Cannonball (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) and Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) have separate sprint engagements, in the G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. respectively, and with no fear of rivalry next week, the two made happy companions as they strolled along Newmarket Heath on Thursday morning.

A day after Cannonball's strong work on the track at Ascot, his co-trainer Peter Snowden remains delighted with the colt's preparation for his first start outside Australia next Tuesday. It's hard to fault the three-year-old. With a gleaming deep chestnut coat and relaxed demeanour, he looks to have taken the travel and change of scenery in his stride, and he will have Brett Prebble, who won the G3 Maurice McCarten S. on Cannonball in March, back in the saddle.

A year apart in age, Artorius and Cannonball previously shared the same training duo Anthony and Sam Freedman, with the latter having been moved to the Snowdens after his last start of 2022. For the next couple of weeks they are stabled alongside each other in a wing of Charlie Fellowes' Bedford House Stables. 

Sam Freedman has returned to Newmarket with Artorius, who spent a fair portion of last year in Europe, finishing third in both the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup before going on to Deauville to run sixth  behind Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

There's talk of “unfinished business” from Freedman, who says that the four-year-old colt is thriving. He currently tops the market for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. a week on Saturday. He's not the only Aussie challenger for that prize as The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who has been in town for a while at Marco Botti's yard, will make his third British start at Ascot, having most recently finished runner-up to Jumbly (GB) in the G3 John of Gaunt S. at Haydock last weekend.

Coolangatta (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) has kept her distance from Newmarket despite it being the former home town of her co-trainer David Eustace. His father James was spotted on board his hack as Cannonball and Artorius sauntered past on Thursday, perhaps keeping tabs on one of the filly's main opponents for the King's Stand on Tuesday.

Artorius and Cannonball on Newmarket Heath on Thursday | Emma Berry

Over on the other side of town in the Heath Stud yard at the National Stud are George Weaver's two juveniles No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), each of whom won their respective Royal Ascot qualifying races over five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 13. Under the watchful eye and guiding hand of Blair Golen, riding the saintly Angus, borrowed for ponying duties from Jamie Lloyd, the filly then the colt had a gentle canter on the 'Between the Ditches' turf gallop and seemed unfazed by their new surroundings.

More on his toes on his first morning out on the Heath was the Kenny McPeek-trained Classic Causeway, ridden by the evergreen 72-year-old Danny Ramsey. Last year's G1 Belmont Derby winner looks set to take on Adayar (Ire), Luxembourg (Ire)  and co in what will be an intriguing edition of the G1 Prince of Wales's S., some 23 years after his late sire won the St James's Palace S., ushering in a run of five Group 1 victories through the summer of 2000.

Meanwhile, No Nay Mets is set to take part in what looks to be one of the hottest contests of the week, the G2 Norfolk S., a race his sire won a decade ago. Prior to that, he has an engagement in the Goffs London Sale on Monday.

“We have just been getting him accustomed to things,” said Golen. “Everything we run on in America is pretty much flat, so we have been taking him out on the seven-furlong stretch here to get him used to things.

“We have come here to win. In American racing, there is very rarely a big field, so that is a big challenge. Luckily, we have Frankie Dettori riding him and, if anybody knows how to ride the course, it is definitely him. So I think that is to our advantage. It means everything to have him riding and, if that makes Wesley Ward jealous, then even better.”

While McPeek arrives in the UK on Friday, Ward touched down on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before his horses arrived at Stansted airport and made the brief onward journey to Chelmsford City Racecourse, where they will stay until early next week. 

The quartet of runners, which was joined by a stable pony who is reportedly named Shanahan, contains one whose progress from his dazzling debut will be of huge interest next week and beyond. American Rascal (Curlin) is of course a son of the much vaunted Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), a dual winner at Royal Ascot in the G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 King's Stand S. Her firstborn has big shoes to fill.

Keeping Norfolk S. entrant American Rascal company is the Chasemore farm-bred Fandom (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who has returned to not far from where he was born to run, most probably, in the Windsor Castle S.

The maiden Bundchen (Gun Runner) is Queen Mary-bound with the help of Joel Rosario, while Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), who was runner-up in that race two years ago, returns for the King's Stand. 

Ward has stolen a march on all visiting trainers for Royal Ascot by saddling 12 winners at the meeting since his first–and second 24 hours later– in 2009. No Nay Never was his next four years later. 

Recalling his meeting the late Queen in the royal box following that victory in 2013, Ward said, “What was great about it was she did most of the chatting. When you first get up there you are nervous and she just starts firing questions at you and it puts you so at ease. She was just picking my brain and asking all these questions about how I train, how I came here and asking about all the success I had.

“It was unbelievable how much knowledge she had, not just of racing but myself–I couldn't believe the Queen of England even knew who a trainer like myself from a different country like America was and what I had accomplished.

“You would think she would just be coming to the races and focused on English racing and everything else she had going on in her life. She was just a wonderful person.”

She was indeed. The final Group 1 race of the meeting will be named in perpetuity in memory of the monarch who, for almost 70 years, cleared her diary for the week of Royal Ascot. The pandemic interrupted Queen Elizabeth II's attendance in recent years, and her absence from the royal procession next week will be keenly felt. The show goes on, however, and from the opening race named to commemorate Queen Anne, who founded the racecourse that is now one of the most famous in the world, right through to the longest Flat race in the calendar, the Queen Alexandra S., action of the highest calibre will be played out in front of a global audience.

