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Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Back At Woodbine, Derby-Oaks Roads Begin At Churchill

Racing roads converge this Saturday. With a little over a month left before horses and their connections officially point to Santa Anita, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series returns to Woodbine Racetrack. Featured are three 'Win and You're In' chances, including the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, the prep seasons officially open for 2-year-old colts and fillies, who are seeking to bank points for next May's 150th editions of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks.

There is much to get to with Belmont at the Big A, Pimlico and Hastings, all carding graded races as well.

Appleby Looks to Repeat in Woodbine Mile

Last year, trainer Charlie Appleby sent MGISW Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to Toronto for the Woodbine Mile and the now-retired globetrotter with William Buick aboard brought home the prize en route to another win in the Breeders' Cup.

With a trip to the FanDuel GI Breeders' Cup Mile on the line, this time around the Godolphin conditioner ships in multiple-group winner Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was well-beaten last March on the World Cup undercard in the G1 Dubai Turf, but won the G2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile S. by four lengths at Ascot July 15.

“He has natural pace and travels well,” said Charlie Appleby. “The E.P. Taylor is a nice conventional track which suits him. It is a fair track with a nice straight that gives you a chance.”

The 5-year-old morning-line favorite will face five others, including MGSW War Bomber (Ire) (War Front), whose stalking trip led to a key victory in the Aug. 19 running of the GII King Edward S. That race saw 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Maker's Mark Mile hero Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) run fourth, which was the 6-year-old's first attempt since finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai Turf.

Also scheduled, trainer Mark Casse has almost half of the field looking for a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in the GI bet365 Summer S. Out of his entries, My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) was certainly eye-catching when he won against restricted company by 14 lengths in the Simcoe S. over the Tapeta at Woodbine Aug. 27. The gray upstart will do battle with Catch a Glimpse S. victor Airosa (Uncle Mo), who is looking to take on the boys.

The fillies will get their chance for a trip to Santa Anita and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Saturday in the GI Johnnie Walker Natalma S. Airosa could run in this spot, but it is an incredibly open race with Appleby's import Dazzling Star (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) present and the Christophe Clement-trained Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who broke her maiden by a neck Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

“We liked this horse from day one,” said Miguel Clement, son and assistant to the trainer. “She'd been working well on the grass, and we were actually quite confident in her. She's a gutsy little filly, with tactical speed and a turn of foot that makes her very dangerous.”

Switching to the Tapeta, Woodbine rounds out their graded races with the GIII Vigil S. Seven sprinters will try to derail the early speed of Patches O'Houlihan (Reload), who stepped up to win the GIII Bold Venture S. in Toronto Aug. 20.

The Roads Begins Where It Ends at Churchill

Less than nine months from now, the 150th GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks will be crowned. The roads start at Churchill Downs on Saturday as points of 10-5-3-2-1 will be distributed to the top five finishers.

For the colts, the GIII Iroquois S. includes Winchell Thoroughbred's Risk It (Gun Runner), who sprinted home a winner at first asking Aug. 19 at Saratoga for trainer Steve Asmussen. The morning-line favorite will try to outrun WinStar and Siena Farm's Gettysburg Address (Constitution), who won in his first career race for trainer Brad Cox at Ellis Park Aug. 6.

As for the fillies, their race is no-less competitive as nine will be sent on their way in the GIII Pocahontas S. V V's Dream (Mitole) makes her return to the races after garnering 'TDN Rising Star' honors when she debuted for Kenny McPeek back in mid-May at Churchill Downs. The gray filly was second in her last effort to the undefeated GISW Brightwork (Outwork) at Ellis July 2 in the Debutante S. Facing her will be a number of contenders on the make, including SW Hot Beach (Omaha Beach), Empire Island (Classic Empire) and Peignoir (Mendelssohn).

Rounding out the first Saturday of racing at Churchill's September meet is the GIII Locust Grove S. Out of these older females, the two-turn test welcomes back GISW and MGSW Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). The Stonestreet homebred will once again do battle with the likes of MGSW Search Results (Flatter) and GISW A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

Grade III Tests at BAQ, Pimlico and Hastings

Swinging up to Aqueduct for the BAQ meet that just opened, we find the final leg of the Turf Triple Series for the fillies in the GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational.

Charlie Appleby will look to make his presence felt here too when he sends out Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Last seen running third Aug. 20 at Deauville in the G2 Prix Alec Head S, she will match wits with Graham Motion trainee Speirling Beag (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was second by a nose at Laurel Park Aug. 13 in the Searching S.

