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International Racing, Stakes From Keeneland And Santa Anita Highlight TVG’s Weekend Coverage

TVG, America's horse racing network, has a loaded weekend of coverage featuring two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races from Ascot alongside the $15 million Everest, the world's richest turf race, from Randwick as well as stakes races from Santa Anita and Keeneland featuring the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) from Keeneland.

International racing will take center stage and Jason Whitham will be on-site at Randwick for the $15 million Everest on Friday as defending champion Classique Legend squares off against a field of eleven rivals. Post time for the Everest is 10:15 p.m. PT/1:15 a.m. ET. There are two Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races scheduled for Saturday from Ascot – the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) which earns the winner a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) which will qualify the winner for the Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile (G1). These are the final two qualifiers of the year for the 2021 Breeders' Cup which will be held November 5-6 at Del Mar.

TVG's Todd Schrupp, Caton Bredar, Gabby Gaudet, Caleb Keller, Scott Hazelton and Joaquin Jaime will be trackside from Keeneland with exclusive interviews, analysis and handicapping selections throughout the weekend. The featured race is the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) for sophomore fillies on the turf. The race has drawn a field of ten including Group 1 winner Empress Josephine (IRE), third-place finisher in the First Lady Stakes (G1), for trainer Aiden O'Brien.

At Santa Anita, TVG's Mike Joyce, Christina Blacker, Britney Eurton, Simon Bray and Kurt Hoover will be live at Santa Anita with coverage of the weekend's races. The California breeding program will be in the spotlight in Saturday's featured race, the $100,000 California Distaff Stakes. The turf sprint for fillies and mares has drawn a field of six including graded stakes winner Warren's Showtime for trainer Craig Lewis. The consistent daughter of Clubhouse Ride will have Juan Hernandez aboard as she aims for her second win of the year.

Sunday will also feature the third annual telethon to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Fan favorite jockeys of today and years past will be on hand live at call centers in California and Kentucky from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. Throughout the day, TVG will be connecting with personalities and horsemen who have been involved with the PDJF's work in support of jockeys who have suffered serious on-track injuries. Fans are encouraged to donate by calling 1-844-TVG-PDJF or through the PDJF website.

In addition to racing from Keeneland and Santa Anita, will also be featuring Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Australia’s The Everest: Horse-By-Horse Preview Of World’s Richest Turf Race

The Everest: World's richest turf race (AU$15 million), inaugurated in 2017. Slot-holder format; field restricted to 12; six furlongs. Track “A,” Race 7 this Friday at 10.15 p.m. Pacific.

The Setting: Randwick hosts a third straight Friday night of top-quality racing – the temporary rail was out 16 feet last week and moves into the “true” position (0') for The Everest. Rain is predicted across the week; race day could be windy, in which case it can be advantageous to be “covered up” in running.

The Broadcast: Nick Hines will anchor TVG's coverage; Sky Racing's Jason Witham will be on-track at Randwick; yours truly will weigh in via Skype. First Post: 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT.

The Field: All runners carry 128 pounds, except the mare Libertini (124) and the 3-year-old Home Affairs (116). Post positions in parentheses.

#1 Nature Strip (10) 7-2. The world's highest ranked turf sprinter. 17 wins from 32 starts. Prodigiously gifted, Nature Strip was enigmatic earlier in his career. Under Chris Waller's patient tutelage, the horse is finally balancing his brilliance with tractability and professionalism. Has finished 4th and 7th in The Everest; this third time could deservedly be the charm.

#2 Classique Legend (5) 7-2. Went to Hong Kong (where his owner is based) after winning The Everest last year, but failed to acclimate. 83-year-old training legend Les Bridge got his “gray flash” home again in June, and is training him up to the race (used two prep races in 2020). Tries to emulate Redzel, who won the first two editions of this race; jockey Kerrin McEvoy is a common denominator, and shoots for a remarkable fourth win in five runnings of The Everest.

#3 Eduardo (7) 5-1. The world's second-highest ranked turf sprinter; has twice out-gamed Nature Strip in photo finishes. He was a scintillating G1 winner in March when 2nd-up from a layoff, prompting a similarly timed attack on The Everest.

