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The Chosen Vron Goes For Third Straight Victory In Affirmed Stakes

The Chosen Vron seeks new worlds to conquer in Sunday's Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for three-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

The California-bred son of Vronsky has three wins from four starts, all sprints, the last against open company May 15 in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes, scoring by a widening 3 ½ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs under Umberto Rispoli, who rides again Sunday.

“It's a wait-and-see situation,” said Eric Kruljac, who trains the chestnut gelding for a partnership of which he is a member.

“When you have a nice horse like this you want to see if he can stretch out, so that's part of the motive in running here. If he doesn't stretch out (successfully), we can concentrate on sprints.

“But I think it's time to try two turns. There isn't much between now and the Real Good Deal (a $175,000 race at seven furlongs for Cal-breds July 30 at Del Mar, which Kruljac had on the agenda). I'd have to work him maybe seven or eight times for that race if we didn't run in the Affirmed.

“I just felt it was time. Umberto said he had a lot of horse left in the Laz Barrera. He said he didn't use him up.”

The G3 Affirmed Stakes, named for the 1978 Triple Crown winner trained by the late Laz Barrera, is race 10 of 11 with a 1 p.m. first post time. The field for the Affirmed includes Classier, Flavien Prat, 2-1; Jimmy Irish, Trevor McCarthy, 20-1; The Chosen Vron, Umberto Rispoli, 8-5; Defunded, Abel Cedillo, 5-2; and Mr. Impossible, Juan Hernandez, 7-2.

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Royal Ascot To Feature Four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Races Again In 2021

Great Britain will host the first four races of the 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series to be run in Europe this year when the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting opens at Ascot Racecourse on Tuesday, June 15.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races, whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winners of four races to start in the $2 million Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, $4 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, $1 million Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

This will be the fourth consecutive year that Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races will be held at Royal Ascot. A crowd of 12,000 spectators per day will be admitted under coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Tuesday's 1-mile, $563,000 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, features some of Europe's leading older milers headed by Palace Pier (GB).

Palace Pier, winner of the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at last year's royal meeting, could meet Order Of Australia (IRE) and Lope Y Fernandez (IRE), first and third in the 2020 G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, as well as former G1 Queen Anne winner, Lord Glitters (FR).

Palace Pier, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum and trained by father and son John and Thady Gosden, who will be operating as a training partnership for the first time at Royal Ascot, has won seven out of eight and recorded two comfortable victories in 2021, including in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes last month.

“He is a lovely horse who has done everything right in his life,” said John Gosden. “He only missed the autumn of his 2-year-old career. He prepped in a Newcastle race last year and came out and won the St James's Palace Stakes. He did everything right last year until the end when he ran on very soft autumn ground (in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot). He hated that, lost a shoe and got left.

“He's come back well this year. We are back there. It will be different ground again but we are happy with him.

“He did handle that ground (good to soft) in the Lockinge and I've got to be clear that maybe a horse like Lope Y Fernandez did not. Back now on summer ground I think you will see a lot more horses come into play that maybe weren't happy on the ground.”

Lord Glitters, now age 8, finished fourth in the Lockinge in his first start since returning from a successful trip to Dubai. Trainer David O'Meara said: “He ran fine in the Lockinge. There were a few younger horses ahead of him and Palace Pier looked unbeatable, but Lord Glitters likes the straight track at Ascot so hopefully he runs his race again. He is better at Ascot than at Newbury.”

Wednesday's feature, the $991,000 Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, will be contested by another single figure, yet high-class field.

Last year's first and second Lord North (IRE) and Addeybb (IRE) have been engaged but Addeybb is unlikely to run unless there is significant rain, which is not forecast.

The race could mark the return of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier's 4-year-old filly Love (IRE), who in a short but unbeaten 3-year-old campaign won the Group 1 1,000 Guineas, Group 1 Oaks at Epsom, and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, as well as Mrs. A. M. Swinburn's Audarya (FR), winner of the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November.

Last year's first and second Lord North (IRE) and Addeybb (IRE) have been engaged but Addeybb is unlikely to run unless there is significant rain, which is not forecast.

HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's Lord North ended the year finishing fourth in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and returned to the winner's circle with victory in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March this year.

“He's a great character, he's in good form,” said John Gosden. “He's back on quicker ground. I think it's a fascinating race. Love has been waiting for this type of ground. She was exceptional last year but she raced with her own sex.”