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David Eustace said, “Coolangatta galloped yesterday and will have her first proper workout next week. She has improved again physically from the Lightning S. and we feel we are ahead of the game in terms of her preparation.

“We are stepping into the unknown when it comes to international travel but Coolangatta has done a lot of travelling around Australia and is used to being in unfamiliar places. We are hopeful that she will handle that side of things well but you never know until you do it. We think the 1000 metres of the King's Stand, with the uphill finish, looks ideal and genuine fast ground will be to her advantage as well.”

Coolangatta is not the only Australian runner signed on to the royal meeting, as both Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) and The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who are trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, and Leon and Troy Corstens, respectively, are both aiming for the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. Artorius finished third in the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and enters off a victory in the G1 Canterbury S. at Randwick earlier this year. In The Astrologist's case, he ran too good to lose when second by a head in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan at the end of March.

Sam Freedman said, “Artorius had his first improving gallop the other day, having come off a bit of a fresh. He seems to be shaping up really well and will have a couple of trials over here before we put him on the plane.

“I think he is definitely hitting Royal Ascot this year in better form than he was 12 months ago.His form lines are strong and I think you guys over there will see a more tactically versatile horse. He will be able to sit a lot closer, which will be important, whereas last year he was rattling home.”

Troy Corstens said, “We were delighted with The Astrologist's effort in Dubai. He ran to expectations and came very close, which gave us the confidence to continue the journey with him.

“He has settled beautifully in Newmarket–he is a very adaptable horse and enjoys the travel. The plan is for him to have a racecourse gallop this week on the Rowley Mile in preparation for the G2 1895 Duke Of York S.

“He will then head to Royal Ascot for the Platinum Jubilee. We feel that this will be the perfect race for him. He is a renowned straight-track horse in Australia and we feel the testing course of Ascot will suit him immensely.”

Strong American Contingent Ready To Go

Twelve-time Royal Ascot-winning trainer Wesley Ward is bringing a slew of Royal Ascot runners, anchored by Love Reigns (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) and Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) for Stonestreet Stables to Royal Ascot. Both enter off of stakes victories at the recently concluded Keeneland Spring Meet, with the former pointing to the King's Stand S. and the latter eyeing both the King's Stand and the G1 Commonwealth Cup S.

Ward said, “Love Reigns and Twilight Gleaming are doing great. They are both coming off nice comeback wins and their owner Barbara Banke [of Stonestreet Stables] is really looking forward to getting them over there. She loves Ascot as much as me and we are all excited.

“I was really happy with Love Reigns in the Limestone S. She had to switch a couple of times in the run but showed a great attitude to get up on the line, while Twilight Gleaming showed a lot of speed in her comeback race.

“Twilight Gleaming will definitely go for the King's Stand S., whereas Love Reigns will have an entry there and in the Commonwealth Cup.”

Besides Ward's older horses, he has at least three juveniles making the trip for the storied 2-year-old prizes in 'TDN Rising Star' American Rascal (Curlin) out of King's Stand and G2 Queen Mary S. victress Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy); Fandom (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), and Bledsoe (Igbaal).

Ward added, “American Rascal has come out of his first race in super shape. The team at Stonestreet really liked him and it was exciting to see him produce a performance like that.

“Fandom looks another good prospect after his debut win on the grass and we also have some nice 2-year-olds to run at Belmont, so we will see what else unfolds in the coming days.

“Bledsoe has already travelled over to England and will run in a novice race at Ascot on 13 May. He won America's first 2-year-old race of the year on the dirt at Keeneland but his mother Shrinking Violet was a multiple stakes winner of the turf, so we are looking forward to getting him on the grass.”

Brad Cox's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine Caravel (Mizzen Mast) is pencilled in to make the trip, and GI Belmont Derby victor Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) for trainer Ken McPeek is a potential starter in the G1 Prince Of Wales's S.

McPeek said, “Classic Causeway had a nice run first time up this year on the dirt at Oaklawn. Then we came back for the [GII] Oaklawn H. and he was off the board, so we have decided to switch back to the turf.

“He is going for a prep race in Kentucky on 3 June in the Arlington S. and, if he runs well there, we will point him towards the Prince Of Wales's S.”

New York Thunder (Nyquist) for trainer Jorge Delgado holds a Commonwealth Cup entry, while Hong Kong runner Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard) has been nominated for both the Platinum Jubilee and King's Stand.

Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, said, “We are very pleased to see entries for Royal Ascot 2023 from across the world including Group 1 winners from Britain, Ireland, France, the USA, Australia and Hong Kong.

“It is particularly exciting to see so many strong entries from Australia, including the Black Caviar Lightning S. winner Coolangatta, who looks set to try and follow Nature Strip's victory in the King's Stand S. It's also exciting to see Artorius is on track to try and go two better than when third in the Platinum Jubilee S. last year.

“Wesley Ward again has a strong team headed by Love Reigns and Twilight Gleaming along with the 2-year-olds while it will also be great to see Breeders' Cup winner Caravel represent America.”

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So on a weekend when we temporarily suspend our search for the adolescent Thoroughbred maturing sufficiently to beat his peers on the first Saturday in May, let's celebrate the fulfilments that remain available later in life–whether on two legs or four.

