The Committee reviewed 970 overall with purses of at least $75,000 and also assigned listed status to a further 213 races. Some 10 races were upgraded from their previous status–one new Grade I and nine Grade Iis. Four new Grade III events were also listed. Fourteen new listed raced and two new listed/restricted races were upgraded from non-listed black-type status.

The Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky Downs is the lone new Grade I for 2024, while the Carter H., the Man o'War S., the Beverly D. S., the United Nations S. and Hollywood Gold Cup each lost its elite-level grading. Nine races were upgraded to Grade II, four races received an upgrade to Grade III, 14 races were upgraded to listed status and two races were awarded listed/restricted status.

Ten races were downgraded from Grade II to Grade III, 15 were downgraded from Grade III to listed status and 13 races were downgraded to non-listed black-type.

In 2024, a total of 93 Grade I races will be staged, 137 at the Grade II level and 199 Grade IIIs. Click here for the 2024 U.S. graded and listed stakes listing.

Upgraded Stakes

Grade II to Grade I

Franklin-Simpson S., Kentucky Downs

Grade III to Grade II

Intercontinental S., Belmont Park

Charles Town Oaks, Charles Town

Locust Grove S., Churchill Downs

Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Gulfstream

Valley View S., Keeneland

Music City S., Kentucky Downs

Fantasy S., Oaklawn

Saratoga Oaks Invitational, Saratoga

Troy S., Saratoga

Listed to Grade III

Unbridled Sidney S., Churchill Downs

Giant's Causeway S., Keeneland

Perryville S., Keeneland

Kentucky Cup Classic, Turfway Park

Downgraded Stakes

Grade I to Grade II

Carter H., Aqueduct

Man o'War S., Belmont

Beverly D. S., Colonial Downs

United Nations S., Monmouth

Hollywood Gold Cup, Santa Anita

Grade II to Grade III

Forty Niner S., Aqueduct

Hill Prince S., Belmont at Aqueduct

Vosburgh S., Belmont at Aqueduct

Sheepshead Bay S., Belmont at Aqueduct

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S. at BC host site

Penn Mile S., Penn National

Californian S., Santa Anita

Goldikova S., Santa Anita

Royal Heroine S., Santa Anita

Prioress S., Saratoga

Grade III to Listed

Bay Shore S., Aqueduct

Fall Highweight H., Aqueduct

La Jolla H., Del Mar

Golden Gate H., Golden Gate Fields

Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S., Gulfstream

Smile Sprint S., Gulfstream

Sugar Swirl S., Gulfstream

Swale S., Gulfstream

Smarty Jones S., Parx

BWI Invitational Turf Cup, Pimlico

Iowa Oaks, Prairie Meadows

Remington Park Oaks, Remington

Desert Stormer S., Santa Anita

Kona Gold S., Santa Anita

Schuylerville S., Saratoga

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But there was a missing ingredient. Lukas, now 87, simply wasn't winning many races, especially important ones. Lukas won the 2018 GII Risen Star S. with Bravazo (Awesome Again) on Feb. 17, 2018. He didn't win another graded stakes until Secret Oath (Arrogate) won the GIII Honeybee S. on Feb. 16, 2022, nearly four years after Bravazo's win. From 2018 through 2021, he won just 69 races and his winning percentage was just 10.8%. It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on. There just weren't many owners willing to trust their horses to a trainer in his mid-eighties. The days of having Eugene Klein, William T. Young. Bob and Beverly Lewis and so many other top owners were long gone.

At his age, Lukas appeared destined to spend the rest of his days with a relatively small stable with the kind of horses that might give him an allowance win here or there. Counting him out seemed like a safe bet. Only it wasn't.

When Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) won Saturday's GIII Essex H. at Oaklawn Lukas picked up his third graded stakes win on the year. He also won the GIII Razorback H. with Last Samurai and the GII Azeri S. with Secret Oath. It's early but both look like Eclipse Award candidates. He has not had an Eclipse Award winner since Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) was named champion 2-year-old filly in 2014.

He may not be the Wayne Lukas of the mid-eighties when he dominated the sport. What he is is relevant again.

A lot of this has to do with Secret Oath, who put Lukas back in the spotlight last year and proved that he could still get the job done at the highest level. Her win in the GI Kentucky Oaks was arguably Lukas' biggest win since Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) won the GI Travers S. in 2013. It's not that Lukas remembered how to train. It was that someone-the filly's owners and breeders, Rob and Stacy Mitchell–were willing to give Lukas a chance with a talented horse.

