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National Steeplechase Association To Livestream Saturday’s Races From Middleburg

Nine races with purses totaling $115,000 are up for grabs at Saturday's Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, as the National Steeplechase Association (NSA) returns to the Old Dominion for the second straight week. Because of ongoing COVID-19 protocols, the event will be run without spectators, but you can still enjoy the races in real time via live stream broadcast.

All told, 94 horses were entered in the final overnights. The expansive nine-race card, with a first-race post time of 12:30 p.m., is anchored by the National Sporting Library and Museum Cup (the fourth race of the afternoon), which will be run as a timber stake as a result of a purse bump from $15,000 to $25,000.

The 3 ¼-mile test features a lineup of eight veterans including Irv Naylor's Super Saturday, runner up to Andi'amu in last year's running, and Armata Stable's Grand Manan, who finished second in the race in 2017. Two other contenders, S. Rebecca Shepherd's Curve of Stones, and Sheila J. Williams' and Northwood Stable's Storm Team had previously broken their timber maidens over the course. Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse comes into the stake off of a 15-length triumph in a non-sanctioned open timber event at Shawan Downs two weeks ago. Up-and-coming apprentice Skylar McKenna has the mount for her aunt, trainer Sanna Neilson. Also in the field is Upland Partners Mystic Strike, winner of the 2019 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup. Mystic Strike finished second to Royal Ruse at Shawan.

The card also includes three maiden hurdles, a handicap for horses rated at 115 or lower, a timber maiden, steeplethon over natural brush and timber fences, and a timber race and training-flat contest, both restricted to apprentice jockeys.

There's an interesting footnote to the fifth race, the $10,000 Daniel P. Sands Cup maiden hurdle for 3- and 4-year-olds. One of the entries making his debut over jumps is Irv Naylor's Junior Senator. If the name conjures memories of another horse with a similar name, it's not a coincidence. Junior Senator, a 4-year-old gelded son of Smarty Jones out of the mare Queen Kennelot, is a half brother to the legendary Senior Senator, the three-time winner of the Maryland Hunt Cup. Junior Senator ran eight times at Laurel over the flat for trainer Billy Meister, winning once.

Looking at the leaderboard entering Saturday's races at Middleburg, trainer Jonathan Sheppard, who had a hot hand at Saratoga and saddled one winner at the Foxfield Fall Races in Charlottesville, Va., last Sunday, has an 11 to 10 edge in victories over conditioner Jack Fisher. Among jockeys, Gerard Galligan has eight victories, one more than Michael Mitchell, and two more than Tom Garner and Sean McDermott.

If you choose to watch the races via the live stream, you can print print out the program entries by going to the NSA web site, www.nationalsteeplechase.com, and clicking on the link for Entries. The livestream is sponsored by Brown Advisory, Charleston's The Post and Courier, Bruton Street-US, and the Virginia Equine Alliance.

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2020 Champagne Stakes at a Glance

As the Breeders’ Cup draws ever closer, the preps for the World Championships take on added meaning. In New York this weekend, among four Grade 1 stakes Saturday at Belmont Park is the Champagne Stakes, which will spotlight the Empire State’s leading hopeful for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

Laurel Park Kicks Off Fall Meet Thursday; Five Virginia-Bred Stakes On Friday

On the heels of an historic Preakness meet at Pimlico Race Course that saw Swiss Skydiver become only the sixth filly in 145 runnings to capture the Preakness Stakes (G1), the Maryland Jockey Club is set to raise the curtain on its calendar year-ending fall stand.

Laurel Park will play host to a 44-day session beginning Thursday, Oct. 8 and running through Thursday, Dec. 31 that will feature 35 stakes worth $3.23 million in purses including the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3).

Racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday in October and November and Thursday through Saturday in December with a special Sunday, Dec. 27 program. There will be no racing Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25.

Post time will be 12:40 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 18 and move to 12:25 p.m. for the remainder of the meet with 11:25 a.m. exceptions on Maryland Million Day, Oct. 24; Breeders' Cup Saturday, Nov. 7; and Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26.

Laurel's Thursday opening day program of eight races includes four scheduled for its world-class turf course which drew a total of 54 entries, an average of 13.5 starters per race. The feature comes in Race 7, a second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs over the All Along turf course layout. The 9-5 program favorite is Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R.A. Hill Stable and Joseph Besecker's Shippy, third in the Schuylerville (G3) last summer and winner of the Blue Sparkler Stakes July 11 at Monmouth Park.