The GIII Essex H. is the kind of race that warms the cockles of my heart. Last year it retrieved graded status, and deservedly so after increasing its purse fivefold between 2016 and 2021–a telling snapshot of the thriving Oaklawn program. And this time round it throws together a couple of evergreen veterans who show that whether age turns us into vinegar or vintage wine is largely up to us.

Listen to this edition of This Side Up.

In the case of D. Wayne Lukas, it actually stands to reason that he should still maintain the standards of his heyday even with a much smaller barn. True, he does seem as blessed in indefatigability as in the genius he always brought to his vocation, and harnessing one to the other has simply given a fresh dimension to his unique status in our community. A wider application, however, surely applies to the principle that any decline in the physical powers even of lesser mortals is compensated, and amply so, by experience.

It's not as though anyone sends an expensive Thoroughbred to a given trainer because he might otherwise have made a cage-fighter or lumberjack. I've never understood why “ageing” trainers (an alarmingly elastic concept) should have become unfashionable as they certainly are in my homeland. Some of the biggest yards in Newmarket these days seem to be supervised as a perk accompanying appointment as head boy at various prep schools. As I have frequently remarked, if I owned the Derby favourite, and he had a foot in a bucket of ice the evening before the race, I would rather my trainer was dealing with the problem for an umpteenth time, and not the first.

It would be nice to think that a few people pondered this after the longest-serving trainer in Newmarket won the Arc last autumn, and I was delighted to learn that Sir Mark Prescott will be training for the new monarch this year. On the other side of the water, meanwhile, Lukas himself offered a similar prompt to reflection with Secret Oath (Arrogate) in the GI Kentucky Oaks last year. Though he was now closer to 90 than 80, perhaps one or two people recognized that the guy might finally be getting the hang of the game.

Admittedly it was hard, after Rich Strike (Keen Ice) emerged from nowhere (both figuratively and literally) the next day, to resist a wistful sense that Secret Oath in that form might well have cut down the boys in the Derby after all. While her form then tapered off, last weekend she looked as rejuvenated as her trainer when resurfacing at the track where she first made her name.

That was a gratifying sight, after her breeders had resisted all blandishments to keep her in the Briland family. And Last Samurai, who represents Lukas in the Essex, similarly looked better than ever when taking his earnings past $1.6 million in the GIII Razorback H. Even in his fourth campaign, however, he remains a relative greenhorn compared to the horse who closed for fourth that day.

Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy) won this race last year, as he had back in 2019 when a callow 6-year-old, and now bids to retain the trophy on his 68th career start. Here's a horse, then, to renew the perennial question: who do we blame for the fact that the modern Thoroughbred is treated like porcelain? Is it the trainers themselves? Or do they only treat horses this way because of the raw materials they're nowadays given by breeders?

One trainer who sets himself apart in that respect is Kenny McPeek, who actually trained Rated R Superstar through his first 30 starts, including when third in the GI Breeders' Futurity. And on Saturday McPeek takes on his old buddy with another who exactly matched that effort as a juvenile, in Classic Causeway.

This time last year, this horse had just won the GII Tampa Bay Derby and was sketching out an apt memorial as one of just three colts in the final crop of Giant's Causeway. True to that legacy of toughness and versatility, in the summer Classic Causeway reinvented himself in startling fashion, winning a Grade I on turf just two weeks after finishing third in the GIII Ohio Derby. Few American trainers today would dare attempt anything like that, so who can presume to anticipate what he might yet achieve back on dirt?

This week McPeek has already dusted off another of last year's sophomores to make a really heartening return. It certainly seems a long time since Smile Happy (Runhappy) beat Classic Causeway (then in another barn) in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., not having been seen since his midfield finish in the Derby. But his rehearsals last spring had confirmed him among the best of the crop, and it's very wholesome to be reminded that there is life after the Triple Crown trail. Three years ago, after all, Last Samurai himself trailed in a distant fifth of six in the GI Arkansas Derby; while his rivals Saturday also include Silver Prospector (Declaration Of War), who had bombed out in the previous running of that race.

So let's hope that Litigate (Blame) can likewise return to build a career commensurate with his talent and potential after the hugely disappointing news that he's out of the Derby. All of us have some kind of stake in this horse doing enough to earn a place at stud, given that he has Numbered Account (Buckpasser) facing Thong (Nantallah) on either side of his pedigree. As that indicates, he has been in the best of hands throughout and hopefully his time will still come.

Even without him, the GII Louisiana Derby next week looks deep enough for horses to show that they could have a legitimate shot at Churchill but without banking enough points to prise open a gate. If that happens, however, nobody should despair. You might yet end up with a millionaire contesting the Essex H. in 2025. There are worse fates. Because what they say of people is probably just as true of many a horse: youth is wasted on the young.

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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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Graduating by 4 3/4 lengths at second asking over the Lingfield all-weather last October, the Godolphin homebred reeled off three more open-lengths tallies culminating with a seven-length rout in the Newmarket S. Apr. 29. Disappointing some when finishing a distant eighth in the G1 Cazoo Derby June 4 at Epsom, he finished full of run before coming up three-quarters of a length short in second to 26-1 upsetter Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) in the July 9 Belmont Derby.

