Weekend Lineup Presented By On Track Thoroughbred Solutions: Pegasus Preview Day Leads Into 2024

The final weekend of racing for 2023 kicks off on Saturday with a trio of graded stakes at Gulfstream Park. Christened Pegasus World Cup preview day, the card features traditional prep races for the seven-figure contests held in late January.

Perhaps the most interesting race on the card is the G2 Fort Lauderdale, held over nine furlongs on the turf course. Ten have entered the prep for the Pegasus Turf, with two each from the barns of trainers Mike Maker, Todd Pletcher, and Chad Brown.

Saturday's card at Santa Anita also offers two graded stakes, including the G2 Joe Hernandez featuring an overflow field of 13 going about 6 1/2 furlongs along the downhill turf course.

On Monday, the first day of the new year, freshly-turned 3-year-olds take center stage at both Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn.

Oaklawn's nine-strong Smarty Jones Stakes will award the winner 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, while the Mucho Macho Man drew eight young horses looking to make their first step on the Road to the Florida Derby.

Saturday

3:00 p.m. – Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita Park

Phil D'Amato's classy Irish-bred Balnikhov cuts back in distance and heads a field of 12 3-year-olds and up going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's one of a kind hillside turf course. A fast finishing third, beaten one length going a mile and one sixteenth over the Del Mar lawn in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap Nov. 25, Balnikhov, a two-time graded stakes winner on grass, will be trying the hillside course for the first time on Saturday and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who guided him to a narrow second place finish four starts back in the G2 Eddie Read Stakes on July 30.

Most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths going five furlongs on turf in Del Mar's Stormy Liberal Stakes Dec. 2, D'Amato's Irish-bred Turn On The Jets gives the stable a powerful one-two punch. A first condition allowance winner going five furlongs on turf in his U.S. debut nine starts back in August, 2022, this 4-year-old gelding was subsequently a close second and third in a pair of second condition hillside allowances here in October and November of 2022 and will thus be making his third career hillside appearance on Saturday.

Turn on the Jets, who can make or press the early lead if need-be, will be reunited with Juan Hernandez, who has won with him twice from six engagements.

Winless but close in his five Southern California starts, four of them stakes, Mark Glatt's Irish-bred I'm A Gambler has shown an affinity for the hillside course in his last start and rates a huge chance with Frankie Dettori taking over for the first time.

Joe Hernandez Entries

4:34 p.m. – Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Saffie Joseph trainee O'Connor enters the Harlan's Holiday off a career-best performance at Keeneland in the Fayette (G2). The Chilean-bred son of Boboman settled off the pace before kicking in late to prevail by a head in the 1 1/8-mile stakes. His encouraging effort under Tyler Gaffalione was his first victory since capturing his U.S. debut by eight lengths in October 2022.

Joseph is also scheduled to saddle Ny Traffic for the Harlan's Holiday. The multiple graded stakes-placed 6-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is a multiple-stakes winner at sprint distances, will stretch out around two turns for the first time in more than two years after coming off a year layoff with an optional claiming allowance win and a runner-up finish in the Hudson at Aqueduct.

Dubyuhnell will continue on the comeback trail for trainer Danny Gargan in the Harlan's Holiday, following a most encouraging optional claiming allowance victory Oct. 28 at Keeneland off a six-month layoff. The 3-year-old son of Good Magic, who hadn't run since finishing far back in the April 1 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream, was forwardly placed in the 1 1/8-mile race before taking the lead in the stretch and prevailing by a length over next-out winner Denington.

Harlan's Holiday Entries

5:04 p.m. – Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park

No trainer has had more starters in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) than defending champion Mike Maker's 10, and he'll have the chance to add to his total depending on how Red Run and Henley's Joy perform in Saturday's $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Henley's Joy is a 7-year-old millionaire that earned Grade 1 credentials in the 2019 Belmont Derby Invitational for Maker but hasn't visited the winner's circle since. He was moved to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen after finishing seventh to his stablemate in the 2020 Pegasus Turf, began 2022 in California with trainer Richard Baltas and was claimed back by Maker from another Hall of Famer, Mark Casse, for $62,500 in September. Henley's Joy was eased to finish last of 11 in a 1 5/16-mile optional claiming allowance Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs the day he changed barns, but bounced back to be third going 1 1/16 miles over Woodbine's all-weather surface Oct. 8, beaten 1 ¼ lengths, in his most recent start.

