Eight graded stakes are offered this weekend at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., kicking off on Friday with the Grade 1 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes and highlighted by Saturday's $1-million, Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, a Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge Stakes for the Classic division, a race that offers a fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the $6-million Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6. The Whitney should be a doozy, but you won't want to miss stakes like the G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on Saturday or Sunday's G3 Saratoga Oaks. Whitney Day is one of the best cards of the year anywhere.
Meanwhile, out west in Del Mar, Calif., the seaside track showcases 2-year-old fillies in Friday's G2 Sorrento Stakes and 2-year-old colts on Saturday in the G2 Best Pal Stakes. Del Mar's Saturday card also features a wide-open renewal of the Yellow Ribbon Handicap for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on turf.
For the adventurous horseplayer, take a chance at the New York Racing Association's Cross Country (and Cross Breed) Pick 5 on Saturday. That bet includes the aforementioned Saratoga Derby and Whitney, Monmouth's Tyro Stake, and two of harness racing's biggest events – the Hambletonian Oaks and the Hambletonian, both contested at Meadowlands in New Jersey. Past performances are free here for this 50-cent base wager.
Here's a quick snapshot of this weekend's graded stakes schedule, starting with Saratoga and Del Mar's big races (all times Eastern):
Friday
4:29 – $200,000 Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S at Saratoga
Two Hall of Fame trainers have entrants in this one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds: Bill Mott, who will saddle Annex and newly inducted Mark Casse, who sends out Easy Time. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez also may have a say in the outcome aboard Next for trainer Wesley Ward. But like virtually every grass stakes, you'll have to beat a Chad Brown runner to get the money. In this case, it's Public Sector , a Kingman colt searching for his initial stakes victory and coming off a narrow loss in the Manila on July 4. He'll have West Coast-based Flavien Prat in the saddle.
5:39 p.m. – $200,000 Grade 3 Troy S at Saratoga
Imprimus will try to win the Troy again this year for trainer Joe Orseno after crossing the line first and being disqualified for interference in the 2020 running. This gelded son of Broken Vow is 9-for-19 lifetime and almost always makes his presence felt with a strong stretch punch. Wesley Ward runs the speedy Bound for Nowhere and Charlie Appleby has an interesting import from Europe for Godolphin in Lazuli, a Dubawi gelding to be ridden by Luis Saez.
10:00 p.m. – $200,000 Grade 2 Sorrento S at Del Mar
Smash Ticket, the 9-5 morning line favorite, finished second to the Steve Asmussen hotshot 2-year-old Wicked Halo on a muddy track at Lone Star Park in June, then romped to a five-length maiden win at Del Mar on July 17. She will be tough right back for trainer Todd Fincher and her performance may help solve the puzzle in Sunday's G2 Adirondack at Saratoga, where Wicked Halo is among the leading contenders.
Saturday
3:50 p.m. – $250,000, Grade 2 Glens Falls S at Saratoga
Hard to believe, but the Glens Falls at 1 1/2 miles on the inner turf is a race that Chad Brown has yet to win, though he'll have a pair of runners who will try to end that omission on his record. Five-time Glens Falls-winning trainer Bill Mott has the favorite, however, in War Like Goddess, an English Channel filly who has not run since dominating the G3 Bewitch Stakes over this same marathon distance at Keeneland in April. The lightly raced 4-year-old has only lost once in five career starts
4:34 p.m. – $500,000 Grade 1 Test S at Saratoga
The 1-2 finishers in the G2 Mother Goose, Zaajel and Always Carina, and the 1-2-3 finishers in the G1 Acorn, Search Results, Obligatory and Make Mischief, make this an exceptionally difficult race to handicap. A sixth filly, G2 Victory Ride winner Souper Sensational, can't be discounted, either. It's going to take a very good filly to win this year's edition of the seven-furlong Test.
5:10 p.m. – $1-million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational S at Saratoga
Bolshoi Ballet is the 2-1 favorite to ship from Ireland and reprise his July 10 win in the G1 Belmont Derby for trainer Aidan O'Brien, but Aidan's son Joseph O'Brien will try to beat him with State of Rest. Charlie Appleby has a Godolphin runner, the War Front colt Secret Protector, who may be up to the task, and Cadillac rounds out the European competition for trainer Jessica Harrington.
5:48 p.m. – $1-Million Grade 1 Whitney S at Saratoga
Only five runners but they bring a combined $12 million in racetrack earnings into the starting gate led by the $4.8-million earner Knicks Go, the 6-5 favorite on the morning line for trainer Brad Cox. The Paynter 5-year-old suffered two consecutive losses in the G1 Saudi Cup and G1 Met Mile before rebounding with a confidence-building win in the G3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows last month. He'll put his speed on display but champion filly Swiss Skydiver will likely make a run at Knicks Go, and if that softens him up there are three very strong closers. The “now” horse among them may be Silver State, who has posted six consecutive victories dating back to last October.