Nine races are on tap for Friday, Oct. 9, highlighted by five $75,000 turf stakes for registered Virginia-bred/sired horses. The action kicks off in Race 1 with the M. Tyson Gilpin for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs where Eagle Point Farm homebred What the Beep will look to defend her title from 2019, when the series was held at Colonial Downs. What the Beep won her only start of 2020, the 5 ½-furlong Camptown Stakes, July 29 at Colonial.

Race 3 is the 1 1/16-mile Brookmeade for fillies and mares 3 and up featuring Bella Aurora, third in the Camptown and a winner of the Gin Talking on dirt last December at Laurel; 2019 Just Jenda Stakes winner Tasting the Stars, fifth off more than a year layoff in the 1 1/16-mile Twixt on dirt Sept. 5 at Laurel; and stakes-placed Secret Or Not, Pink Pearl and Fionnbharr.

A field of seven 2-year-olds were entered in Race 5, the 5 ½-furlong Jamestown, four coming from the Delaplane, Va. barn of Susan Cooney – Quest Realty homebred maidens Canherun, Point of Grace and Paupin and Andrew Lavin's Virginia Fib, a first-time starter.

Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Largent, first or second in seven career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher including a win in the one-mile Edward P. Evans July 29 at Colonial, tops a field of eight in Race 7, the 1 1/16-mile Bert Allen Stakes for 3-year-olds and up. Among the competition are 2018 Hansel and Bert Allen winner River Deep and Black Prong, third in last year's Bert Allen.

Wrapping up Friday's stakes is the 5 ½-furlong Punch Line in Race 8 for 3-year-olds and up. The field of 14 includes 2019 Jamestown winner and Grade 3-placed Embolden; Fly E Dubai, third in last year's Punch Line; 2016 Jamestown winner Lime House Louie; 14-time career winner and multiple stakes-placed Sir Rockport; Reform School, third by a half-length in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Stakes on dirt last fall at Laurel; and stakes-placed Braxton and Carbon Data.

Stakes action continues Saturday, Oct. 24 with the 35^th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million featuring eight stakes and a total of 12 races for eligible Maryland-sired horses worth $1.005 million in purses, led by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. Returning to the program for the first time since 2012 is the $75,000 Turf Sprint, also for 3-year-olds and up, at 5 ½ furlongs.

The $100,000 Maryland Million Turf for 3-year-olds and up saw its distance extended from one mile to 1 1/8 miles for 2020. Other stakes are the $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds, $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies and $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up, all at six furlongs; $100,000 Ladies at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Distaff at seven furlongs, both for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Pre-entry deadline for Maryland Million is Wednesday, Oct. 14. Pre-entries can be made by calling the Laurel Park racing office at 800-638-1859.

The $100,000 James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, will be held Saturday, Nov. 14 on Laurel's Salute to Veterans Day program.

Following its traditional Thanksgiving Day program, this year Nov. 26, Laurel will host the Fall Festival of Racing Saturday, Nov. 28 with six $100,000 stakes led by the Concern for 3-year-olds and Smart Halo for 3-year-old fillies, each at seven furlongs. Also scheduled are the 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go and six-furlong Primonetta for females 3 and older and 1 1/8-mile Richard Small and six furlong Frank Whiteley Jr. for 3-year-olds and up.

Juveniles will again be in the spotlight on Maryland Spectacular Day, Saturday, Dec. 5 in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity and $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship.

The 2020 stakes season concludes in style on Christmastide Stakes Day, Saturday, Dec. 26, with eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses led by the 1 1/8-mile duPont for fillies and mares 3 and older, repositioned on the calendar after traditionally being run on the Preakness undercard.

Four races are for 2-year-olds – the $100,000 Gin Talking for fillies and $100,000 Heft, each at six furlongs, and the $100,000 Anne Arundel County for fillies and $100,000 Howard County, both going 1 1/16 miles. Rounding out the stakes action are the $100,000 Native Dancer at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Dave's Friend at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older sprinting seven furlongs.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy and trainer Claudio Gonzalez return to defend their Laurel fall meet championships from 2019. McCarthy led the six-day Preakness Meet with nine wins to earn his 13^th career individual title and seventh of the last nine in Maryland, where he has been the state's leading rider four times (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019).

McCarthy, 26, is named in six races Thursday and five Friday, including Tasting the Stars in the Brookmeade, Largent in the Bert Allen and Embolden in the Punch Line.

A 43-year-old cancer survivor, Gonzalez won five races including the historic Pimlico Special (G3) with Harpers First Ride to lead all trainers during the Preakness Meet. He has now won 11 of the last 12 meets in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2017 spring stand and owns or shares 14 titles overall. He has led the state in wins three consecutive years (2017-19).