Red Run will break from Post 8 with Edgard Zayas aboard in his ninth start since being claimed by Maker for $50,000 out of a runner-up finish March 12 at Oaklawn Park. The 4-year-old son of Gun Runner exits the 1 1/8-mile River City (G3) at Churchill where he found early trouble and wound up eighth, beaten four lengths, over a turf course rated good.

Another two-time Pegasus Turf-winning trainer with a pair of Fort Lauderdale starters is Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. Grand Sonata, most recently fourth in the River City, has won two of three starts on the grass at Gulfstream – the one-mile Dania Beach and 1 1/16-mile Kitten's Joy (G3) in succession in 2022. Jerry the Nipper is a six-time stakes-placed 6-year-old gelding, all against fellow New York-breds, most recently overcoming a late stumble to be fifth by two lengths in the one-mile Artie Schiller Nov. 12 at Aqueduct.

Trainer Chad Brown, who won the inaugural Pegasus Turf with eventual 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, also entered two horses in Running Bee and Stone Age. Running Bee has put together two straight front-running wins though more than a year apart, returning from 13 months away with a 3 ¾-length optional claiming allowance triumph Nov. 17 at Aqueduct. Stone Age is a Group 3 winner in England that has made five previous North American starts, all in Grade 1 stakes, finishing third in the Belmont Derby and second in the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2022.

Fort Lauderdale Entries

Monday

4:36 p.m. – Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Inveigled has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight 2-year-olds following his eye-catching score at a mile three weeks ago. The Indiana-bred gelding stalked the early pace before making a three-wide move to the lead and drawing clear to win going away by 4 ¾ lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer Jane Cibelli may have reason to dream big for the gelded son of Enticed.

Otello is rated second on the morning line at 3-1 on the basis of a promising debut score at Aqueduct Nov. 4. The Christophe Clement-trained son of Curlin rallied from fifth to get up by a neck while going a one-turn mile.

First World War will make his stakes debut on dirt, following a strong runner-up finish in an optional claiming allowance over Churchill Downs main track Nov. 9. The Brendan Walsh-trained colt had run twice previously on turf, winning his debut at Kentucky Downs Sept. 13 and finishing a close-up fourth in the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland.

Boy Magic, undefeated in two starts, is slated to make his stakes debut in the Mucho Macho Man. The son of Good Magic won at first asking by 4 ¼ lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight race at Delaware Park Aug. 24 before coming back a month later at Pimlico to win an optional claiming allowance over Catahoula Moon, who won the Maryland Million Nursery in his next start.

No More Time enters the Mucho Macho Man off an impressive debut victory at the one-turn distance at Gulfstream Oct. 23. The Jose D'Angelo-trained son of Not This Time, who finished second in his debut, attended the pace on the backstretch before pulling away to a 6 ¾-length victory.

Sea Streak, who was a beaten-favorite second behind Inveigled Dec. 9, returns in the Mucho Macho Man. Prior to his Gulfstream debut, the Eddie Owens Jr.-trained son of Sea Wizard scored a 4 ¾-length maiden special weight victory at Aqueduct.

Mucho Macho Man Entries

5:14 p.m. – Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park

Lengthened from one mile to 1 1/16 miles since last season, the Smarty Jones offers 21 total points (10-5-3-2-1, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. Nine newly-turned 3-year-olds will take on this year's edition.

Just Steel exits a victory in the $225,500 Ed Brown Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs after two previous unsuccessful stakes starts in the G1 Hopeful at Saratoga and G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. A son of Triple Crown winner Justify, Just Steel is trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by BC Stables. He was a $500,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Catching Freedom, a $575,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase for Albaugh Family Stables, had an extremely troubled trip last out as the even-money favorite in a 1 1/16-mile Churchill Downs allowance race on Nov. 9 for trainer Brad Cox. Ridden that day by Florent Geroux, the Constitution colt rallied from well off the pace, but ran into traffic problems at the top of the stretch and was bottled up for most of the stretch, seemingly full of run but with nowhere to go.

