Weekend Lineup Presented by BetMakers: Holiday Weekend Signals Summer (Almost) Here

Summer doesn't officially begin until June 21 but the Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to horse racing's most popular season. This weekend's graded stakes action gets under way on Saturday at Belmont Park with the Grade 3 Soaring Softly Stakes and winds up on Monday with a trio of Grade 1 races at Santa Anita, including the first domestic Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series race, the Shoemaker Mile.

Horseplayers should note that Belmont's Saturday card begins with a $43,523 carryover in the track's non-jackpot Pick 6 and that Monday's Santa Anita card will feature a mandatory payout that rolled into Saturday with a jackpot of $485,398. If no one holds the single winning ticket on Saturday or Sunday's races, Monday's Pick 6 pool at Santa Anita is expected to exceed $5 million.

In addition to Belmont and Santa Anita stakes, there are some other races you won't want to miss.

On Sunday, Canadian champion Mighty Heart, now 5, returns to the track where his biggest wins have occurred, going postward against five others in the G2 Stella Artois Eclipse Stakes on Woodbine's Tapeta surface.

At Churchill Downs on Monday, hard-driving Sconsin bids for a repeat of her 2021 victory in the G3 Winning Colors Stakes for filly and mare sprinters racing six furlongs.

The holiday weekend graded stakes action comes to a close on Monday evening at Lone Star Park in Texas when West Coast invader Shaaz will try to pick up his first stakes success in the G3 Steve Sexton Mile for older runners on the main track. A 9-year-old fan favorite, Rated R Superstar, winner of 11 races from 60 starts and nearly $1.6 million, will try to show that he's still competitive at this level.

Here's a quick look at all of this weekend's North American graded stakes:

Saturday

5:12 p.m. – Grade 3 Soaring Softly Stakes at Belmont Park

Many New York turf stakes seem to come down to a multiple choice: a) Chad Brown b) Christophe Clement c) someone else. This one appears to be no exception, with Brown saddling morning line favorite Haughty and Clement sending out a pair, including second choice Derrynane. Haughty was a close third to Pizza Bianca in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November and is making her 2022 debut. Derrynane ran a good fourth in the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and has the benefit of a race under her belt this spring at Keeneland. But contention runs deep in the field with Wesley Ward-trained Irish-bred Chardy Party coming off a debut win at Keeneland and Bill Mott-trained Wonka shortening up to seven furlongs after a sharp score going two turns at Gulfstream Park.

Soaring Softly Entries

Sunday

4:27 p.m. – Grade 2 Stella Artois Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine

Two-time Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart, the 2020 Queen's Plate winner, tired in his 2022 debut in the G3 Ben Ali at Keeneland but the one-eyed wonder should be much tighter today for Josie Carroll. Frosted Over missed the Canadian Triple Crown last year but finished his season strong for Mark Casse and faces a stiffer task now that he's facing seasoned older runners. Special Forces fits the latter category and is 5-for-12 on Woodbine's Tapeta track with 11 in the money performances. If the pace is hot, Riptide Rock can be counted on for a strong finish.

Eclipse Entries

5:04 p.m. – Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita

Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale has half of the six entries, but favoritism is likely to fall between Dan Blacker-trained California-bred Burnin Turf, who is making his stakes debut, and John Sadler-trained French-bred Bran. Burnin Turf is 2-for-2 on the tricky downhill turf course in his last two starts and a win here gives him a “horse for the course” label. Bran just shipped to Churchill Downs where he finished second in the G2 Turf Sprint on Kentucky Oaks day. He's run down the hill twice but wasn't able to win either. Majestic Eagle, coming off an off-the-board performance in the 1 ¼-mile G2 Whittingham, may be the best of the Drysdale trio, but a 4-for-36 record doesn't inspire confidence.

Daytona Entries

5:36 p.m. – Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita

Brickyard Ride is 4-5 on the morning line in this field of six and there's no secret about what the Craig Lewis runner's tactics will be. He's been in front after a quarter mile in his last 11 races and he's won seven of them.  He draws well starting from the four post and will be tough to run down. Elector is the newcomer to this field, having only run three times and making his stakes debut for John Sadler after a couple of wins against lesser.

