The turf wordsmith revealed his intent in the Preface when he said, “I shall show that, owing to want of popular support, racing had fallen so low, and so infrequent, as to excite little or no interest.”

What he was talking about was a sport in crisis, as progressive forces in America drove racing to the edge of extinction. With renewed governmental support from states and a bit of luck from private sources in the 1920s, everything began to turn around. Investment coupled with excitement, revived American competition.

It's a cycle of precipices Thoroughbred racing has continued to weather to this day.

In the current era, one of the sport's greatest innovations, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, is set for its 40th edition in November. As we celebrate the final month of the Challenge Series, here's a preview of all the weekend graded activity which will leave the station at Churchill Downs, Santa Anita, and Aqueduct.

Next Stop, Churchill

Chugging into Louisville, the Saturday action lands under the Twin Spires for the GIII Ack Ack S. going a mile around one turn. With a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile up for grabs, GII Louisiana Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) will serve as the 6-5 morning-line favorite. The Brad Cox trainee was last seen running fourth in the GIII Philip Iselin S. Aug. 19 at Monmouth Park.

Zozos | Horsephotos

The 4-year-old colt will face a number of challengers which includes MGSP O Besos (Orb), the last out winner of the GII John Nerud S. at Belmont Park Three Technique (Mr Speaker) and come from behind hero Aug. 13 of the R.A. Cowboy Jones S. at Ellis Park in 'TDN Rising Star' Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile).

Also scheduled is the nine-furlong GII Lukas Classic which pits GISP Rattle N Roll (Connect) against GI Cigar Mile champ Americanrevolution (Constitution). Shortleaf homebred Whelan Springs (Street Sense), who incidentally won the Iselin S., will look to upset both for trainer Lindsay Schultz.

Santa Anita, The Place To Be

The whistle stop tour of graded events doesn't stop there because Santa Anita Park begins its Autumn Meet with a number of key Saturday and Sunday races.

The GI Awesome Again S., which the TDN previewed and highlighted in a special edition of Friday's paper, will lead a packed weekend at 'The Great Race Place', as nine will face one another for the chance to line up in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

Three Grade II races compliment the Saturday card and it is going to be quite a duel in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. between former winner Dr. Schivel (Violence) and GI Woody Stephens S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify).

Heading to the Downhill Turf Course, a competitive group of grass specialists will cross paths with one other led by MGSW Bran (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}) from John Sadler's stable. The dark bay gelding will line up along the inside next to MGSP Sumter (War Front), who goes with the blinkers for Richard Mandella.

Staying on the grass, the GII City of Hope Mile S. wraps up the evening with a route as local favorite MGSW Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}) returns to a course where he has captured three wins in five attempts.

Arabian Lion | Sarah Andrew

The Sunday Santa Anita slate has its share of graded action as the GII Zenyatta S. marks the return of Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), who comes in riding a four-race win streak. Also featured will be the GIII Tokyo City Cup S. and the GII John Henry Turf Championship S.

Sunday's BAQ Forecast, Brighter Days Ahead

Speaking of the Jockey Club's New York historian and handicapper, William Vosburgh received a nod from the New York Racing Association when they named a race after him. Now moved to Sunday because of a deluge, the GII Vosburgh S. continues to be a mainstay on the NYRA stakes schedule and, with the Belmont Park construction, returned to Aqueduct last year for the first time since 1986. The seven-furlong event offers paid entry into the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile champ Cody's Wish (Curlin) certainly impressed when the 5-year-old took home both the GI Churchill Downs S. and Belmont Park's GI Met Mile earlier this summer. Even though the stretch out in the GI Whitney H. at Saratoga did not yield a win, his ability is unmatched even over a wet surface against five others here.

“One turn and seven [furlongs] to a mile is good for him,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. “We wanted to see if he could win the Whitney–it's a very important race and if he could win the Met Mile and the Whitney, those are two very big races.”

The Sunday BAQ card also sports three other graded races. Heavy morning-line favorite Caramel Swirl (Union Rags), who was a runner-up in last year's GI Ballerina at Saratoga, finished fourth this time around to MGISW Echo Zulu (Gun Runner). The 5-year-old mare will look to get back on track in the GII Gallant Bloom S. when she faces five others.