Informed Patriot and Gettysburg Address finished third and fourth, respectively, in the G3 Street Sense Stakes run over a sloppy track Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs. Cox has elected to take blinkers off Gettysburg Address, another son of Constitution who showed speed in the Street Sense but faltered in the final quarter mile. The Hard Spun colt Informed Patriot, trained by Steve Asmussen, subsequently finished third in an allowance race at Churchill Downs Nov. 25.

Smarty Jones Entries

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Weekend Lineup: Holiday Feast Anchored By Santa Anita’s Opening Day

The penultimate weekend of racing for 2023 kicks off on Saturday with a pair of graded stakes at Gulfstream Park, Kentucky Derby and Oaks preps at Fair Grounds, and then continues on Tuesday with Santa Anita's traditional day-after-Christmas opening day featuring six graded stakes, including three Grade 1.

Sprinters are in the spotlight in South Florida, with a wide-open field of fillies and mares contesting the G3 Sugar Swirl at six furlongs, followed by the G3 Mr. Prospector Stakes, where Sibelius defends his title in a field of nine colts and geldings going seven panels. Gulfstream also attracted big fields for the Tropical Park Oaks and Tropical Park Derby scheduled over Gulfstream's new turf course.

There are no standouts in the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds, where six 2-year-old fillies will race a mile and 70 yards in quest of qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks (10-5-3-2-1 to the top five). The 1 1/16-mile Gun Runner Stakes, final event of a 12-race card featuring eight stakes at the New Orleans track on Saturday, attracted eight soon-to-be sophomore colts led by Brad Cox-trained Nash, a son of Medaglia d'Oro coming off a 10 1/4-length winning performance in a Churchill Downs maiden race in November that earned him a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. The top five in the Gun Runner will earn 10-5-3-2-1 points for the Kentucky Derby.

The final three Grade 1 stakes of the year highlight Santa Anita's opening day program, which offers a total of 11 races (including three Grade 2 stakes) and gets under way at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern.

Not surprisingly, trainer Bob Baffert holds a strong hand in the G1 Malibu for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs, with G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint pacesetter Speed Boat Beach leading his trio of entries, along with $3,550,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old purchase Hejazi, who returned from a seven-month hiatus to dominate an allowance field Nov. 3. Someone will walk away from the Malibu with G1 credentials to enhance their stallion resume.

The G1 La Brea, the companion race for 3-year-old fillies, looks to be wide open, with a field of 10 that includes just a single previous graded stakes winner, Richard Mandella-trained Ice Dancing, a daughter of Frosted who won the G3 Santa Ynez in January before going to the sidelines. In her comeback race in late October, Ice Dancing came up a half-length short, finishing second as a heavy favorite against older fillies and mares.

Santa Anita's other G1, the American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles on turf, similarly has just one previous graded winner, Anisette, most impressive last summer winning the G1 Del Mar Oaks. East Coast-based Be Your Best has been knocking on the door against top company for trainer Horacio De Paz, and she'll ship west to take on Anisette once again, having finished second to her at Del Mar.

Saturday

4:06 p.m. – Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Stakes at Gulfstream Park

After crisscrossing the country with stops in Kentucky, California, Oklahoma and Ohio, multiple stakes winner My Destiny is back home for what is expected to be her last race against a field of eight in the $125,000 Sugar Swirl.

Trained by owner Sam Wilensky's father, Herman, 6-year-old My Destiny will begin her new career as a broodmare in 2024, already booked to 2022 champion male sprinter Elite Power. She is enjoying her best season to date with four wins, two in stakes, from eight starts including a career-best performance to capture the six-furlong Flashy Lady Handicap by 5 ¼ lengths Sept. 24 at Remington Park.

Two-time defending Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. wheels Ed Seltzer's 7-year-old homebred mare Bluefield back just two weeks off a determined neck victory in the seven-furlong FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Joseph will also send out 4-year-old Intrepid Daydream, a recent private purchase by Miller Racing that has put together four consecutive wins including the six-furlong Shine Again and Politely and seven-furlong Maryland Million Distaff, all at Laurel Park. She arrived at Gulfstream Monday.

Sugar Swirl Entries

4:36 p.m. – Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Millionaire gelding Sibelius, who used his win last year as a springboard to Group 1 glory in Dubai, returns to make a title defense against a field of eight rivals in Saturday's $125,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Though winless in three tries since returning to North America, running fourth in the June 3 Aristides at Churchill Downs, seventh by 4 ¼ lengths in the July 29 Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar and fifth in the Phoenix Oct. 6, Sibelius will be racing at his home track for the first time since a 2 ¼-length triumph in the Mr. Prospector on New Year's Eve 2022.