9:06 p.m. – $200,000 Grade 2 Best Pal S at Del Mar
Luis Mendez opted not to run his top juvenile colt, Big City Lights, and instead point for the G1 Del Mar Futurity on Labor Day but will be represented by Olympic Legend in the Best Pal. Peter Miller has a pair of fast 2-year-olds in Bet On Mookie and Aquitania Arrival, but Mark Casse has the probable favorite in Pappacap, a Gun Runner colt who debuted impressively at Gulfstream Park in May.
9:36 p.m. – $200,000 Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar
Simon Callaghan-trained Maxim Rate is the 7-2 morning line favorite in this wide-open field of 10 fillies and mares going 1o 1/16 miles on turf, but it would be hard to discount any of these entrants' chances. The newcomer to this party is Michael Stidham-trained Princess Grace, a Karakontie 4-year-old coming off a G3 victory at Parx in her seasonal debut.
Here's a snapshot of the other weekend graded stakes in North America, courtesy of NTRA:
Saturday
4:55 p.m. ―$200,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Governor's Stakes at Mountaineer
Sprawl, trained by Tom Drury Jr., has made his last three starts at Churchill Downs. Sprawl won an allowance optional claiming race on May 9 by 7 ¼ lengths, finished third in the black type Blame Stakes, and third again in the Grade 3 Stephen Foster behind Maxfield and Warrior's Charge. Sprawl will break from the rail under Joe Talamo. Down from Canada is 4-year-old Mighty Heart. Trained by Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart won the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 29 and took the Grade 3, 1 1/6-mile Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine on July 1. Daisuke Fukumoto has the mount, breaking form post 5. Michael M. Hui's hard-knocking 8-year-old gelding
West Virginia Governor's Entries
5:35 p.m. – $500,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer
Mr. Wireless is the 9-5 morning line favorite against six rivals going 1 1/8 miles. Trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden from post 3 by Ramon Vasquez, Mr. Wireless has won three of five starts, highlighted by a rousing 3 ¾-length score last time out in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand. Prior to the Indiana Derby, Mr. Wireless finished second by three-quarters of a length to Warrant in the listed Texas Derby at Lone Star Park on May 31. Trained by Brad Cox, Warrant has won two of five starts. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 5. The Todd Pletcher-trained Bourbonic won Aqueduct's Grade 2 Wood Memorial by a head at 72-1 in April. Bourbonic finished 13th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. Bourbonic will break from the rail under Eric Cancel.
Sunday
5:05 p.m. ―$200,000 Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga
Ontheonesandtwos and Wicked Halo, the second and third-place finishers, respectively, in the listed Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 26, meet again in Saratoga's 105th Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes for 2-year-old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs. Ontheonesandtwos, trained by Norm Casse, broke her maiden at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths on May 13. She went off as the 8-5 favorite in the Debutante, closed strongly from fifth place, but finished a length behind Behave Virginia at the finish. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 2. Owner Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen campaigned Gun Runner to the 2017 Horse of the Year title. They are starting Wicked Halo, a gray/roan daughter of Gun Runner. Wicked Halo took the lead early in the Debutante and held it to the sixteenth pole before finishing third. Jose Ortiz has the mount, breaking from post 7. Mainstay was the 7-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes on July 17 at Saratoga. Trained by Butch Reid, Mainstay bobbled at the start, and chased leader Pretty Bridie throughout, finished second by two lengths. Joel Rosario will ride Mainstay from post 8.
5:39 p.m. ―$700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at Saratoga
Con Lima leads eight 3-year-old fillies going 1 3/16 miles on the turf. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Texas-bred Con Lima has won four of seven starts this year, including Grade 3 scores in the Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park in February and the Wonder Again at Belmont in June. Con Lima ran brilliantly in the Grade 1, 1 ¼-mile Belmont Oaks on July 10, holding the lead nearly the entire way before losing to favored Santa Barbara (IRE) by a half-length. Flavien Prat will ride from post 5. Breaking from the rail is Higher Truth (IRE), who finished third in the Belmont Oaks, less than a length behind Santa Barbara. Trained by Chad Brown, Higher Truth is two for four this year. She will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 1. Gam's Mission, trained by Cherie DeVaux, has won three races this year, including the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs. Gam's Mission, who finished fourth in the Belmont Oaks, will be ridden by Luis Saez from post 3.
9 p.m. ―$150,000 Grade 3 La Jolla Stakes at Del Mar
Cathkin Peak (IRE) leads a wide open renewal among six 3-year-old filliesgoing 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Trained by Phil D'Amato, Cathkin Peak finished second to eventual Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World as the even-money favorite in the listed Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 27. Last year, Cathkin Peak won the listed Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita. She will be ridden by Juan Hernandez from post 4. The Bob Baffert-trained Hudson Ridge won the black type, 1 1/8-mile Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita on May 23, and followed up that victory with a 1 1/8-mile allowance optional claiming win at Santa Anita on June 18. Abel Cedillo has the mount from post 3. In from the Midwest is Stilleto Boy. Trained by Ed Moger Jr., Stilleto Boy was a frontrunning, 4 ½-length winner of the listed Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 2. Kent Desormeaux has the mount from post 1.
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