win and you're in | Horse Racing Free Tips

Preakness Stakes To Offer Automatic Starting Position In Breeders’ Cup Classic

Officials of the Breeders' Cup and The Stronach Group today announced that the winner of the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds on Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore will earn an automatic starting position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The announcement marks the first time that a Triple Crown race will be a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into corresponding races of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held this year on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. The $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, contested at 1 ¼ miles, will be run on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Both the Preakness, run at 1 3/16 miles, and the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, will be broadcast live on NBC.

“We are delighted to join The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club in welcoming the Preakness to this year's Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, and that we will be able to provide the winning connections with an added incentive to run in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic,” said Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup President and CEO. “As a foundation race of the Triple Crown, and the premier event in the proud history of Maryland racing, we look forward to working together with The Stronach Group, and our partners at NBC Sports, to promote an exciting fall season for Thoroughbred racing.”

“The events of 2020 have for all of us been about responding to unforeseen challenges and making the best of them,” said Craig Fravel, Chief Executive Officer, Racing Operations, 1/ST. “Many of those challenges including the changes to the Triple Crown have been unwelcome but becoming part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is most welcome and a fitting finale to the three-year-old season as the horses and their connections make their way to Baltimore for the last leg of the Triple Crown. We look forward to hosting the best of America's three-year-old horses on October 3 at the Preakness and to enjoying their success thereafter in the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

“With terrific racing ahead, we're excited that the two biggest events of the fall months will be further connected with the Preakness Stakes winner earning a coveted berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” said Jon Miller, President of Programming for NBC and NBCSN.

Due to scheduling changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Preakness date was shifted from May 16 to Oct. 3, and will be run as the third jewel of the 2020 Triple Crown. This year's Triple Crown began on June 20 with the Belmont Stakes (G1), won by Tiz the Law, at Belmont Park, and will be followed by the Kentucky Derby (G1), which will be run on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Four Preakness winners have won the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. In 2015, American Pharoah swept the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland to become racing's first “Grand Slam” winner. Preakness winners Sunday Silence (1989), Alysheba (1987) and Curlin (2007) also won the Classic. Alysheba captured the Classic in 1988.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the $150,000 in entry fees for the Preakness winner to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which is limited to 14 starters. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $10,000 for all North American starters based outside of Kentucky to compete in the World Championships. The Preakness winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

There are six horses who have thus far earned automatic starting positions into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Mozu Ascot, winner of the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 23; Tom's d'Etat, who took the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 27; Authentic, winner of the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on July 18; Improbable, who won the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 1; Ghaiyyath (IRE), winner of the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York on Aug. 19 in Great Britain and Maximum Security, who won the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 22.

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Maximum Effort

Whether you love him or have mixed feelings about him, there is one thing about Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) that is very hard to dispute: he is an outstanding racehorse.

Prohibitively favored at 40 cents on the dollar to take Saturday’s GI TVG Pacific Classic in his second start since being transferred to the barn of Bob Baffert, the bay absorbed race-long pressure but, realistically speaking, never looked like losing in securing an all-expenses-paid berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic in early November. When the dust had settled, the 4-year-old had a margin of three lengths on a very game and persistent Sharp Samurai (First Samurai), while Midcourt (Midnight Lute)–who almost stole the show in the GII San Diego H. last time out-came home a well-beaten third.

“We mapped it out that he’s the quickest horse, he’s ready and now you can ride him with a lot more confidence. Once he took the lead I figured he’d be fine,” said trainer Bob Baffert, winning the marquee race of the Del Mar meet for the sixth time, equaling the record of the great Bobby Frankel. “‘Max’ was relaxing really nice. He was a totally different horse today. [Maximum Security] just does things effortlessly. He wasn’t even blowing when he came back. I’m just so happy for this horse. It’s not his fault what he went through. Today he showed that he is a great horse.”

Having won the inaugural Saudi Cup in February, Maximum Security was making his debut for Baffert in the San Diego in the aftermath of the federal indictment of trainer Jason Servis. Adding further intrigue to an already complicated situation was news that the jockey that knew Maximum Security best, Luis Saez, had contracted the coronavirus and was restricted from traveling from New York.

