Tag: Weekend Lineup

The $1.25 million Travers will see the winners of each of the three legs of the Triple Crown and last year's Champion 2-Year-Old Colt all vie for superiority amongst a wide open 3-year-old male division. A total of seven sophomores have signed on for this year's edition of the Mid-Summer Derby at Saratoga, which is the highlight of a blockbuster card on Saturday.

Four additional Grade 1 races are offered on Saturday at the Spa. Champion Elite Power will take on familiar rival Gunite in the Forego; a pair of Baffert trainees will face the undefeated New York Thunder in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial; Echo Zulu faces Champion Goodnight Olive and dual Grade 1-winner Matareya in the Ballerina; and seven older horses have signed on for the 1 1/2-mile Sword Dancer.

Of those, two are “Win and You're In” races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Ballerina offers an expenses-paid berth to the Filly & Mare Sprint, while the Sword Dancer guarantees the winner a spot in the starting gate for the Longines Turf.

The third “Win and You're In” Challenge race this weekend is on Saturday at Del Mar: a well-matched field of 11 will vie for a spot in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile via the seven-furlong G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes.

Friday's action is also expected to produce some fireworks.

Nest and Clairiere will meet up again in the G1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga. The former, last year's Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, won the last bout against her rival with a 2 1/4-length victory in the G2 Shuvee. Also in the six-horse Personal Ensign field are Grade 1 winner Secret Oath and Grade 2 winner Idiomatic.

Friday evening is highlighted by the Charles Town Classic card in West Virginia. This year's edition of the $1 million race drew a field of 10, with favoritism expected to be tightly-matched between Doppelganger, Skippylongstocking, and Giant Game. One race earlier, the G3 Charles Town Oaks ($750,000) drew a field of 10 to go seven furlongs, led by highly-touted 3-year-old Hoosier Philly.

All times listed below are for the Eastern time zone.

Friday

5:44 p.m. – Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga

Nest will look to keep her perfect Saratoga record intact in Friday's $500,000 Personal Ensign. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Curlin bay enters the nine-furlong test for older fillies and mares with a stellar Spa ledger, including Grade 1 wins in last year's Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama to go along with a last-out win off the bench on July 23 in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Shuvee.

Clairiere [post 6, Joel Rosario, 124 pounds] will look to turn the tables after tracking from last-of-4 in the Shuvee and attempting an inside move on Nest at the top of the lane. She then angled outside her familiar foe and chased gamely to finish 2 1/4-lengths back of the winner. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the classy Curlin bay has banked in excess of $3.1 million through a record of 20-8-6-3 led by Grade 1 scores in the 2021 Cotillion at Parx, the Apple Blossom Handicap in April at Oaklawn Park and back-to-back editions of the Ogden Phipps [2022-23] at Belmont.

Secret Oath will look to get back to winning ways for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The 4-year-old Arrogate chestnut enjoyed a tremendous sophomore season, capturing the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn en route to victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, besting Nest by two lengths. Secret Oath made four tries this year, beginning with a pair of starts at Oaklawn that featured a win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Azeri when 2 3/4-lengths better than Clairiere, before that foe turned the tables on her next out by a neck in the Apple Blossom. Secret Oath narrowly missed when second by a neck to Played Hard in the Grade 1 La Troienne in May at Churchill and was last seen finishing a flat fifth in the Ogden Phipps.

A new face at the top flight is Idiomatic [post 1, Florent Geroux, 120 pounds], who has garnered back-to-back triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures from wins in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Shawnee [102] in June at Churchill and the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap [100] on July 8. Trained by Brad Cox, the 4-year-old Curlin bay is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed First Defence mare Lockdown, who is a full-sister to 2014 Champion Older Mare Close Hatches.

Rounding out a talented field is graded stakes-winner Sixtythreecaliber [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche, 118 pounds] for trainer Tom Amoss; and graded stakes-placed Malloy [post 2, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds] for trainer Wayne Catalano.

Personal Ensign Entries

10:25 p.m. – Grade 2 Charles Town Classic at Charles Town

Grade 1-winner Doppelganger, multiple graded stakes winner Skippylongstocking, and late entrant Giant Game will now find themselves vying for favoritism in this year's Charles Town Classic.

Trainer Brittany Russell will send out Doppelganger, winner of the Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct this April. The four-year-old son of top sire Into Mischief is coming off a win in the Battery Park Stakes at Delaware Park.

Skippylongstocking may attract more attention at the betting windows in this year's Classic for trainer Saffie Joseph. The 4-year-old son of Exaggerator has consistently kept good company in his races, with the Classic set to mark his 11th consecutive start in graded stakes company.

Joseph will also send out O'Connor, who achieved Group 1-winning status in his native Chile. While he has yet to win a graded stakes stateside, Joseph feels his charge is rounding back into form at the right time.