Triple Bend Entries

7:15 p.m. – Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita

The 90 Beyer Speed Figure in Cairo Memories' last race, a 4 ½-length wire to wire win in the G3 Providencia Stakes, jumps off the Daily Racing Form page. She got away with a slow pace and dominated, but there's not much early foot in this lineup to keep her from repeating for trainer Bob Hess. Island of Love exits a sharp win in the G3 Senorita and could prompt the pace from the rail. A sleeper in the race might be Fuente Ovejuna, an English-bred from Leonard Powell's stable who has had trouble in all three of her U.S. starts.

Honeymoon Entries

Monday

4:22 p.m. – Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs

While multiple graded stakes winner Sconsin is the class of the field and boasts a strong record over the Churchill Downs main track for trainer Greg Foley, she is making her first start since Sept. 18. It's worth noting that her return from a layoff just over a year ago resulted in an uncharacteristically poor performance in the G1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland. Novel Squall, from the John Ortiz stable, appears to be the “now” horse and has an improving trend in her Beyer Speed Figures. Her last, a 9 ½-length victory over a four-horse allowance/optional claiming field at Keeneland, was her best yet, getting a 90 Beyer. Li'l Tootsie has won 2-of-3 at Churchill Downs and can't be ignored.

Winning Colors Entries

5:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita

The 2022 edition of the Hollywood Gold Cup – a race that dates back to Seabiscuit's victory in the 1938 inaugural running at defunct Hollywood Park – will not be remembered as one of its most memorable ones in terms of quality of field. California's dirt division for older runners is depleted. Ed Moger Jr.-trained Stilleto Boy is an improving sort but Royal Ship nearly won this race last year and showed in his comeback race last month that he is back on his game for Richard Mandella.  Two temporarily displaced Bob Baffert horses, Spielberg and Defunded, will be saddled by Sean McCarthy and could pop up with a big effort.

Hollywood Gold Cup Entries

6:00 p.m. – Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita

Though he always tries, Smooth Like Strait came up on the short end of the stick six out of seven times last year, with one win and five seconds and a third from seven starts. He started out 2022 on a similar note, finishing third, beaten a neck, in the G1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. Still, the Michael McCarthy runner towers over this field and gets the services of Flavien Prat, who hasn't ridden the son of Midnight Lute since his debut in August 2019. The Shoemaker Mile winner receives a guaranteed fees-paid berth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile, a race Smooth Like Strait finished second in behind Space Blues last November.

Shoemaker Mile Entries

8:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita

Going Global is unbeaten in five starts on the Santa Anita turf and she's shown that 1 1/8 miles is well within her scope. Flavien Prat travels west to ride her, but this is not an easy spot. Going to Vegas has developed into a top mare, as has Neige Blanche. And give trainer Mike Puype credit for finding a niche for Canoodling, who spent most of 2021 racing in New Mexico where there are no turf courses. She has found a home on the lawn in her last three starts since returning to California and may try to steal the Gamely on the front end.

Gamely Stakes Entries

8:35 p.m. – Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes at Lone Star Park

Elector, one of two West Coast horses entered in the Steve Sexton Mile, will not be making the trip, opting instead for a race at Santa Anita. That leaves Shaaz as the morning line favorite for Sean McCarthy, who is temporarily training Bob Baffert's string while the latter is suspended. Shaaz was a $1.1 million 2-year-old purchase but obviously had a physical setback before debuting as a 3-year-old in December 2021. With Florent Geroux riding, Shaaz will be forwardly placed from the outset, but the Uncle Mo colt looks like a vulnerable favorite. Mish, the second choice, is on a roll for Saffie Joseph Jr., and will be hard to reel in.

Steve Sexton Entries

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Preakness The Epicenter Of Attention

Even if the connections of Grade 1 Kentucky Derby 80-1 longshot winner Rich Strike hadn't opted out of Saturday's 147th running of the G1 Preakness Stakes, Derby runner-up Epicenter was destined to be favored in the Triple Crown's middle jewel, to be run over 1 3/16 miles at what is expected to be a steamy Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

As jockey Joel Rosario said when he jumped off the Not This Time colt after losing by three-quarters of a length to the late-running Rich Strike, “We ran too good to get beat.”

The Steve Asmussen-trained Epicenter was installed the 6-5 morning line favorite in a field of nine 3-year-olds that includes one filly, G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath. The Preakness is one of 14 stakes – nine of them graded – to be run at Old Hilltop on Friday and Saturday. with the G2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies the highlight of Friday's program.