At the opposite end of the gate is Holly Crest Farm's 3-year-old New Jersey homebred Great Navigator, never worse than third in nine career starts with three wins. He is twice graded-stakes placed, having run second in the 2022 Sanford (G3) at 2 and third in his most recent effort, the Oct. 1 Vosburgh (G2) at Aqueduct. Finishing ahead of him that day were Cody's Wish, back-to-back winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and a candidate for Horse of the Year, and three-time Grade 2-placed Accretive.

Grade 2 winner Howbeit and fellow multiple stakes-winning stablemate Winfromwithin, who have combined for 12 wins and $767,591 in purse earnings from 52 starts; 2022 Gallant Bob (G2) winner Scaramouche; Hurricane J, a front-running winner sprinting 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 19 at Gulfstream; Dreaming of Kona, promoted winner of Gulfstream's one-mile Mucho Macho Man Jan. 1; Grade 1-placed Gilmore and 2019 Rebel (G2) winner Long Range Toddy complete the field.

Mr. Prospector Entries

6:30 p.m. – Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds

Off a dominant win in his second career start, the Godolphin homebred Nash has been installed as 7-5 morning line favorite against seven rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes. Trained by Brad Cox, the son of Medaglia d'Oro sprinted on debut on October 7 at Keeneland. Nash sat a pocket trip and finished a clear second behind the gate to wire winner Booth. Stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for his follow-up start five weeks later at Churchill Downs, Nash went right to the lead and extended his margin of victory to the wire with every stride, romping up 10 ¼ lengths in front of his closest pursuer.

Catching Freedom, Cox's other Gun Runner entrant, also merits respect. Despite a compromised start and an extremely wide turn for home over a one-turn mile in his career debut at Churchill on October 1, the son of Constitution rolled home to win by 3 ¾ lengths.

Steve Asmussen, who trained Gun Runner for whom the race was named and won the inaugural edition with Epicenter, has two live runners in the race on Saturday.

It took Track Phantom three tries to break his maiden, but after finishing third then second over the one-turn mile at Churchill, he took his game to a new level in his first route try last time out. In a perfect pressing position early on, he took full command late on the backstretch and drew away to a convincing 4 ¾ length win.

Asmussen's other runner, the Gun Runner colt Risk It, is the class of the field. A dominant winner on August 19 at Saratoga first out of the box sprinting, Risk It stretched out to a one-turn mile for the Iroquois (G3) four weeks later at Churchill. Sent off as the 1.35-1 favorite, Risk It enjoyed a clear, stalking trip, but he could only manage second behind the 12-1 longshot West Saratoga. Stretched out to two-turns for the first time in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) last out, he was a bit rank early on and was forced to check repeatedly on the backstretch. He found clear sailing on the far turn, but finished a well-beaten fourth behind Honor Marie.

In addition to the $100,000 purse, the Gun Runner will offer 2-year-olds, soon to be three, 10-5-3-2-1 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby 150 presented by Woodford Reserve.

Gun Runner Entries

Tuesday

3:00 p.m. – Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita

French-bred Easter, fresh off one of the most impressive turf performances of the year in Southern California for trainer Phil D'Amato, looms a standout versus five rivals at a mile and one eighth on turf.

Turning for home in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles over the Del Mar turf Nov. 25, it appeared that D'Amato's top turf runner Hong Kong Harry had the race in-hand, but stablemate Easter pinned his ears under Antonio Fresu and powered to a half length victory while earning a lofty 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

With Fresu set to ride him back, Easter, a 5-year-old gelding who had won three of his nine stateside starts with Maryland-based Graham Motion prior to the Seabiscuit, will be seeking his third consecutive stakes victory on Tuesday.

San Gabriel Entries

4:00 p.m. – Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita

Anisette seeks the biggest win of her career as she heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going 1 1/4 miles on the grass course. Trained by Leonard Powell, Anisette's only previous try at the Oaks distance came two starts back in Santa Anita's G2 Rodeo Drive on Oct. 7, a race in which she finished a close second. With regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard, she cut back in distance to one mile on grass Nov. 5, finishing second by 3 ¼ lengths in the G3 Autumn Miss Stakes.