Breaking a beat slowly as the narrow favorite once again Saturday, Nations Pride was smartly sent through a narrow early opening by Buick to gain position as Classic Causeway went clear going past the stands the first time and found a perfect spot by the time the field bent into the first turn, stalking from the pocket in third. Tipping off the rail around the quarter pole, the blaze-faced bay charged past Classic Causeway inside the furlong marker and finished up smartly to win comfortably by 1 3/4 lengths in the end. Second choice Annapolis (War Front) edged out Classic Causeway for second on the wire.

“I came in yesterday and saw them train this morning [Nations Pride and filly With The Moonlight, who starts in Sunday's G3 Saratoga Oaks] and as a physical, I think they've done very well. The style of training [both recorded four breezes in an 11-day span], they've adapted to it,” said winning trainer Charlie Appleby. “On the back of Belmont, they were a touch unlucky. He was a bit slow from the gate there and had that wider trip around. It was a little bit messy, but that was by the by. We came in today confident that if we could just get him to break a bit quicker and William could get him up in behind the pace that we felt he was the right horse in the race and could go on and get the job done. It was a great ride by William.”

“He was drawn 10 at Belmont and he jumped a step slow, which he did today as well,” added Buick. “From the four gate, I managed to go to the inside and get him into a good spot and he did the rest from then on really. I expected them to go faster, but I also had in the back of my head that the horse that made the run in the Belmont race [Classic Causeway] would want to be doing the same again today. Once I saw that I knew Julien [Leparoux, aboard Classic Causeway] wasn't going to go too fas, I was happy where I was. I knew there were a couple closers in the race, but I knew my horse would stay well and the way that rain took the speed out of the track a little bit, so I was confident that my horse would stay well and hit the line well.”

Nations Pride was the first mount at Saratoga for Buick, who appreciated the occasion and the company kept in the track's star-studded jockeys' room.

“I'm very privileged to be able to come over here and ride these horses,” the 34-year-old said. “I've been riding a lot in the States on and off the last few years and I love it. The jockey colony over here is something really special. To be in that jocks' room today with all the superstars was fantastic and great to be part of it. I've never been to Saratoga before. This is my first ride. I've watched plenty of races here and last year we couldn't travel here, so when Charlie asked me to come and ride these horses, it was great to get that call.”

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Nations Pride is now the 59th graded/group stakes winner and 23rd Grade I/Group 1, as well as the first Stateside top-level scorer for the 18-year-old Kildangan Stud stalwart. His second dam Satwa Queen (Fr) was a five-time group winner in France and half-sister to G1SW Spadoun (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}) whose crowning achievement was a victory in the 2007 G1 Prix de l'Opera. Important Time, a minor stakes winner in Germany in 2015, has a yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire) and produced a full-sister to the winner Mar. 8.

Saturday, Saratoga
CAESARS SARATOGA DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $1,000,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 3yo, 1 3/16mT, :00.00, fm.
1–NATIONS PRIDE (IRE), 122, c, 3, by Teofilo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Important Time (Ire) (SW-Ger), by Oasis Dream (GB)
                2nd Dam: Satwa Queen (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
                3rd Dam: Tolga, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (Ire); T-Charles Appleby; J-William T. Buick. $535,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-2-0, $899,216. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Annapolis, 122, c, 3, War Front–My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled's Song. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Bass Racing, LLC; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $185,000.
3–Classic Causeway, 122, c, 3, Giant's Causeway–Private World, by Thunder Gulch. O/B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $100,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HD, 1. Odds: 2.10, 2.90, 5.90.
Also Ran: Sy Dog, Stone Age (Ire), Royal Patronage (Fr), Main Event, Grand Sonata, Ethereal Road, Emmanuel. Scratched: Stolen Base.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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With the unbeaten sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) awaiting the GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar Sept. 3, a pair of New York-based heavyweights in the handicap division will throw down in the 12-race card's feature.

The uber-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), one of three entered by the aforementioned three-time Whitney-winning conditioner, will meet the streaking GII Stephen Foster S. winner Olympiad (Speightstown) in the six-horse field.

A tiring fourth over a well-documented deep surface in the G1 Dubai World Cup, GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. winner Life Is Good returned to his brilliant self with a jaw-dropping victory in the GII John A. Nerud S. sprinting downstate last month.

“He's got so much natural speed and such a high-cruising speed,” said Pletcher, who has also entered GISWs Americanrevolution (Constitution) and 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver). “His ability to carry it over a distance of ground is what makes him so unique and so successful.”

Pletcher will also be well-represented by another dangerous trio, topped by 5-2 morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Annapolis (War Front), in the GI Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational. The visually impressive Manila S. winner will be joined by stablemates 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), winner of the GII Pennine Ridge S. in his grass debut, and Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro), in the stacked field of 11.

The Saratoga Derby has also attracted the top six finishers from the GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational S.–Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Grand Sonata, Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}).

“We were really on the fence between the Manila and the Belmont Derby,” Pletcher said of Annapolis. “But with only one start under his belt [since a layoff], we felt it made sense to come back and get another race into him before stretching him out. He's trained super into this.”

Saturday's Whitney program also includes the GI Longines Test S., headlined by GI Acorn S. heroine and 2-5 morning-line favorite Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile); and the GII Glens Falls S., topped by GISW and the race's defending winner War Like Goddess (English Channel).

Other graded action across the country Saturday includes: Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) back to defend her title in the GI 'Win and You're In' Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar; the GIII West Virginia Governor's S. and GIII West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer; and the GIII Ontario Colleen S. at Woodbine.