Giant Game took the field gate-to-wire in the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) two races back, defeating two Classic entrants in Skippylongstocking and Call Me Fast. The improving son of Giants Causeway for trainer Dale Romans followed up that effort with a fifth-place finish in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, which saw him lead to the midway point of the far turn before tiring. Giant Game projects to be the pacesetter in this year's Classic, with Martin Garcia named to ride.

Call Me Fast was another late addition to this year's Classic field, with his connections choosing to supplement the gelded son of Dialed In to the race. Call Me Fast exits four consecutive tries against Grade 3 company for trainer Mike Puhich.

The runner-up in last year's Classic, local hopeful Muad'dib, is not coming into this year's race in the same raging form as last year. He entered last year's Classic a perfect 10-for-10 in his career, but finished second to Art Collector. His form since that night could be described as workmanlike. It includes four wins — all by margins of less than a length — and two more defeats, though each came with legitimate excuses according to two-time Charles Town Classic-winning trainer Jeff Runco. And while Muad'dib's resume may not be as pristine as it was going into last year's event, he does have the benefit of two more races under his belt this season than he did last year.

Trainer Raymond Ginter, Jr. supplemented a pair of graded stakes winners to the Classic in Kelso Handicap (G2) winner Double Crown and General George (G3) winner Eastern Bay. Rounding out the field are Perfect Flight for Peter Miller, Dash Attack for Ken McPeek, and a second local entrant Martin Man for trainer Wade Sanderson, who wound up as the lone alternate for this year's field.

Charles Town Classic Entries

Saturday

3:07 p.m. – Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga

Grade 1-winning millionaires Elite Power, the reigning Champion Male Sprinter, and his worthy adversary, Gunite, that were separated by a head during their epic battle four weeks ago, will meet for the second time this summer in Saturday's $500,000 Forego.

Elite Power, a 5-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, enters the Forego on an eight-race win streak dating to a nine-length maiden triumph last June at Churchill Downs, his fourth career start. The closest he's been to losing since came in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on July 29 at Saratoga, trailing all but one horse early before coming with a steady drive over the sloppy and sealed track to nail Gunite at the wire.

Gunite will be looking to play spoiler again after nearly ending Elite Power's streak in the Vanderbilt. By Gun Runner, who was also campaigned by Winchell and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old Gunite had to settle for second, more than six lengths ahead of third-place finisher Dean Delivers. It was a much shorter gap than the previous time Gunite met Elite Power in February in Saudi Arabia, beaten 3 1/4 lengths when second. From there, Gunite stayed in the Middle East and was third by a half-length in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen before winning the June 3 Aristides at Churchill.

High Oak, Pipeline, and Synthesis round out the field.

Forego Entries

4:19 p.m. – Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga

Trainer Bob Baffert sends out a formidable duo in Grade 1-winner Arabian Lion and Grade 3-winner Fort Bragg to combat the scintillating speed of undefeated New York Thunder in Saturday's $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.

Arabian Lion [post 6, John Velazquez, 124 pounds] enters from a strong score in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 10 at Belmont Park. That effort marked a second consecutive triple-digit figure [103] for Arabian Lion, who took the restricted 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton around two turns by four lengths over next-out allowance winner Tapit's Conquest on the May 20 Preakness Day undercard at Pimlico Race Course.

Fort Bragg [post 4, Joel Rosario, 120 pounds] enters from a game nose score over Saudi Crown in the Grade 3 Dwyer traveling a one-turn mile on July 1 at Belmont.

New York Thunder [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione, 122 pounds] missed the Woody Stephens with a bruised foot but was no worse for wear on his return with a powerful performance on July 28 in the Spa's 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Amsterdam. Trained by Jorge Delgado, the Nyquist colt opened up by three lengths at the stretch call, putting away odds-on favorite Drew's Gold and romping to the wire a 7 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:14.65. His six-furlong split of 1:07.77 is faster than Saratoga's six-furlong track record of 1:07.92 set by Imperial Hint in the 2019 Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and the colt's geared down final time was not far off of Quality Road's track record of 1:13.74 set in the 2009 Amsterdam.

Verifying [post 3, Flavien Prat, 120 pounds], Drew's Gold [post 1, Jose Gomez, 118 pounds], and One in Vermillion [post 2, Luis Saez, 118 pounds] round out the field.

Jerkens Entries

4:55 p.m. – Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga

Echo Zulu puts her unbeaten 4-year-old campaign and lifetime perfect record at the Spa on the line in Saturday's $500,000 Ballerina Handicap, a seven-furlong main track sprint for fillies and mares. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu [post 6, Florent Geroux, 123 pounds] enters from an impressive 7 1/4-length score in the six-furlong Grade 2, Honorable Miss on July 26 here, where she set the pace and opened up a five-length advantage at the stretch call before being geared down to the finish in a final time of 1:08.76. The performance earned a career-best 112 Beyer Speed Figure and was her seventh graded victory.

Asmussen could also be represented by Winchell Thoroughbreds' multiple graded stakes-winning Kentucky homebred Wicked Halo [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione. 123 pounds] as she looks to protect a perfect 2-for-2 record at the Spa.