A soggy turf course at Aqueduct will not deter runners for the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. Going the distance will be MGISW War Like Goddess (English Channel), who faces the boys once again after she missed by just a neck against older females in the GII Glens Falls S. Aug. 3 at Saratoga. Also headed to the post will be GI Breeders' Cup Turf victor Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who last lost his rider in the GII Bowling Green S. July 30 at Saratoga. The dark bay gelding will not only have to contend with War Like Goddess but also MGISP Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and MGISP Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Algiers | Dubai Racing Club

Finally, a can't miss on this Sunday card is the GII Woodward S. 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), winner of the GII Suburban S. July 8 at Belmont, and GISW Zandon (Upstart), who will head to stud duty at Spendthrift Farm next year, will take on G1 Dubai World Cup runner-up Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal). The Simon Crisford trainee is making his first U.S. start after taking the summer off.

“It is a fact-finding mission,” said Ed Crisford, who shares a license with his father. “We want to see if he can handle the American dirt because it is different than Meydan. I do think the New York tracks are more similar to Meydan than some of the other tracks. We want to see what he can do against top American dirt horses. If he goes well, wins or runs very well, we can justify going to the Breeders' Cup. If not, we'll probably just take him back to Dubai. It all depends on what happens on the weekend.”

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The 5-2 morning-line favorite Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) leads the way for the 3-year-olds after defeating GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) by 1 3/4 lengths in Monmouth Park's GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22. He will look to follow in the hoofprints of his leading sire Candy Ride, who won the Pacific Classic in 2003.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella has won the Pacific Classic four times–Beholder (2015), Pleasantly Perfect (2004), Gentlemen (Arg) (1997) and Dare and Go (1996).

“He had us dreaming pretty high and still does,” Mandella said of the Pin Oak Stud colorbearer.

Geaux Rocket Ride has drawn the rail for the second straight race. “Just happy to be there,” Mandella said.

The Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was the beaten favorite in the Haskell, finishing third while making his first start since capturing Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Jan. 28.

Skinner (Curlin), a strong third in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 8, was forced to sit out the Kentucky Derby with an elevated temperature. He resurfaced with a useful second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Derby July 8.

The field of 11 also includes: 2021 Pacific Classic winner Tripoli (Kitten's Joy); this year's GI Santa Anita H. winner Stilleto Boy (Shackleford); and four runners out of the local prep GII San Diego H.–Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) (1st), Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) (2nd), Defunded (Dialed In) (4th) and Tripoli (fifth).

“It's an evenly matched, highly competitive field,” Tripoli's trainer John Sadler said. “You can make a case for a lot of different horses, so it should be a good race; nice mix of 3-year-olds and older horses.”

Del Mar's stacked 11-race program also includes: the 'Win and You're In' GII Del Mar H. (Longines Turf) and GIII Green Flash H. (Turf Sprint); the GII Del Mar Mile S., led by the streaking GI Shoemaker Mile S. winner Exaulted (Twirling Candy); and the GIII Torrey Pines S., highlighted by the return of GISW 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin).

Jockey Club Gold Cup Day at the Spa…

A field of eight will line up for Saratoga's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S., a 'Win and You're In' for the Classic.

Rattle N Roll (Connect), a winner of three straight graded races earlier this term, was freshened following a second-place finish in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1. The 9-5 morning-line favorite has posted five straight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.

Despite a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Stephen Foster, Proxy (Tapit)'s 5-year-old campaign also includes wins in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 22 and GIII Monmouth Cup S. July 22 and a close second in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 4. The Godolphin homebred has drawn the rail in the 1 1/4-mile feature.

“We knew from early on that he had a lot of talent and that's why we were so ready to give him all the time he needed and let him mature mentally and physically to where he's at now and it's really paying off,” trainer Mike Stidham said.

McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), winner of Saratoga's GII Glens Falls S. Aug. 3, headlines a field of four entered for the 'Win and You're In' GII Flower Bowl S.

Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief), second behind the ill-fated Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) in the GIII Victory Ride S. July 8, is the one to beat in the five-deep GII Prioress S.

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes a pair of deep fields for the GIII Big Ass Fans Music City S. and GIII Mint Millions S., both held at Kentucky Downs.

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With six wins–five of them in graded stakes–and just over $1.6 million in earnings, Rattle N Roll has been a big success for the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable. After a two-month break from competition, the chestnut will face seven others in the 1 1/4 miles Gold Cup, long one of the premier races in the country for older horses.