Gonzalez has horses entered in three races at Laurel Thursday and two Friday.

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Brown-Trained Duo Selflessly, Tamahere Headline Saturday’s Sands Point Stakes

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of contenders led by multiple graded-stakes winner Selflessly and French-bred Tamahere as the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner looks to secure his fourth win in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.

Saturday's blockbuster card includes four Grade 1, Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” challenge races led by the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 ¼-mile test for 3-year-olds and up offering a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic; the $300,000 Champagne at one-mile for 2-year-olds providing a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the $250,000 Flower Bowl at 10-furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up with a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on the line; and the $250,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Klaravich Stables' Selflessly, a dark bay daughter of More Than Ready purchased for $190,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated in style at second asking in the 2019 Grade 2 Miss Grillo on the Belmont turf ahead of a fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to close out her campaign.

Selflessly stumbled at the start of her seasonal debut when fifth in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 20 at Belmont, but returned to form last out when a nose winner of the one-mile Grade 3 Lake George at Saratoga on Aug. 28, when besting multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania.

Selflessly has breezed four times on the Oklahoma training turf following the Lake George, including a five-eighths effort in 1:02.85 on Oct. 3.

“Selflessly is doing really well coming off a nice win last time out,” said Brown.

Bred in Maryland by George Louis Doetsch, Jr, Selflessly is out of the Grand Slam mare Uniformly Yours and is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Enchanted Ghost.

Swift Thoroughbreds' Tamahere, by Wootton Bassett and out of the Giant's Causeway mare Alatasarai, posted a record of 6-2-2-1 in her native France for former conditioner Francois Rohaut.

She captured the Prix la Sorellina on June 18 at La Teste Buche last out over one mile of soft going before shipping to Brown's stable at Saratoga for a trio of works. The French-bred bay has posted her last two works on the inner turf at Belmont, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.40 on Sunday.

Jose Ortiz will pilot Selflessly from post 3, while Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call aboard Tamahere from the inside post as Brown looks to add to a Sands Point winner's ledger that includes Ball Dancing [2014], Uni [2017] and New and Improved [2019.]

Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer will turn back in distance following a Saratoga summer campaign that saw the Summer Front bay capture the nine-furlong Grade 2 Lake Placid on July 19 ahead of a fourth in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Aug. 16.

Speaktomeofsummer has posted a trio of works at Belmont following the Saratoga Oaks, including a half-mile effort on the inner turf in 50.60 on Sunday.

“The filly is doing great. She's working well and looks well. I'm excited to see her run,” said Clement.

A maiden winner at second asking on the Monmouth Park turf in September 2019, Speaktomeofsummer rallied for a two-length win in the one-mile Chelsey Flower in November on the Big A turf.

Clement said the turnback in distance won't bother his filly.

“I think she's very versatile from a mile to a mile and a quarter. I don't see the distance as a negative, I think she's perfectly OK with it,” said Clement.

Out of the graded-stakes winning Harlan's Holiday mare Silver Reunion, Speaktomeofsummer was purchased for $135,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 2.

Maxis Stable, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Miss J McKay will look to make the grade for trainer Cathal Lynch. The Hangover Kid bay, who boasts a record of 8-2-4-2 with purse earnings of $208,553, crossed the wire first at second asking in the five-furlong 2019 Colleen at Monmouth but was disqualified and placed third for interference. The talented filly made amends next out in the 5 1/2-furlong Ann Arundel County when surging to a five-length score over next-out winners Queen of Shades and Bella Aurora.

Bred in Maryland by Linda Oliff Rohleder, Miss J McKay has posted a perfect in-the-money record in three sophomore stakes sprints including a third in the six-furlong Lady Shipman in June at Belmont; a second in the 5 1/2-furlong Coronation Cup in July at Saratoga; and a second last out in the 6 ½-furlong Music City on Sept. 15 at Kentucky Downs.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call aboard Miss J McKay from post 5 as she stretches out in distance for the first time.

Rounding out the field are New York-bred allowance winner Giacosa [post 4, Luis Saez] for trainer H. James Bond; Positive Power [post 6, Manny Franco], a veteran of 17 career starts for trainer John McAllen; Pure Wow [post 7, Jose Lezcano], a maiden winner for trainer John Terranova; and the stakes-placed Drop a Hint [post 8, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Antonio Arriaga.

The Grade 2 Sands Point is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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