Speaking of racing in Maryland, Pimlico's short September meet continues and featured on Saturday is the GIII Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup S., which includes MSP Smokin' T (War Front), GSP Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) and SW King Vega (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

Wrapping up the graded day of racing, Hastings Racecourse will put on the GIII British Columbia Derby. Morning-line favorite SW Sunbird (Orb) will look to rebound after the bay gelding ran fifth in the GIII Canadian Derby.

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After Skipping Shuvee, Secret Oath Returns In Personal Ensign

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Never shy about being a promoter, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas did not have to use his best pitch as he looked ahead to the GI Personal Ensign S. on Aug. 25 where he will saddle Secret Oath (Arrogate).

Always an important race that draws the top older dirt fillies and mares, the $500,000 Personal Ensign will once again have a strong lineup on Friday. Champion Nest (Curlin) and Clairiere (Curlin), who ran 1-2 in the GII Shuvee S. on July 23 are the obvious headliners. In addition to Secret Oath, the field could include Juddmonte's GII Delaware H. winner Idiomatic (Curlin). Three-time graded stakes winner Search Results (Flatter), the runner-up last year by a half-length to champion Malathaat (Curlin), was also nominated.

“This will be a Breeders' Cup prep. That's what this is,” Lukas said. “This may be the best race of the year up here.”

The field will be without one standout, Rigney Racing's Played Hard (Into Mischief). Trainer Phillip Bauer said Friday that she will skip the Personal Ensign. The GI La Troienne S. winner spiked a fever in July that caused her to miss the Shuvee, had a breeze interrupted when a rider on another horse was unseated and is not quite ready to return to top-caliber competition.

Lukas, 87, is anxious to run Secret Oath in the Personal Ensign. She opened her 4-year-old season with three strong races. She beat Clairiere by 2 3/4 lengths in the GII Azeri S., but Clairiere reversed the finish by a neck in the GI Apple Blossom H. Played Hard edged Secret Oath by a neck in the La Troienne.

In her fourth outing of the season, Secret Oath was a well-beaten fifth of six behind Clairiere and Search Results in the GI Ogden Phipps S. on June 10 at Belmont Park. Lukas said the filly's owners, Stacy and Robert Mitchell, wanted to pass on the Shuvee and have her ready for the Personal Ensign, the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. on Oct. 8 at Keeneland and the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Secret Oath, winner of the 2022 GI Kentucky Oaks, has been in Saratoga with Lukas throughout the meet and has breezed four times on the Oklahoma training track.

“She's doing everything right and working lights out,” he said. “But there's nothing like racing to keep them sharp.”

During the 76 days between starts, Lukas has made a point of giving her aggressive works. She turned in a bullet five furlongs in :59 flat (1/14) on Aug. 12 and will work again early Sunday morning. He was she was good, but laid back, so he is trying to tune her up.

“She has trained and put on weight and gotten a lot more relaxed mentally,” he said. “That kind of happens when you give them those long breaks. She's had an eight-week break, maybe even more, but she's really doing everything right. I'm hoping that she'll wake up.”

To that end, Lukas worked her five furlongs in 1:00.45 on Aug. 3, sent her out for a circuit of the track doing a two-minute lick on Aug. 7 and followed up with the bullet breeze. He will continue with that approach Sunday morning.

“I will let her work,” Lukas said. “They say, 'I just want a maintenance work.' I'll go :59, :58. That will be fine with me. I want a sharp one.”

Secret Oath was scheduled to be sold at auction last November, but Lukas encouraged the Mitchells to withdraw her and keep her in training this year. He argued that she could earn quite a lot of purse money and probably enhance her value. She has earned $576,350 this year, pushing her career total to $2,344,767 from 17 starts.

At Saratoga last summer, Nest easily handled Secret Oath in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and the GI Alabama S., which sent her to the 3-year-old filly Eclipse Award. Lukas said that Secret Oath has improved in the last 12 months.

“She's stronger and bigger and she should run better,” he said. “Let me put it this way, I think this race will be good for her, really good, but the next one will be a lot better. I really feel like once she gets this one under her belt, she will be really tough in the Spinster.”

Bauer said he had to scuttle the plan to run Played Hard in the Shuvee and the Personal Ensign.

“We decided after a five-eighths drill the week before that we had really lost too much fitness with the time that she got sick,” he said. “We went back and forth on it, but basically landed on, if we're going to take on this type we better not have any reservations about it. We're just going to turn the page to the [Sept. 16 GIII] Locust Grove, which she won last year at Churchill. She's probably a work away from the Personal Ensign, which we may have achieved if the first work off the time off would have gone to plan. Everything kind of blew up on us for both of the races up here.”