From the rail out, the complete field for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
1 – Proxy (Tapit)
2 – Unbridled Bomber (Upstart)
3 – Warrior Johny (Tapit)
4 – Rattle N Roll (Connect)
5 – Clapton (Brethren)
6 – Tyson (Tapit)
7 – Duke of Love (Cupid)
8 – Bright Future (Curlin)
*All starters will carry 126 pounds.

With a late-running style, Rattle N Roll benefits from some speed to take aim at. McPeek said that 10 furlongs should be within his range.

“You don't know how the pace of that race will unfold,” McPeek said. “He's not run that distance but I don't have any doubt he's going to like it. In hindsight, a year ago he won the St. Louis Derby but he could have run in the Travers. I'm excited to see him go that far.”

McPeek has targeted the Gold Cup for Rattle N Roll, who has won three of five starts this year. He opened the season with a non-threatening fourth in the GII New Orleans Classic on Mar. 25. A month later at Keeneland, Rattle N Roll won the GIII Ben Ali. He moved on to Baltimore to win the GIII Pimlico Special by a nose and ran his win streak to three in the GIII Blame on June 3 at Churchill Downs. On July 1, he ended up a half-length behind West Will Power in the GI Stephen Foster at Ellis Park.

Rattle N Roll (outside) wins the GIII Pimlico Special | Horsephotos

“He ran pretty steady and hard this spring,” McPeek said. “He had some back-to-backs and then I just thought that waiting for the Gold Cup would be a good idea. He's been up here all summer and thrived.”

Rattle N Roll has had five works during his time at the Spa.

McPeek said that even in defeat, Rattle N Roll was impressive.

“I think his last race, when he was beaten West Will Power, that was his best race,” McPeek said. “He ran super that day. It was quite hot that day down at Ellis, too.

Bred by St. Simon Place, Rattle N Roll is out of the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune. He brought $55,000 as a weanling at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and McPeek purchased him as a yearling for $210,000 at the Keeneland September Sale.

“You could see that he would develop into a big, handsome older horse,” McPeek said. “He's a little bit different-made than most. He stands over himself. He's a little upright, but has been smart from the beginning.”

Rattle N Roll made the second start of his career at Saratoga on Aug. 26, 2021 against maidens going 1 1/8 miles. McPeek said he bolted after getting hit in the left eye in the second turn and did not finish the race. He broke his maiden at Churchill Downs on Sept. 23 and picked up a GI victory in the Breeders' Futurity. A foot injury kept him out of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Last year, he was tested on the Triple Crown trail, but was well-beaten in the GII Fountain of Youth, the GII Louisiana Derby and the GI Blue Grass. McPeek changed course a bit and the colt won the American Derby, the St. Louis Derby and the GIII Oklahoma Derby.

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Following his Haskell victory, trainer Richard Mandella indicated the Pacific Classic was possible for the Pin Oak Stud runner, however, upon returning to Del Mar, the Hall of Famer began considering the $125,000 Shared Belief S. instead. Facing older horses in the Classic, the sophomore would run against his own division in the Shared Belief.

In the end, Mandella went back to his initial intention to run in the Classic.

“We're a little heavier on the million dollars,” Mandella said. “I have my price, you know.”

Geaux Rocket Ride worked five-furlongs in 1:01.40 (21/45) at Del Mar Friday.

Returning off a five-month respite, Zedan Racing's Arabian Knight faded to third in the Haskell after contesting a hot pace. The $2.3 million OBS Spring Sale grad was favored in the Haskell following an impressive win in the GIII Southwest at Oaklawn in January.

The Bob Baffert trainee has worked twice since returning to the West Coast, the most recent a seven-furlong move in 1:24.40 at Del Mar Friday.

The Hall of Famer is also pointing Defunded (Dialed In) to the Classic. Fourth in the GII San Diego S. last month, he previously won the GI Hollywood Gold Cup and the GII Californian.

Also nominated, Grade III winner Order and Law in addition to a pair from the Doug O'Neill barn–Slow Down Andy (Nyquist)

and SW Katonah, has developed an issue following a victory in the July 8 Pleasanton Mile.

“He's battling a bruised foot,” O'Neill says. “So we have to play it by ear.”

Also listed as possible for next month's Classic, GISW Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) and MGSW Rattle N Roll (Connect), who is also being considered for the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, run on the same day as the Classic.