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McPeek's 10 millionaires to date have been sired by the likes of Cuvee, Louis Quatorze, Daredevil, Hit It a Bomb and Tejano–and he signed for most of them himself. As one who marches to his own drum, his style obviously wouldn't work for everyone. Think outside the box, and you'll have to manage without the many investors who feel nervous straying beyond the comforting confines of convention. They will seek sanctuary in the kind of strike rates available with trainers who start horses about as often as Halley does his Comet. Nonetheless, there are some pretty universal lessons to be drawn from the success of Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) in the big race at Belmont last weekend, just two weeks after his barn debut.

Because if McPeek is too much of a one-off to be categorized simply as “old school”, there's no doubting the throwback element in Classic Causeway himself, famously one of just three foals from the final crop of the Iron Horse. And if McPeek is to some degree a victim of his own success, in that you tend not to be sent too many yards of silk if you can contrive such fine purses of a relative sow's ear, let's not forget that one of the world's most lavishly resourced stables is supervised by another who believes that Thoroughbreds actually thrive on competition.

Click the play button below to listen to this week's episode of This Side Up. 

Very few elite trainers in Europe, nevermind America, would have drawn out the reserves of Giant's Causeway as boldly as Aidan O'Brien. Already a Group 1 winner at two, Giant's Causeway started his sophomore campaign by fending off a battle-hardened, race-fit 6-year-old in April. Between May 6 and Sept. 23, he then finished first or second in eight Group 1 races, constantly switching distance. After that, as nobody will need reminding, he shipped to run the dirt monster Tiznow to a neck in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 'Iron Horse,' Giant's Causeway | Coolmore

We're talking about an exceptional specimen here, clearly, but O'Brien has always operated on the basis that his patrons at Coolmore require reliable exposure of genes they might wish to replicate. And like his mentor Jim Bolger, who last year ran 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in two other Classics over the next three weeks, he additionally believes that maturing horses flourish for racetrack experience. Peeping Fawn (Danehill) had an aristocratic pedigree, nothing to prove there, but O'Brien still worked her like a stevedore. She had already been beaten three times in April when breaking her maiden on May 16. Eleven days later she ran third in a Classic over a mile. FIVE days later she was beaten half a length in the G1 Oaks at Epsom, over a mile and a half. Did she recoil from this dazing sequence of examinations? She did not. Instead, going up and down in distance every time, she won four Group 1 prizes in 54 days.

As it happens, Peeping Fawn has proved a fairly disappointing producer, albeit unlucky that her best daughter derailed. Giant's Causeway, however, has emulated his sire Storm Cat as a hugely important crossover influence. That's unsurprising, after his own slick transfer to the American racing environment, and he stands as a withering rebuke to the prescriptive approach we see, both sides of the water, to racing surfaces. He came up with a worthy heir in Europe at the first attempt in Shamardal, whose maternal pedigree was shaded very green, but has book-ended his career with an outstanding young Kentucky sire in Not This Time, whose own family obviously contains no less resonant dirt names.

Interestingly, Classic Causeway is out of a mare by Thunder Gulch, whose breeder Peter Brant has always been so far-sighted in this regard. Thunder Gulch himself, of course, combined a sire who had won benchmark races for the recycling of dirt speed–the GI Hopeful S., the GI Met Mile H. twice, the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint–with a turf mare whose dam had finished second in the G1 Gold Cup at Ascot over two and a half miles.

Most horses are more versatile than we will ever know. We should always start with the animal in front of us, and how it all fits together, rather than meekly obey herd presumptions. Sure enough, having only recently taken Classic Causeway into his care (after Brian Lynch laid some excellent foundations), McPeek urged a switch to turf because “the horse has a foot like a pancake”.

But often it's simply a question of opportunity. It was only the search for outcross blood at Coolmore, for instance, that allowed War Front and Scat Daddy to penetrate European myopia as coveted “turf” influences. And while John Magnier and his partners seem to be doing pretty well without my advice, I will just dust off my plea that they might indulge European mare owners by allowing American Pharoah at least one spring in Co Tipperary. (Especially as I keep reading that the home farm may apparently be a little short of fresh blood just now.)

Bleecker Street | Sarah Andrew

After last week's glimpse of how a more wholesome future might look, we revert to business as usual in the first Grade I of the Saratoga meet, with Chad Brown having to generate his own competition on grass. In fact, just one other American trainer has mustered a runner in the Diana S. It's striking, however, that most exciting member of the field is also the only one bred in America.

Bleecker Street was hardly a blatant turf prospect the day Brant purchased her as a yearling, down the road at Fasig-Tipton, but her sire Quality Road has a very flexible genetic background. (Just his first two dams will tell you that, as daughters of Strawberry Road and Alydar–and there's plenty more when you get down in the wheat.) Even Chad Brown has been prepared to start Bleecker Street in four graded stakes already this year, so presumably McPeek or O'Brien would by this stage have sent her to the moon and back.

Just as surface aptitude tends to be self-fulfilling, so you have to wonder to what extent pessimism about the constitution of the modern racehorse would stand up to horsemen actually going out there and testing it properly. But if we won't train them like McPeek, then the least we can do is breed them like Classic Causeway. As it was, no farm in Europe or Kentucky offered Bolger enough for Poetic Flare. And that's why, when so much of our commercial glister washes out the moment a horse has to break sweat, it will be the Japanese who end up with the horses of iron.