Friday's 14-race card begins at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the first of Saturday's 14 races set for 10:30 a.m. Temperatures are expected to soar into the 90s on both days.

Here's a quick look at all of this weekend's graded stakes:

Friday
3:05 p.m. – Grade 3 Allaire du Pont Distaff at Pimlico

Gary Sciacca-trained Exotic West is the only filly in the lineup with a last-out win but Super Quick may have been keeping the best company, coming off a third-place effort to last year's 3-year-old filly champion Malathaat in Keeneland's G3 Doubledogdare Stakes April 22 for trainer Norm Casse. Before that, Super Quick had a three-race win streak ended in a Fair Grounds allowance race by G1 winner Clairiere.

Jonathan Thomas sent Into Vanishing out against champion older filly or mare Letruska two starts back in Gulfstream's G3 Royal Delta, and she ran a strong second at odds of 31-1, losing only by three lengths while chasing Letruska throughout.

Allaire du Pont Distaff Entries

4:07 p.m. – Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico

Happy Soul wanted no part of two turns when trainer Wesley Ward tried the Runhappy filly in the G1 Ashland Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland in her last start. She's back at six furlongs here, a distance at which she excelled in Oaklawn's Dixie Bell Stakes in February. Under the Stars, a Pioneerof the Nile filly, is the only graded stakes winner in the field, having taken the G2 Santa Ynez at Santa Anita when trained by Bob Baffert. She's with Sean McCarthy now while Baffert is serving a 90-day suspension and like Happy Soul may prefer this trip to the two turns she tried in her last two outs.

Miss Preakness Entries

5:10 p.m. – Grade 3 Pimlico Special at Pimlico

With 11 entries, the G3 Pimlico Special came up big on quantity but light on proven performers, with G3 Dwyer winner First Captain the lone North American graded stakes winner in the field. Trainer Shug McGaughey is stretching out the 4-year-old colt by Curlin after giving him two sprint starts in a Gulfstream allowance and the G1 Carter Handicap, in which he finished a well-beaten seventh.

Fausto Gutierrez-trained Capocostello won multiple G1 races in Panama, but he has yet to break through with a victory in two U.S. starts. He comes off a good second to Fearless in the G3 Ghostzapper Stakes in April and gets hot-riding Flavien Prat for the Pimlico Special.

Todd Pletcher has a strong duo entered, including morning line favorite Vindictive, an Uncle Mo colt who won his 2022 bow going away at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct. The other Pletcher runner, Untreated, narrowly lost the Excelsior Stakes last out and has one of the game's strongest finishers, Joel Rosario, in the saddle.

Pimlico Special Entries

5:44 p.m. – Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico

Adare Manor appeared headed to the G1 Kentucky Oaks until a narrow loss to Desert Dawn as the odds-on favorite in the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9. The Uncle Mo filly raced for trainer Tim Yakteen in the Santa Anita Oaks, filling in for Bob Baffert during his suspension, and she has since been moved to Sean McCarthy, who is overseeing the majority of the Baffert string. She flashed great talent earlier this year, winning a maiden race by 12 and then romping in the G3 Las Virgenes by 13 lengths going one mile. Like many in the line-up, the nine furlongs of the Black-Eyed Susan will be her longest trip in six starts.

Local hope Luna Belle has steadily improved her Beyer Speed Figures for trainer Hamilton Smith, with her victory in the April 16 Weber City Miss her best yet. The Great Notion filly likes to win, taking six of 11 starts (including her last five), but this will be her toughest test. Brad Cox will send out Interstatedaydream in search of the Classic Empire filly's  initial stakes win. She comes off a good third to Nest last out in the G1 Ashland at Keeneland after showing the way early.

George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Entries

Saturday

12:16 p.m. – Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes at Pimlico

While there are several stakes veterans in this year's edition of the Maryland Sprint, favoritism could fall on the lightly raced Disco Pharoah, a Raymond Handal trainee who won his stakes debut in Laurel's Frank Y. Whiteley last out in only his fourth career start. The American Pharoah gelding preceded that win with a 19 1/2-length victory in an Aqueduct maiden race. Steve Asmussen, who won this race in 2018-'19, sends out Jaxon Traveler, a reliable stakes competitor who has shown an affinity for the Pimlico main track, winning two of three races with one second.

