There will be seven graded stakes races this weekend at Woodbine, Delaware Park, and at Belmont Park, which closes out its spring/summer meeting with two Grade 1 turf races as European and American 3-year-olds compete in the Belmont Oaks and Belmont Derby Invitationals. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern).
TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from Delaware Park, Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Woodbine and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.
“America's Day at the Races” will be broadcasting live on Saturday, July 10 on FS1 from 1-3 p.m., and on FS2 from 3-5:30 p.m. from Belmont. On Sunday, July 11, “America's Day at the Races” will be live on FS2 from 12:30-4 p.m., and on FS1 from 4-5 p.m.
Saturday, July 10
3:15 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park on TVG
Godolphin's Micheline looks to return to her winning ways leading a field of nine fillies and mares at Delaware Park in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial on turf. Trained by Mike Stidham and ridden from post 4 by Joe Bravo, Micheline won the Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs in March, but finished sixth in the Grade 1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April, and 10th last out in Monmouth's Grade 3 Eatontown on June 20, failing to launch a serious bid. Pocket Aces Racing's 5-year-old Temple City Terror defeated Bal Mar Equine's Dalika (GER) by three-quarters of a length in the black type Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 22, reversing the order of finish from the listed Albert M. Stall Memorial at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 13 when Dalika prevailed by 1 length. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Temple City Terror, a 5-year-old daughter of Temple City, will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 5. Dalika, a six-time winner, is trained by Al Stall Jr., and will be ridden by Miguel Mena from post 8.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DEL071021USA5-EQB.html
4:06 p.m. ― $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on FS2
Trainer Aidan O'Brien has sent over Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Santa Barbara (IRE) from his base in Ireland, leading a European challenge of Nazuna (IRE) from England, and Cirona (GB) from France, among eight 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf. The even-money morning line favorite, Santa Barbara, ridden by Ryan Moore from post 5, just missed winning the Group 1 Al Wasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh on June 27, losing a furious stretch-drive battle to 4-year-old Thundering Nights (IRE) by a neck. Hanako Varian's Nazuna, trained by Roger Varian, returns to the U.S. where she finished 10th in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. In her lone start this year, Nazuna, a daughter of Kodiak (GB), finished second in the Grade 2 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom on June 5. John Velazquez will ride from post 6. Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, Kent Starr, Sara Starr and Gary Finder's Cirona won the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte Stakes at ParisLongchamp on April 18. She lost a heartbreaker in the Group 1 Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp, headed in the final yards. Cirona is trained in by Christophe Ferland, but will be turned over to Chad Brown following this race. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima, and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Plum Ali, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont on June 3, are back again. Texas-bred Con Lima, trained by Todd Pletcher, is four of six this year, while the Christophe Clement-trained Plum Ali is seeking her first win of 2021. She captured the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont in 2020.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL071021USA-EQB.html#RACE7
4:21 p.m. ―$150,000 Grade 3 Selene Stakes at Woodbine on TVG
Three-year-old fillies are in the spotlight on Woodbine's all-weather surface Saturday in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Selene Stakes. Trainer Mark Casse, a Hall of Famer in both Canada and the U.S., has entered three of the seven starters: Gary Barber's California Lily, Live Oak Plantation's Florida-bred Our Flash Drive and D.J. Stable's Danger. California Lily, ridden by Rafael Hernandez from post 2, finished third by less than a length in Woodbine's Grade 3 Star Shoot Stakes on June 19. Our Flash Drive (Patrick Husbands, post 3) was a 3 ¾-length maiden winner earlier on the June 19 Woodbine card. Danger (Emma-Jayne Wilson, post 6) is making her first start since breaking her maiden at Turfway Park last December. William T. Harrigan's Gote Go is the 2-1 morning line favorite off a solid 2-length score in a 1 1/16-mile allowance turf race at Churchill Downs on June 5 for trainer Roger Attfield. Steven Bahen has the mount from post 1.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO071021CAN7-EQB.html
4:38 p.m. ―$150,000 Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont Park on FS2
