Rodeo Drive S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Pick Six Set For Oct. 7

Santa Anita Park, which will host this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships for a record 11th time Nov. 3 and 4 and storied Keeneland Racecourse, site of last year's Breeders' Cup, have announced that both tracks will combine to present the Keeneland/Santa Anita Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 to players nationwide on Saturday, Oct. 7.

A traditional $1 Pick 6 with a player-friendly 15% takeout, the Keeneland/Santa Anita Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 will include the following Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifiers and be offered in this order:

Thoroughbred Club of America (KEE)–4:12 p.m. ET

Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (KEE)–5:14 p.m. ET

Coolmore Turf (KEE)–5:45 p.m. ET

American Pharoah S. (SA)

Chandelier S. (SA )

Rodeo Drive S. (SA)

“We are excited to offer a compelling bet for the horseplayer,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager. “It's going to be a can't-miss sequence combining Breeders' Cup Challenge Races at both Keeneland and Santa Anita with a player-friendly 15% takeout.”

Players are advised that the Keeneland/Santa Anita Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 will be listed as a separate wager/track on all tote and ADW platforms as: Keeneland Santa Anita Pick 6 (KEE/SAP Pick 6).

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Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races Highlight Santa Anita Fall Stakes

The 18-day Autumn meet at Santa Anita will feature a total of 26 stakes races, including five 'Win and You're In' qualifying races for the 2022 Breeders' Cup to be held at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5. Fifteen of the stakes are contested at the graded level.

The meet begins Friday, Sept. 30 and the opening weekend is set to be highlighted by 11 of the stakes races, seven of which are graded. The Saturday, Oct. 1 program includes the GI Awesome Again S. (WAYI) for older handicappers headed towards the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as the GII Eddie D. S. down the hillside turf course, the GII John Henry S. at 10 furlongs on the grass, the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship, the GII City of Hope S. at a mile on the grass and the Unzip Me S.

A total of five added-money events are on offer Sunday, Oct. 2, including the GII Zenyatta S. for GI Breeders' Cup Distaff-bound horses, the GIII Chillingworth S. for female sprinters, the Speakeasy S. (WAYI) for juvenile turf sprinters, the Tokyo City Cup for dirt marathoners and the Senator Ken Maddy S., a downhill turf sprint for fillies and mares.

The second weekend of live racing features three 'Win and You're In' challenge tests–the GI American Pharoah S. for juvenile males; the filly counterpart, the GII Chandelier S.; and the GI Rodeo Drive S. for distaff turfers.

Four California-bred restricted races for total purse money of $600,000 are also programmed. The Golden State Juvenile and Golden State Juvenile Fillies have had their purses increased from $150,000 to $175,000, while a pair of restricted stakes–the Swingtime S. and the Lure S.–carry purse money of $80,000, up from $70,000 last year.

The entire stakes schedule will be available soon at santaanita.com/horsemen.

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Mucho Unusual Coast To Coast in Rodeo Drive

George Krikorian’s homebred Mucho Unusual went wire-to-wire to win the GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita Saturday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf. Tonahutu took the lead from her inside post in the early strides, but Mucho Unusual strode past her down the stretch for the first time. The bay filly loped along through pedestrian splits, scampered further clear rounding the final bend and resolutely held off Maxim Rate late, while late-closing favorite Lady Prancealot did her best to close into the slow fractions, finishing third.

“My filly ran very sharp and she was really comfortable in the race,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez, who was earning his first Grade I triumph and his second graded race of the weekend following Big Runnuer (Stormy Atlantic)’s tally in Friday’s GII Eddie D S. “They let me go to the lead easily, so I took it, and then the rest of the race the filly did by herself. She’s a really nice filly. When I asked her to run at the stretch, she responded really well.”