Goodnight Olive [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124 pounds], trained by meet leading conditioner Chad Brown, won last year's Ballerina before taking the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland with a 2 1/2-length score over Echo Zulu to secure honors as Champion Female Sprinter.

Dual Grade 1-winner Matareya [post 2, Flavien Prat, 122 pounds], trained by Brad Cox, had a four-race win streak snapped in Saratoga's Grade 1 Test last August, but after a layoff and game second in the Matron in March at Oaklawn Park, she found herself back in the winner's circle for the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff.

Dual graded stakes-winner Caramel Swirl [post 8, Junior Alvarado, 121 pounds] finished third last out in the Bed o' Roses for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The 5-year-old Union Rags bay made the grade with a head score in the Grade 2 Raven Run in October 23 and two starts later finished second to Goodnight Olive in last year's Ballerina. Caramel Swirl rallied from sixth to win the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy in May at Belmont Park, besting returning rival Dr B by 2 1/2-lengths.

Trainer Butch Reid Jr. will send out Dr B [post 4, Luis Saez, 118 pounds], who last finished second to Echo Zulu in the Honorable Miss. Prior to that effort, she ran fourth, 13 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Goodnight Olive in the Bed o' Roses.

Graded-stakes placed Sterling Silver [post 1, Javier Castellano, 116 pounds] finished ninth in her last try at the top flight in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at odds of 78-1. Trained by Tom Albertrani, Sterling Silver has returned with a strong 4-year-old season, last out winning a seven-furlong optional claiming event last out on July 29 at Saratoga to add to a pair of state-bred stakes placing at Belmont.

Rounding out the field is graded-stakes winner Maryquitecontrary [post 3, Luca Panici, 120 pounds] for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. The 4-year-old First Dude bay captured the Grade 2 Inside Information in January at Gulfstream Park for her former conditioner Joseph Catanese, III. She finished a close second to Goodnight OIive in the Madison at first asking for McGaughey and arrives from a distant fourth after a bobbled start in the Honorable Miss.

Ballerina Entries

5:31 p.m. – Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga

The evergreen 9-year-old Channel Maker will strive for a rare feat in Saturday's $750,000 Sword Dancer going 1 1/2 miles over the inner turf. Should Channel Maker win the Sword Dancer, he would become the fourth 9-year-old horse to earn a Grade 1 triumph at a NYRA track, according to data provided by Equibase. Channel Maker has done his best running when on the front end, utilizing pacesetting tactics en route to a two-length conquest last out on July 30 in the Bowling Green.

Bolshoi Ballet arrives from Ballydoyle Training Center in Ireland in search of his first triumph since taking the 2021 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational before finishing fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational and Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park. The Aidan O'Brien-trained son of Galileo, enters from a distant sixth at triple-digit odds in the Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Diamond in July over good to soft ground at Ascot. The 5-year-old bay did finish in the money in his other three starts this season.

Grade 1-placed Stone Age [post 7, Flavien Prat] will make his debut for four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, who seeks his fourth Sword Dancer triumph. Stone Age finished second in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland for previous trainer Aidan O'Brien and also was a close-third in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational. The 4-year-old Galileo dark bay was last seen finishing a distant 12th in the Group 1 HH The Amir Trophy in February at Doha Racecourse in Qatar.

Trainer Christophe Clement saddled 2021-22 Sword Dancer winner Gufo and sends out Solider Rising [post 1, Jose Ortiz], who finished third in last year's Sword Dancer. The 5-year-old Frankel gelding also boasts three other Grade 1 placings when second in the 2021 Saratoga Derby as well as this year's Man o' War and Manhattan – both at Belmont.

Trainer Robert Ribuado and owner Marc Keller captured back-to-back editions of the Sword Dancer in 2007-08 with Grand Couturier and return this year with two-time winner Daunt [post 4, Javier Castellano]. The 4-year-old Nyquist dark bay finished second in his first three starts this year over Belmont's inner turf before finishing fourth in the Bowling Green, 4 1/4 lengths behind Channel Maker.

Bowling Green runner-up Verstappen [post 2, Declan Cannon] will attempt to turn the tables on Channel Maker. The Brendan Walsh-trained 4-year-old War Front gelding captured the Grade 2 Elkhorn in April at Keeneland by a head over Red Knight en route to a seventh-place finish in the Man o' War behind that same rival.

Completing the field is Pioneer Spirit [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], who has done no wrong since going back to turf. He was scratched from Wednesday's $135,000 John's Call in favor of the Sword Dancer. Trainer Linda Rice haltered the American Pharoah gelding for $40,000 out of a maiden claimer in February at Aqueduct and he has not lost in three starts since.

Sword Dancer Entries

6:11 p.m. – Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga

This year's Travers will see the winners of each of the three legs of the Triple Crown and last year's Champion 2-Year-Old Colt all vie for superiority amongst a wide open 3-year-old male division.