Maryland Sprint Entries

12:51 p.m. – Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico

When there's a graded stakes for fillies and mares on turf, you usually have to beat trainer Chad Brown, and that's the case in this year's Gallorette, a race Brown has won three times. Irish-bred Technical Analysis carries Brown's hopes and the two-time graded stakes winner will be heavily favored in a field of seven. Graham Motion appears to have the best chance of defeating Technical Analysis with the French-bred Crystal Cliffs, a two-time winner from five U.S. starts and coming off a sharp score at Gulfstream Park in an ungraded stakes April 2.

Gallorette Entries

2:49 p.m. – Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico

Set Piece should benefit from having a race under his belt, finishing seventh but only beaten two lengths in Keeneland's G1 Maker's Mark Mile in his 2022 debut April 15. The Brad Cox-trained Dansili gelding was a G2 winner last year and brings a formidable record of nine wins from 19 starts. Mike Maker came loaded to last year's Preakness weekend stakes and has Atone well spotted in the Dinner Party. Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard for the first time.

Dinner Party Entries

3:31 p.m. – Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico

Steve Asmussen has won this race five times – more than any trainer – and brings a pair to this year's running. Cogburn, who drew the rail post in a field of nine 3-year-olds, was overhauled late in his stakes debut in Oaklawn's Bachelor Stakes April 30. Joel Rosario, who rode him two starts back to a four-length allowance victory, will be reunited with the Not This Time colt. Asmussen's other entry, Chasing Time (also by Not This Time), wanted no part of the 1 1/8-mile distance of the G1 Arkansas Derby last out, but could challenge with the cutback in distance to six furlongs. The morning line favorite is Old Homestead, an Overanalyze colt who has never been headed in three starts for trainer Brett Brinkman. His first two victories came at Delta Downs in Louisiana and last out won the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland. Neither Brinkman nor Old Homestead's jockey, Thomas Pompell, has ever won a graded stakes.

Chick Lang Entries

5:58 p.m. – Grade 3 Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs

A full field of 14 will run the marathon distance of a mile and a half over the new Churchill Downs turf course and this race is wide open, with Todd Pletcher-trained Shamrocket the 4-1 morning line favorite. This 5-year-old by Tonalist relishes these longer distances and jockey Umberto Rispoli can be very creative in finding the right trip for his mounts. Highest Honors, trained by Chad Brown, began his career as a budding dirt star but had an obvious setback following a sixth-place finish in the 2019 G1 Travers that led to more than 18 months away from the races. He's raced twice on turf this year and could be competitive here at a price.

Louisville Entries

7:01 p.m. – Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico

It's hard to find fault with Epicenter, whose only off-the-board finish came in his first start while sprinting at Churchill Downs last September. Since then he's won four times and finished second twice for trainer Steve Asmussen, most recently when caught  by Rich Strike inside the sixteenth pole of the Kentucky Derby.

Secret Oath was very impressive winning the G1 Kentucky Oaks for trainer D. Wayne Lukas and the filly by Arrogate was competitive against the colts when third with an imperfect trip in the G1 Arkansas Derby before that. Luis Saez will ride with a lot of confidence.

Chad Brown has had six weeks to train Early Voting up to the Preakness after getting overtaken by Mo Donegal late in the G2 Wood Memorial April 9. This Gun Runner colt is fresh and dangerous.

Preakness Entries

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Betmakers: A Big Day At Belmont Park

Belmont Park has five graded stakes carded on Saturday's program, including the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes featuring the return from Europe of last year's winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf and Eclipse Award turf male champion Yibir.

The Godolphin homebred 4-year-old colt by Dubawi, installed as the even-money morning line favorite in the Man o' War, will have regular rider William Buick in the saddle for trainer Charles Appleby.

The Man o' War is carded as the eighth race on a 10-race program that has a 1 p.m. ET first post. The G3 Vagrancy Handicap kicks off the stakes action at 2:05 p.m., followed by the G3 Runhappy Stakes, Man o' War, G3 Peter Pan Stakes andG3 Beaugay. The races will comprise NYRA's Cross Country Pick 5.

Weather forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of rain on Friday, but no precipitation is anticipated on Saturday in Elmont, N.Y., where Belmont Park is located on Long Island.