Winning trainer Tim Yaketeen added, “This mare is unbelievable, her mother, Not Unusual is a great producer. It was great to get a Grade I win on the page for her. It’s very gratifying. She’s been such a hard-knocking filly. She’s been knocking on the door with Grade Is, so to pull this out is amazing. She’s very easy to train and very straightforward. She makes my job easy.”

Mucho Unusual, winner of last year’s GII San Clemente S. and second in the GI American Oaks, opened 2020 with third-place efforts in the Feb. 22 GII Buena Vista S. and May 25 GI Gamely S. Shipped east, she was eighth in the July 11 GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland and returned home to be third in the Aug. 15 Solana Beach S. going one mile over the Del Mar lawn last time out.

Pedigree Notes:

George Krikorian purchased Not Unusual for $67,000 as a yearling at the 2007 Barretts October sale. The mare, the dam of GIII Transylvania S. winner Big Score (Mr. Big), has a yearling filly by Mr. Big and a weanling colt by Kitten’s Joy. She was bred back to Uncle Mo.

Saturday, Santa Anita
RODEO DRIVE S.-GI, $300,500, Santa Anita, 9-26, 3yo/up, f/m,
1 1/4mT, 2:00.19, fm.
1–MUCHO UNUSUAL, 122, f, 4, by Mucho Macho Man
                1st Dam: Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat
                2nd Dam: Fly First Class, by General Meeting
                3rd Dam: Laura’s Jet, by Wajima
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($170,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-George
Krikorian; B-George Krikorian (CA); T-Tim Yakteen; J-Juan J.
Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-3-4, $702,715.
*1/2 to Big Score (Mr. Big), GSW & GISP, $684,342. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Maxim Rate, 122, f, 4, by Exchange Rate
                1st Dam: Catch My Eye, by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Sharp Eyes, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Gaelic Bird (Fr), by Gay Mecene
($130,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $235,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Slam
Dunk Racing and Branham, James D.; B-Fred W. Hertrich III &
John D. Fielding (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $60,000.
3–Lady Prancealot (Ire), 126, f, 4, by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
                1st Dam: Naqrah (Ire), by Haatef
                2nd Dam: Filfilah (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
                3rd Dam: El Rabab, by Roberto
(€9,500 Ylg ’17 TIRSEP). O-Medallion Racing, Parkland
Thoroughbreds, Craig & Josie Arntz, Donald Durando, Jules &
Michael Iavarone & Jerry McClanahan; B-Tallyho Stud (Ire);
T-Richard Baltas. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 2 1/4. Odds: 3.40, 2.90, 1.40.
Also Ran: Tonahutu (Ire), Pretty Point, Catch the Eye. Scratched: Bodhicitta (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Lady Prancealot Holds Slight Edge in Rodeo Drive

Saturday’s GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita offers the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7, and Lady Prancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) figures a slight favorite against six familiar faces.

Winner of the GI American Oaks over this course and distance last December, Lady Prancealot has done her California-based shuttle stallion proud this season, despite not having her picture taken. Fourth to the in-form Keeper Ofthe Stars (Midnight Lute) in the GII Buena Vista S. over a mile trip that is short of her best in February, she was fifth to that rival in the GI Gamely S. in May. A troubled fourth to Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the GI Yellow Ribbon H. at Del Mar Aug. 8, she finished fast to just miss in the GII John C. Mabee S. Sept. 5. Umberto Rispoli, who rode for the first time in the Mabee, has the return call.

Rispoli was just outfinished in the Del Mar jockeys’ premiership by Flavien Prat, and the Frenchman goes in search of his fourth win in five starts atop Bodhicitta. An allowance winner over a mile of this turf course Mar. 8, the chestnut attacked the line to be second in the Gamely and outfinished Tonahutu (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in the Yellow Ribbon. The latter has since added a handy allowance victory at the seaside Sept. 5.

The visiting Luis Saez picks up the mount on Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate), who was guided by Rispoli to an allowance defeat of Tonahutu at Del Mar July 10 ahead of a neck success in the CTT & TOC S. over 11 furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 16.

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