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Factor This ‘A More Mature Horse,’ Takes On Field Of 10 Others In G2 Wise Dan

Gaining Ground Racing's three-time stakes winner Factor This will lead a field of 11 older horses that entered Saturday's 31st running of the $200,000 Wise Dan presented by Ford (Grade II) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Wise Dan, run on the Matt Winn Turf Course, will share the spotlight Saturday with the $100,000 Audubon presented by TwinSpires.com, a 1 1/8 miles turf test for 3-year-olds. The Wise Dan was carded as Race 9, while the Audubon will go as Race 6. First post is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Factor This, a previous $62,500 claim in 2018, has won five races with trainer Brad Cox, including back-to-back stakes victories in the $150,000 Fair Grounds (GIII) and $300,000 Muniz Memorial (GII). The 5-year-old son of The Factor has been working consistently over the turf course at Churchill Downs with his pilot Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.

“He just looks like a more mature horse this year,” said Bridgmohan, following his half-mile move in :47.60 on June 7. “He's filled out and really gained a lot of size. Even from the Fair Grounds this winter he looks bigger here at Churchill.”

Factor This will try for his 10th career victory from post position No. 3.

Chief among the other rivals to Factor This is Live Oak Plantation's 2019 Wise Dan hero March to the Arch. Trained by Mark Casse, March to the Arch began his 2020 campaign with a victory in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park and back-to-back third-place finishes in the $175,000 Tampa Bay (GIII) and $100,000 Appleton (GIII). March to the Arch traveled to California for his last start in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile (GI) but finished a disappointing 10th. Florent Geroux will be in the irons for the Wise Dan from post 7.

The complete field for the Wise Dan from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Just Howard (Rafael Bejarano, Graham Motion); English Bee (James Graham, Motion); Factor This (Bridgmohan, Cox); Eons (Adam Beschizza, Arnaud Delacour); Aquaphobia (Corey Lanerie, Mike Maker); Ritzy A.P. (Declan Cannon, Jack Sisterson); March to the Arch (Geroux, Casse); Emmaus (IRE) (Brian Hernandez, Connor Murphy); Casa Creed (Martin Garcia, Bill Mott); Hembree (Gerardo Corrales, Maker); and Parlor (Tyler Gaffalione, Maker).

The early National Weather Service forecast for Louisville calls for mostly sunny skies with highs in the low 90s.

For complimentary Brisnet past performances, visit www.churchilldowns.com/handicapping

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Meet the Jockeys of the 2020 Belmont Stakes

The jockeys represented in Saturday’s 152ndBelmont Stakes at Belmont Park represent some of the best in the sport, including three prior Belmont Stakes-winning riders and two making their very first start in the classic. Read on to learn more about each jockey slated to compete in the Belmont, including their past history in the race and their overall accomplishments.

Royal Ascot Day Two: Lord North Shows Up For Gosden In Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

The second day of the 2020 Royal Ascot meeting was highlighted by the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile contest for 4-year-olds and up. James Doyle and Lord North quicked impressively in the final furlong to win going away, defeating three previous Royal Ascot winners in Japan, Barney Roy, and Addeybb in the process.

Lord North, a 4-year-old son of Dubawi, was conditioned by trainer John Gosden for his 52nd victory at the Royal Meeting. The colt won a Group 3 race at Haydock on June 7 to kick off his 2020 season, and is now two-for-two on the year.

In Wednesday's first race, William Knight saddled his first Royal winner when Sir Busker was partnered to a 3/4-length success by jockey Oisin Murphy in the Silver Royal Hunt Cup. The 4-year-old by Sir Prancealot won his first start of the season on June 2 at Newcastle.

“(Sir Busker) was my first runner from the new yard, and my father died that morning, so he means quite a lot to me, this horse,” said Knight, who moved from West Sussex to Newmarket in May. “It is a great facility that we are in in Newmarket, and it's just lovely to have started off so well and to have my first Royal Ascot winner is the icing on the cake. Elated, very, very happy. It is such a shame that we can't enjoy it all with the owners, Kennet Valley, because they are such a lovely group of people; I'm sure there would have been a good booze-up in the car park afterwards, but we will have to wait and get home to do that.”

Ryan Moore scored his 60th victory at the Royal Meeting in the day's second race, piloting Aidan O'Brien trainee Russian Emperor to a half-length triumph in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Galileo out of multiple Group 1 winner Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) may be considered for the Epsom Derby next out.

“He is a lovely colt, straightforward and with a good attitude,” said Moore. “He was very professional; he has had the benefit of a couple of runs this year and let us see if he will keep progressing. He has a very good pedigree – his dam was exceptional in Australia. I think he will be a nice horse going forward for the rest of the year.”

Jockey Jim Crowley rode his fourth winner of the week when delivering Hukum with a perfectly timed challenge to take the mile and a half King George V Handicap by half a length in the afternoon's third race. It was also a fourth win of the week for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum while it was a first ever Royal Ascot success for trainer Owen Burrows.

“As a kid and when I was battling around Fontwell and Plumpton 20 years ago, I would never have dreamed I would be here training a Royal Ascot winner for someone like Sheikh Hamdan,” Burrows said. “All thanks to him for having the trust in me to do the job. I was very fortunate to have had a great grounding at Sir Michael Stoute's where I was around good horses and you can pick up plenty – I have just been very fortunate.”

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Busher Winner Water White ‘Ready To Go’ For Saturday’s Grade 1 Acorn

E.V. Racing Stable's Water White, last out winner of the Busher Invitational on March 7 at the Big A for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, will look to double up in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“She's doing well. Hopefully, she'll continue to train well over the next couple of days, but so far so good,” said Rodriguez.

Bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush, the 3-year-old Conveyance gray graduated at third asking in November at Aqueduct ahead of a fifth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at nine furlongs in December. She followed up with a five-wide second in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda in her seasonal debut in February ahead of her Busher breakthrough.

Water White has breezed six times since April 28 at Belmont Park, including a swift half-mile in 47.89 May 30 which was followed by another good half-mile in 48.66 on June 9, both efforts on the Belmont main track.

“I breezed her an easy half-mile the other day because she went pretty fast the work before,” said Rodriguez. “She's ready to go. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that we get a good trip.

“She's been working pretty steady,” added Rodriguez. “But they still need to get over there and compete.”

Rodriguez said he is hoping that Water White will be closer to the pace on Saturday.

“She's a grinding horse,” said Rodriguez. “She doesn't have much speed but I'm hoping she can be a little closer. The track has been playing for speed.”

The Acorn offers the winner 50 points toward the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks; Water White has 54 points currently and is eighth in the standings.

The veteran conditioner has enjoyed a good start to the Belmont Park spring/summer meet where he is currently fifth in the trainer standings with a record of 4-3-4 from 30 starts.

“The horses have been running very well. I have to thank my owners for being patient through the pandemic,” said Rodriguez.

The probable field for the Grade 1 Longines Acorn includes Casual (Steve Asmussen), Gamine (Bob Baffert), Lucrezia (Arnaud Delacour), Perfect Alibi (Mark Casse), and Pleasant Orb (Barclay Tagg).

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