A decision on Audarya's participation was expected over the weekend with trainer James Fanshawe saying: “She goes on all ground. I wouldn't want it rock-hard but hopefully on the second day of Ascot it won't be.”

The 11-time Royal Ascot winner Wesley Ward will be seeking a third victory in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, a “Win and You're In” for the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, in which Golden Pal was beaten a neck before going on to capture the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland last year.

Ward is set to be represented by Kentucky-breds, Lucci, with John Velazquez named to ride, and Nakatomi, who will be ridden by Britain's champion jockey Oisin Murphy, in the US$113,000 contest at 5 furlongs.

“At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together,” said Ward. “Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”

The David Ward homebred Starman (GB) has won four of five and is favorite to secure his first victory at the highest level in the 6-furlong $991,000 Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Starman, a bay son of Dutch Art (GB), won York's Group 2 Duke of York Stakes last month, in which he beat Nahaarr (IRE) by a neck.

“He is a massively exciting horse,” said his trainer Ed Walker. “He is a big imposing horse with that presence, a real head-turner in the string. He's obviously very good as well. Everything has gone well since York.

“Nahaarr got pretty close to us at York and Dream Of Dreams (IRE) is a G1 winner. I kind of feel that they both are probably at their best with a bit of dig in the ground so I think if it's good, fast summer ground it will play into our favor slightly.”

The race will also mark the return of Bearstone Stud Ltd.'s Glass Slippers (GB), who will be having her first start since winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last year. Fifth in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes (G1) last year, she will be running over 6 furlongs for the first time since August 2019.

“She showed towards the end of the year she was seeing out the 5-furlong trip well,” said Adam Ryan, son and assistant of trainer Kevin who won last year's Group 1 Diamond Jubilee with Hello Youmzain.

“She has done everything there is over 5 furlongs with her Group 1 wins, so it's worth a try at 6 as it could open up plenty of other options.”

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Pletcher-Trained Basin Will Try To Spring The Upset In Salvator Mile

It isn't often that a Grade 1 winner trainer by Todd Pletcher gets overlooked in a stakes race. But with defending champion Pirate's Punch and the talented Ny Traffic heading the field for Saturday's Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park, that seems to be the case with Basin.

The 4-year-old son of Liam's Map, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga as a 2-year-old and then was second in the Arkansas Derby last year to Charlatan, will be making just his fourth start for Pletcher.

Fellow Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen had Basin for his first seven career starts.

A $150,000 yearling purchase who has earned $568,260 in 10 lifetime starts, Basin is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 1 – though he was beaten just 3¾ lengths in that seven-furlong race.

“He wasn't beaten far at Churchill,” Pletcher said. “The whole field was two or three lengths apart. He got squeezed out late but he was just starting to not hold his spot late. I thought he ran competitively in a pretty deep field.”

In three career starts for Pletcher, Basin, owned by Jackpot Farm, shows a second in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga and a win in the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 27.

His best efforts, with the exception of the Arkansas Derby, have come at seven furlongs or less. But Pletcher is confident the two-turn Salvator Mile, which has attracted a field of 10, won't be an issue.

“We felt like a two-turn, one-mile race suits him well,” Pletcher said. “He trains like the two turns and longer won't be an issue. I felt like timing-wise this was (a) good (spot) and he's had good breezes since the Churchill race.”

Pirate's Punch, who notched a two-length victory in the Salvator Mile last year, has not raced since the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7. Trainer Grant Forster said the 5-year-old gelding had a chip surgically removed from one of his knees following that race but that he has trained exceptionally well during the time off.

Ny Traffic, second by nose to 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic in last year's TVG.com Haskell Stakes, turned in an impressive first race back for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. as a prep for this race. He won an allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park by 6 ¾ lengths on May 2.

The 74th running of the Salvator Mile, which carries a purse of $150,000, will go as the 10th race on a 13-race card. First race post time is 12:15 p.m.

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Blame Debbie To Make Seasonal Debut In Sunday’s Searching At Pimlico

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Cloonan and Tim Thornton's Blame Debbie, a Grade 3 winner in 2020 unraced in 6 ½ months, is scheduled to make her seasonal debut in Sunday's $100,000 Searching at Pimlico Race Course.