#4 Gytrash (1) 8-1. Pronounced GEE-trah. Finished 3rd in The Everest last year; desperately unlucky when 3rd last start behind Eduardo and Nature Strip. Career 25:10-6-7, with valid excuses for only two unplaced runs.

#5 Trekking (4) 30-1. Godolphin's aptly named representative is being given a third chance to reach the summit, after finishing 3rd and 4th the past two years. Veteran son of Street Cry needs the breaks, but is genuine and will be closing.

#6 Masked Crusader (9) 8-1. Ran 2nd behind Nature Strip in an April G1 race; has produced exhilarating rushes from the rear to win two of three starts this campaign, in slightly easier company.

#7 Wild Ruler (11) 50-1. Would have been an exotics chance on firm ground from a good gate, but has neither.

#8 The Inferno (12) 25-1. Star sprinter-miler in Singapore in 2019-20. Caught fire in Melbourne last month with a G2 win and close G1 2nd. Has never raced clockwise; hard task after being dealt the “visitor's draw.”

#9 Embracer (3) 70-1. Late replacement for the slot-holder whose Rothfire was sidelined by injury. Outclassed and impossible to embrace.

#10 Lost And Running (2) 20-1. Was hot when running through the grades earlier this year; snapped up early by his slot-holder. Albeit with some excuses, has been more lost than running in both starts this campaign against top-level competition.

#11 Libertini (8) 30-1. A dangerous weapon when fresh, this mare has deliberately been set for The Everest off a layoff. Has overcome a recent, minor setback. Knockout potential, but prefers firmer footing.

#12 Home Affairs (6) 10-1. Coolmore is replicating the formula that won them The Everest with Yes Yes Yes in 2019 – a (newly turned, on August 1st) 3-year-old colt trained by Chris Waller and ridden by Glen Boss. Home Affairs brilliantly won his seasonal debut, before holding his own in a workout versus Waller's Nature Strip.

Selection: #4 Gytrash

Wagering Strategy: Gytrash win/place; 20c trifecta 2, 4 / 1, 2, 3, 4 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10

The Final Word: Coolmore's Tom Magnier: “Full credit to Racing New South Wales. They planted the seed for The Everest and it grew into a tree from Day One.”

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT) alongside cards from Eagle Farm, Newcastle and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

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Australia: Randwick Is Base Camp For The Everest

Everest Carnival: With the Carnival now in full swing, Randwick will stage stakes races every Friday night in October. The Everest will be run on the 15th at six furlongs for $15 million. Nine of a maximum twelve contenders are confirmed for the world's richest turf race: last year's winner, Classique Legend, Nature Strip, Eduardo, Gytrash, Masked Crusader, Rothfire, Lost And Running, The Inferno and Libertini.

Friday Night's Historic Feature: Sydney's “Royal Randwick” hosts one of Australia's time-honored handicaps this Friday night, when the G1 Epsom is contested for the 156th time. The $1.5 million Epsom is emblematic of the tremendous value that Australian racing provides – both as a wagering medium and a sporting spectacle. A field of 17 will commence its mile journey from the top of Randwick's back stretch, at 11.05pm. Pacific time.

The Favorite: #9 Riodini (4-1) finished 3rd in this race last year and is favorite on the strength of two recent narrow defeats at weight-for-age, both at the Randwick Mile. He almost stole the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at 40-1, only to be grabbed in the last stride by Think It Over, before a gallant 2nd to champion mare Verry Elleegant in the G1 George Main Stakes. Kindly treated under handicap conditions, Riodini will forge his own luck in or near the front, and make the higher weighted horses run him down. His trainer, Gai Waterhouse, is tied with her legendary father, T.J. Smith, for most Epsom wins (7).

The Highweight: In Australia, program numbers do not correspond to post positions. Instead, fields are listed from highest to lowest weighted horses. As a dual-Group One winner, #1 Mo'unga has earned his highweight but must concede 12 pounds to Riodini. (Both have drawn wide gates, but post positions are not significant with a three-furlong run to the first turn.) Mo'unga was the first G1 winner for England native Annabel Neasham, a rising star in Australia's training ranks.