The only other graded stakes on Saturday is the G3 Santa Barbara at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Sunday's only graded stakes is the G3 Jacques Cartier at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

Saturday
2:05 PM – G3 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park

Bella Sofia, winner of the G1 Test for 3-year-old fillies last summer at Saratoga, was installed the 4-5 favorite for the Vagrancy, which serves as the 2022 debut for the daughter of Awesome Patriot. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Bella Sofia comes into the Vagrancy with a strong series of works at Belmont Park and a record of four wins from six starts, including the G2 Gallant Bloom on this track last September. Eric Cancel will ride.

Stakes veteran Frank's Rockette is winless in her last five starts and is coming off a second-place finish as the 1-2 favorite in a non-graded stakes at Oaklawn on April 2. The William Mott-trained mare by Into Mischief has been 1-2-3 in 18 of 20 career starts, including eight victories – two of them at Belmont Park from three tries.  Flavien Prat, aboard Frank's Rockette for the first time at Oaklawn, has the return mount.

Vagrancy Entries

3:06 PM – G3 Runhappy Stakes at Belmont Park

Only six older sprinters go in the eighth running of the Runhappy Stakes, which for its first four runnings was known as the Diablo. The Runhappy appears wide open, with the morning line ranging from 5-2 for pre-race favorite Chateau and two horses – Answer In and Mr Phil – pegged at 6-1 as the longest shots in the field.

Rob Atras-trained Chateau knows one way to run: on the front end. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will send the 7-year-old gelding by Flat Out from the rail and there might not be anyone in the field to keep pace with him early. Chateau has won eight of 40 starts, with 11 seconds and 10 thirds, but he didn't break his maiden until his 16th race. Chateau's victories include the G3 Tom Fool Handicap in 2021.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Officiating won this year's Tom Fool, rallying past Chateau in the stretch to win going away by 5 1/2 lengths under Manny Franco, who rides the 4-year-old Blame colt back in the Runhappy. Officiating failed to fire in his last start, a non-graded stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 27 in which he finished fourth as the  7-5 favorite.

Runhappy Entries

4:46 PM – G1 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park

Yibir made a successful invasion of Belmont Parak last year when winning the Jockey Club Derby Invitational in September, then returned to the U.S. with a rousing stretch-running victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar at odds of 8-1. A Group 2 winner in England last year, Yibir has finished twice in both of his 2022 starts: losing narrowly to Shahryar in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March and then falling 1 1/2 lengths short of Living Legend in the G2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on April 29.

Gufo, second choice at 7-5 on the morning line, finished an uncharacteristic 10th behind Yibir in the Breeders' Cup in his only off-the board performance in 15 career starts that includes eight victories. The Christophe Clement-trained 5-year-old son of Declaration of War is a two-time G1 winner, including last year's Sword Dancer at Saratoga. Joel Rosario rides the stretch-running Gufo.

Todd Pletcher-trained Abaan may try to steal the Man o' War under Luis Saez. Among his four victories is a gate-to-wire win in the ungraded H. Allen Jerkens Stakes going two miles at Gulfstream Park in December.

The wild card in the race is French-bred Easter, making his second U.S. start for Graham Motion after winning two of eight starts in his native country. To be ridden by Flavien Prat, the 4-year-old gelding by Exosphere closed from last to be third in  an April 15 allowance race at Aqueduct going 1 1/16 miles. He may appreciate the added distance of the Man o' War.

Man o' War Entries

5:19 – Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park

Often used as a prep for late-developing 3-year-olds with an eye toward the G1 Belmont Stakes, the Peter Pan has several interesting candidates led by 3-1 morning line favorite We the People, who won his first two races impressively at Oaklawn and then was well beaten in his stakes debut in the G1 Arkansas Derby on April 2. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the Constitution colt was very wide early after breaking from the outside post in a field of nine and was never a factor at 2-1 odds. He won his debut by 5 3/4 lengths Feb. 12 and was five lengths best in a March 12 allowance race. We the People has been training at Keeneland for this engagement and will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who was aboard in the Arkansas Derby.

Mark Casse-trained Golden Glider has the most stakes experience, but has failed to hit the board in three consecutive graded stakes  – the G3 Sam F. Davis, G2 Tampa Bay Derby and G1 Blue Grass Stakes – after winning his first two races at Woodbine and Tampa Bay Downs. The Ghostzapper colt will have Dylan Davis in the irons.