Trainer Horacio De Paz' Be Your Best is another who would prefer to have a fast pace to exploit in Tuesday's Oaks. In her first and only assignment versus male competition, she was last of 13 for most of the trip in the G2 Twilight Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf here Nov. 4 and came rolling on the far outside to finish eighth, beaten just 1 ¾ lengths under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who rides her back.

American Oaks Entries

4:30 p.m. – Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita

A three-time Group 1 stakes winner and favored in 10 out of his 12 starts in his native Argentina, John Sadler's Subsanador figures prominently as he makes his U.S. debut with Flavien Prat at the controls versus five rivals going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

Subsanador has been idle since winning a Group 2 stakes in Argentina on July 29, but he enters the San Antonio on the strength of a strong work tab that included four consecutive bullet moves. Subsanador's Argentine resume reads 12-7-1-1 with earning of $149,124.

Richard Mandella-trained Salesman was the runaway 8 ¼-length winner of the G2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes going the seldom-run distance of a mile and five eighths at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. Salesman, who earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure that day, seems to have found a new home on dirt as a 6-year-old gelding. Raced nearly exclusively on turf in France, Salesman was well beaten in his first two stateside assignments on grass with Mandella, finishing ninth in the G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita May 29 and 12th in the restricted Wickerr Stakes July 23 at Del Mar.

Switched to dirt at a mile and one sixteenth in the restricted Los Alamitos Special Sept. 17 he ran a much improved third, followed by his rollicking win on Nov. 4.

San Antonio Entries

5:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita

A stakes winner on both turf and dirt, versatile Speed Boat Beach heads a powerful three-horse contingent for trainer Bob Baffert. Second, beaten a head two starts back by top sprinter Dr. Schivel in the G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 30, Speed Boat Beach made all the early running in the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 4, but tired to finish fourth, beaten three lengths.

Baffert's other two entries are Fort Bragg, fresh off a facile 2 ¼ length allowance score at 4-5 going 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 17 at Del Mar, and Hejazi, off as the 8-5 favorite in a first condition allowance at six panels here on Nov. 3 and he blew the competition away, winning by 5 ½ lengths.

Always dangerous under any circumstances, eastern-based trainer Brad Cox will send out Giant Mischief, who will be ridden for the first time by Kazushi Kamura, who led all riders at Woodbine's recently concluded meet with 161 winners.

Malibu Entries

6:00 p.m. – Grade 2 Mathis Mile Stakes at Santa Anita

Phil D'Amato's hard-hitting English-bred Almendares retains the services of Flavien Prat and figures to be tough to deny among a field of seven sophomores going a mile on turf.

A 3-year-old gelding with a terrific stretch kick, Almendares rallied from far back to win going away by three quarters of a length in a one mile turf second condition allowance Dec. 3 at Del Mar—earning a career best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

A hard-charging fifth, beaten one length two starts back at 1 1/8 miles on turf in the G2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Nov. 4, Almendares finished well to be third, beaten one length three starts back in the G2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 3.

An authoritative 2 ¼-length one-mile maiden turf winner in his eighth career start Sept. 9 at Del Mar, the Jeff Mullins-trained Dandy Man Shines rallied for another 2 ¼-length one-mile turf win in the restricted Let It Ride Stakes on Nov. 10 and thus seeks his third win in a row with Umberto Rispoli at the controls on Tuesday.

Mathis Mile Entries

6:30 p.m. – Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita

Trainer Michael McCarthy's Clearly Unhinged rates top billing among 10 sophomore fillies going seven furlongs. Most recently sixth at 23-1 in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint here on Nov. 4, Clearly Unhinged, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief, was second two starts back in the G3 Chillingworth Stakes Sept. 29, and in the best race of her career three starts back, she was second, beaten a head going seven panels in the G1 Test at Saratoga on Aug. 5.

Two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Brad Cox appears well represented by lightly raced Howl, a daughter of Practical Joke who ships in from her Kentucky base unbeaten in two starts, her most recent triumph a one length score going seven furlongs in an ungraded stakes at Laurel Park Nov. 25.