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Played Hard and Bauer, Work Towards Shuvee

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Clairiere (Curlin) and Nest (Curlin) are in the spotlight, attracting most of the attention in the runup to the GII Shuvee S. on Sunday, Played Hard (Into Mischief) is, well, lurking.

Stonestreet Stable's Clairiere has won consecutive Grade Is to climb to the top of the older dirt filly division. Nest, last year's 3-year-old filly champ co-owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, will make her first start of 2023. Meanwhile, Played Hard, trained by Phillip Bauer for Rigney Racing, has been building a solid resume. She gave her connections their first Grade I victory in the La Troienne on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs and has finished in the top three in her last 10 starts, six of them graded stakes.

Bauer said that Played Hard has established herself as a very capable and consistent runner while accumulating $1,480140 in purse earnings.

“I think she needs to be recognized as part of the equation this year in that division. However, it's, a tough division,” he said. “I'm sure with the years that they've had, Clairiere currently, and Nest last year, they deserve some respect and obviously some recognition.

But we're excited the way our filly is training and we've kind of mapped out a plan. So we just kind of put our blinkers on and whoever is in it, go to battle with them and see where we stack up at the end of the year. The main goal is the Breeders' Cup. How we get there is probably going to be different than some of the others, but the Shuvee is the first step.”

Played Hard | Mike Kane

With both trainer and owners from Louisville, the 38-year-old Bauer has trained for Richard and Tammy Rigney since 2013. The Rigneys topped the owner's table at the 2022 Churchill Downs Spring Meet and had a spectacular Saratoga season, winning six of 13 starts. Played Hard delivered one of the Saratoga victories and has been in graded company since, finishing first in three of five starts. In the oh-so-important La Troienne victory she held off Secret Oath (Arrogate) by a neck.

“To me, she showed maturity,” Bauer said. “She's really figured the game out. Early on, it almost looked like she wanted to get rank in her races and stuff like that. She still likes to show pace, but it's some maturity, that I think has helped her and then, obviously, just the desire to win.”

Bauer smiled at the suggestion that the sixth win of her 16-race career was something of a coming out party.

“I would have to think so,” he said. “She showed up and danced her dance.”

In her next start, Played Hard ran third to Clairiere and Search Results (Flatter) in the GI Ogden Phipps on June 10. With hindsight, Bauer said he regrets the decision to leave Louisville with the questions swirling about safety issues at Churchill Downs and ship the 5-year-old mare to New York.

“I think maybe a little trainer error on my part going up to the Ogden Phipps,” he said. “We changed gears with everything that went on at Churchill. I don't necessarily think that it was the filly, I think it was more so a mistake that I made.

“We originally were targeting the (GII, July 1) Fleur de Lis, so we kind of changed course. Obviously, the Grade I was appealing, too. The fact we had one if you could get two you really enhanced your odds of winning an Eclipse Award.

Played Hard was forwardly placed by John Velazquez, but finished three lengths behind Clairiere in the one-turn Phipps at Belmont Park.

“We told ourselves, we're not going to regret our decisions,” Bauer said. “She still got third in a Grade I. As far as a page for her when she becomes a broodmare, it doesn't hurt.”

Played Hard has breezed three times since the Ogden Phipps, including a bullet five furlongs on July 7 at Churchill Downs. She worked a half-mile at Saratoga on Saturday.

Played Hard and Phil Bauer last summer at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew

“It'll be interesting to see who else goes in there, how the race sets up,” Bauer said. “I anticipate us being part of the mix early. If nobody else is in there maybe it will aid our chances. She loves it up here. She's won a couple of races and we're excited to be back and try again.”

Bauer and the Rigneys have been racing at Saratoga since 2016. They had a productive summer in 2021 with a 3-5-2 record from 21 starts. Last year, they had a remarkable run.

“We were very fortunate,” Bauer said. “It seemed like every time you opened the condition book, there was a race exactly where you wanted it all the way from maiden claimings to two-other-thans. Everything just fit like a glove. We didn't miss a beat and I think that was part of the reason for some of the success.”

Bauer said he and his owners understand what they have known all along, that it's tough to win at Saratoga.

“We're kind of making sure we realize that coming into this meet,” he said. “You don't come up here expecting to win that many. We want to come up, be competitive and leave here proud of what our horses have accomplished, whether it's wins or not.

You want to lead them over there to run their best race. And if they do it up here, sometimes it's not good enough.”

Bauer brought 14 Rigney horses to Saratoga this year, a couple more than in past seasons. Played Hard is the star of the stable and in the Shuvee faces the tough task of facing Clairiere and Nest, two horses Bauer admires.