Richard Mandella is sending Set Sail east from California for the Peter Pan after ringing up an 89 Beyer Speed Figure while breaking his maiden last out in his second start at Santa Anita on March 27. The Malibu Moon colt has recorded four strong breezes since that win, including a seven-furlong work in 1:25.80 on May 7. He'll be handled by Joel Rosario.

Peter Pan Entries

5:50 PM – Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park

Chad Brown and Christophe Clement each has won the Beaugay four times, the same number of victories as the late Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens. Brown has the two favorites in the lineup on Saturday in French-bred Rougir (even-money on the morning line) and Irish-bred Lemista (5-2 odds). Clement has the 6-1 third choice, Plum Ali.

Rougir, a 4-year-old daughter of Territories who won the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera lastl Oct. 3 before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf for trainer Cedric Rossi, has not run since the latter race and is making her debut for Brown. Lemista, a Group 2 winner in Ireland in 2020, spent all of last year in Brown's barn, but was winless in three starts, including a close second to Harveys Lil Goil in the Beaugay. Flavien Prat rides Rougir while Irad Ortiz handles Lemista.

Plum Ali has won five of 12 starts including the G2 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old in 2020. The First Samurai 4-year-old filly had a good tuneup winning the ungraded Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct on April 16 and will be handled by Manny Franco.

Beaugay Entries

6:00 PM – Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita

Queen Goddess, winner of the G3 Santa Ana Stakes going 1 1/4 on turf in March, tries to stretch out another quarter mile in the Santa Barbara for trainer Michael McCarthy. Set as the 6-5 morning line favorite, the 4-year-old Empire Maker filly will be ridden by Victor Espinoza as she goes for her fifth victory in her ninth career start. With little speed in the lineup, look for Espinoza to try to take command early and control the pace throughout.

French-bred Neige Blanche has turned into one  of Southern California's top turf fillies for Leonard Powell. She was third behind Queen Goddess in the Santa Ana but may have been handled too patiently that day by jockey Juan Hernandez, falling 10 lengths behind before making a strong stretch rally to fall 1 1/2 lengths short at the wire. She won two straight before that, including the G3 Astra at the Santa Barbara's distance of a mile and a half.

Santa Barbara Entries

Sunday
4:59 PM – Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine

The G3 Jacques Cartier won't seem the same without the now retired Pink Lloyd, who won four consecutive runnings from 2017-'20 and finished second to Souper Stonehenge in 2021. The latter, a 6-year-old by Speightstown, will try to start his own streak in the race for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Patrick Husbands.

Nine others are set to line up against the defending champ, including Silent Poet, a 7-year-old gelding by Silent Name who does his best running on turf but has won over the synthetic main track on which the Jacques Cartier will be run. Trained by Nick Gonzalez, Silent Poet will be ridden by Justin Stein.

Casse has two others entered in the race: turf specialist Gretzky the Great and Tap It to Win, the latter of which has been effective going longer but had a good sprint tightener at Tampa Bay Downs March 27 in his 2022 debut.

Another interesting Jacques Cartier candidate is Josie Carroll-trained Striker, a War Front colt who didn't debut until November of his 3-year-old season last year and won two straight sprinting on the Tapeta surface.

Jacques Cartier Entries

 

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Two Champions Face Off At Oaklawn

A pair of Eclipse Award winners will face off in Saturday's Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., with $1 million on the line for the 1 1/16-mile contest.

Letruska, the Eclipse Award 2021 Champion Older Dirt Female, will be making her second start of 2022 after the G3 Royal Delta in her seasonal bow. Ce Ce, named Eclipse Award 2021 Champion Female Sprinter after her Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint triumph, won Oaklawn's local prep for the Apple Blossom and appears more than capable of getting the distance.

Also on Saturday is the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2), a 1 1/8-mile contest. Fearless, last-out winner of the G3 Ghostzapper at Gulfstream, ships in for trainer Todd Pletcher and has been tabbed as the morning-line favorite in a field of eight.

Up in Lexington, Ky., Saturday's feature at Keeneland is the G2 Elkhorn Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on the turf course. Channel Maker is the morning-line favorite for trainer Bill Mott, but both Phantom Currency and Two Emmys could be likely to vie for that spot when the field breaks from the gate.

Steeplechase action is highlighted by the return of 2020 Eclipse Award winner Moscato in the G2 Temple Gwathmey at Middleburg, with a post time of 2:30 p.m.