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Both horses last raced in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1 at Ellis Park. McPeek said Rattle N Roll will target either the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga or the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Both races are run at 10 furlongs September 2 and are “Win and You're In” qualifiers for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Smile Happy, who captured the GII Alysheba S. May 5 at Churchill Downs, got his first glimpse of the Oklahoma training track Friday.

Smile Happy, who arrived in Saratoga Thursday night, did some gate schooling on the Oklahoma and then jogged with the pony for ⁦@KennyMcPeek⁩ Friday morning. Getting ready for the Whitney. pic.twitter.com/p4mBfZUNyc

— Tim Wilkin (@tjwilkin) July 28, 2023

“He galloped really well this morning over the Oklahoma track,” McPeek said. “This was his first day here. We stood him in the gate, backed him out and gave him some gate schooling. He did well.”

Smile Happy last breezed July 22 at Churchill Downs, completing a half-mile move in 49 seconds.

“We've had plenty of work into him at Churchill. He had a work days ago with a long, strong gallop and I don't know that we'll breeze him at all,” McPeek said.

McPeek described the 4-year-old as a quirky horse that likes doing things his own way.

“He's a bit of an alpha. He wants to run the show, but the talent is unquestioned,” McPeek said.

McPeek said Smile Happy will be ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr.

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Because that's the whole point, really. The big programs would be able to temper their disappointment, on losing the services even of a horse as accomplished as Two Phil's, with the likelihood that an equivalent talent will eventually come along. And it was precisely because the circle of friends who launched Two Phil's towards the top of his crop did so by such accessible investment–he's out of the only Thoroughbred ever purchased by the Sagan family, a $40,000 daughter of a failed stallion–that so many of us identified with their cause. They made us feel we all had a chance.

Two Phil's, moreover, had been progressing from a somewhat sentimental, blue-collar rooting interest to a perfectly credible candidate for what feels an open sophomore championship. He was the only contributor to the GI Kentucky Derby pace that managed to hang tough, and looked better than ever on his first start since in the GIII Ohio Derby last weekend. How maddeningly typical of this game, then, that even in opening up new horizons his owners should suddenly reach a dead end.

They must now regroup, clear their heads and find Two Phil's his best chance at stud. His maternal family contains its challenges, but that is true of a lot of good stallions and something, after all, is demonstrably functioning in his genetic make-up. There is an increasing burden on sons of War Front and Hard Spun to maintain the shortest available connection to their breed-shaping sire Danzig, and Two Phil's certainly bears an auspicious resemblance to his excellent sire. Both proved their adaptability by winning the same Derby trial on a synthetic surface, before proceeding to finish second at Churchill. On the right farm, I'm sure that Two Phil's has every chance of writing a new chapter in the fairytale; and his connections have played their cards too faultlessly to need any help in determining which farm might be the right one.

In the meantime, we must just thank them for introducing this authentic ray of sunshine into our present darkness. As I've noted before, that rogue apostrophe actually became part of what the horse stood for: a symbol of his quirky, aberrational advent among those who set expensive standards at the top of the market. He arrived as a defiant Chicago gesture, many in his entourage having been deprived of their natural habitat–and one of the jewels of the racing planet–by the closure of Arlington Park by the very people who host the Derby.

One of those cast adrift from Arlington was trainer Larry Rivelli, whose prospects of replacing the irreplaceable should at least be enhanced by having drawn national attention to gifts already well familiar on his home circuits. In this bittersweet week, indeed, Rivelli has saddled six winners from nine starters; and these included two “Derby” winners in one weekend, with Act A Fool (Oscar Performance) making it four off the reel in the Hawthorne Derby last Sunday. Hopefully Jareth Loveberry, also integral to the horse's development, will now be able to consolidate, as well, having earned his stripes all the way through from Great Lakes Downs.

Proxy (outside) wins the GII Oaklawn Handicap | Coady Photography

But if some of these guys end up never quite retrieving the same heights, at least they all seized their opportunity when it came. And they would surely choose the shorter ride they took with Two Phil's over the “better” luck experienced by many others, in being able to restore a horse to training after being derailed before the Classics?

