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Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Heads To South Africa This Saturday

A.N. & The Honorable Mrs. G. R. Foster's 5-year-old homebred Belgarion, a winner of his last six races, headlines a field of nine runners entered for Saturday's one-mile L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa. The race winner will earn an automatic berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. One race prior to the Queen's Plate, Mauritzfontein Ltd.'s unbeaten 5-year-old mare Summer Pudding leads the 1 1/8-mile Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1) for a free starting position into the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Now in its 14th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into corresponding races of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held this year 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 pre-entry and entry fees for the winners of Saturday's races, and also will provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America, to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

Belgarion, a bay son of Dynasty, is trained by Justin Snaith, who has three starters in the race. Belgarion's biggest career score was on July 25, 2020 when he won South Africa's most prestigious race, the 1 3/8-mile Vodafone Durban July Stakes (G1) at Greyville by three-quarters of a length. He returned on Dec. 12 in the 7-furlong World Sports Betting Greenpoint Stakes (G2) at Kenilworth. Last of eight runners at the top of the stretch, Belgarion closed with a powerful rush to defeat the favored Rainbow Bridge by a neck. That victory improved Belgarion's record to eight wins in 10 starts, and was his seventh-straight triumph dating back to September 2019. Belgarion will be ridded by Richard Fourie from post six.

Mr. and Mrs. M.L.P. Rattray's 7-year-old gelding Rainbow Bridge, trained by Eric Sands, has had some hard luck in his last two starts. In addition to his close second-place finish in the Greenpoint Stakes, the bay son of Ideal World finished a short head behind Golden Ducat in the 1 1/8-mile World Sports Betting Champions Cup (G1) at Greyville on Aug. 29. His lone victory last year, however, came in the Group 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge at about 1 mile on June 28 at Greyville, defeating Vardy, last year's L'Ormarins Queen's Plate winner. Luke Ferrais will ride Rainbow Bridge out of gate five.

The front-running Cirillo also should be a factor for owner C.J.H. Van Niekerk and trainer Sean Tarry. Hitting the board in his last four starts, Cirillo held the lead in deep stretch in the Greenpoint Stakes before being passed in the final yards by Belgarion and Rainbow Bridge. A 5-year-old bay by Pomodoro, Cirillo last won on March 7, taking the 7-furlong Betting World Hawaii Stakes (G2). Breaking from post four, Cirillo will be ridden by Gavin Larena.

Another starter trained by Snaith is the 2019 L'Oramins Queen's Plate winner Do It Again, owned by Nick Johnson and Bernard Kantor, who will be making his first start since Aug. 29. Ridden by Anton Marcus from post seven, the 6-year-old Twice Over gelding won two more Group 1 races in 2019, taking the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Durban July. Do It Again, though, did not win a race last year in five starts. He was sixth in the 2020 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, and third in both the Hollywood Bets Gold Cup and the Durban July.

Snaith's third starter is longshot Hurricane Harry, who won three races last year, but trailed seven runners last time out in the Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Nov. 7. He will be ridden by Robert Khathi, breaking from post one.

In the Cartier Paddock Stakes, Summer Pudding, trained by Paul Peter, looms large over 11 rivals, having never lost in nine starts. Saturday's race will be her first at Kenilworth as eight of her victories came at Turrfontein and one at Greyville. A 5-year-old bay daughter of Silvano out of Cherry on the Cake by Strike Smartly, Summer Pudding has three Group 1 wins, including her most recent triumph over male rivals by 2 ½ lengths in the 1 1/8-mile World Sports Betting Gauteng Summer Cup at Turffontein on Nov. 28. That was Summer Pudding's first start since July 7, when she captured the 1 1/8-mile Champion Stayer: Out of Your League Pinnacle Stakes over fillies and mares at Turffontein.