“We've been with him, gosh, 15 or 17 years,” Stacy Mitchell told the TDN's Chris McGrath last year. “He's fair, he's honest, a true gentleman, someone everyone should have the opportunity to sit down and have a coffee with. As he has said, times have changed. Some of his big clients got out of the business, some passed on. Again, he said it himself, people used to love the old guys, now they love the new guys. But a lot of those are people he trained himself. You don't forget how to ride a bicycle, and I don't think you forget how to train a horse. People can say Wayne is back, but in my mind, I don't think he ever went away.”

In mid-summer last year, Willis Horton, who had had several top horses with Lukas over the years, also showed some faith in the Hall of Famer. He made a switch, sending the then 4-year-old Last Samurai from Dallas Stewart to Lukas. (Horton has since passed away and Last Samurai now races for his family). Initially, it looked like Lukas wasn't going to get much out of the horse who lost seven straight after the change in trainers. But Lukas figured something out and Last Samurai is now one of the hottest horses in the sport.

Ask Lukas and he will tell you he's lost nothing off of his fastball.

“Our game is an experience based game,” he said. “There are no how-to books. If you've been at it as long as I have been it becomes a little bit easier. You see things that you can correct. l see things I can do with a horse now that I wouldn't have been aware of when I was in my forties or fifties. The game gets a little easier. Believe it or not, I think it's easier for me now to develop a nice horse than when I was 50 and I had some nice years in that era.”

After all these years, is he still learning?

“If you're in the horse business you are always learning,” Lukas said. “The whole secret to this game is to read the horse. You need to read the horse and figure out what its capabilities are without over doing it. That's where you get in trouble. You think you can develop a horse to a certain level in a certain time frame and when you fail at it you're not going to get the maximum out of the horse. If you can read them and know when to push them and when not to the game can be pretty good.”

Secret Oath is heading to the GI Apple Blossom H., where she'll likely be the favorite. Up next for Last Samurai will likely be the GII Oaklawn H., a race he won last year for Stewart. They're both $1 million races. Lukas also has Caddo River (Hard Spun), who was second in the 2021 GI Arkansas Derby and won a Feb. 25 allowance at Oaklawn, and Major Blue (Flatter), a recent maiden winner at Oaklawn. He's on track to have his best year since 2013.

He'll turn 88 in September. Yes, he's a survivor but this year he's showing that he's something a lot more than just that.

Secretariat | Coglianese

Fifty Years Ago, Secretariat Won His 3-Year-Old Debut

On March 17, 1973, Secretariat made his 3-year-old debut in the GIII Bay Shore S. at Aqueduct. Click here for the replay of the race.

How things have changed. The purse was just $27,750 and the attendance was 32,906. It was the first of his three preps for the GI Kentucky Derby and they would come within a span five weeks, culminating in his defeat in the GI Wood Memorial.

The Bay Shore was not without a dose of controversy. Riding Impecunious, jockey James Moseley claimed foul against Secretariat and rider Ron Turcotte. Secretariat was blocked for much of the race and Turcotte did have to bull his way through horses in the stretch. Trainer Lucien Laurin was not pleased.

“That Moseley,” he said. “He claimed against me in the Garden State, but it turned out that his horse was at fault in that race.”

According to the report in the New York Times, some fans booed when the stewards declared there would be no change in the order of the finish.

“Let them boo,” Penny Tweedy said. “We've won the race.”

But Laurin was pleased with the end result.

“He was wonderful,” he said. “He did everything I expected him to.”

Fifty years after what was the most memorable season in the history of horse racing, it would have been a perfect time for NYRA to announce it had named a stakes races in honor of Big Red. The GI Hopeful S., a race Secretariat won, would have been a perfect candidate. But it was not to be.

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“This was certainly the distance we've been waiting for,” said winning trainer Simon Callaghan. “During her 3-year-old career, they pretty much kept the races at a mile and an eighth and that was just the bare minimum, so I think now as an older mare she's just going to flourish and I think these longer distances, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half, they are going to be right in her wheelhouse.”

An $800,000 Keeneland September yearling, Ballet Dancing graduated going one mile of the Santa Anita turf last spring before finishing third in the GIII Honeymoon S. in May. She returned to the winner's circle with a 2 1/2-length victory in a Dec. 29 allowance and she was coming off a fourth-place effort in a nine-furlong optional claimer Feb. 3.

Pedigree Notes:

Ballet Dancing, the 90th worldwide graded winner for her sire, Medaglia d'Oro, is the fourth foal out of Fully Living, who was purchased by Ashview Farm for $425,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September sale and finished third for Ashview and Old Oak Farm in the 2012 GII Adirondack S. The mare, who is also the dam of last year's GII Suburban S. third-place finisher Untreated (Nyquist), produced a filly by Justify in 2021 and a filly by Tiz the Law in 2022 before being bred back to Constitution.