Magnifico Stable and Hubert Guy's Louisiana-bred Australasia, unbeaten in six starts, leads a field of 3-year-old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs in the Grade 3 Victory Ride. Trained by Brad Cox, Australasia faces seven runners in her first graded stakes try. After four wins against state breds, Australasia won an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs by two lengths on April 30, and the listed 6-furlong Jersey Girl Stakes by 1 length over Bella Sofia at Belmont on June 6. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 7. Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners, and Matthew Mercurio's Bella Sofia will be making just her third start. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Bella Sofia blew away the field when breaking her maiden at 6 furlongs by 11 ¼ lengths at Belmont on May 6 prior to the Jersey Girl. Manny Franco has the mount from post 1. Team D and Madaket Stables' Miss Brazil, third in the Jersey Girl, has won three of six starts for trainer Anthony Dutrow. Jose Ortiz will ride Miss Brazil from post 3.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL071021USA8-EQB.html
5:12 p.m. ―$1 million Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Bolshoi Ballet leads nine runners in Saturday's 1 ¼-mile Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes on the turf for 3-year-olds. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Bolshoi Ballet, a son of Galileo (IRE), has won two of three starts this year, including the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes on April 11 at Leopardstown. However, he followed up that performance with a disappointing seventh-place finish, with no surge in the final furlong, as the 7-5 favorite in the Group? 1 Kazoo Derby at Epsom on June 5. Ryan Moore will ride from post 2. From France comes Teruya Yoshida's Tokyo Gold (FR), a winner of three of six starts, including a four-length score in the Group 2 Derby Italiano Universita' Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (Italian Derby) at Capannelle in Rome on May 23. Trained by Satoshi Kobayashi, Tokyo Gold will be ridden by John Velazquez from post 7. The Bill Mott-trained Du Jour won the Grade 2, 1 1/16-mile American Turf presented by Derby City Gaming on May 1 at Churchill Downs for his third straight win this year. Owned by Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni, Du Jour will break from post 5 under Flavien Prat. Robert LaPenta, Augustin Stable and Madaket Stables' Hard Love is two for two this year, including a 1 1/8-mile allowance optional claiming win on June 5 at Belmont for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Manny Franco has the mount from post 6.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL071021USA9-EQB.html
5:15 p.m. ―$400,000 Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on TVG
A field of seven is set for Saturday's Grade 2 Delaware Handicap for older fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles. Juddmonte's 4-year-old Bonny South, trained by Brad Cox, has been first or second in her last five starts, which includes a victory in Keeneland's Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes on April 16, and a second-place finish to Letruska, the No. 1 rated horse in the weekly NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll, in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont on June 5. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 5. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered the 5-year-old Queen Nekia (Sheldon Russell, post 2) and the 4-year-old Gibberish (Trevor McCarthy, post 1). Florida-bred Queen Nekia has won 10 races, including the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park in February. Queen Nekia finished fourth in the Ogden Phipps. e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gibberish, a four-time winner, finished second in the listed Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park last time out on June 6. Miracle International Trading's Dream Marie, trained by Matthew Wiliams and ridden by Joe Bravo from post 3, won the listed 1 1/16-mile Obeah Stakes at Delaware by 1 ¾-lengths over Cammarota Racing's Miss Marissa by 1 ¾ lengths. Miss Marissa, trained by Jim Ryerson, will be ridden from post 6 by Daniel Centano.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DEL071021USA9-EQB.html
Sunday, July 11
4:24 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Marine Stakes at Woodbine on TVG
San-Som Farm's Canadian homebred Tidal Forces is two for two this year leading six runners in a wide-open field of 3-year-olds in the 1 1/16-mile Marine Stakes on the all-weather surface at Woodbine. Trained by Gail Cox and ridden from post 1 by Emma-Jayne Wilson, Tidal Forces came from off the pace to score by a half-length in a 1 1/16-mile optional allowance claiming race at Woodbine on June 19. Breeze Easy Stable's Easy Time is making his first start since Feb. 12, when he finishing second in an optional allowance claiming race at Gulfstream Park by a neck for trainer Mark Casse. Rafael Hernandez has the mount from post 3. Casse is also starting Gary Barber's Frosted Over, who broke his maiden at 7 furlongs at Woodbine on June 20. Kazushi Kimura rides from post 2.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO071121CAN7-EQB.html
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