La Brea Entries

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Weekend Lineup Presented by On Track Thoroughbred Solutions: Los Alamitos, Hong Kong In Spotlight

In one of the quietest weekends of the racing year for graded stakes in North America, Los Alamitos race course in Cypress, Calif., finds itself hosting the lone graded event, the Grade 2 Starlet for 2-year-old fillies – an important fixture that became a staple of the fall-winter meet at Hollywood Park starting in the early 1980s. The Starlet, along with the Hollywood Futurity – a corresponding race for 2-year-old males – was moved to Los Alamitos with the closure of Hollywood Park in 2013.

Just like the Futurity, the Los Alamitos version of the Starlet has been dominated by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won six consecutive renewals since 2017, giving him nine wins overall in the event. Baffert has won seven of the last nine runnings of the Futurity (scheduled at Los Alamitos next week) and 13 overall.

But while the Starlet is this week's lone graded stakes, there is stakes action throughout the country, including nine Louisiana Champions Day events for Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds on Saturday. The Gulfstream Park championship meet is in full swing with a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds of each sex on Saturday – the Pulpit and Wait a While to be run over the South Florida track's new turf course. Oaklawn's first Saturday of the 2023-'24 meet features the Mistletoe Stakes for fillies and mares and the Ring the Bell Stakes for 3 and up sprinters.  Turfway Park offers the My Charmer on Saturday and Tampa Bay Downs will have two FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for older runners. Canada's Woodbine is hosting a pair of Ontario-bred stakes on Saturday (La Prevoyante) and Sunday (Steady Growth).

Overseas, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is conducting its major quartet of Group 1 turf stakes on Sunday at Sha Tin, with first post for that card late Saturday night in the Eastern Time Zone of the U.S. An excellent lineup of horses from around the world  has converged on Hong Kong for that annual fixture.

Saturday

7:28 p.m. ET – Grade 2 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos

A half-dozen juvenile fillies have entered the Grade 2, $200,000 Starlet, and there is no standout in this group going 1 1/16 miles.

The aforementioned Bob Baffert has two strong chances, led by 9-5 morning line favorite Nothing Like You, bidding for her third consecutive victory after three unsuccessful attempts to break her maiden. The Malibu Moon filly is coming off a hard-fought nose victory in the ungraded Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 19. She will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.

The other Baffert, listed at 5-2 in the morning line, is the Uncle Mo filly Grazia, who won her debut at Del Mar Nov. 12 by 3 1/4 lengths as the odds-on favorite.  Flavien Prat has the call aboard Grazia.

The lone graded stakes winner in the group is Mark Glatt-trained Chatalas, a daughter of Gun Runner who went gate to wire to win the G2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita Oct. 7. She subsequently finished a troubled ninth behind Just F Y I in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies after being jostled hard at the start. Antonio Fresu rides.

Two maidens in the race, Richard Mandella-trained Flynn's Chance and Doug O'Neill-trained Pacific Rose,  have shown some ability in their previous races and have every right to improve. The final starter, Great Forty Eight, got it together in her fourth start for Tim Yakteen to exit the maiden ranks at Del Mar Nov. 12.

Starlet entries

Sunday

Night owls will find some familiar names in the four Group 1 events comprising the Hong Kong International Races from Sha Tin in a 10-race program that gets under way at 11:25 p.m. Eastern / 8:25 p.m. Pacific.

Aidan O'Brien is sending an especially solid contingent from Ballydoyle in Ireland, and several Japanese horsemen are taking advantage of the lucrative purses and international prestige of this premiere event. France, the United Kingdom and Singapore are also taking on a home team of Hong Kong-trained runners who are becoming increasingly stronger with each passing year. There are no U.S.-based horses competing this year.

Free past performances courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar: Turf Festival Draws Shippers Out West, Cigar Mile Card Lights Up East

East Coast shippers are prominent in this weekend's stakes action at Del Mar, featuring the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Saturday and the G1 Matriarch on Sunday as the track's Turf Festival wraps up the fall meeting. Nine are entered in the 3-year-old-restricted Hollywood Derby, while the Matriarch drew a field of 12.

Those stakes are supported by a pair of G3 turf races for 2-year-olds, the Jimmy Durante on Saturday and the Cecil Demille on Sunday.

On Saturday at Aqueduct, a quartet of graded stakes races are the highlight of a solid Cigar Mile (G2) card. Todd Fincher trainee Senor Buscador has shipped East to be the slight Cigar Mile favorite over 11 rivals. Included on the afternoon's card are two races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks: the Remsen and the Demoiselle, respectively.