The 11th running of the 1 ½-mile Searching for fillies and mares 3 and up is among five stakes worth $450,000 in purses and one of four scheduled for the grass on a 10-race program. First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Other grass stakes are the $100,000 Prince George's County at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up, $100,000 Stormy Blues for sophomore fillies and $75,000 Ben's Cat for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up, both sprinting five furlongs.

The lone dirt stakes, the $100,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares 3 and up, is part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series and features undefeated Chub Wagon facing off against Anna's Bandit, Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya, who have combined to win 29 races and 18 stakes.

Blame Debbie is trained by Graham Motion, who won a division of the Searching in 2000 with Confessional. The race returned to the stakes calendar in 2019 but was not run in 2020 when the schedule was altered amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Blame, Blame Debbie crossed the wire first in three consecutive races last year but was disqualified to third for interference in a Kentucky Downs allowance in September. She followed up with back-to-back wins at Keeneland in a 1 1/8-mile allowance and the 1 ½-mile Dowager (G3), the latter going gate-to-wire and holding on by a head.

Blame Debbie has not run since finishing fifth by less than three lengths in the 1 3/8-mile Red Carpet Handicap (G3) Nov. 26 at Del Mar, a race where she encountered trouble.

“She really had a good year last year. I'd say the [Dowager] was a bit of a surprise because it was a huge step for her,” Motion said. “I probably ran her back a little quick when we went out to California, and then we gave her a little break after that.”

Blame Debbie has been working steadily over the all-weather surface at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. for her comeback. She has two wins and two thirds since being stretched out and switched to the turf, the Dowager victory being her only previous try at the distance.

“Grass and more distance seem to be a good combination for her,” Motion said. “It's a little bit of a gamble going a mile and a half first time back, but it seemed like a good opportunity for her and I didn't want to pass up on it. I think she's done enough.”

Victor Carrasco gets the assignment on Blame Debbie from Post 5 in a field of eight.

Also racing for the first time this year is Dr. Catherine Wills' homebred Luck Money, a stakes-winning daughter of 2010 Preakness (G1) winner and two-time champion Lookin At Lucky that has not raced since running sixth by 4 ½ lengths in the 1 ¼-mile American Oaks (G1) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

“We brought her out to California and she didn't have a great trip. It didn't work out as well as I would have expected, but she had been very consistent before that running in all kinds of ground – firm, soft – so it doesn't seem like she needs a special type of grass,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “She's coming back so going a mile and a half off the layoff is kind of a tough task, but we'll give her a race and take it from there.”

Prior to her graded debut in the American Oaks, Luck Money won an open 1 1/8-mile allowance and the 1 ½-mile Zagora at Belmont Park 29 days apart in October. Like Blame Debbie, her stakes win is Lucky Money's only previous attempt at the distance.

“She likes the distance but there's not too many spots to bring them back so I thought the timing was pretty good,” Delacour said. “We went to California mainly to get some black type in a Grade 1 because that would have been huge for her page, and that was the last Grade 1 of the year for straight 3-year-old fillies and it was going a mile and a quarter, so everything was lined up there. Unfortunately, for some reason our jock took back and started fighting with her and she never made up any ground. But, I think she's legit with that type of fillies.”

Mychel Sanchez is named on Luck Money from Post 7.

Coming in from New York are the trio of Beautiful Lover, Crystalle and Whatdoesasharksay. Gary Barber's Crystalle won the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga and was second in the Miss Grillo (G2) in 2019 and won a 1 7/16 optional claiming allowance on the grass in her 2021 debut Jan. 14 at Gulfstream Park after going winless in three 2020 starts.

Moyglare Stud Farm, Ltd.'s Beautiful Lover is a Florida-bred daughter of Arch that won the 2019 Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park in her stakes debut and has run second or third four times in seven subsequent attempts, including runner-up finishes last year in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, Hillsborough (G2) and Matchmaker (G3). She ended 2020 running third to Matchmaker winner Nay Lady Nay in the All Along at Laurel Park.

Burning Daylight Farms, Inc.'s Whatdoesasharksay is entered to make her 15th career start and first in a stakes in the Searching. The 5-year-old daughter of Kentucky Derby (G1) and Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Animal Kingdom was fifth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, in a 1 ¼-mile allowance over a good Belmont turf May 7.

Scatrattleandroll, unraced since winning a second-level optional claiming allowance win going a mile on the main track at Penn National March 17 and winless in four previous tries on turf, and Maryland-breds Breviary and Proper Storm round out the field.

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