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Sprint at seven furlongs on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

With eventual runner-up Clearly Unhinged, heavily favored Eda and no less than three other fillies vying for early supremacy, Berrios was content to be next to last, about eight lengths off the lead past the half mile pole.  Around the far turn, Kirstenbosch saved ground, then tipped four wide for home as Clearly Unhinged opened up on the field, but with fractions of :21.66, :43.69 and 1:08.80 in the bank, she was no match for the winner who reeled her in about 50 yards out.

“What I've been talking about with Keith (Abrahams) is it is not the distance for her, it is the setup, and she finally got the setup she wanted, which is faster,” said Sadler.  “She always puts in a good late run, but if they go slow in front it's sometimes hard for her.”

Will Kirstenbosch go on to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint?  “Yes, because it's seven eighths and you might get a strong pace,” he added.

Most recently second in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 27 at Del Mar, Kirstenbosch was off at 6-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares three and up and paid $15.00, $5.40 and $2.40.

“I knew there was a lot of speed in the race and I knew the pace would be in my favor,” said Berrios.  “I tried to stay as still as I could on her and around the turn, I asked her and she responded well and drew away from the field.”

Out of the Belong to Me mare Llandudno, Kirtenbosch, who had been winless in six starts following victory in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita Jan. 15, picked up $60,000 for the win, boosting her earnings to $521,480 and with an overall mark of 17-4-5-2.

Sent from her rail post position, Clearly Unhinged ran a huge race in defeat, taking intense pressure and finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Eda.  Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Clearly Unhinged was the second choice at 4-1 and paid $5.20 and $2.60.

Victorious in the Rancho Bernardo and in search of her eighth consecutive win, Eda pressed the pace, swung wide turning for home but had no kick today.  Trained by Bob Baffert and off at 3-5, she paid $2.10 to show while finishing 4 ½ lengths in front of Elm Drive.

First post time for a 10-race card that includes four stakes on Saturday is at 1 p.m.  Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

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