Enter Abel Cedillo, a rising star on the Southern California circuit, but who had never known a spotlight as white hot as the one he was about to experience. Very little went according to script in the San Diego. Clearly the one to beat, his fellow riders race-rode Maximum Security and he was unable to make the running. Under a drive for the better part of the last four furlongs, he somehow managed to peg back Midcourt on the wire to score by a nose. Connections promised a fitter racehorse this time around and he delivered–to the max.

Kicked straight into the lead from gate five by Cedillo, Maximum Security took the Pacific Classic field under the line for the first time and although the opening fraction of :23.93 was hardly demanding, it was a contested pace, as Sharp Samurai was glued to his flank, with defending champ Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro) prominent three wide. Midcourt was restrained off the pace this time around, with longshots Mirinaque (Arg) (Hurricane Cat) and Dark Vader (Take of Ekati) the back markers.

Maximum Security galloped them along at an even tempo–the half-mile was posted in :47.98–and was asked for a bit more speed passing the four-furlong pole after six panels in a very comfortable 1:12.37. Sharp Samurai kept up the pressure around the turn and at one point perhaps looked to be traveling slightly better than the chalk, but Maximum Security turned away his very pesky foe entering the final eighth of a mile and pulled clear, covering his final quarter-mile in a solid :24.74.

“The race went pretty much how I thought,” said Cedillo. “[Trainer] Bob [Baffert] told me to keep him off the rail, because the speed was inside. If someone wanted to run up inside of us, I would have let them. He just galloped around the track. I was a little surprised that the outside horse [Sharp Samurai] was with us early and he stuck around. He ran big, but whenever he would get close, my horse would pull away on his own. He still had a little left at the end. I have to say this is probably the best horse I’ve ever ridden.”

Pedigree Notes:

Maximum Security’s dam was acquired by Gary and Mary West for $80,000 in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at Keeneland November in 2014 and was sold to Korean interests for $11,000 carrying a full-sibling to the then unraced 2-year-old Maximum Security, who would make a victorious debut in a maiden $16,000 claimer about six weeks later. Lil Indy and her weanling Korean-bred full-sister to Maximum Security were acquired and returned to the U.S. and prepared for last year’s Keeneland November sale. Lil Indy fetched $1.85 million in foal to Quality Road, while the weanling was bought back on a bid of $190,000. Lil Indy, a half-sister to MGISW Flat Out (Flatter), produced a colt by Quality Road Apr. 23 and was bred back to Curlin.

Saturday, Del Mar
TVG PACIFIC CLASSIC S.-GI, $500,500, Del Mar, 8-22, 3yo/up,
1 1/4m, 2:01.24, ft.
1–MAXIMUM SECURITY, 124, c, 4, by New Year’s Day
                1st Dam: Lil Indy, by Anasheed
                2nd Dam: Cresta Lil, by Cresta Rider
                3rd Dam: Rugosa, by Double Jay
O-Gary & Mary West, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor &
Derrick Smith; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-Abel Cedillo. $300,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Colt,
12-10-1-0, $12,191,900. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sharp Samurai, 124, g, 6, First Samurai–Secret Wish, by
Street Cry (Ire). ($85,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Red Baron’s Barn
LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC & Mark Glatt; B-Cudney Stables
(KY); T-Mark Glatt. $100,000.
3–Midcourt, 124, g, 5, Midnight Lute–Mayo On the Side, by
French Deputy. ($450,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC;
B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs. $60,000.
Margins: 3, 2 3/4, NO. Odds: 0.40, 10.10, 7.40.
Also Ran: Higher Power, Mirinaque (Arg), Dark Vader.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Weekend Lineup: Pacific Classic, Fourstardave Highlight Racing Action

Three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races are on tap for August 22 at Saratoga and Del Mar. The Pacific Classic at Del Mar is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic, while the Del Mar Handicap offers a fees-paid entry to the Breeders' Cup Turf. At Saratoga, the Fourstardave Handicap is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

The Pacific Classic and Del Mar Handicap will both be televised live on TVG as part of their comprehensive coverage of racing at Del Mar. In addition to Del Mar, TVG will also be broadcasting racing from Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Golden Gate and more all weekend.