Forte, the 2022 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, headlines this year's Travers and sports a ledger of 9-7-1-0 while bragging field-best earnings of $2,954,830. The son of Violence enters from a narrow triumph in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 29 over a sloppy and sealed Spa main track. Racing an even third along the inside down the backstretch, Forte raced in between Angel of Empire and Saudi Crown in upper stretch and defeated the latter by a nose while earning a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The Jim Dandy victory was a redeeming one for Forte, who finished a late-closing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 10, five weeks after being scratched as the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Pletcher also will saddle Tapit Trice, who seeks his first win since capturing the Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 8 at Keeneland. The gray son of Tapit, who sired 2021 Travers winner Essential Quality, finished a distant seventh in the Kentucky Derby before a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, where he finished a nose behind Forte. Entering from a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Haskell on July 22 at Monmouth Park, Tapit Trice will sport blinkers for the first time in Saturday's test.

A total of 10 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winners later added a Travers win to their ledger, and this year's winner Mage will attempt to be the first since 2007 winner Street Sense. The Good Magic chestnut trained by Gustavo Delgado ran a respectable second in the Haskell, settling in between horses in sixth going down the backside before launching a bid at the top of the stretch and finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Geaux Rocket Ride. This effort came two months after rounding out the trifecta in the Grade 1 Preakness, where he finished 2 1/4-lengths behind returning rival National Treasure.

Preakness winner National Treasure will attempt to become the ninth horse to capture both the middle jewel of the Triple Crown and the Travers. The son of Quality Road went gate to wire in the Preakness, keeping Blazing Sevens at bay to his outside to win by a head. He put the same frontrunning tactics on display in the Belmont Stakes, ultimately fading to sixth. National Treasure will make an equipment change and run with blinkers off. His last start without blinkers was in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April, where he finished fourth.

Trainer Jena Antonucci made history when becoming the first female trainer to saddle a winner of a Triple Crown race when Arcangelo captured the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. Arcangelo had no prior two-turn experience before conquering the 'Test of a Champion,' which came four weeks after he won his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Peter Pan going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park. Antonucci opted to train Arcangelo up to the Travers from his memorable Belmont Stakes win, a successful path used by 2004 winner Birdstone. A total of 31 horses have swept the Belmont-Travers double.

After campaigning last year's winner Epicenter, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will compete this year with Disarm in attempt to be the first owner-trainer combo to win back-to-back Travers since Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and the Phipps family did so with Easy Goer [1989] and Rhythm [1990]. Disarm will sport blinkers for the Travers. The a chestnut son of Gun Runner has never finished worse than fourth in eight lifetime starts, entering from a fourth beaten 2 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy. In his prior start, he posted a half-length win in the Grade 3 Matt Winn on June 11 at Ellis Park over next out graded stakes winner Verifying, and ran a career-high 102 Beyer.

Completing the quality Travers field is Scotland [post 7, Junior Alvarado, 12-1 ML] for Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott. The Good Magic chestnut will attempt to be the first gelding to win the Travers since 2000 winner Unshaded. Through a 4-3-1-0 record, Scotland is the lightest-raced contender in the field, but won the restricted nine-furlong Curlin last out in dominant fashion with a pacesetting trip en route to a 3 1/4-length score in his stakes debut

Travers Entries

The post Weekend Lineup Presented By HIWU: Blockbuster Travers Weekend Offers Six Grade 1 Races appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

A pair of Grade 1 races for sophomore fillies on Saturday and a Canadian classic on Sunday are the highlights of this weekend's live racing action across North America.

The Alabama features a very strong lineup of ten 3-year-old fillies, including three Grade 1 winners and two additional Grade 1-placed runners, while the Del Mar Oaks also drew a field of 10 to go nine furlongs on the grass.

Canada's $1 million premier race for sophomores will be run as The King's Plate for the first time since 1951, in keeping with the tradition of naming the race after the ruling British monarch. This year's edition drew a full field of 17 3-year-olds, including two fillies.

Sunday's King's Plate card at Woodbine also features a trio of standout stakes: the $200,000 Dance Smartly (G2T) (1 1/16 miles on the E.P. Taylor turf for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up), $125,000 Catch a Glimpse (6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf for 2-year-old fillies) and $125,000 Soaring Free (6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf for 2-year-olds). ​ ​

There will be one Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race on Sunday.  The winner of the six-furlong Sumbe Prix Morny (G1) on turf for 2-year-olds at Deauville Racecourse in France will earn an automatic starting position and fees paid into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at the Breeders' Cup World Championships

All times listed below are for the Eastern time zone.

Saturday

5:45 p.m. – Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga

Wet Paint notched a breakthrough Grade 1 score last out in Saratoga's nine-furlong $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks. The daughter of Blame will look to build upon that effort when stretching out to 10 furlongs for the first time, facing nine 3-year-old filly rivals in the $600,000 Alabama.

Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, Wet Paint's CCA Oaks victory came in thrilling fashion when flying home late under regular pilot Flavien Prat to nail Sacred Wish at the wire and secure a neck score in a final time of 1:50.68. She equaled a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, which came on the heels of a runner-up finish to Hoosier Philly in the Monomoy Girl at Ellis Park where the latter was alone on the lead and coasted home a 3 1/2-length winner.

