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Weekend Lineup: Grade 1 Turf Action From Woodbine, Keeneland

A pair of Grade 1 turf races highlight this weekend's racing action.

Races in this weekend's rundown are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). Full previews, when available, can be found through the link for each race.

TVG will feature racing from Keeneland, Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Woodbine 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.

“America's Day at the Races” will be broadcasting live from Belmont Park on Saturday, Oct. 16 on FS2 from 12:30 – 3:30 pm. America's Day at the Races will also provide coverage of British Champions Day on FS2 from 8:00 – 11:30 am. On Sunday, “America's Day at the Races” will broadcast from Belmont Park on FS2 from 12:30 – 5:30 pm.

Friday, Oct. 15

5:16 PM ET – $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland on TVG

Stonestreet Stables' Campanelle (IRE), a two-time Group 1 winner in Europe, heads a field of 12 fillies and mares entered for Friday's 25th running of the $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (Grade 3) going 5½ furlongs on the turf. Trained by Wesley Ward, Campanelle will be making her first start since being unplaced in the Prix de Maurice de Gheest (G1) at Deauville in August. Joel Rosario will have the mount Friday and exit post position four. Also figuring to attract interest are the 1-2 finishers from last month's Mint Ladies Sprint (G3) at Kentucky Downs: In Good Spirits and Catch a Bid.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE101521USA9-EQB.html

Saturday, Oct. 16

3:15 PM ET – $200,000 Sands Point Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park on FS2

Fluffy Socks and Higher Truth (IRE) give trainer Chad Brown two chances to win his fourth Sands Point in the past five years when the duo faces six other 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 2T Sands Point. Fluffy Socks is winless in 2021 but has placed in two graded stakes, including a third in the Grade 1T Del Mar Oaks in her most recent start. Higher Truth has made each of her six career starts this year, including two wins and two stakes placings over the Belmont turf. Trainer Graham Motion has Harajuku (IRE) entered. The Deep Impact (JPN) filly made her U.S. debut in last month's Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes at Belmont, finishing third after an awkward start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL101621USA6-EQB.html

4:44 PM ET – $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup presented by Dixiana (G1T) at Keeneland on TVG

Klaravich Stables' two-time graded stakes winner Technical Analysis (IRE) and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Robert LaPenta's Shantisara (IRE) headline a field of 10 3-year-old fillies entered for the 38th running of the Grade 1T Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. Chad Brown trains both Technical Analysis and Shantisara. Flippant, a Tapit filly trained by Vicki Oliver, is on a three-race winning streak, with two of those being stakes wins. Empress Josephine (IRE) finished third last out for trainer Aidan O'Brien when she faced older fillies and mares in the Grade 1T First Lady Stakes at Keeneland.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE101621USA8-EQB.html

Sunday, Oct. 17

4:37 PM ET – $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine on TVG

Ten fillies and mares, including Christophe Clement trainees La Dragontea (GB) and Mutamakina (GB), will vie for top honors in the Grade 1 $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, a 1 ¼-mile turf test for fillies & mares. A 4-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega, La Dragontea will make her second straight start at Woodbine. The dark bay took the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes on September 18, fending off a stiff challenge in the stretch to win the 1 1/8-mile turf race by a length over Court Return. It was the fourth win from 12 starts for the Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen-owned mare. Mutamakina, a 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel-Joshua's Princess, also comes into the E.P. Taylor off a winning effort at Woodbine. The race is named after the late Canadian industrialist E.P. Taylor, owner of famed Windfields Farm in Ontario and Maryland.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO101721CAN8-EQB.html

5:44 PM ET – $250,000 Nearctic Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine on TVG

Ten starters chase the top prize in the Grade 2 $250,000 Nearctic Stakes, a six-furlong grass engagement for three-year-olds and upward. Town Cruise (ON) has won three of four 2021 starts for trainer Brandon Greer, including an upset win in the Grade 1 Richoh Woodbine Mile Stakes in September. Olympic Runner won the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes over this course in August and finished unplaced in the Woodbine Mile for trainer Mark Casse.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO101721CAN10-EQB.html

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Friday Insights: $1.25M Quality Road Unveiled at Santa Anita

2nd-SAX, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:31 p.m.
Kaleem Shah's THALES (Quality Road) gets his start for Simon Callaghan Friday. The half to SW and MGISP Standard Deviation (Curlin), who sold for $240,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, realized a $1.25 million final bid following a :20.3 quarter at the OBS Spring sale last season. The ridgling was the highest-priced colt and the second highest priced offspring by the Lane's End stallion last term. Pegram, Watson & Weitman's Essential Wager (Honor Code) also represents a sale's coup for his sire. One of three Bob Baffert trainees in this seven-furlong test, the son of GSP Mr Hall's Opus (Officer) brought $300,000 at the OBS Spring, the second highest-priced offspring by his sire in 2020. Baffert is also represented by $360,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling buy Miacomet (Flatter) and Vetoed (Bayern). TJCIS PPs

5th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 6:05 p.m.
Magnier, Tabor, Smith et al's BALLET DANCING (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her career bow in this test for conditioner Simon Callaghan. The $800,000 KEEESEP purchase is out of GSP Fully Living (Unbridled's Song), who is out of a half-sister to Champion juvenile filly Halfbridled (Unbridled). Don Alberto's Magical Sign (Gun Runner) kicks off for trainer Mike McCarthy. A half to MGSP Moraz (Empire Maker), the filly is a granddaughter of Macoumba (Mr. Prospector), the dam of the late leading sire Malibu Moon. TJCIS PPs

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Second Chances: Promising War Front Colt Returns at Santa Anita Friday

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

After finishing a well-beaten third behind potential GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite Corniche (Quality Road) sprinting on debut at Del Mar Sept. 4 (video), the promising War At Sea (c, 2, War Front–Serene Melody, by Street Cry {Ire}) stretches to two turns at Santa Anita Friday.