It's not as though there's a piece of paper anyone gets to sign, but how would you choose between Two Phil's or a horse like, say, Proxy (Tapit)? Having disappeared for 10 months after trying to get to his own crop's Derby via the Fair Grounds trials, Proxy lines up for the GI Stephen Foster S. on Saturday as a mature horse, with every prospect of building on what for now remains a fairly marginal prizemoney edge over Two Phil's. Since his comeback, he has also availed himself of a Grade I (in the Clark last fall). He's an admirable creature, in a field replete with similar types. But if you were in a crew that might very well only ever have one shot at the big time, would you not be swung by the fact that every Thoroughbred foal, from the moment it slithers into the straw, has one chance–and one chance only–to take you on the walk over for the Derby?

In the winter of 2021-22, certainly, the McPeek barn wasn't dreaming of the 2023 Stephen Foster for Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect). The former at least made it to the Derby before his disappearance, but I'm delighted to see him back thriving now. He was bred by the charming Xavier Moreau, from a $57,000 daughter of Pleasant Tap. That was about as much as Xavier had ever spent on a mare, and tragically he lost her almost as soon as Smile Happy had emerged.

That's the thing about this game. Yes, absolutely, your little guys can beat the billionaires by breeding a Smile Happy, or a Two Phil's. But nor will they get any special treatment from Lady Luck, just because all their eggs might be in a single basket.

The only answer is an old one: “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.” If that can be in May, and get you anywhere near that blanket of roses, so much the better.

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Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll share more than a few similarities, but the main parallel is that the 4-year-olds are both on skyrocketing career trajectories with the potential for big summer campaigns ahead.

A 'TDN Rising Star' and the winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at two, Smile Happy was a contender leading up to the Kentucky Derby last year, but he settled for eighth on the first Saturday in May. After a long layoff, the son of Runhappy returned a winner at Oaklawn in March and finished third in the GII Oaklawn Mile S. before his breakout performance in the GII Alysheba S., where he earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This is a fantastic, talented horse,” said Kenny McPeek. “As a 2-year-old he didn't win a Grade I, but the Kentucky Jockey Club showed he had such raw talent. He needed an extended vacation after the Derby last year. He had a slight case of distal bone bruising, which is difficult to get a horse to rebound from quickly. We gave him a lot of time and he's come back a better horse. The race in the Alysheba showed how freaky talented he is.”

Allowing Smile Happy the time off to improve physically has been one key to his success this year, but another factor has been figuring the colt out mentally. McPeek explained that this trainee can be quirky, noting that the colt doesn't respond well to disruptions in his routine and requires some extra attention on race day.

“During the post parade, he wants to back up and then not come back to the gate,” McPeek shared. “So we learned a little trick to get him back to the gate. The race at Oaklawn [Oaklawn Mile] was a little bit short for him, but then we spaced off that and came into the Alysheba and now we've got the gate trick worked out. He tests you, this horse, but my goodness he's so talented. Figuring him out in the mornings has been tricky because at Oaklawn he didn't want to train, at Fair Grounds he trained well, and then we've figured out his number at Churchill. I don't see this horse training anywhere but Churchill probably for the rest of his career. When it's open, he'll be there.”

Rattle N Roll gets a pre-race mint and pep talk from his groom, Peter Soria | Sara Gordon

Fellow Lucky Seven Stables colorbearer Rattle N Roll also showed potential as a juvenile when he claimed the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, but he struggled to find the winner's circle early in his 3-year-old season. While he did not make the Kentucky Derby, he later claimed a trio of summer derbies including the GIII Oklahoma Derby.

After a brief layoff over the winter, Rattle N Roll returned this spring to run fourth in the GII New Orleans Classic S. at Fair Grounds and then launch a winning tear over the course of six weeks, claiming the GIII Ben Ali S., GIII Pimlico Special S. and GIII Blame S.

“He's been a good horse from the beginning,” McPeek said. “When he won a Grade I at Keeneland, we knew we had our hands on a really good one. He's a get-the-job-done type of horse. When Flavien Prat rode him in the Pimlico Special, he nailed it right on time. Then when he came back in the Blame at Churchill, once again, he got the job done. He had a really troubled trip in that race and won anyway. He's a very workmanlike, easy horse to be around.”

Never one to adhere to a training rule book, McPeek 'wowed' the crowd at Churchill Downs when Rattle N Roll won the Blame S. just two weeks after he got the nose at Pimlico. McPeek explained the reasoning behind the quick return to the races.