Sacred Wish will try to turn the tables on Wet Paint after nearly fending off her familiar foe in the CCA Oaks. Trained by George Weaver, the Not This Time dark bay tracked in second throughout before taking the lead at the stretch call and powering down the lane under Manny Franco. She ran on bravely and drew clear from all but Wet Paint, who nabbed the victory in the final strides.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher brings a trio of skilled competitors as the New York-bred Kentucky Oaks runner-up Gambling Girl [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Grade 1-winner Chocolate Gelato [post 6, Jose Ortiz] and Grade 2-winner Julia Shining [post 3, Luis Saez] attempt to give him his fifth win in this event.

Trainer Kenny McPeek has won the Alabama twice in the past five runnings, and is well-represented this year by Grade 1 winner Defining Purpose. The gray Cross Traffic filly arrives from a tidy 1 1/4-length coup in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks traveling 1 1/16 miles on July 8 at Horseshoe Indianapolis where she stalked one length off the pace before getting first run in the turn and taking charge at the top of the stretch. She was awarded a career-best 87 Beyer for the effort.

Completing the field are the Chad Brown-trained duo of Wilton-winner Randomized [post 8, Joel Rosario] and allowance-winner Fireline [post 5, Javier Castellano]; graded stakes-winner Taxed [post 9, Rafael Bejarano], who finished second last out in the Indiana Oaks and won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in May at Pimlico Race Course for conditioner Randy Morse; and graded stakes-placed Sabra Tuff [post 4, Reylu Gutierrez], who finished third in last year's Grade 3 Adirondack for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Alabama Entries

8:45 p.m. – Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at Del Mar

The 67th edition of the Del Mar Oaks has drawn a field of 10 for its nine-furlong run out of Del Mar's unique infield chute on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

The likely favorite in Del Mar's 3-year-old filly championship is Anisette, a stretch-running daughter of the Irish stallion Awtaad who has gone two-for-two in a pair of stateside starts this year since coming over from a brief 2-year-old campaign in England. French expat Leonard Powell does the training for Anisette. He put Umberto Rispoli up on her at Del Mar on July 22 in the G2 San Clemente Stakes and that resulted in a 2 1/2-length tally. So naturally enough, Rispoli will be back up Saturday.

The two chief threats to the top one appear to be the New York shipper Be Your Best and the Irish-bred Impact Warrior, who made her American debut at Del Mar July 23 and ran an impressive second in a two-turn grass allowance test.

Be Your Best, by the British sire Muhaarar, is trained by Horacio De Paz. They've gotten Del Mar's leading rider, Juan Hernandez, to sign on for the Oaks run. Impact Warrior races out of the barn of Phil D'Amato. Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux was up for the daughter of Saxon Warrior's recent Del Mar run and he'll be up once more Saturday.

Del Mar Oaks Entries

Sunday

4:58 p.m. – Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine

Nine fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, will vie for top spot in the $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile test over the E.P. Taylor turf, on King's Plate Sunday at Woodbine.

Justify My Love (BRZ), trained by Paulo Lobo for her breeder, Stud Rio Dios Irmaos, and Bonne Chance Farm, arrives at the Dance Smartly off a sharp score in the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff on July 8. The winning time for 1 1/16 miles over “good” ground was 1:43.91. Justify My Love (BRZ) returned $26. A Grade 2 winner in Argentina, it was the first stakes triumph since the 6-year-old mare came to North America for her 2022 campaign.

Other starters include Moira, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, Chad Brown trainee, stakes winner Salimah (IRE), multiple graded stakes winner Il Malocchio, and last-time out stakes winner Miss Dracarys. ​

Dance Smartly Entries

5:39 p.m. – $1 million The King's Plate at Woodbine

Seventeen sophomores, including Woodbine Oaks winner Elysian Field and Plate Trial victor Paramount Prince, both trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, will contest the $1 million King's Plate on Sunday at Woodbine. It is the first time since 1951 that the race will be run as The King's Plate, in keeping with the tradition of naming the race after the ruling British monarch.

Kalik, trained by Chad Brown, will make the Plate his first start in Canada. The son of Collected-Coronation Street won three straight starts, all turf, from March to June of this year, including the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) on June 3. The chestnut is 3-1-0 from six starts.

Cool Kiss, a son of Kantharos-Hot Kiss, is one of three (Stanley House and El Cohete is the other) Mike De Paulo trainees. The dark bay is 2-2-0 from eight starts. Emma-Jayne Wilson, who won the 2007 Plate with Mike Fox, gets the call.

El Cohete (“The Rocket”) has posted a top-three finish in three of his four starts, including a maiden-breaking performance over 6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf on June 15. The son of Society's Chairman-Diannecantretire was third in his most recent race, at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta, on July 30.