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Among top-tier trainers, there is no one like him. He'll run fillies against the boys, run back in a week and he's not afraid to throw a 50-1 bomb into a race or, in the case of 2022 GI Belmont S. winner Sarava (Wild Again), a 70-1 shot. It hurts his winning percentage, which is at 17% on the year. But McPeek doesn't seem to care. His job is to make money for his owners, and he understands that the more chances he gives his horses, the more money his clients are likely to make.

McPeek dipped into his bag of tracks Saturday when he entered Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) in the Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, a decision that led to a Grade I win in a $1-million race.

The colt had shown a lot of promise early in his career and was among the top contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby after winning the GII Tampa Bay Derby. Then trained by Brian Lynch, Classic Causeway went off form and finished eleventh in the GI Florida Derby and eleventh again in the GI Kentucky Derby. The owners made a move after the Kentucky Derby and turned the horse over to McPeek. In his first start for McPeek, he ran third in the GIII Ohio Derby, a sign that maybe he was about to come around.

That might have set him up for some of the big dirt stakes coming up for 3-year-olds. Instead, McPeek targeted the Belmont Derby. Never mind that Classic Causeway would have to come back in two weeks or that he had never run on the grass. It was a $1-million race, and McPeek decided to take a shot, something few other trainers would have done with this horse.

It didn't hurt that Classic Causeway was the recipient of a lucky break. Emmanuel (More Than Ready) was not only a top contender in the race but the clear speed. But he was scratched by the stewards for reasons that remain unclear. The New York Gaming Commission tweeted the following: “The Commission Steward has ordered the scratch of Emmanuel, scheduled to run in today's Belmont Derby, due to issues relating to veterinary records. The matter remains under review.”

With Emmanuel out, Classic Causeway was the only speed in the race. Jockey Julien Leparoux picked up on that and put in a heads-up ride. Classic Causeway led by a length after a half-mile had been run in :48 and, from there, they couldn't catch him.

McPeek's aggressive handling of horses was also on display at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where he had a good showing Saturday. He got a win in the $100,000 Mari Hulman George S. with Semble Juste (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), who was coming back in nine days after winning an allowance at Churchill. In the GIII Indiana Oaks, he ran Runaway Wife (Gun Runner) off an eight-day layoff and Silverleaf (Speightster) off a nine-day layoff. Runaway Wife finished second and Silverleaf was third. McPeek also ran Rattle N Roll (Connect) in the GIII Indiana Derby, just a week after he won the American Derby. He finished seventh.

On Saturday, McPeek also won the GIII Iowa Oaks with Butterbean (Klimt). She was coming back in 28 days, by McPeek standards a long layoff.

The only horse he ran all day that had more than four weeks off was Tiz The Bomb (Hit It a Bomb), who was making his first start since the May Kentucky Derby in the Belmont Derby. He finished ninth.

On the day, McPeek ran horses in five different races, all of them stakes. He won two and had two others, both fillies, finish in the money and pick up black type. Among that group, everyone was running back in 28 days or less. That just doesn't happen anymore.

A Record-Breaking Belmont Meet For Chad Brown

Chad Brown winning a training title at the NYRA tracks is no longer big news, but what Brown accomplished at the Belmont meet that ended Sunday was historic.

With 153 starters, he won 47 races, setting a new record for most wins by a trainer at the Belmont spring-summer meet. The old record was 44, set by David Jacobson in 2013. But Jacobson compiled those numbers during a year in which the meet ran for 56 days. This year's meet ran for 44 days.

Twelve of Brown's winners came in graded stakes races and four were in Grade I's. He won 14 stakes overall. He won 27 turf races and 20 on the dirt. But his winning percentage on the turf was 26%, while he won with 41% of his dirt starters.

More Small Fields

They could only find five horses to run in the GII Suburban S. Saturday out at Belmont–a race that has been won by Easy Goer, Dr. Fager, Forego, Buckpasser, Kelso, Bold Ruler–and one came from the barn of the racing secretary's best friend, Uriah St. Lewis. The winner, Dynamic One (Union Rags), had never before won a graded stakes.

Between the June 11 GI Metropolitan H. and the GI Woodward S., likely to be run this year on Oct. 1, NYRA will offer five graded stakes for males on the dirt. (The other two are the GI Whitney S. and the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup). Please don't try to tell me this isn't a problem.

Juan Vazquez and the Pennsylvania Racing Commission

For years, the Pennsylvania Racing Commission seemed like a do-nothing organization run by bureaucrats who had better things to do than to truly police the sort. But it looks like that has changed.

Juan Vazquez, who has a long and troubling history of breaking the rules, shipped a horse in January from Belmont to Parx. The horse, Shining Colors (Paynter), arrived in such bad shape that she had to be euthanized due to what the stewards said was a case of severe laminitis. Vazquez was suspended for 2 1/2 years Friday, and the stewards called his actions “grossly negligent, cruel and abusive.”

This was not your typical slap on the wrist, but a penalty that fit the crime. Obviously, the racing commission has had enough of Vazquez's flouting the rules and it brought its hammer down on a trainer who should have been thrown out of the game years ago.

He is eligible to return on Jan. 26, 2025. Will someone–a racing commission, a track?–let him race at that time? One would hope that the sport can show enough backbone that Vazquez will never participate again. Just don't count on it.