Richard Knight signed for the Justify filly for $1.05 million at last year's Keeneland September sale and she was one of six being reoffered by the sales company due to non-payment. The mare's once-raced 6-year-old daughter Night on the Town (Street Sense), in foal to Essential Quality, sold to Siena Farms for $450,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

The winner's third dam, Half Queen, produced champion Halfbridled (Unbridled).

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANA S.-GIII, $101,000, Santa Anita, 3-12, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.25, gd.
1–BALLET DANCING, 120, f, 4, by Medaglia d'Oro
        1st Dam: Fully Living (GSP, $172,417), by Unbridled's Song
        2nd Dam: Half A. P., by Pulpit
        3rd Dam: Half Queen, by Deputy Minister
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($800,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael
Tabor, & Derrick Smith; B-Ashview Farm & Old Oak
Farm (KY); T-Simon Callaghan; J-Flavien Prat. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: MGSP, 9-3-1-2, $191,060. *1/2 to Untreated
(Nyquist), MGSP, $291,433. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for
   the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free
   Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Queen Ofthe Temple, 120, m, 5, Temple City–Queenameina,
by Read the Footnotes. ($3,500 Ylg '19 FTKFEB; $14,000 RNA
Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-Radley Equine, Inc., Roger Featherston,
Rick Gold & Tony Maslowski; B-Erv Woolsey & Ralph Kinder
(KY); T-Dan Blacker. $20,000.
3–Duvet Day (Ire), 122, f, 4, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Je
T'Adore (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
(47,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; £45,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR; $72,000
3yo '22 KEEAPR). O-Jane Bacharach & Richard Schatz;
B-John Yarr (Ire); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $12,000.
Margins: 3HF, HD, NO. Odds: 4.70, 5.10, 5.70.
Also Ran: Buzz of New York (Ire), Ascendancy, Annaghlasa (Ire), Australia Mia. Scratched: Harper's Gallop, Myfavoritedaughter.Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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The Committee reviewed the North American Race Committee (NARC) figures and the Race Quality Scores (RQS) for all graded, listed, and potentially listed races in Canada. Last year was the first year since 2019 that restricted movement of horses and humans did not hamper field size and, ultimately, race quality.

After reviewing the NARC figures and the RQS numbers for all listed and black-type races in Canada, the Committee determined that the GIII Seagram Cup S. will be upgraded to Grade II status and the Listed Belle Mahone S. will be upgraded to Grade III status. Additionally, the Ontario Damsel S. and the Algonquin S. (previously run as the Ontario Racing S.) will be upgraded to listed status.

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Aqueduct's GIII Withers S.–pushed back a week due to cold weather–was helped slightly from a field size perspective by the delay and a group of seven are now set to line up. Gary and Mary West's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) invades from Oaklawn and will look to provide trainer Brad Cox with a first Withers trophy. A dominant debut winner going seven panels at Keeneland in October, he could only manage fourth as the favorite in a two-turn Churchill allowance Nov. 26, but the strength of that field has been demonstrated in the interim. Winner Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) was third in January's GIII Lecomte S., while runner-up Rocket Can (Into Mischief) annexed last week's GIII Holy Bull S. Hit Show, meanwhile, took an Oaklawn allowance by daylight Dec. 17, good for a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure. His dam Actress (Tapit) was an 8 1/4-length winner of the track-and-trip GIII Comely S. in 2017. A trio of stakes-winning New York-breds also figure to have a say: Arctic Arrogance (Frosted), General Banker (Central Banker) and Andiamo a Firenze (Speightstown) were second, third and fifth, respectively, in the one-mile Jerome S. Jan. 7.

Meanwhile, down south, a full field of 12 will contest the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Danny Gargan trainee Dubyuhnell (Good Magic) makes his first start since a breakout tally in the nine-furlong GII Remsen S. in the Aqueduct slop Dec. 3. He earned a field-best 90 Beyer for that performance. 'TDN Rising Star' Champions Dream (Justify) was also a member of the Gargan barn when he scored in the Big A's GIII Nashua S. in November. Subsequently transferred to trainer Mark Casse by owner Rosedown Racing Stables, he was beaten a neck by re-opposing Zydeceaux (Cajun Breeze) in the local seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 14. Trainer Todd Pletcher owns a record six Davis wins, but is looking to end a drought since 2016. He sends out Litigate (Blame), a well-beaten second last time in a Gulfstream allowance behind Holy Bull beaten favorite Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief).

