NYRA Partners With Keeneland For Two-Day Breeders’ Cup Challenge Pick 6

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a two-day Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 this weekend featuring select races from the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series presented by America's Best Racing from Belmont Park and Keeneland's Fall Stars weekend.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series consists of the best races from around the world and awards each winner an automatic and free entry into the Breeders' Cup World Championships slated for Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

This weekend's sequence kicks off Saturday at Belmont Park with the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh [Race 5, 2:45 p.m. Eastern], a six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up led by Big Sandy specialist Firenze Fire. The talented field of five includes the upwardly mobile Baby Yoda and versatile Following Sea vying for an all-expenses paid berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Action switches to Keeneland for the next two legs, beginning with the one-mile Grade 1 First Lady [Race 8, 4:44 p.m.] on the Haggin turf course. The Charles Appleby-trained Althiqa, who won the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont and the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga earlier this summer, headlines a loaded field that features Chad Brown-trained entrants Viadera, Blowout, and Regal Glory competing for a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

In Race 10 from Keeneland at 5:46 p.m. – the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile [Breeders' Cup Mile] – the Aidan O'Brien-trained Order of Australia, returns to the course where he captured last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile. A wide array of talented challengers include last year's Turf Mile winner Ivar; last-out Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Mint Million-winner Pixelate; and Grade 2 Bernard Baruch champ Tell Your Daddy.

The second half of the wager continues Sunday from Belmont with the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint], at six furlongs on turf for 2-year-olds in Race 5 at 2:43 p.m. Leading the way is filly Chi Town Lady, winner of the Bolton Landing for trainer Wesley Ward and the improving Midnight Worker, who makes his turf debut for Hall of Fame Todd Pletcher.

The sequence concludes with a pair of races from Keeneland, starting with the Grade 1 Spinster [Distaff] at nine furlongs for fillies and mares, slated as Race 9 at 5:15 p.m.

St. George Stable's Letruska has won her last four starts, including a last-out half-length score in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 28 at Saratoga. Bonny South, runner-up in the Personal Ensign, and millionaire Dunbar Road are among the top contenders.

The 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Bourbon [Juvenile Turf] brings the sequence to a close with Tiz the Bomb, last-out winner of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile headlining an overflow field of juveniles in Race 10 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is $1 and will feature a low 15 percent takeout and mandatory payout of the net pool. Wagering on the Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 is available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country.

Free Equibase past performances for the Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 sequence will be available for download. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Two-Day Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 – October 9/10, 2021:

Leg A: October 9 – Belmont, Race 5 – G2 Vosburgh
Leg B: October 9 – Keeneland, Race 8 – G1 First Lady
Leg C: October 9 – Keeneland, Race 10 – G1 Turf Mile
Leg D: October 10 – Belmont, Race 5 – G3 Futurity
Leg E: October 10 – Keeneland, Race 9 – G1 Spinster
Leg F: October 10 – Keeneland, Race 10 – G2 Bourbon

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European Shippers Althiqa, Empress Josephine Headline Deep Field For Keeneland’s First Lady

Godolphin's Althiqa (GB), already a two-time Grade 1 winner in the U.S. in two attempts, headlines a talented field of 13 fillies and mares entered Wednesday for the First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare.

Scheduled as Saturday's eighth race at Keeneland with a 4:44 p.m. post time, the First Lady is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Trained by Charles Appleby, Althiqa already was multiple group-placed in Europe as well as a Group 2 winner in the United Arab Emirates before coming to North America, where she took the Just a Game (G1) at Belmont in June and the Diana (G1) in July at Saratoga.

Althiqa will be ridden Saturday by Jamie Spencer and exit post three.

She will have to contend with another European invader in the Aidan O'Brien-trained Empress Josephine (IRE).

Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Empress Josephine has made her past four starts in Group 1 company and won the Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas. John Velazquez has the mount Saturday from post position two.