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Classic Causeway was having his second start Saturday for trainer Ken McPeek, who saddled him to a third in the GIII Ohio Derby June 25, and who not afraid to think a bit outside the box.

“He came back good and was eating the bottom out of the feedbag,” said co-owner Patrick McKeefe of Kentucky West Racing. “What Kenny says, I do.”

The early scratching of wire-to-wire GII Pennine Ridge S. winner Emmanuel (More Than Ready) left the pace scenario of the Belmont Derby somewhat murky, and that played right into the hands of Classic Causeway. Employing the same front-running tactics that won him the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby along the Triple Crown trail over the winter, the homebred colt jumped right into the bridle for Julien Leparoux, and while he had a bit of early company in the form of G2 Dante S. runner-up Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Classic Causeway was going along easily enough and was past the six-furlong peg in a manageable :48.02.

Allowed to lob them along and in a good rhythm through three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.33, he remained well within his comfort zone and maintained a safe advantage over Royal Patronage as they reached the quarter pole. Asked for a sprint by the Frenchman, Classic Causeway carried a two-length bulge into the ultimate eighth of a mile, and try as they might, the chasers ran out of real estate. Nations Pride, who defeated future G1 Cazoo Derby runner-up and £1.2-million Goffs London Sale topper Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) by seven lengths in the Listed Newmarket S. Apr. 29, closed his final quarter-mile in a race-strongest :22.98 to just beat G3 Leopardstown Derby Trial romper Stone Age out of second.

“The plan was to go on the lead,” confirmed Leparoux. “The only time I was a little worried was in the first turn when Joel [Rosario, aboard Royal Patronage] was kind of head-to-head with me. When he took back, my horse got to cruising and happy to be on the lead. I was getting him to relax nicely and switch off. It was a good run for him.

“He was actually feeling pretty fresh today,” he added. “It was Kenny's idea to wheel him right back on the grass, and it paid off today for sure.”

Early Saturday afternoon, the New York State Gaming Commission issued a brief statement on the scratching of Emmanuel, saying without elaborating further: “The Commission Steward ordered the scratch of Emmanuel, scheduled to run in today's Belmont Derby, due to issues relating to veterinary records. The matter remains under review.”

Looking every bit a Classic contender off his two wins at Tampa, Classic Causeway was last of 11 as a 37-10 chance in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 2, casting a fair bit of doubt on his immediate future. After first expressing their intention to pass the GI Kentucky Derby, connections called an audible, and Classic Causeway did not disgrace, finishing 11th, albeit from off the pace. Sensibly spotted in the Ohio Derby after being transferred from Brian Lynch to McPeek, Classic Causeway was a clear third, beaten just over two lengths by Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile).

Pedigree Notes:

Classic Causeway is one of three foals–all colts–from the final crop of the 'Iron Horse' Giant's Causeway and is the late sire's 36th Grade I/Group 1 winner. His other two offspring born in 2019 are Giant Game, third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and Shadwell homebred Monaadah, a winner of three of his five career starts and fourth in the Listed Sir Henry S. for Saeed bin Suroor at Newmarket July 7.

Private World is the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Lookin At Lucky, a yearling colt by Justify and a filly by the Triple Crown winner foaled May 15.

Saturday, Belmont Park
CAESARS BELMONT DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $1,000,000, Belmont, 7-9, 3yo, 1 1/4mT, 1:59.99, fm.
1–CLASSIC CAUSEWAY, 122, c, 3, by Giant's Causeway
                1st Dam: Private World (MSW, $166,058), by Thunder Gulch
                2nd Dam: Rita Rucker, by Dmitri
                3rd Dam: Darlease, by Temperence Hill
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Julien Leparoux. $535,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-1-2, $1,106,100.Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nations Pride (Ire), 122, c, 3, Teofilo (Ire)–Important Time (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $185,000.
3–Stone Age (Ire), 122, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Bonanza Creek (Ire), by Anabaa. O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Westerberg Smith, Peter Brant; B-White Birch Farm Sc (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $100,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, NK. Odds: 26.75, 2.40, 2.90.
Also Ran: Grand Sonata, Royal Patronage (Fr), Sy Dog, Limited Liability, Machete (Fr), Tiz the Bomb, Implementation, Napoleonic War, Stolen Base. Scratched: Emmanuel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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With the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the rear-view mirror, the summer turf season kicks into high gear starting with a pair of Grade I's at Belmont Park Saturday. The home team takes on a new wave of European challengers in the 1 1/4-mile GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational S., the first leg of the Caesars Turf Triple Series.

Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb), last seen finishing ninth behind longshot GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice), finally gets back to the surface that he's shown plenty of success on previously. Tiz the Bomb scored back-to-back victories on the grass in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. Sept. 6 and Keeneland's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. Oct. 10. He ended his 2-year-old campaign with just a half-length defeat to Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar Nov. 5, his most recent try on grass.

After an unsuccessful 3-year-old debut in the GIII Holy Bull S., Tiz the Bomb returned to form with two wins on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park, taking both the John Battaglia Memorial S. Mar. 5 and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. Apr. 2. He defeated eventual Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) in the latter.

“We gave him a Kentucky Derby chance,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “He ran respectable, but he's certainly not as good on the dirt as he is on the grass.”