4:44 PM – G3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland

Two-time Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart, the multiple graded stakes-placed Proxy and Santa Anita Handicap (G1) runner-up Warrant headline a field of eight entered Wednesday for Saturday's 91st running of the Ben Ali (G3) for 4-year-olds and up.

The Ben Ali, run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, will be run as the eighth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Lawrence Cordes' homebred Mighty Heart will be making his 2022 debut for trainer Josie Carroll. Winner of three stakes in 2021 and a four-time Sovereign Award winner, Mighty Heart has had six works since returning from a short layoff. His two most recent works were at Keeneland.

James Graham has the mount Saturday and will leave from post position two.

Godolphin's homebred Proxy returned to the races following a 10½-month layoff with an allowance victory at Fair Grounds, which was followed by a runner-up effort to Olympiad in the New Orleans Classic (G2) on March 26.

Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy chased the likes of Hot Rod Charlie, Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon on the Kentucky Derby trail before a fourth-place finish in the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) in his final start of 2021.

Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard Proxy for his two starts this year, has the call Saturday and will break from post position three.

Twin Creeks Racing Stable's Warrant, beaten a head by Express Train in the Big Cap in his most recent start, closed his 2021 campaign with a victory in the Oklahoma Derby (G3). Trained by Brad Cox, Warrant will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post position five.

Ben Ali Entries

4:54 PM – Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn

Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska recorded her breakout victory nationally in last April's Apple Blossom when she edged two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl by a nose. Letruska rode that momentum to three more Grade 1 victories and an Eclipse Award as the country's champion older dirt female. Her more calculated 2022 racing schedule resumes Saturday, with an eye on winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff this fall at Keeneland.

Female sprint champion Ce Ce won the local prep for this race, the G2 Azeri, and returns to Hot Springs seeking to repeat her 2020 victory in the Apple Blossom. Though she won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint last fall, the Michael McCarthy trainee has no trouble stretching out when asked.

A pair of Grade 1 winners in Clairiere and Maracuja have also been entered in the Apple Blossom, each having begun her 2022 campaign with an allowance victory last out. Longshot Miss Imperial completes the five-horse field for this 1 1/16-mile contest.

Apple Blossom Entries

5:16 PM – Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland

Susan and Jim Hill's Phantom Currency and Wolfe Racing and Hugh Robertson's Two Emmys top a field of nine horses entered Wednesday for Saturday's 37th running of the $350,000 Elkhorn (G2) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/2 miles on the Keeneland grass.

The Elkhorn will go as Saturday's ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Phantom Currency returned to the races after more than year layoff to post a wire-to-wire victory in the Appleton (G3) at Gulfstream Park on April 2. Prior to that, he won his only two starts of 2021 highlighted by a front-running score in the Mac Diarmida (G2).

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Phantom Currency and will break from post position four.

Two Emmys comes into Saturday's race off a 2½-length wire-to-wire victory in the Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) Presented by Horse Racing Nation at Fair Grounds on March 26. Winner of the Mr. D. (G1) last summer at Arlington, Two Emmys was caught at the wire here last fall in the Sycamore (G3) going the 1½-mile distance.

Trained by Mac Robertson, Two Emmys will be ridden by James Graham and break from post position three.

The morning-line favorite, multiple Grade 1-winner Channel Maker, will be making his first start of 2022 for trainer Bill Mott. He'll leave from post five under Luis Saez.

Elkhorn Entries

6:41 PM – Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn

The other million-dollar race at Oaklawn Park this weekend, the 1 1/8-mile handicap has drawn a field of eight.

Southern California-based Idol has been idle for most of the last year, but the Grade 1 winner is scheduled to launch another comeback in Saturday's $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.

Trained by Richard Baltas, Idol was a candidate for last year's Oaklawn Handicap after winning the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March 2021 at Santa Anita. But Idol has run just once since the Santa Anita Handicap, finishing a well-beaten sixth in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 2 at Santa Anita.

Meanwhile, race-favorite Fearless won the G3 Ghostzapper with ease after a defeat in the G2 Gulfstream Park Mile by Speaker's Corner, next-out winner of the G1 Carter. Fearless is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Second choice on the morning line is Plainsman for trainer Brad Cox. The veteran won the G3 Razorback before falling short in the G2 Essex to Rated R Superstar, who also runs back here for trainer Federico Villafranco.

Oaklawn H. Entries

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