Heading the U.S. contingent are the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman's Harvey's Lil Goil and Susan and John Moore's homebred Princess Grace.

Trained by Bill Mott, Harvey's Lil Goil won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana here last fall and followed that with a third-place finish in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in which she was defeated by a neck.

A winner in one of four starts in 2021, Harvey's Lil Goil will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post position eight.

Princess Grace, a four-time graded stakes winner, has won six of seven career starts for trainer Mike Stidham and enters the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare off a victory in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3) on Sept. 11.

Kent Desormeaux has the mount on Princess Grace, who will start from post position 10.

Trainer Chad Brown, who has saddled the past three First Lady winners and four overall, will be represented by three runners: Juddmonte's Viadera (GB) and Peter Brant's Regal Glory and Blowout (GB).

Viadera, a three-time graded stakes winner in the U.S., comes into Saturday's race off a victory in the Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga. Florent Geroux has the mount Saturday and will leave post position 13.

Regal Glory, a multiple graded stakes winner, captured the De La Rose at Saratoga in her most recent start. Jose Ortiz will ride Saturday and exit post position six.

Blowout, who figures to be the pacesetter, is one for two in 2021 with the victory coming in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill on May 1. She was fourth in the Fourstardave (G1) against males at Saratoga. Blowout will start from post position nine and be ridden by Flavien Prat.

The field for the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

  1. Abscond (Adam Beschizza, 124 pounds)
  2. Empress Josephine (IRE) (Velazquez, 121)
  3. Althiqa (GB) (Spencer, 124)
  4. Star Command (Brian Hernandez Jr., 124)
  5. Hendy Woods (Tyler Gaffalione, 124)
  6. Regal Glory (Ortiz, 124)
  7. Daddy Is a Legend (Julien Leparoux, 124)
  8. Harvey's Lil Goil (Alvarado, 124)
  9. Blowout (Prat, 124)
  10. Princess Grace (Desormeaux, 124)
  11. Dalika (GER) (Miguel Mena, 124)
  12. La Signare (FR) (Ricardo Santana Jr., 124)
  13. Viadera (GB) (Geroux, 124).

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Daddy Is A Legend Trying To Complete Her Resume In Saturday’s First Lady

Susan and Jim Hill's multiple graded stakes winner Daddy Is a Legend will attempt to add an elusive Grade 1 victory to her resume Saturday when she makes an expected start in the $400,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare at Keeneland.

“We are trying to get a Grade 1 for her, and I think she is deserving of it,” trainer George Weaver said of Daddy Is a Legend, who posted the initial victory of her career as a 2-year-old here during the 2017 Fall Meet.

After an allowance race here in the spring, Daddy Is a Legend finished fifth against males in the Fourstardave (G1) in her most recent start.

Weaver said the First Lady was the target after the Fourstardave for Daddy Is a Legend, who has two runner-up finishes and two third-place efforts in Grade 1 tries.

The First Lady is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

“That would be Jim's (Hill) call,” Weaver said of seeking a second Grade 1 should Daddy Is a Legend prevail Saturday. “She likes Del Mar (winning the Jimmy Durante-G3 and second in two runnings of the Matriarch-G1), and if she runs first or second here he'd be likely to consider it.”

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Brant Goes to $4.1M for Champion Uni at FTKNOV

Champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready–Unaided, by Dansili {GB}) made another big splash during Fasig-Tipton November’s ‘Night of the Stars’ Sunday when selling for $4.1 million to Peter Brant. The chestnut, a stakes winner in both America and France as a sophomore, scored her first top-level triumph in the 2018 GI Matriarch S. and picked up tallies in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile and GI First Lady S. last season to earn champion turf female honors. She defended her First Lady crown this fall and was fifth while attempting for back-to-back Mile victories Saturday at Keeneland. Selling as hip 228 for consignor ELiTE Sales, Uni banked over $2.6 million while winning 11 of her 22 career outings.

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