McPeek will also saddle Kentucky Derby 11th Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), who will be making his first start on the turf. The GIII Sam F. Davis S. and the GII Tampa Bay Derby winner, previously trained by Brian Lynch, was third in Thistledown's GIII Ohio Derby June 25.

Topping the European contenders is Godolphin homebred Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who, barring his poor effort most recently in the G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom June 4, previously won four straight, including a seven-length win in the Newmarket S. Apr. 29 over the same 1 1/4-mile distance he'll try Saturday.

Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), drawn wide in post 13, also exits a disappointing showing like his aforementioned rival in the Cazoo Derby. Prior to that, he showed good form in taking the G3 Derby Trial S. at Leopardstown May 8 and also when finishing second in the 2021 G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Also on tap over Belmont's turf course Saturday is the 1 1/4- mile GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., which features a similar combination of American and European-bred contenders. Chad Brown brings a trio of options starting with 'TDN Rising Star' Haughty (Empire Maker), who ended her juvenile season with only a three-quarter length defeat to Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) enters for Brown off a second- place finish in the 1 1/8-mile GIII Regret S. at Churchill Downs June 4. She was also second behind fellow Oaks rival New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) in the GII Edgewood S. May 6.

Rounding out Brown's entries is Consumer Spending (More Than Ready), who enters having won four of her last five starts. While no match for Pizza Bianca in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, she began her 3-year-old season with back-to-back wins. She turned the tables on Pizza Bianca in Aqueduct's Memories of Silver S. Apr. 24, then added the GII Wonder Again S. at Belmont June 9.

Hailing from the barn of Aidan O'Brien, Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is listed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite. The 2021 G3 Weld Park S. winner was stretched out in distance as a 3-year-old. Her form this season includes a third-place finish in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas May 22, a fourth-place finish in the G1 Cazoo Oaks June 3, and a fifth-place finish in the G1 Pretty Polly S. at Curragh June 26.

Five Line Up for Suburban

The Belmont dirt will showcase older horses going 1 1/4 miles in the GII Suburban S. Shug McGaughey brings in 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin), who enters off a career-best performance in the GIII Pimlico Special S. May 20. Dynamic One (Union Rags) is listed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the field of five. After getting seven months off following his seventh-place effort in the GI Travers S. Aug. 28, he returned as a 4-year-old with increasingly positive results. He checked in third off the layoff in the GIII Challenger S. at Tampa Mar. 12, was second in the GIII Ben Ali S. Apr. 23, and most recently won the Blame S. June 4 at Churchill. The field also includes defending Suburban champion Max Player (Honor Code).

The Belmont card also includes the GIII Victory Ride S. for 3-year-old fillies. Marylou Whitney Stables's Pretty Birdie (Bird Song) was second in her last two, completing the exacta behind Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GII Eight Belles S. May 6 and Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) in the Leslie's Lady Overnight S. June 12. The field also includes Happy Soul (Runhappy), second last time in Pimlico's GIII Miss Preakness S. May 20.

Smaller Circuit Graded Stakes Attract Big Names

Horseshoe Indianapolis–formerly Indiana Grand–may've changed its name, but the industry's heavy hitters came with their runners just the same for the GIII Indiana Derby and GIII Indiana Oaks, scheduled to go as the last two races on the card.

In the nightcap contest for the colts, 75-1 longshot GII Rebel S. conqueror Un Ojo (Laoban) returns off a three-month layoff in his first attempt for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Conditioner Kenny McPeek's GISW Rattle N Roll (Connect) is cross-entered here and in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows after ending his five-race losing streak last weekend in the July 2 American Derby at Churchill Downs. Texas Derby winner King Ottoman (Curlin), trained by Steve Asmussen, and the Brad Cox-trained Best Actor (Flatter)–a $330,000 KEESEP purchase for Gary and Mary West–round a talented, if lightly raced, field.

The Indiana Oaks is shaping up to be a battle of the trainers as McPeek and Cox send out a pair each. Juddmonte homebred Patna (Into Mischief) and GI Ashland S. third Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire) will fly the flag of the latter. Nine-length maiden winner Silverleaf (Speightster) and the rapidly improving Runaway Wife (Gun Runner) will look to cap a potentially big day for McPeek.

Shifting to Prairie Meadows for the evening, the GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. attracted the evergreen gelding Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy), looking to rebound from a pair of disappointing efforts, including in Lone Star's May 30 GIII Steve Sexton Mile S. That race was won by the horse to his inside, the re-opposing Silver Prospector (Declaration of War). Warrant (Constitution), second last out in the GII Brooklyn H. June 11 and second Mar. 5 in the GI Santa Anita H., aims to secure his first win of the season.

A field of eight fillies will do battle for the GIII Iowa Oaks crown, led by the Todd Pletcher-trained Falconet (Uncle Mo) and local Panther S. victress Butterbean (Klimt). Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}), a surprise winner of the Apr. 2 Bourbonette Oaks, is cross-entered in the Indiana Oaks.

Marathon Runners Chime In From Delaware

A big weekend of racing will also be rolling at Delaware Park as a field of 10 lines up to contest the grassy GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S., featuring over half of the Keertana S. field, including first and second-place finishers Temple City Terror (Temple City) and Stand Tall (Uncle Mo).

The main track filly and mare marathoners will also have their day in the (most likely not present) Delaware sun in the GII Delaware Handicap, with the streaking Serena's Song S. and Obeah S. heroine Miss Leslie (Paynter) leading the charge.

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