Contention Runs Deep: The field includes the trifecta horses from the Epsom's “sister” race, the Doncaster Mile (part of “The Championships at Randwick” each April). #2 Cascadian (12-1) rises seven pounds from his victory over #7 Icebath (8-1) and #3 Dalasan (14-1). Icebath's prospects are enhanced by the forecast for rain leading up to race day. #6 Hungry Heart (7-1) could have Springsteen fans swooning, but last season's top 3-year-old filly has shown a preference for firm footing.

Selection: #7 Icebath

Supporting Stakes: 3-year-old fillies will also utilize Randwick's one-mile starting point in the G1 Flight Stakes. The G1 Metropolitan Handicap at 1-1/2 miles and a pair of Group Two races add depth to a stellar 10-race card, which includes the first 2-year-old race of the new Australian season (sponsored by Keeneland).

Hot Jocks: Nash Rawiller was last week's hot jockey, on the back of four wins the previous Friday night. Nash again got the cash, riding a triple and sharing the honors with Tim Clark. (One of Clark's three winners was my 5-1 Pick of the Night on TVG, Vangelic.)

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:50pm ET / 6:50pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Newcastle and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

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Australia: World’s Best Sprinter Nature Strip Returns At Randwick Friday

The Shorts (G2) – Key Prep for The Everest: Race 8 is a barn-burning renewal of a Group Two sprint named The Shorts, whose nine entrants boast a collective 76 wins from 165 starts. It features no fewer than six confirmed runners for The Everest, the world's richest race on turf, which will be run at Randwick on October 15. The Everest (6 furlongs) has a slot-holder format, and the following entrants for The Shorts (5-1/2 furlongs) have guaranteed berths in The Everest:

#1 Nature Strip (3-2 fav.) was Horse of the Year in the 2019/20 season and is currently the world's highest-ranked sprinter. In his 7-year-old debut two weeks ago, he blistered the last three furlongs in 32.62 seconds, winning a G3 five-furlong race.

#2 Eduardo (7-1), #3 Gytrash (13-1), #4 Masked Crusader (7-2) and #5 Rothfire (9-2) are all Group One winners.

#7 Lost and Running (6-1) has raced only seven times and never at Group level, but created a huge impression while progressing through restricted grades earlier this year.

Early Market Mover: Race 8 #5 Rothfire has been sidelined for a year since sustaining a potentially career-ending injury, when favorite and looking the likely winner mid-stretch of a Group One race. His morning works have been so electric that he was recently “bought” by a slot-holder for The Everest. As much as 7-1 was offered early this week for The Shorts, and Rothfire has been bet down to 9-2 to complete a fairytale comeback this Friday night.

Feature Race: The George Main Stakes, Race 7 at Royal Randwick in Sydney. The George Main is a one-mile Group One race at weight-for-age. Winx set the stakes record of 1.33.65 in 2017, when winning her second of three George Mains.

Star Performer: #7 Verry Elleegant (6-5 favorite). Australia's Horse of the Year for the 2020/21 season made her 6-year-old debut with an excellent 2nd-place finish in the G1 Winx Stakes, at seven furlongs, four weeks ago.

Hold All Tickets: Verry Elleegant has followed the same path from the Winx Stakes the past two years, and failed to win the George Main both times (as favorite last year). In both campaigns, she peaked in the following race of the form cycle when stepping up to 1-1/4miles.

Alternatives:

#1 Kolding (7-1) owns two G1 wins at the Randwick Mile when making his 3rd start from a layoff – including last year's George Main at 9-1. However, he might have “lost a step.” Kolding and Verry Elleegant are both trained by Chris Waller, of Winx fame.

#2 Think It Over (5-1) arrived in the last breath to win a G2 at the Randwick Mile two weeks ago. He might be looking for more distance.

#3 Cascadian (7-1) started favorite when 4th behind Think It Over. Peaked 3rd-up last campaign to win a G1 at the Randwick Mile.

Blowout: #6 Lion's Roar (40-1) did nothing off a layoff, but is 2-for-2 when 2nd-up. Both wins were at a mile – the latest in the G1 Randwick Guineas, at 20-1, when beating subsequent dual-G1 winner Mo'unga.

Selections: 3 Cascadian; 7 Verry Elleegant; 6 Lion's Roar

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT) alongside cards from Kembla Grange, Gold Coast and Eagle Farm. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

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