Also on Saturday is the $1 million Claiming Crown, a series of races for former claiming horses which will be held at the Fair Grounds this year, as well as a pair of Florida Sires Stakes races at Gulfstream Park.

Saturday

3:45 p.m. – Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct

The Remsen, carded as Race 9, awards the top-five finishers with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points, respectively, towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.

Dornoch, full brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mage, will attempt to give trainer Danny Gargan a repeat victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen, a nine-furlong route for juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack. Dornoch arrives from a dominant 6 1/2-length victory at third asking with a gate-to-wire performance on October 14 at Keeneland, garnering an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. His graduation came on the heels of a close runner-up effort to Noted in the one-mile Sapling in August at Monmouth Park where he raced wide and was jostled near the seven-eighths mark.

Copper Tax [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] streaks in off five consecutive victories for conditioner Gary Capuano, most recently shipping out of Delaware Park for the first time to capture the six-furlong James F. Lewis, III on November 11 at Laurel Park. The son of Copper Bullet was bumped at the start and trailed farther off the pace than he had ever been in his six lifetime outings, but overcame the challenge to rally late and notch the neck score over Inveigled.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out two contenders in the regally-bred debut winner Sierra Leone [post 7, Jose Ortiz] and second-out maiden-winner Domestic Product [post 2, Manny Franco].

Sierra Leone made his highly anticipated debut on November 4 with a rallying 1 1/4-length score after bobbling at the start and racing five-wide in the stretch to sweep past Change of Command and complete the mile in 1:36.94. The son of Gun Runner was a $2.3 million purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love. This third dam, the multiple graded stakes-winner Roamin Rachel, also produced 2004 Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy.

Domestic Product was a winner at second asking on October 27 at Belmont at the Big A, taking a nine-furlong maiden tilt by 4 1/2 lengths with a prominent trip under Manny Franco. The son of Practical Joke improved greatly with a stretch-out after finishing fifth in a six-furlong sprint on debut in August at Saratoga.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will also be represented by a pair of contenders as Moonlight [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Private Desire [post 10, Jose Lezcano] each vie for their first stakes victory.

Moonlight enters from a closing runner-up effort over sloppy and sealed going in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Street Sense on October 29 at Churchill Downs where he made a bid from fourth down the stretch and came up 2 3/4 lengths shy of Liberal Arts. The son of Audible was making his stakes debut off a dominant second-out maiden conquest on September 28 at Belmont at the Big A when annexing a one-mile off-the-turf maiden by eight lengths and garnering a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Private Desire looks to rebound from an even fourth-place effort last out in the one-mile Nashua on November 5 where he raced greenly at the seven-eighths and was wide into the stretch. The son of Constitution boasts a field-best 94 Beyer for a second-out graduation sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on September 16 over the Big A main track. He finished fourth in a July 29 maiden at Saratoga where Dornoch also debuted and finished second.

Where's Chris [post 8, Isaac Castillo] will look to double up on stakes scores for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. after winning the one-mile Nashua by three-quarter lengths on November 5 here. The son of Twirling Candy stalked a half-length off pacesetting post-time favorite Book'em Danno in second before coming to even terms with his foe at the top of the lane. The pair drew off and dueled strongly down the stretch with Where's Chris coming out on top in a final time of 1:36.75.

Completing the field are Nashua third-place finisher Billal [post 6, Junior Alvarado], who races with blinkers off for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and maiden winners Drum Roll Please [post 5, Javier Castellano] for trainer Brad Cox and Le Dom Bro [post 1, Jose Gomez] for conditioner Eniel Cordero.

Remsen Entries

4:12 p.m. – Grade 2 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct

Senor Buscador will cut back sharply in distance as he headlines a talented 12-horse field in the $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap. Trained by Todd Fincher, Senor Buscador enters from a seventh-place effort in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 4 at Santa Anita Park. With Geovanni Franco up from post 8, Senor Buscador rallied from last-of-12 and well off the pace to finish 5 1/4-lengths back of the victorious White Abarrio.