Saturday's Tampa card also marks the return of champion juvenile filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief), who takes on GII Demoiselle S. winner and 'Rising Star' Julia Shining (Curlin) in the Suncoast S.

A third Derby qualifier, the 10-point El Camino Real Derby, takes place Saturday at Golden Gate. Bob Baffert and The Avengers send a pair northward to square off with unbeaten local speedster Harcyn (Goldencents).

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The Woodward was, perhaps, the most surprising inclusion on the list of newly appointed Grade II races. Twenty winners of the race have made their way into the Hall of Fame, including Kelso, Buckpasser, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and Cigar. But the race has struggled somewhat in recent years as the NYRA racing department tried to figure out where it fit best on the calendar on how to juggle a glut of late summer-early fall races for the handicap division, including the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. In 2006, the Woodward was moved from Belmont Park to Saratoga. The race was moved back to Belmont in 2021, trading places with the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which was switched to Saratoga. This year's Woodward was won by a top horse in Life Is Good (Into Mischief), but the race drew only four horses and the three challengers to Life Is Good were a fairly weak lot.

The Cigar Mile was inaugurated in 1988 and initially run as the NYRA Mile. Winners include Forty Niner, Cigar, Tonalist (Tapit) and Maximum Security (New Year's Day). This year's race did not come up particularly strong as Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) beat five others.

One race, the Stephen Foster S., was upgraded from Grade II to Grade I status. The race had been a Grade I through 2018 when it was downgraded. This year's winner was Olympiad (Speightstown).

A total of 97 Grade I races will be contested in 2023.

The committee reviewed 901 stakes races and assigned graded status to 440 of them, nine fewer than were graded in 2022.

Three races were upgraded to Grade II's, the Beaumont S., the Franklin S. and the Ladies Sprint S. Seven races were downgraded from Grade II to Grade III status for 2023: the Sorrento S. at Del Mar; Dinner Party S. at Pimlico; Monrovia S., San Carlos S., San Marcos S. and Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita Park; and Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. Four races were upgraded to Grade III status for 2023: the Manila S. at Belmont Park; Blame S. and Shawnee S. at Churchill Downs; and Music City S. at Kentucky Downs. Twelve races were downgraded from Grade III to Listed status for 2023.

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Steve Asmussen seeks his fourth win in this event and has two chances to do it. Red Route One (Gun Runner) looks to add his sire's long list of accomplishments with just two crops. After two tries on turf, including a maiden win, the Winchell homebred rallied to be third when switched to dirt in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 8 and was fifth three weeks later in a sloppy renewal fo the GIII Street Sense S.

His stablemate Gigante (Not This Time) won his only start on dirt and has made his other three runs on grass, including a dominant win in the Kitten's Joy S.

Ken McPeek also saddles two, the Street Sense runner-up Hayes Strike (Connect) and maiden winner of four starts Denington (Gun Runner).

One race prior the juvenile fillies get their time to shine in the GII Golden Rod S., headlined by a pair of undefeated debutantes, both of whom have scored all their victories beneath the Twin Spires. Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) won on debut here Sept. 25 and romped by 7 1/2 lengths over T Max (Connect) in the Rags to Riches S. Oct. 30.

Godolphin homebred Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) opened her account here with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy effort Sept. 18 and took a sloppy optional claimer Oct. 30. She will attempt two turns for the first time here.

Bill Mott ships in with a live one in American Rockette (American Pharoah). Rallying to victory in an off-the-turf sprint at Saratoga July 21, the bay closed well to be fourth in that venue's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 4 and filled the same spot in Belmont's GI Frizette S. Oct. 2.

Woodbine also hosts a pair of graded events for 2-year-olds in the GIII Grey S. and GIII Mazarine S. Colts are up first in the Grey, which is headlined by Hal (Accelerate). A debut winner at this venue Oct. 2, he followed suit with a win in the Display S. Nov. 5.

Mark Casse saddles three members of this seven-horse field, all of which are fillies taking on the boys, topped by Forever Dixie (Quality Road). Graduating at fourth asking when switched to the local synthetic Oct. 1, she rallied to be a close second in the Glorious Song S. Nov. 5 and, like Hal, attempts two turns for the first time here.

Casse also sends out debut winner Ryder Ryder Ryder (Quality Road) and Renegade Rebel (Nyquist), who earned diploma over track and trip in her fourth attempt Oct. 29.

All three fillies are cross-entered in the Mazarine and will likely be split between the two tests. Also worth a look in the Mazarine is Honor D Lady (Honor Code), who graduated at second asking going this distance on the Gulfstream synthetic Oct. 7 and gets Lasix for the first time here.