Summer Pudding's first Group 1 score came on March 7 in the 1-mile Wilgerbosdrift S A Fillies Classic. After winning the Group 2, 1 ½-mile Wilgerbosdrift S A Oaks at Turffontein on June 6, she got her second Group 1 of the season, defeating Driving Miss Daisy in the 1 1/8-mile Woolavington 2000 at Greyville on June 28. Summer Pudding will be ridden by Warren Kennedy from post 11.

The main danger to Summer Pudding could come from defending champion Queen Supreme. Also owned by Mauritzfontein (Pty) Ltd., Queen Supreme, trained by Mike de Kock, is a 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Exceed and Excel out of the Gone West mare Call Later. Queen Supreme captured last year's Paddock Stakes by 2 ½ lengths over Driving Miss Daisy for her first Group 1 win. Two starts later, she finished third against males in the Hsh Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (G1) on June 27 at Turrfontein. Off until Nov. 28, she faced open company again in the 1-mile World Sports Bet Ipi Tombe Challenge at Turffontein, finishing second by 1 ¾ lengths. She returned to the winner's circle in her last start, taking the 1-mile Computaform Online Pinnacle Stakes by 4 ½ lengths on Dec. 12. Queen Supreme will be ridden for the first time by Keagan De Melo, from post two.

A.C. Peter's Silvano's Pride, third in last year's race for trainer Justin Snaith, won two races in 2020, including her last start on Dec. 19 when she captured the 1-mile Cape Racing Victress Stakes (G2) at Kenilworth by a half-length. A 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Silvano, Silvano's Pride also won the 6-furlong Tibouchina Stakes (G2) at Greyville on June 28 by 2 ¼ lengths. Robert Khathi has the mount, breaking from post seven.

The Eric Sands-trained Driving Miss Daisy has been off the board since her runner-up finish in the Woolavalington 2000 behind Summer Pudding. A 5-year-old bay daughter of Master of My Fate, Driving Miss Daisy finished sixth last time out in the gavelhouse.com Conditions Plate at Kenilworth on Nov. 21. Driving Miss Daisy breaks from post eight under jockey Morne Winnaar.

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Dubawi Filly Soft Whisper Screams Promise In UAE 1000 Guineas Trial

The UAE 1000 Guineas Trial is usually a first look at stakes-level sophomore fillies in Dubai and has often been an unveiling of possible future stars. Such was the case once again on Thursday night at Meydan Racecourse when Godolphin's Saeed bin Suroor-trained Soft Whisper let the secret out with a 2 1/2-length win in the seven-furlong conditions affair.

Stalking comfortably in mid-pack throughout the first three furlongs, the daughter of Dubawi from the family of European Horse of the Year Peintre Celebre tipped out under confident Pat Cosgrave handling, gobbled up ground on front-running Jumeirah Beach and then put away that foe, while holding off a pair of stablemates who filled out the trifecta, Last Sunset and Final Thought. Satish Seemar-trained first-time starter Al Maroom ran on respectably for fourth.

Expected favorite Super Chianti was scratched earlier in the day, but will likely line up against the winner in the UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed) in three weeks or the UAE Oaks (G3) thereafter.

The final time was 1:26.72, and the victory improved her record to three wins and two seconds from five starts.

“She just took a little time to sort of get her act together,” Cosgrave said. “She's improved race by race. I really thought she'd win today. I didn't think so after 50 yards for a stride or two–things weren't going to plan–but those good horses usually get out of trouble. I was trying to find the right horse to take me into the race and luckily enough it worked out nicely.

“The good thing about her is she got a little bit of sand in her face and she faced it,” Cosgrave continued. “She had to work hard, which isn't always ideal. She'll improve plenty. I think going a mile she'll be better. She's a nice filly. It took me until the 800m to pull her up. She's by Dubawi and they get better with racing and she's a nice, big, scopey filly.”