“I think today, especially with the no Lasix in a lot of these graded races, if you've got a horse and it's sturdy enough and they're eating well and they're doing well, I don't see any reason why they can't run or shouldn't run,” he said. “I'm not one that subscribes to, 'They have to be spaced six weeks in between races to run their best race.' I do believe that people buy their horses to race them as opposed to watching them train and then running sparingly. I suppose I'm going to be criticized by some by doing that and that's fine as long as we run well and we win.”

Some might even scratch their head at McPeek's choice to enter this duo in the same Grade I contest, but the veteran trainer said that he believes the race is the best spot for each colt as individuals.

“I think it was obvious that the race for Smile Happy was the Stephen Foster and we've been plotting for this one for a couple of months,” he shared. “We'd like to go Stephen Foster to Whitney. With Rattle N Roll and the series of wins he's had, the options for him were I could have taken him to the [Prairie Meadows] Cornhusker H., which would have been another Grade III, or I could have taken him to the Suburban S. in New York, which is a Grade II. It's a lovely race, but it's not two turns so I was a little bit concerned about changing his routine from two turns to one turn.  With a clear mind, it was the right spot for both horses.”

Rattle N Roll and Smile Happy were part of the first crop of yearlings that McPeek bought for the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable in 2020. Rattle N Roll was a $210,000 Keeneland September purchase for McPeek and Smile Happy was a $185,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings buy for Lucky Seven.

The Mackins have had success in the sport both individually and as a family over several decades, but campaigning a pair of top-level older dirt colts ranks near the top of their accomplishments.

“The Mackin family has been in the game for 30 or 40 years,” McPeek shared. “They love racing, between Mike, Craig, Jeff, Jay and their sister Kim. Their mother and father made seven, but both have passed away. I'm sure that their mother and father would be really thrilled to know the kind of success they're having and we're going to try to keep it going for them. They're wonderful people and really deserve this kind of success.”

Smile Happy looks to get his first Grade I win in Saturday's GI Stephen Foster S. | Sara Gordon

McPeek will be looking to earn his first Stephen Foster victory on Saturday.

Rattle N Roll drew the fourth position and will team up with his regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. Alongside him in the five hole, Smile Happy will be ridden by Corey Lanerie, who was aboard for the colt's sophomore campaign last year.

The field also includes GII Oaklawn H. one-two-three finishers of Godolphin's Proxy (Tapit), Last Samurai (Malibu Moon)–who subsequently ran fourth in the Alysheba–and California-based Stilleto Boy (Shackleford). Ron Moquett's Speed Bias (Uncle Mo), who came close to besting Rattle N Roll in the GIII Pimlico Special, dominant GII New Orleans Classic winner West Will Power (Bernardini), and Lothenbach Stables' Happy American (Runhappy) round out the race.

Also on Saturday at Ellis Park, McPeek will be represented in the GII Wise Dan by Camp Hope (Summer Front). The 5-year-old Walking L Thoroughbreds representative was winless in his first four starts this year, but he scored in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs in June.

“He's been really solid,” McPeek reported. “He won the Bryan Station S. at Keeneland as a 3-year-old. He didn't have a great 4-year-old year, but he seems to be coming back to form as a 5-year-old and his last race was superb. Brian [Hernandez Jr.] has figured him out and really rides him well.”

Camp Hope will have to take on Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who is defending his Wise Dan title from 2021 and comes in off a win in the GIII Arlington S. on June 3. The 7-year-old Juddmonte homebred is trained by Brad Cox, who has won three of the last four editions of the turf contest.

GIII Arlington S. runner-up Get Smokin (Get Stormy) and third-place finisher Harlan Estate (Kantharos) will also vie for contention in the 10-horse field.

Rounding out the graded stakes action at Ellis on Saturday, the GII Fleur de Lis S. drew seven fillies and mares headlined by Grade I winners Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) and A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

The McPeek-Mackin partnership will be represented by one last stakes contender over the weekend and it's one that McPeek is more than happy to discuss.

V V's Dream was Mitole's first North American winner when she dominated in her juvenile debut on May 19 at Churchill Downs. Completing five furlongs in :57.91, her 6 1/4-length score earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

“V V's Dream is any kind of horse,” said McPeek. “I mean, that filly is really high-level talented.”

