The path to the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course on Nov. 6-7 is a road with plenty of ups and downs as talented racehorses vie for a spot in one of 14 championship races and $35 million in purses and awards.
Tag: Racing
Wide-Open Lineup Of Seven Fillies Entered For Friday’s Sorrento
In what appears to be a wide-open edition of the Grade II, $150,000 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar, seven fillies will face starter Jay Slender Friday for a six-furlong tussle that will reward the one home first with a nice payday, a chunk of black type and a leg up toward the meet's top prize for 2-year-old distaff runners — the $250,000, Grade I Del Mar Debutante on Sunday, September 6.
The 52nd running of the race features a trio of local juveniles who all scored their maiden victories last out; a trio of out-of-town runners who also scored their maiden victories last out, and a first-time starter who drew a big price at a 2-year-olds in training sale and has been working steadily toward her debut.
Here's the lineup from the rail out with riders:
Reddam Racing's Get On the Bus, Mario Gutierrez up; Kagele or Shaw's September Secret, Abel Cedillo; Tricar Stables' Exchange Vows, Assael Espinoza; Erich Brehm's My Girl Red, Flavien Prat; Chapman or Tsujimoto's Trip to Seoul, Edwin Maldonado; Chapman or Biddinger's Scaterra, Umberto Rispoli, and Chapman Or Tsujimoto's Scat's Choice, J.C. Diaz, Jr.
The three locals have the benefit of both experience and a feel for the Del Mar strip. In September Secret's case that is especially so in that she won a $50,000 maiden-claiming race at the shore oval on July 24 and now is wheeled back just over two weeks later for her stakes debut. She's a California-bred by Grazen and is trained by Peter Miller.
My Girl Red, bred by her owner and sired by Texas Red, a horse Keith Desormeaux – My Girl Red's conditioner – also trained, comes off a four and a half-length score at Santa Anita in a straight maiden race on June 14. Leading rider Flavien Prat chooses to stay with her for her stakes debut.
Exchange Vows won by three in a $50,000 maiden-claimer at Los Alamitos on July 2. She's turned in three five-furlong works at Del Mar since.
The trio of out-of-towners are part-owned and trained by James Chapman. Trip to Seoul scored her first victory at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia; Scaterra broke through in her first attempt at Arlington Park outside Chicago, and Scat's Choice was a winner at Belterra Park in Cincinnati.
The first-timer fetched $340,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale in March after working an eighth of a mile in :10.1. She's by the top stallion Uncle Mo and has had a series of steady works for his stakes – and racing – bow.
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The Biggest Upsets in Travers Stakes History
Saratoga Race Course is famous for a lot of reasons: it’s the oldest sporting venue in the United States, it’s host to some of the best horse racing in the world, and it’s the summer playground for titans of industry and celebrities.
After Whitney Loss, Tom’s D’Etat Tied With Maximum Security Atop Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings
San Diego Handicap (G2) winner Maximum Security and Tom's d'Etat, third in the Whitney Stakes (G1), are tied for first place with 281 votes in the 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly poll of the top 10 horses in contention for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington on Nov. 7.
The Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings are determined by a panel of leading Thoroughbred racing media, horseplayers and members of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. Rankings will be announced each week through Oct. 13. A list of voting members can be found here.
In the Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, each voter rates horses on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system in descending order.
Owned by Gary and Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old Maximum Security moved up from second place last week to tie for the top spot. A winner in his first start for trainer Bob Baffert in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 25, Maximum Security is being pointed to the “Win and You're In” TVG Pacific Classic (G1) on Aug. 22, which will give the winner an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.
Tom's d'Etat, owned by Gayle Benson's GMB Racing, had been alone atop the Classic Rankings for the first two weeks. A 7-year-old bay son of Smart Strike, trained by Al Stall Jr., Tom's d'Etat had won four consecutive races, including the “Win and You're In” Stephen Foster (G2) prior to the Whitney at Saratoga, but stumbled at the start and could not overcome breaking last from the gate on Saturday, and wound up third.
The big mover in the rankings this week is the Whitney winner, Improbable (243 votes), who jumped from ninth to third place in the poll. Owned by WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and SF Racing, Improbable is also trained by Baffert. The 4-year-old chestnut son of City Zip earned a “Win and You're In” automatic starting position into the Breeders' Cup Classic following his 2-length victory in the Whitney under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. The win was Improbable's second Grade 1 triumph this year after taking the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 6.
Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law (208 votes), one of two 3-year-olds in the top 10, remains in fourth place. Unbeaten in three starts this year, the Sackatoga Stable's star, trained by Barclay Tagg, is scheduled to start in this Saturday's Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
Allied Racing Stable's By My Standards (144 votes), second in the Whitney, moves up two spots to fifth place. Trained by Bret Calhoun, By My Standards won the New Orleans Handicap (G2) and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) before finishing second to Tom's d'Etat in the Stephen Foster.
W.S. Farish's 4-year-old Code of Honor (117 votes) drops from third to sixth this week after finishing a non-threatening fourth as the 5-2 second choice in the Whitney.
Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou (95 votes) was upset by Vexatious in Saratoga's Personal Ensign (G1) on Saturday, losing by a neck as the odds-on favorite. The Steve Asmussen-trained dark bay daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Midnight Lute falls two spots to No. 7.
Juddmonte Farms' 4-year-old Tacitus (93 votes) retains eighth place in the Classic Rankings for the third consecutive week. Trained by Bill Mott, Tacitus rolled to an 8 ¾-length victory in the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 4. He is expected to run next in the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 5.
The 4-year-old Vekoma, trained by George Weaver, moves up one spot to ninth place this week. Owned by R.A Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma is unbeaten in three starts this year, including two wins in Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races: the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1), for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), and the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Rounding out the top 10 is a new shooter in Bruce Lunsford's 3-year-old Art Collector. Unbeaten in three start this year, including the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on July 11, Art Collector is expected to start in Sunday's Ellis Park Derby for trainer Tom Drury Jr.
CRK Stable's 3-year-old Honor A. P., second in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, dropped from sixth to 11th place.
Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings – Aug. 4, 2020*
| RANK | HORSE | TOTAL VOTES | FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
| 1 | Maximum Security | 281 | 13 |
| 1 | Tom's d'Etat | 281 | 13 |
| 3 | Improbable | 243 | 2 |
| 4 | Tiz the Law | 208 | 2 |
| 5 | By My Standards | 144 | 0 |
| 6 | Code of Honor | 117 | 1 |
| 7 | Midnight Bisou | 95 | 0 |
| 8 | Tacitus | 93 | 0 |
| 9 | Vekoma | 72 | 2 |
| 10 | Art Collector | 61 | 0 |
The post After Whitney Loss, Tom’s D’Etat Tied With Maximum Security Atop Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