“Just phenomenal horses that if you ever run across those kind you're lucky to have,” he said. “Played Hard is the best horse I've ever hung a bridle on. It's exciting to be in the mix. That's what we all strive for in this game, to reach that level and have horses like that. I'm obviously a fan of what those fillies and mares have done and at the same time, hope to beat them.”

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Clairiere Goes Back-To-Back In the Phipps

ELMONT, NY – Stonestreet homebred Clairiere (Curlin) successfully defended her title with a late surge to nail Search Results (Flatter) in dramatic fashion by a half-length in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park. Played Hard (Into Mischief) finished third.

Clairiere joins Take D' Tour (2006-07), Sightseek (2003-04) and Heatherten (1984-85) as back-to-back winners of the prestigious 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

“I'm unbelievably proud of her,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen after registering his fourth Phipps victory in five years. “What a special mare. For her to continue to win races on this level is just incredible. She's always been top class and if anything, she's better than she's ever been. To continue winning is the goal with her, but we know where we're aimed at with the Breeders' Cup [Distaff on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita] as her year-end target.”

Favored at 8-5, Clairiere was content to caboose the field of six as hopeless longshot Gamestonks (Blofeld) showed the way with last-out GI La Troienne S. winner Played Hard and 2-1 second-choice Search Results, third in this race last year, in hot pursuit through very easy early fractions of :24.32 and :48.63 in the 1 1/16-mile affair.

With Gamestonks dropping back sharply, Joel Rosario began to get busy aboard Clairiere approaching the quarter pole as the 2021 GI Acorn S. winner and unlucky GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Search Results loomed boldly alongside Played Hard.

Search Results looked like a winner close to home, but Clairiere was just getting warmed up. The 5-year-old was produced down the center by Rosario and got there for a well-timed fourth career victory at the top level.

“I was very confident,” Rosario said. “However, you never know. It looked like a second a horse got away from me, but she [Clairiere] was able to put it all together and come with the run that she always does to get it done. She's very special. She really goes out there and does her job. Not many come that way.”

Clairiere's stacked resume also includes wins in the 2021 GI Cotillion S. and the GI Apple Blossom H. last time out Apr. 15. She was unlucky in both of her prior attempts at the Championships, finishing a close fourth after an impossibly wide trip in the 2021 renewal, and was third, beaten just a head, in Lexington last fall.

Pedigree Notes:

Clairiere, the second graded winner on the GI Belmont S. program following champion Elite Power's heroics in the GII True North S., is one of 20 Grade I winners for leading sire Curlin. Broodmare sire Bernardini is responsible for 15 Grade I winners. The Curlin over Bernardini cross is also responsible for GISW Paris Lights.

Clairiere is the first foal out of three-time GISW Cavorting, who won this same race in 2016. She was purchased as a weanling by Stonestreet for $360,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November sale.

Cavorting's next foal is stakes winner La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro). She has an unraced 3-year-old colt by Curlin named Judge Miller ($550,000 KEESEP purchase by Muir Hut Stables) and, without foals in 2021 and 2022, she produced a colt by Curlin this year.

“I am very proud, and, of course her mother [Cavorting] won this race, too,” Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables said. “It's been a family tradition. She does have a late kick and Joel [Rosario] left it just enough to give me a slight coronary condition, but she made it through. We're trying [to win an Eclipse Award]. We were close last year, really close. But maybe this year we'll do it.”

Saturday, Belmont
OGDEN PHIPPS S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont, 6-10, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.40, ft.
1–CLAIRIERE, 124, m, 5, by Curlin
               1st Dam: Cavorting (MGISW, $2,063,000), by Bernardini
               2nd Dam: Promenade Girl, by Carson City
               3rd Dam: Promenade Colony, by Pleasant Colony
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario.
$275,000. Lifetime Record: 19-8-5-3, $3,106,392. *1/2 to La
Crete (Medaglia d'Oro), SW, $159,460.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Search Results, 122, m, 5, by Flatter
               1st Dam: Co Cola (GSP), by Candy Ride (Arg)
               2nd Dam: Yong Musician, by Yonaguska
               3rd Dam: Alljazz, by Stop the Music
($310,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Played Hard, 124, m, 5, by Into Mischief
               1st Dam: Well Lived, by Tiznow
               2nd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
               3rd Dam: Trithenia, by Gold Meridian
($280,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Rigney Racing, LLC; B-Susan
Casner (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer. $60,000.
Margins: HF, 2HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 1.75, 2.25, 4.50.
Also Ran: Pass the Champagne, Secret Oath, Gamestonks.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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