The $190,000 Keeneland September purchase is owned by Mike Mackin's MJM Racing and she will return to the starting gate on Sunday for the Debutante S.

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The Ken McPeek-trained 2021 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner will face seven rivals from his rail draw, including the re-opposing Ben Ali second and third-place finishers Call Me Fast (Dialed In) and Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile); and grassy MGISW Santin (Distorted Humor), who makes his first career start on dirt.

The 11-race Churchill Downs program also includes: the GIII Arlington S., led by 8-5 morning-line favorite and MGSW 7-year-old gelding Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}); the GIII Shawnee S., featuring the streaking Frost Point (Frosted) and GISW Pauline's Pearl (Tapit); a field of six 3-year-old fillies in the grassy GIII Regret S.; the return of last out G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Sibelius (Not This Time) in the $225,000 Aristides S.; and the $225,000 Audubon S. for 3-year-olds on grass.

Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel), meanwhile, figure to vie for favoritism in Belmont's GII Pennine Ridge S. The former, 11th in the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas May 6, came within a nose as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland Nov. 4. Far Bridge suffered his first career defeat falling just a nose short while making his stakes debut in the GII American Turf S. on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard.

The Alys Look (Connect), a respectable third at 30-1 for trainer Brad Cox in the GI Kentucky Oaks, makes her first start for Chris Davis in the GII Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita. The Ike and Dawn Thrash colorbearer faces six rivals, including GII Santa Anita Oaks second and third-place finishers And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) and Window Shopping (American Pharoah); and last-out seven-furlong optional claiming winners Anywho (Bolt d'Oro) and Doinitthehardway (Street Sense).

A pair of graded stakes will also take place at Woodbine–the GIII Belle Mahone S., highlighted by the return of Canadian Horse of the Year and Queen's Plate S. heroine Moira (Ghostzapper); and a field of 11 for the GII Royal North S.

The post Stephen Foster Preview Day Headlines Saturday’s Graded Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Eighth in last year's GI Kentucky Derby, the $185,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase graduate returned from a 10-month absence with an impressive allowance victory at Oaklawn Park Mar. 16 and was a good third in the GIII Oaklawn Mile Apr. 1 before defeating GI Pegasus World Cup hero Art Collector (Bernardini) by two lengths at odds of 7-1 in the Alysheba. He received a lofty 110 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, the highest number over a mile thus far in 2023.

McPeek reported that the commonly owned Rattle N Roll (Connect), last-out winner of the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland Apr. 22, will go next in the GIII Blame S. on Stephen Foster Preview Day Saturday, June 3.

The Foster offers the winner an all-expenses-paid berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The post Smile Happy To Point For Stephen Foster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Brad Cox has sent out the winners of the last three runnings of the centerpiece of the local racing calendar–Owendale (Into Mischief, 2019); Shared Sense (Street Sense, 2020); and Warrant (Constitution, 2021) and can break the tie with Donnie K. Von Hemel should Gary and Mary West's Best Actor (Flatter) validate his morning-line favoritism. The $330,000 Keeneland September purchase has tasted defeat just once in his four-race career when narrowly runner-up in the GIII Indiana Derby July 9, but he bounced back in no uncertain terms with a 5 3/4-length romp in the GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx Aug. 23. He swerves that track's million-dollar race and its heavy hitters for the clearly softer competition here. Florent Geroux, in the irons for Owendale's tough win four years ago, takes the call on Best Actor.

Rattle N Roll (Connect) won last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and looks for a third Derby this year to go along with the July 2 American Derby at Churchill and the St. Louis Derby at FanDuel Racing Aug. 20. Sandwiched between those is a seventh in the Indiana Derby, a race that is best forgiven after he was hampered badly and clipped heels at the start, then trailed most of the way.

Barring something unforeseen, Juju's Map (Liam's Map) should be able to add her name to the list of Remington Park Oaks winners. Last year's GI Darley Alcibiades S. victress returned with a smashing Oaks day allowance tally May 6, but has since disappointed at odds-on when third in the GII Mother Goose S. and GIII Monmouth Oaks.

Sunday's other graded action includes the GII Gallant Bloom S., featuring 'TDN Rising Star' Kimari (Munnings), at Aqueduct and the GIII Vigil S. at Woodbine.

The post Derby and Oaks Day, Oklahoma Style appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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