Cairo Memories | Horse Racing Free Tips

Plenty of Graded Action on Final Saturday Ahead of Breeders’ Cup

In the weeks leading up to the Breeders' Cup, most of the news is focused on when the stars are shipping and breezing. But, with one week left to go before World Championship Saturday, there is plenty of racing action with seven graded events from coast-to-coast.

Sophomore colts take center stage at Keeneland in the newly upgraded GIII Bryant Station S. GI Belmont Derby hero Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) looks to make amends after an unplaced effort in the course-and-distance GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 8. His best efforts have come at longer distances, but he may just outclass most of these as he takes a step down from top-level company.

A two-time graded winner sprinting on dirt, Wit (Practical Joke) will be Classic Causeway's biggest competition. He debuted on grass in Saratoga, finishing second to Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) in the Aug. 5 GII Hall of Fame S. and winning the Aug. 28 Better Talk Now S., both at a mile.

Also on tap in Lexington Saturday is the GII Hagyard Fayette S., which is led by 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin). The GIII Pimlico Special S. winner missed by a nose in the GII Suburban S. in July and was third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. last out Sept. 3. Another son of Curlin, King Fury, enters off a pair of thirds at Churchill Downs in the Aug. 13 Fort Larned S. and the Oct. 1 GII Lukas Classic S.

The Belmont at the Big A meet also plays host to a pair of graded events, starting with the GII Kelso H. Baby Yoda (Prospective) looks to secure his first black-type win in this event off a 10 3/4-length thrashing of optional claimer foes over track-and-trip Oct. 7.

Talented sophomore Morello (Classic Empire) won his first three starts at this oval, including the GIII Gotham S. in March. He failed to fire in his next two efforts, but returned to winning ways in a Laurel optional claimer Oct. 8.

His stablemate Jaxon Traveler (Munnings) appears to be the one to beat in the GIII Bold Ruler S. a few races later. Winner of the GIII Maryland Sprint S. in May, he enters off a well-beaten second in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. Sept. 10 on dirt. He is joined by hard-knocking GIII Runhappy S. winner Drafted (Field Commission) and GII Vosburgh S. runner-up Eastern Bay (E Dubai).

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Santa Anita offers a trio of graded races, including the GIII Autumn Miss S. for 3-year-old turf fillies. MGSW Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) looks to get back on track after finishing fifth in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9 and third in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 20. Pammy's Ready (More Than Ready) enters off a close second in the local Unzip Me S. Oct. 1 and her stablemate Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) prepped with an optional claimer win at Del Mar Aug. 21.

Sophomore colts also get a chance at graded glory in the GII Twilight Derby. War at Sea (War Front) won three in a row before his streak was halted when third in the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 3. Graham Motion ships in with Hawthorne Derby winner Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker). Also, GIII La Jolla H. winner Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) looks to rebound off a fifth in the GII Del Mar Derby.

Last, but not least, GISW Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is the heavy morning-line favorite in the GII Goldikova S. GII John C. Mabee S. winner Avenue de France (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) will take a crack at the chalk yet again.

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‘Memories’ Meets ‘Love’ in Honeymoon

The top two 3-year-old turf fillies in California will face off for the first time along with five other foes in Sunday's nine-furlong GIII Honeymoon S. on the Santa Anita lawn.

Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince), named a 'TDN Rising Star' for a 4 1/2-length debut victory Sept. 5 at Del Mar, the $50,000 Keeneland September purchase backed that up with 2 1/4-length tally in the local Surfer Girl S. before finishing ninth with a troubled trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Switched to dirt, the gray was a half-length second in Los Alamitos's GI Starlet S., but finished seventh, beaten 24 lengths in the local GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 6. Returning to turf here Apr. 9, she went to the lead for the first time and responded with a dominant 4 1/2-length conquest of the GIII Providencia S. A repeat of the 90 Beyer she earned in that effort would make the Bob Hess Jr. trainee tough in here.

Her main competition is rail-drawn Island of Love (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Two-for-two by a combined 9 1/2 lengths over the span of just 10 days to open her career for Alessandro Botti last September in Italy, the bay was runner-up at 4-5 in the Lady Shamrock S. making her North American debut here Jan. 30 before checking in fourth in the China Doll S. as the favorite Mar. 6. The Phil D'Amato pupil then broke through in America with a 2 1/4-length triumph in the GIII Senorita S. going a mile on this course May 7.

The Coolmore connections' Ballet Dancing (Medaglia d'Oro) looks to have some upside for trainer Simon Callaghan. Bought for $800,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, the bay was third with a slow break and wide trip debuting over a turfy mile here Oct. 15 and rallied from ninth with a quarter-mile to go to break her maiden over the same course and distance May 7.

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Lucky Girl Looks To Stay Hot in Providencia

The progressive Lucky Girl (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) looks to make it three on the trot as the likely favorite in a competitive renewal of the GIII Providencia S. at Santa Anita.

Third in a single European appearance at Ireland's Gowran Park for trainer Andrew Slattery, the bay was fractionally disappointing when off the board in each of her first three U.S. appaearances, including a troubled fifth in a one-mile maiden here Dec. 27. Connections nevertheless swung for the fences and gave their filly a try in the Jan. 30 Lady of Shamrock S., in which she duly obliged by a widening margin, and she doubled up with a more narrow success in the China Doll S. Mar. 6, defeating a hard-to-handle Sterling Crest (Ire) (No Nay Never) into third.

'TDN Rising Star' Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) makes a return to what appears to be her best surface Saturday. Winner of this track's Surfer Girl S. last October, the gray was an 8-1 chance in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and though she was only ninth, closed off nicely to finish less than three lengths behind Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The runner-up that afternoon, Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), made a victorious 3-year-old debut in the G3 Prix Imprudence Thursday at Deauville. Beaten a half-length in second by Eda (Munnings) in the GI Starlet S. in her dirt debut Dec. 4, Cairo Memories exits a seventh in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 6.

Sixteen Arches (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) took advantage of the 'lightning lane' in rallying past her favored John Murtagh stablemate Chicago Lightening (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a Dundalk maiden Jan. 7 and merits respect out of the Phil D'Amato barn always dangerous with its American debuters.

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Baffert Duo Takes On Santa Ysabel

Bob Baffert brings a strong hand into Sunday's local prep for the GI Kentucky Oaks in Santa Anita's GIII Santa Ysabel S. Leading the charge is Eda (Munnings), last out winner of the GI Starlet S. Dec.4 where she defeated fellow Santa Ysabel contender Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) by a gamhalf-length. She'll be looking for her fourth stakes victory in a row after also decisively winning both the Desi Arnaz S. and the Anoakia S. last fall.

Not to be outdone by her stablemate, Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile) posted her own 3/4-length victory Jan. 8th in the GII Santa Ynez S. Though her recent efforts have all been sprinting, this half to Bodemeister has both the pedigree to cover the longer distance and the speed to overcome her far outside draw. Her speed figures have been on the rise since finishing a distant third to Eda in the Desi Arnaz S., including a career high 91 Beyer Speed Figure in her win in the Santa Ynez.

While she missed a planned start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies due to surgery to remove a bone chip in her left ankle, 'TDN Rising Star' Ain't Easy (Into Mischief) certainly showed more than enough class as a 2-year-old to earn a place in this field. Though she's been working consistently, she'll be tested coming off a five-month layoff with her last race being a 4 3/4-length victory in the GII Chandelier S. back Oct. 1 where she defeated stablemate Desert Dawn (Cupid), who was six-lengths back in third and also runs here.

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