Stanley House is 2-3-0 from seven starts. The son of Army Mule-Stormy's Song recorded back-to-back runner-up finishes to start his career in the fall of 2022. His maiden victory came at Gulfstream Park on March 25 at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta. Javier Castellano, aboard for that milestone win, will be in the irons again Sunday.

A grey son of Mr Speaker-Grey Pride, Kaukokaipuu has been a model of consistency for trainer Ted Holder. The colt is 2-7-0 from 11 starts, including a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Queenston Stakes over the Tapeta on June 11.

Midnight in Malibu, trained by Sid Attard, sprung a 32-1 upset in his most recent race, a 1 1/16-mile race over the Tapeta. The son of Midnight Lute-I Thirtyfive is 2-0-0 from five starts. The dark bay colt broke his maiden over one mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta last December.

Trained by Renico Lafond, Morstachy's was a recent $40,000 claim. The son of Mor Spirit-Wekiva Mist is 1-3-2 from 11 starts. The bay won in his final start of 2022, a 4 ¼-length triumph at 6 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine Tapeta. The gelding has finished in the top three in four of his past five races.

A chestnut son of Society's Chairman-Platinum Steel, Paramount Prince heads into The King's Plate off a wire-to-wire, five-length performance in the Plate Trial on July 23. The gelding, trained by Mark Casse, is 2-2-1 from five lifetime starts.

Elysian Field, also trained by Casse, heads into the Plate off a sterling score in the Woodbine Oaks. The daughter of Hard Spun-Elysian, owned by Team Valor International and Gary Barber, is 2-2-0 from six starts.

Canada's champion 2-year-old male Philip My Dear, trained by Kevin Attard, is 3-0-2 from seven starts. Last year, the son of Silent Name (JPN)-Involuntary won the Soaring Free and Cup and Saucer, both contested on the E.P. Taylor turf.

Silent Miracle, 3-0-1 from five races, will test out the stakes ranks for the first time in the Plate. Trained by John Mattine, the son of Silent Name (JPN)-Broken Meadow notched consecutive wins starting last December (in his 2-year-old finale) over 6 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta, before a victory at seven panels on the same surface in his 3-year-old debut this May.

Touch'n Ride has made just two starts, but both efforts produced pleasing results for trainer Layne Giliforte. After a third to launch his career on July 1, where the son of Candy Ride (ARG)-Niigon's Touch rallied impressively in the one-mile turf race, the bay was even better next time out. Sent off at 9-2 in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race on July 30, the gelding romped to a 5 ¼-length score.

Twin City, trained by Stuart Simon, brings a record of 2-4-1 from eight starts into the Plate. The son of Klimt-Minnie Apple Is took the King Corrie this May, a nose win in the seven-furlong Tapeta race. The bay will be ridden by Gary Boulanger.

Bred, owned, and trained by dual hall of fame conditioner Roger Attfield (who is tied with Harry Giddings, Jr. for the most Plate wins by a trainer with eight), Twowaycrossing has run four of his six races on the turf. The son of English Channel-Double Guns Girl won at first asking last October over seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf and is 2-0-0 from seven starts.

Velocitor, a son of Mor Spirit-Polar Plunge, has a mark of 3-1-1 from eight starts for trainer Kevin Attard. The dark bay won two straight races including last year's Coronation Futurity at 21-1. The gelding finished second in his debut last May before a 7 ½-length romp at the same distance and over the same surface, five furlongs on the Tapeta, next time out in June.

Moon Landing, trained by Kevin Attard, won at first asking, the victory coming at Woodbine over 6 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta. The son of Nyquist-Fragrance is 1-0-1 from six starts.

Wickenheiser (1-2-0 from six starts), named after Canadian hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser, finished a rallying second to Plate rival Elysian Field in the Woodbine Oaks on July 23. Kevin Attard, who sent Moira out to an Oaks-Plate double last year, trains and co-owns the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid-Game (FR).

King's Plate Entries

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Cody's Wish brings a six-race win streak into Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, the highlight of this weekend's graded stakes action across North America. He'll face a field of five rivals as he seeks his first victory at a distance greater than a mile as well as a berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

With five stakes consisting of purses in excess of $2.53 million, Whitney Day features two other Grade 1 events: the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational and the $500,000 Test. The Derby features nine entrants, including both the winners of the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks, while the Test features Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous. Also featured on the card is Caravel's start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy, as well as the $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure.

The other Grade 1 on the weekend is the Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, which offers a berth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Five entrants have signed on for the 1 1/16-mile contest.

Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., is staging three turf stakes Saturday and four on Sunday, all positioned to be stepping stones to the big-money races at Kentucky Downs' all-grass late-summer meet. The winners of the Ellis stakes receive a guaranteed fees-paid berth in the corresponding race at Kentucky Downs. Five of the stakes are worth $200,000, and another is worth $250,000; each has drawn a field of at least 10 starters.