The Fourstardave will be shown on NYRA's “Saratoga Live” telecast on FS2. “Saratoga Live” will be shown on either FS1 or FS2 through Sunday. For the complete “Saratoga Live” broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

Friday August 21

9:07 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar on TVG

K M N Racing's Sneaking Out, a 4-year-old filly with a strong resume, a Hall of Fame trainer and Del Mar's leading rider set to climb on board, is a solid favorite for the 49th edition of the Rancho Bernardo Handicap. Sneaking Out has been first or second in nine of her 11 starts. She's won a pair of stakes, most recently capturing the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos to push her bankroll to $431,441.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082120USA9-EQB.html

Saturday August 22

2:29 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park on TVG

Warrior's Charge, fourth in the Grade 1 Met Mile in his last start and a close-up fourth in the 2019 Preakness Stakes, heads a compact field of six for the 85th edition of the Iselin, the feature on a 14-race card. A 4-year-old son of Munnings, Warrior's Charge launched his 2020 campaign with a win in the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn on February. 17. He followed that by finishing second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap before being beaten just two lengths in the Met Mile at Belmont Park on July 4 in his last start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH082220USA5-EQB.html

5:46 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course on FS2

Gary Barber's Got Stormy will take on reigning champion turf female Uni (GB) as she looks to defend her title in the 36th running of the Fourstardave at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Mark Casse, Got Stormy will seek to become the first back-to-back winner of the Fourstardave since two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan scored back to back victories in 2012-13 and will look to end a streak of four straight losses. Eclipse Award-winner Uni, one of four runners for trainer Chad Brown along with Raging Bull (FR), Valid Point and Without Parole (GB), will attempt to replicate her form from last year when making her second start of 2020. Uni, who was third in last year's Fourstardave, rounded out the trifecta as the favorite in her seasonal bow in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 27 at Belmont Park, where she finished 3 ½ lengths behind stablemate Newspaperofrecord.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082220USA9-EQB.html

6:05 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar on TVG

The Green Flash Handicap leads off a banner day of racing at Del Mar offering five stakes worth a total of more than $1-million. Topweighted in the Green Flash at 123 pounds – and the morning line favorite at 5-2 – is Del Secco DCS Racing's Sparky Ville, a multiple-stakes winning Candy Ride (ARG) gelding who already has a win at the session on the five-panel layout that he'll run on Saturday. Mike Smith rode the 4-year-old to a photo-finish tally on July 26 and has the call back Saturday. Jeff Bonde trains the chestnut Kentucky-bred who can claim purse earnings of $321,312.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082220USA3-EQB.html

6:36 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar on TVG

Seven 3-year-old fillies will match strides at in the 43rd edition of the Torrey Pines Stakes. Topping the group in the one-mile testing will be Bamford or Tabor's Uncle Mo filly Harvest Moon. The bay Kentucky-bred, who races out of the barn of trainer Simon Callaghan, has only started three times and never run versus stakes competition, but appears to have found a spot right in her wheelhouse in the Torrey Pines.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082220USA4-EQB.html

8:06 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at Del Mar on TVG

L N J Foxwoods' United will strut his stuff in the oldest stakes on the shore oval's roster, which is also a “Win and You're In” program that grants its winner a guaranteed entry with fees paid in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf. United, who has banked $1,253,549 during a career that has seen him win six of 14 starts including a three-for-three run in stakes this year, scored most recently in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar on July 26.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082220USA7-EQB.html

9:06 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at Del Mar on TVG

Eleven 3-year-old fillies will test their mettle over nine furlongs on the Del Mar turf course Saturday in the Del Mar Oaks. The likely favorite in the highly sought lawn test is Gary Barber's Laura's Light, a daughter of Constitution who has won five of her seven lifetime starts, including a last-out tally in one-mile Del Mar's San Clemente Stakes on grass July 25.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082220USA9-EQB.html

9:36 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar on TVG

Champion Maximum Security, the fourth-ranked horse on the latest NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, headlines the track's marquee event – the Pacific Classic. The son of New Year's Day, bred by owners Gary and Mary West, who have added partners to his ownership group in Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, will take on five rivals in the mile and a quarter for 3-year-old and up and he'll have Abel Cedillo in the irons. Cedillo rode the bay to a hard-fought nose victory in the San Diego Handicap here on July 25 in his first start in five months and first under the care of trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old carried topweight of 127 pounds that day but, under the weight-for-age conditions of the “Classic,” he – and all the other runners – will go postward with 124 pounds Saturday.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082220USA10-EQB.html