Saturday's action also offers four graded events for older horses: the GIII Fall Highweight S. and GII Red Smith S. at Aqueduct, the GII Seabiscuit H. at Del Mar and the GIII Berkeley H. at Golden Gate.

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McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the even-money choice to become Brown's fifth winner in this prestigious affair, broke through with a career high in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9 and added the GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Aqueduct Sept. 17 two starts later. She cuts back in trip to 1 1/8 miles here.

McKulick is named in honor of Brown's first-ever employee, bookkeeper Mary McKulick. McKulick passed away two years ago at the age of 67 after losing a battle with cancer.

Brown will also be represented by Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), heroine of Saratoga's Riskaverse S. Aug. 25 and runner-up as the favorite in the GIII Pebbles S. at Aqueduct Sept. 18 in her first two tries on grass.

'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy), upset winner over McKulick in the GII Edgewood S. in the spring, cuts back in trip as well following a flat fourth as the favorite in the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs Sept. 5.

Bellabel (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) ships in from Phil D'Amato's Southern California base following a solid second-place finish behind the talented Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 20. She may have a pace advantage over her six rivals in a race lacking early speed.

Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), meanwhile, is the one to beat in Saturday's GII Sands Point S. at the Belmont at the Big A meeting. The 5-2 morning-line favorite makes her first trip to the post for Christophe Clement since an eighth-place finish in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 17. The field of nine also includes Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks one-two Vergara (Noble Mission {GB}) and Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}); and narrow GIII Lake George S. runner-up Eminent Victor (Mr. Z).

Saturday's graded action is rounded out by Woodbine's GIII Ontario Fashion S.

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Rosario, 37, is very much in the hunt for the overall title, a competition led by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Through Thursday's program, Ortiz had 37 wins, eight more than Rosario. However, in graded stakes races, Rosario is far and away the leader with 10 victories from 19 starts, a remarkable 53% win rate. Ortiz is next with five.

With the 10, Rosario is in position to smash the current record of 11 graded stakes wins in a Saratoga season. According to Equibase stats, Hall of Famers Javier Castellano and John Velazquez share the record of 11. Castellano won 11 of 31 graded stakes starts in 2015 and Velazquez, who is nearing 1,000 wins at the track, finished first in 11 of 23 graded stakes in 2005. At 10, Rosario is on level with Castellano (2016) and Jerry Bailey (2001).

“It's unbelievable what we've done early,” Rosario said. “Thanks to all the people who gave us the opportunity. My agent, Ron Anderson, has done a really great job for me. We appreciate the opportunities from the owners and the trainers.”

Rosario is no stranger to success. The native of the Dominican Republic has finished in the top 10 in North American jockey earnings for 13 years, has a resume filled with graded stakes wins, including 13 in the Breeders' Cup. Last year, he had a career year, riding horses that earned $32,956,215 and secured his first Eclipse Award as champion jockey.

In 2020, Rosario was the leading graded stakes winner at Saratoga with seven. Last summer, he finished in a tie with Luis Saez for the top spot at six. This year, he had seven graded wins in the first 13 days of the 40-day season.

“We always are looking for a good meet,” Rosario said, “But, we've been doing really well this year.”

During the first four days of the meet, Rosario won the July 15 GIII Forbidden Apple S. with City Man (Mucho Macho Man) for trainer Christophe Clement; the GI Diana S. on In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Chad Brown July 16; and the GIII Quick Call S. on Big Invasion (Declaration of War) for Clement July 17. He completed the month with three wins for Steve Asmussen: the GII Shuvee S. on Clairiere (Curlin) July 24, the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. on Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and the GII Jim Dandy S. on Epicenter (Not This Time).

In August, he won the GII National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame S. on Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) for Brad Cox Aug. 5 and the next day won the GI Test S. on Chi Town Lady Verrazano) for Wesley Ward and the GII Glens Falls on War Like Goddess (English Channel) for Bill Mott.

Six trainers. Dirt. Turf. Sprints. Routes.

Starting on Saturday with the GI Alabama and the GII Lake Placid, there are 17 graded stakes left in the Saratoga season. Rosario has the mount on Haughty (Empire Maker) for Brown in the Lake Placid and will ride Gerrymander (Into Mischief) for Brown in the Alabama. He is likely to be up on contenders in most of the remaining graded stakes, including the Asmussen triumvirate of Epicenter in the GI Runhappy Travers S., Jackie's Warrior in the GI Forego S. and Clairiere in the GI Personal Ensign.

In 2015, six of Castellano's 11 wins were in Grade I races. Velazquez had five Grade I winners in 2005. So far, Rosario has three.

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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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