The one stakes this weekend that doesn't carry Kentucky Downs Preview in its name is Sunday's Grade 3 Pucker Up, a stakes for 3-year-old fillies that Ellis Park inherited from Arlington Park. The $300,000 Pucker Up is the richest race of the Ellis Park meet; its winner receives a fees-paid spot in the $1 million Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs.

Also on Sunday: the G3 Adirondack at Saratoga features juvenile fillies, including opening-day G3 Schuylerville winner Becky's Joker; the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) card at Mountaineer Park; and the G3 La Jolla at Del Mar.

Saturday

4:26 p.m. – Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga

Pretty Mischievous vies for sovereignty atop the sophomore filly division while cutting back in distance in Saturday's seven-furlong Test. She enters the Test on the heels of back-to-back Grade 1 scores for conditioner Brendan Walsh, beginning with a tenacious win in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Into Mischief was last seen posting a nearly identical performance to the Oaks in the Grade 1 Acorn on June 9 at Belmont Park, a 1 1/16-mile test conducted around one turn.

The Test will be Pretty Mischievous' first start at a sprint distance since scoring her first triumph against winners in a seven-furlong optional claiming contest in October at Churchill. Walsh said he looks forward to the pace scenario his filly is likely to get in an extended sprint and that the Test's timing proved favorable over a start in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, which was run on July 22.

Undefeated New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel looms large after an easy last-out score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 8 at Belmont Park in her first outing for her conditioner and namesake Melanie Giddings.

Dorth Vader [post 6, John Velazquez] will face a rematch with Pretty Mischievous after coming up a head shy in the Acorn with a strong late rally under returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez for trainer George Weaver.

Todd Pletcher trainee Munnys Gold [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] was last seen finishing a pacesetting fourth in the Acorn, defeated 4 1/2 lengths by Pretty Mischievous after setting moderate fractions.

Completing the field are the dual-winning Michael McCarthy trainee Clearly Unhinged [post 2, Javier Castellano]; stakes-winner Tappin Josie [post 3, Kevin Gomez] for trainer Horacio De Paz; stakes-placed Jersey Pearl [post 4, Luis Saez], a last-out 9 1/2-length allowance winner at Ellis Park for conditioner Darrin Miller; and graded stakes-placed Interpolate [post 5, Flavien Prat] for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

Test Entries

5:01 p.m. – Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga

Nine sophomores representing three nations will face off in the 1 3/16-mile turf affair. Belmont Derby winner Far Bridge has boasted talent and trajectory for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who also conditioned his Champion sire English Channel. In five runs, he has three wins and a pair of seconds. He will be piloted from post 5 by Jose Ortiz, who is perfect in two trips aboard Far Bridge, including the Belmont Derby coup.

Belmont Oaks heroine Aspen Grove [post 3, John Velazquez, 119 pounds] takes on the boys on the strength of her first top-level win. A Group 3-winner at two, who was last-of-10 in May's Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, she is trained by Fozzy Stack and is a daughter of Coolmore-based Triple Crown winner Justify.

A second Irish raider comes in the form of Lindy Farms' The Franchise [post 4, Luis Saez], who is trained by State of Rest's conditioner, Joseph O'Brien. Graduating at fifth asking in a nine-furlong handicap last out on June 30, he is a son of Siyouni, sire of Wednesday's Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner Paddington. The Franchise hails from a deep Daniel Wildenstein female family and is related to a pack of Group 1 horses, including Loup Sauvage, Loup Solitaire and Loup Breton.

Another European of high regard and solid connections entering the fray is Lion of War, a son of European Horse of the Year of 2018, Roaring Lion. From his late sire's only North American crop, the emblazoned bay has three wins from nine starts and exits a strong second in the Golden Gate at Ascot over 10 furlongs, where he was a bit unlucky for running room when it mattered most. Two races back, he was a green, but successful victor in Musselburgh's Edinburgh Cup over nine furlongs, carrying 131 pounds. Oisin Murphy, who rode his brilliant sire, takes the reins from post 8.

Christophe Clement-trained Mondego finished third after setting the pace in the Belmont Derby. The promising colt was making his stakes debut in the Grade 1 affair and returns to top-tier action in what will be his sixth start. Joel Rosario, aboard for his past four runs, including two victories, rides from the inside post.

Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown, who teamed up to win this event in 2020 with Domestic Spending in just his fourth career start, will try to do one better with Program Trading [post 2, Flavien Prat], who races for the third time on Saturday. The bay ridgling won impressively on debut in May at Monmouth and then appeared to improve again when winning in Belmont optional-claiming company on June 25.

On the opposite side of the experience spectrum is Mark Casse-trained Webslinger [post 6, Javier Castellano], a four-time winner from 10 starts, including Churchill Downs' Grade 2 American Turf. The son of Constitution seeks to become a millionaire with a top-two finish in this spot, having earned more than 18 times his $50,000 auction price thus far. Last out, he was an unlucky fourth when closing wide in the Belmont Derby, beaten a dwindling 1 1/2-lengths.