Sunday August 23

5:18 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1

Trainer Chad Brown will enter Sunday's Diana at Saratoga Race Course loaded for bear, saddling two former Breeders' Cup winners in Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie (IRE) as he looks to win the race for a fifth consecutive year. Sistercharlie has captured the last two runnings for Brown and will look to achieve a three-peat in headlining the six-horse field. The now 6-year-old daughter of Myboycharlie (IRE) won the 2018 Eclipse Award as champion turf female for a campaign that included her first Diana victory as well as scores in that year's Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, Grade 1 Beverly D. and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Sistercharlie's stablemate, Rushing Fall, is a five-time Grade 1 winner, including last out when she outkicked Jolie Olimpica by three-quarters of a length to repeat in the Jenny Wiley on July 11 at Keeneland. The winner of the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is already Grade 1-winner at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5, including the 2018 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR082320USA8-EQB.html

9 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap at Del Mar on TVG

Grade 1 winner Mo Forza makes just his second start of 2020 when he heads up a field of 11 in the Del Mar Mile Handicap. Trained by Peter Miller, Mo Forza concluded his 2019 campaign with four straight victories, including a triumph at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. The son of Uncle Mo has not started since running ninth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park on January 25.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR082320USA9-EQB.html

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United Earns Top Billing In ‘Win And You’re In’ Del Mar Handicap

L N J Foxwoods' United, a big, strapping racehorse who can run all day on the grass with the best around, will strut his stuff at Del Mar Saturday in the oldest stakes on the shore oval's roster – the Del Mar Handicap.

This is the 81st season of summer racing at Del Mar and this is the 81st running of the Del Mar 'Cap, a race that has been won by dozens of top class horses over the years and might add another to its ranks in the Giant's Causeway gelding United.

The race goes as the 7th on an 11-race program that offers more than $1-million in purses. It carries a $200,000 incentive, Grade II status and further encouragement because it is part of the “Win and You're In” program that grants its winner a guaranteed entry with fees paid in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf, the foremost event for grass runners nationally that will be contested this year on November 7 at Keeneland in Lexington, KY as part of the two-day Breeders' Cup championships.

Notably, United ran in that race last year when it was held at Santa Anita and lost a furious battle to Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar by a head. Trainer Richard Mandella circled this year's running of the Turf on his calendar and has been pointing his charge toward it again.

United will face 10 foes Saturday and they'll travel a mile and three eighths on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Here's the lineup from the rail out with weights, riders and morning line odds:

United (126, Flavien Prat, 8/5); Team Block's Another Mystery (119, Victor Espinoza, 20-1); Hronis Racing's Combatant (123, Ricardo Gonzalez, 8-1); Bran Jam Stable and Firsthome Thoroughbreds' Big Buzz (117, Edwin Maldonado, 20-1); Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams' Ward 'n Jerry (120, Mike Smith, 10-1); Benowitz Family Trust and Madaket Stables' Proud Pedro (119, Juan Hernandez, 12-1); Little Red Feather Racing, Jacobsen, et al's Red King (120, Umberto Rispoli, 8-1); Team Work Horseman Group's New Year (117, Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Messineo or Sands' Oscar Dominguez (122, Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1); B G Stables' Originaire (121, Abel Cedillo, 5-1), and Messineo or Sands' North County Guy (118, Mario Gutierrez, 15-1).

United, who has banked $1,253,549 during a career that has seen him win six of 14 starts including a three-for-three run in stakes this year, scored most recently in the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar on July 26. The chestnut's connections behind L N J Foxwoods are Larry and Nancy Roth and their daughter, Jaime, from Great Neck, NY.

It appears that Originaire and Oscar Dominguez – a pair of Irish-bred runners – are the chief threats to United.

Originaire, a 4-year-old by Zoffany, has chased United home in his last two starts, the Eddie Read and then the Whittingham at Santa Anita prior to that. The bay colt has finished in the top three in 12 of his 18 starts and is trained by veteran Jeff Mullins.

Oscar Dominguez won Del Mar's Hollywood Turf Cup at a mile and one-half here last fall. He has six wins, six seconds and six thirds and earnings of $464,214 to his credit. He's a 7-year-old gelding, also by Zoffany, and runs out of the Richard Baltas barn.

Combatant registered a big win earlier in the year when he was a photo-finish victor in the Santa Anita Handicap. The 5-year-old by the late sire Scat Daddy has just over $1-million in winnings. His trainer is John Sadler.

First post for the Saturday card is 2 p.m.

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