Hoist the Gold [post 11, John Velazquez, 121 pounds] also arrives from an off-the-board effort at the Breeders' Cup where he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Sprint. Trained by Dallas Stewart, the 4-year-old Mineshaft colt left post 3-of-8 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the six-furlong sprint as Speed Boat Beach rocketed through splits of 21.99 seconds and 44.35, setting it up for the late kick of Elite Power to win by 1 1/2-lengths in a final time of 1:08.34.

Everso Mischievous [post 2, Cristian Torres, 119 pounds] boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 6-4-2-0 for purse earnings of $524,640, including an impressive score last out over returning rivals Dr Ardito and Accretive in the one-mile Grade 2 Forty Niner on October 28 for trainer Brad Cox.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have three chances to secure his third Cigar Mile win when sending out multiple graded stakes-placed Accretive [post 10, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 121 pounds], graded stakes-placed New York-bred Dr Ardito [post 5, Manny Franco, 119 pounds] and maiden winner Cascais [post 4, Jose Ortiz, 114 pounds].

West Virginia-homebred Coastal Mission [post 1, Arnaldo Bocachica, 119 pounds] enters on a six-race win streak, all at Charles Town, for trainer Jeff Runco. The 4-year-old Great Notion gelding has won 11-of-16 starts, including a trio of stakes wins at his Charles Town base led by an open-company score two starts back in the two-turn seven-furlong Russell Road on August 25 and the state-bred West Virgina Breeders' Classic going nine furlongs last out on October 14.

Breeders' Cup alumni Three Technique [post 7, Javier Castellano, 120 pounds] will look to get back to winning ways following an eighth-place finish in the Sprint for trainer Jason Cook.

Rounding out a talented field are graded stakes-winner High Oak [post 6, Luis Saez, 118 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; the multiple graded stakes-placed Pipeline [post 12, Jose Lezcano, 117 pounds] for conditioner Cherie DeVaux; stakes-winner Offaly Cool [post 8, Abner Adorno, 117 pounds] for trainer Jacinto Solis; and allowance winner Castle Chaos [post 9, Dylan Davis, 116 pounds] for trainer Robert Falcone, Jr.

Cigar Mile Entries

6:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar

The Hollywood Derby is the first of two Grade 1 races scheduled for this weekend at Del Mar and Brown has brought the G1 Saratoga Derby winner, Program Trading, out west. The English-bred colt won the first three races of his career before running second in the G3 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs in September.

Brown also will send out Redistricting, another English-bred, this one by Kingman. His lone venture into Grade I company ended in a forgettable seventh-place finish in the Belmont Derby in July. He rebounded with a win in an entry level allowance race three months later.

Charles Appleby will send out Silver Knott, a heartbreaking second in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf when he was nosed out by Victoria Rose. Appleby took the English-bred home for the winter and, following his 2023 debut in May, brought him back to the states.

Silver Knott has run four times since his return, but has yet to get back to the winner's circle. In his last, the G2 Twilight Agenda at Santa Anita, he finished second, a half a length behind the winner.

Webslinger comes out of the Mark Casse barn. He is an ultra-consistent son of Constitution who finished a nose behind Silver Knott in the Twilight Agenda. Of his 12 lifetime starts, he has won four wins, including the G2 American Turf on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. He finished in-the-money five other times, never more than two lengths behind the winner.

The local contingent is led by Seal Team, the impressive winner of the Twilight Agenda last out at Santa Anita on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

Others of note are Maltese Falcon, winner of the G3 La Jolla during the summer meet at Del Mar, and Reiquist, another nose back of Webslinger in fourth in the Twilight Agenda.

Hollywood Derby Entries

Sunday

6:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar

A dozen fillies and mares have signed on for the one-mile Matriarch on Del Mar's turf course, with trainer Chad Brown shipping in four for the race, including favorite Whitebeam. The winner of the G1 Diana two starts back, Whitebeam most recently finished fourth in the G1 First Lady at Keeneland.

Brown's other three entrants are multiple G2 winner Fluffy Socks, stakes winner Beaute Chachee, and multiple G3 winner Surge Capacity.

Second choice on the morning line is Michael McCarthy-trained Queen Goddess, winner of January's Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf and most recently second in the G2 Goldikova on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

Other top locally-trained entrants are Carla Gaines' Closing Remarks and Richard Mandella's Ruby Nell.

Matriarch Entries

The post Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar: Turf Festival Draws Shippers Out West, Cigar Mile Card Lights Up East appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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