Another with ample graded form from the stateside team is Battle of Normandy [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione], who conquered his debut maiden over the Saratoga turf one year ago. Subsequently second in Saratoga's Grade 3 With Anticipation and fifth in Keeneland's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, he has a pair of rallying seconds in allowance company under Irad Ortiz, Jr. at Keeneland and Pimlico this season for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

The field is completed by lightly raced blueblood Truly Quality [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a son of Quality Road and grandson of Breeders' Cup champion Forever Together, a dual Grade 1 Diana-winner over the Saratoga sod. The Jonathan Thomas-trained dark bay gelding exits a 2 3/4-length Belmont maiden turf win over 10 furlongs—course and distance of the Belmont Derby, one day later. That effort followed a pair of eye-catching runner-up efforts.

Saratoga Derby Entries

5:42 p.m. – Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga

The magical story of Cody's Wish will add another chapter in this “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Five rivals have signed on to face the Bill Mott trainee over nine furlongs.

Cody's Wish, who boasts a record of 13-9-1-3 and field-high earnings of $2,328,530, will attempt to add a fifth consecutive Grade 1 triumph to his ledger. The son of multiple Champion-producing stallion Curlin arrives at the Whitney from a 3 1/4-length victory in the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap where he equaled a career-high 112 Beyer Speed Figure while besting returning rivals Zandon and White Abarrio.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Charge It, who was a last-out winner of the Grade 2 Suburban on July 8 at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old Tapit gray colt was in command throughout most of the 10-furlong journey, building on his advantage en route to a 4 3/4-length score while garnering a 106 Beyer.

Grade 1 winner Zandon will attempt to turn the tables on Cody's Wish after finishing a late-closing second in the Met Mile for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The son of Upstart, who finished third in the 2016 Whitney, seeks his first trip to the winner's circle since capturing the Grade 1 Blue Grass last April at Keeneland, but has finished on the board in 6-of-7 starts since that effort.

Trainer Dale Romans will send out Giant Game [post 3, Luis Saez, 20-1]. The 4-year-old dark bay showed newfound frontrunning dimensions in a victory two starts back in a 1 3/16-mile allowance on May 11 at Churchill Downs and parlayed that style into a three-quarter length triumph in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Cornhusker on July 8 at Prairie Meadows.

White Abarrio [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr. 6-1] ran a career-high 106 Beyer when third to Cody's Wish in the Met Mile in his first start for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

Legendary Hall of Fame horseman D. Wayne Lukas will send out Last Samurai [post 4, Flavien Prat, 15-1]. The 5-year-old Malibu Moon chestnut won last year's Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap while being trained by Dallas Stewart and captured this year's Grade 3 Razorback in February and Grade 3 Essex in March, both at Oaklawn Park, for Lukas. He enters from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on July 1 at Ellis Park.

Whitney Entries

9:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar

The Hirsch is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” challenge race that guarantees the winner an admission free berth in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Distaff, which will be run this year at Santa Anita in November. It drew a field of five distaffers.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the Hirsch in 2020 with Fighting Mad, will send out a pair of solid candidates in the Saturday headliner in Adare Manor and Fun to Dream.

Adare Manor, an Uncle Mo offspring who has five victories and four seconds in 11 careers starts, well could be the favorite in the crucible. The speedster comes into the race off a trio of scores, the last two coming in Grade 2 stakes at Santa Anita. She figures to be on or near the lead throughout and she'll have the saddle services of her regular rider, Juan Hernandez, for the test, which goes as Race 10 on an 11-race card.

The other Baffert filly, Fun to Dream, is a California homebred daughter of the trainer's Hall of Fame stallion Arrogate out of the Maria's Mon mare Lutess. She's won six of her eight outings and is the lone runner in the lineup with a Grade 1 tally already to her credit, that coming in the La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita last December. Hernandez had ridden the filly in all eight of her previous starts, but chose to go the other way for this affair. That left the door open for veteran Ramon Vazquez to pick up the mount.

Trainer Phil D'Amato, who'll be in quest of his first victory in the stakes, also will saddle two of the runners in Elm Drive along with Desert Dawn.

Elm Drive, who'll have Ricky Gonzalez in the tack, is a five-time winner who has gone two turns only once before with results that were not promising. She's by the Tapit sire Mohaymen out of an Indian Charlie mare

Desert Dawn, who is also by a Tapit stallion, this one named Cupid, has only won twice after 14 starts, but has a pair of seconds and five thirds that have built her earnings up to $696,525, tops among all the runners in the lineup. She'll have regular rider Umberto Rispoli aboard as she goes again in a race where she ran second last year to the top mare Blue Stripe.

Finally, trainer John Sadler, with five notches already on his belt in the Hirsch, will send out Keith Abrahams' Kirstenbosch. Kirstenbosch is a homebred by Midnight Lute with a trio of victories and six other placings to her credit. She'll be handled by Hector Berrios in the select field. In her most recent start, Kirstenbosch finished second to Adare Manor in Santa Anita's Santa Margarita Stakes on June 10.

Hirsch Entries

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