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Math Wizard ‘Going To Move Forward,’ Aimed At Pegasus World Cup

The fields for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) will be firmed up on Friday, when the connections of the invitees must confirm their intent to run in the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational series at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has every intention to run Grade 1 winner Math Wizard in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup. The 5-year-old son of Algorithms was listed second in preference on Reserve Invitees list released last week but is expected to draw into the 12-horse field due to the recent retirement of defending champion Mucho Gusto and the likelihood of Anothertwistafate, No. 1 on the Reserve list for the Pegasus, being committed to the Pegasus Turf.

Math Wizard, who captured the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx, came off a three-month layoff to finish fourth in the Dec. 12 Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park. The Harlan's Holiday was won in impressive front-running fashion by Tax, who won by 4 ½ lengths while covering 1 1/16 miles in a sharp 1:41.15.

“If all goes well, he'll run in the Pegasus,” Joseph said. “He's doing good. Normally, when he comes off a layoff, it takes a race or two for him to come back to order. We wanted to get him the race in the Harlan's Holiday. I feel like he's going to move forward off that race.”

Math Wizard is winless in seven starts since registering a 31-1 upset victory in the Pennsylvania Derby. Heading into Parx's signature race, he had gone winless in six starts following his 18 ½-length victory at Gulfstream Jan. 31, 2019, when he was claimed by Joseph and owner John Fanelli for $25,000.

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‘She’s A Monster’: Monomoy Girl On Target For Feb. 15 Bayakoa At Oaklawn

Champion Monomoy Girl remains on track to make her 2021 debut in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older females Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park, trainer Brad Cox said Thursday.

Monomoy Girl is based at Fair Grounds, where she has recorded two workouts since completing an unbeaten 2020 campaign (4 for 4) with a 1 ¾-length victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky's famed racing/breeding operation, purchased Monomoy Girl for $9.5 million the following day at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale and opted to keep her in training with Cox in 2021, with the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa now her first confirmed target.

“Honestly, with her breeze this past weekend, she's probably a little ahead of schedule, as far as where I thought she would be,” Cox said. “We never took her out of training. We just backed off of her. She's as good as ever, to be honest with you. She's a monster.”

A 6-year-old daughter of Tapizar, Monomoy Girl has won 13 of 15 lifetime starts and bankrolled $4,426,818. She was the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, and after missing 2019 with injury and illness, likely clinched her second Eclipse Award, this time as champion older dirt female, with a second Breeders' Cup Distaff victory in November.

Monomoy Girl returned to the work tab Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, covering 3 furlongs in :37. She breezed a half-mile in :48.80 over a fast track Sunday morning.

“She's really training well,” Cox said. “Looks amazing. Her weight's great. Her breeze this weekend was spectacular. If we can continue to see that throughout the year, we're going to have a great year again.”

The Bayakoa is Oaklawn's second of three preps for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17. The final stepping stone is the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 13. A seven-time Grade 1 winner, Monomoy Girl has never raced at Oaklawn or faced males. The Apple Blossom will be run the same day as the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses.

Cox said the Azeri could be a loose comeback target for Monomoy Girl's younger stablemate, Shedaresthedevil, who is scheduled to return this month to Hot Springs to continue preparations for her 4-year-old campaign.

Shedaresthedevil, who was based last winter and spring at Oaklawn, was among the country's top 3-year-old fillies after winning four races, including the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) in March at Oaklawn and the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Shedaresthedevil, in her first start against older horses, completed 2020 with a third-place finish in the $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Shedaresthedevil then received a 60-day break, co-owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs said, before resuming training in mid-December in Kentucky.

“Just kind of knocking the dust off of her,” said Cox, Oaklawn's third-leading trainer last year. “She got a good break, a well-deserved break. No physical issues. Just thought she deserved some time. There was no sense going into the Breeders' Cup. That was really the only thing left. I thought it was a wise decision by the ownership group to just give her the break. Our goal this year is to get her to the Breeders' Cup in San Diego, at Del Mar. We'll work our way back from that.”

Cox has divisions at Oaklawn and Fair Grounds and in New York and Florida.

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