Off at 24-1 in his unveiling for the patient Ron Ellis barn, War At Sea chased from an inside fifth as Corniche threw it down through an opening quarter in :21.72 in a stretched-out field of 10. With the subsequent unbeaten GI American Pharoah S. winner in a race of his own turning for home and on his way to 'TDN Rising Stardom,' War At Sea continued on down the lane to pick up the show slot, eight lengths adrift the $1.5-million OBS April topper. War At Sea earned a very solid 78 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“Obviously, the horse that beat him is one of the top 2-year-olds in the country and might even be favored in the Breeders' Cup, so he got beat by a good one,” Ellis said.

“I was very impressed with the way he ran. He had trained like he's a really good horse and I think the more distance, the better for him. He's not really a sprinter and I knew that first time out, but he showed a little bit more than I thought he would at 5 1/2 [furlongs].”

War At Sea has breezed five times since his debut, including a four-furlong drill in :47 4/5 (9/46) in Arcadia Oct. 11. He's listed at odds of 4-1 on the morning-line while facing nine rivals going a mile at Santa Anita Friday.

“Because I wasn't expecting much from him as a sprinter, I didn't wind him up real tight for that first start,” Ellis said. “We've tightened the screws just a little bit–I got him geared to improve with each race. We've got long-term goals with him. He probably was only 85% first out and he's probably at 90% now. After this race, he should be at a 100%. Just trying to have him get a little better with each race.”

Produced by a stakes-winning daughter of the brilliant Serena's Song (Rahy), War At Sea, bred in Kentucky by Lewis Thoroughbred Breeding, brought $525,000 from Doubledown Stables, Inc. after powering through an eighth in :10 from the Eddie Woods consignment at OBS March earlier this year. This is the female family of Grade/Group 1 winners Sophisticat (Storm Cat), Honor Code (A.P. Indy), et al. The War Front/Street Cry cross is also responsible for MGSW War Decree.

“I was very surprised that a horse of his size and pedigree to go farther could do that [go in :10 flat],” Ellis said. “I loved him at the sale.”

“The War Front colt was very backward as a yearling,” Woods said earlier this spring. “They didn't feel like he was going to bring what he should [as a yearling], so we were very lucky to get him from Mr. Lewis. He's trained beautifully all year. He's gotten better and better as we've gone along. We've always thought he was a serious horse.”

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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Five Competitive Races Comprise Friday’s Stronach 5 Wager

Five competitive and interesting races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park will comprise Friday's Stronach 5.

The coast-to-coast action begins at approximately 4:27 ET and features a low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5 begins in Maryland with Laurel's eighth race, an allowance event on the turf for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 mile. Follow the Flag, a 3-year-old filly by Tapit out of the Grade 1 winning mare, Mushka, returns after a six-month layoff for trainer Michael Matz. Runaway Monet, who broke her maiden by 9 ¾ last time out for trainer Rodney Jenkins, hopes to try the turf for the first time after having three previous starts on the grass moved to the main track.

Next up is Gulfstream's eighth race, an allowance optional claimer at six furlongs for state breds with a dozen entered including Vinnie Van Go, who has been claimed in seven of his last eight starts. The gelding will be saddled Friday by Saffie Joseph Jr. Vinnie Van Go is one of six horses in the race claimed from its previous start. Katie's Cowboy goes out first time for Kent Sweezey, Frenchmen Street for Elizabeth Dobles and Gangly for Jose D'Angelo.

The third leg of the sequence returns to Laurel and its ninth race, a maiden claiming events at six furlongs for 2-year-olds. Bust'em Kurt is the 7-5 favorite for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez after a pair of seconds against maiden special weight company. Divining Stone, a son of Divining Rod, makes his debut for Arnaud Delacour as does Off Course, a son of Speightster, for Jeremiah O'Dwyer.

The Stronach 5 heads west for the final two legs of the sequence. Santa Anita's third race, a claiming event for fillies and mares at six furlongs on the turf, has a field of nine including Mind Meld, making his third start off the layoff for trainer Mike Puype and dropping from $50,000 claiming company. Sweet Devil gets blinkers for trainer Michael McCarthy. Miss Tokyo makes her first start since June of 2020 for Leonard Powell. Acai has placed in two of three starts across the dirt for Doug O'Neill, and New Drama has done the same for Tim Yakteen.

Santa Anita's fourth race concludes the Stronach 5 with maidens 3-years-old and up going six furlongs on the main track. Sir Flatter draws the rail after closing strongly for second money last time out at Los Alamitos. The full field may have to catch Try to Capture, who runs on or close to the pace in his first two starts for trainer Peter Miller. Fenestra returns to the races off a 16-month layoff for trainer Vladimir Cerin. Fenestra, a son of Street Sense, is out of the graded stakes-placed mare Curlina.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One –Laurel Race 8: (10 entries, 1 1/8-mile furlongs turf) 4 :27 ET, 1:27 PT
Leg Two –Gulfstream Race 8: (12 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:38 ET, 1:38 PT
Leg Three –Laurel Race 9: (10 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:59 ET, 1:59 PT
Leg Four –Santa Anita Race 3: (9 entries, 6 furlongs turf) 5:05 ET, 2:05 PT
Leg Five –Santa Anita Race 4: (13 entries, 6 furlongs) 5:35 ET, 5:35 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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