A pair of Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races highlight this weekend's graded stakes action in the United States, including the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga and the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The Fourstardave is headlined by the mare Regal Glory, undefeated in three starts this season, in what will be her first start against male rivals. Her biggest challenge may come from her Chad Brown-trained stablemate, Masen.
The Beverly D. drew a field of five, topped by Aidan O'Brien trainee and recent Group 2 winner Lily Pond.
Churchill Downs is hosting the G1 Arlington Million this year after the closure of Arlington Park. The card features just two turf races due to issues with the track's turf course earlier this year, but the Million drew a strong field of nine with the top challengers including Grade 1 winners Santin and Smooth Like Strait.
Saturday's card at Churchill also includes two $200,000 stakes, including the Lady Tak which features the seventh round of the rivalry between female sprinters Sconsin and Bell's The One.
Also worth noting that Sunday's racing includes five listed stakes races at Ellis Park in Kentucky; there is a two-day, all-stakes Pick 6 wager on offer between Churchill and Ellis.
Here's a quick look at some of this weekend's graded stakes:
Saturday
2:47 p.m. – Grade 2 Saratoga Special at Saratoga
Emerging stars Gulfport and Damon's Mound will look to make the grade in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.
Damon's Mound, by Girvin and out of the multiple stakes-placed Stroll mare San Antonio Str, broke slowly in his July 2 debut sprinting six furlongs at Churchill Downs under returning rider Gabriel Saez. He tracked four wide before taking command through a half-mile in 45.49 and drew off to a 12 1/2-length score in a final time of 1:09.84. Damon's Mound has breezed four times at Colonial Downs out of his debut win, including a bullet five-eighths in 58.40 on July 23.
Gulfport has won both career starts, including a 12 1/4-length score last out in the Bashford Manor on July 4 at Churchill Downs. The $275,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Yearling Sale purchase made every pole a winning one in the six-furlong test, stopping the clock in 1:09.25 while easily besting returning rival Owen's Leap to garner a field-high 91 Beyer. The Uncle Mo colt is trained by Steve Asmussen, who is one win shy of fellow Hall of Famer James G. Rowe Sr.'s record six wins in the prestigious test.
3:01 p.m. – Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes at Churchill Downs
The Beverly D., which drew a five-horse field, is part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” series. The winning horse will get an automatic berth into the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf (GI), which will be held Nov. 5 at Keeneland Race Course.
Recent Group 2 winner Lily Pond (IRE) will be in search of Grade 1 glory in her first stateside start. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Lily Pond had her first training session over the Churchill Downs dirt course Tuesday where she had an easy six-furlong gallop. The daughter of late Coolmore stallion Galileo (IRE) was the half-length winner of the Kilboy Estate Stakes (G2) in her last start at the Curragh. O'Brien and Lily Pond's ownership team won last year's Beverly D with Santa Barbara (IRE). Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will have the mount and break from post No. 5
Among the rivals to Lily Pond in the Beverly D. is Susan and John Moore's five-time graded stakes winner Princess Grace. The seasoned 5-year-old mare by Karakontie (JPN) was victorious in the last two runnings of the $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (G3) at Parx. Locally, Princess Grace won the $200,000 Mrs. Revere (G2) in 2020 when it was taken off the grass and run at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Her other notable graded stakes victories are the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2) and the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3). Jockey Florent Geroux will have the mount from post 3.
6:13 p.m. – Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga
After beating some of the best in her division in three starts this year, Peter Brant's Regal Glory will face males for the first time in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course. The one-mile turf test is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier, offering the winner an automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, the 6-year-old Animal Kingdom chestnut mare captured each of her three victories this year over different turf courses. Following a triumphant 2022 commencement in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational on January 29 at Gulfstream Park, she registered a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure with a one-length victory over stablemate Shantisara in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland. She enters off a win in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 11 at Belmont Park over next out graded stakes winners Wakanaka and stablemate In Italian.
Regal Glory's biggest challenge may come from stablemate Masen [post 4, Flavien Prat]. The 4-year-old Kingman gelding made his North American debut as the favorite in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile on April 15 at Keeneland, missing by a slim margin to Shirl's Speight. A winner of his last two starts traveling one mile over the Belmont Park Widener turf course, Masen captured the Seek Again on May 22 before securing a graded stakes win in the Grade 3 Poker on June 18.
6:25 p.m. – Grade 1 Arlington Million Stakes at Churchill Downs
Turf Classic (Grade 1) winner Santin will face six fellow turf specialists, including 2021 Shoemaker Mile (G1) hero Smooth Like Strait, in Saturday's 39th running of the $1 million Arlington Million (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs.
Santin will return to Churchill Downs where he narrowly defeated Mira Mission in the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Santin most recently had an eventful sixth-place finish in the $750,000 Manhattan (G1) where he had an unexpected shoe repair in the paddock and was defeated 5 ¼ lengths by Tribhuvan (FR). Santin has been preparing for the Arlington Million at Saratoga but arrived at Churchill Downs last Thursday and recorded a solid three-furlong move in :36.80 Monday morning outside Beverly D. competitor Family Way. Eight-time Churchill Downs leading rider Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Santin from post No. 6.
California-based Smooth Like Strait will attempt to score his eighth-career victory as one of the likely top betting interests. The ultra-consistent 5-year-old son of Midnight Lute finished 2 ¼-lengths behind Count Again in his attempt at a repeat victory in the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1). Through 21 starts, Smooth Like Strait sports eight runner-up finishes and three third-place efforts with earnings of $1,581,573. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait led nearly every step of the way in last year's $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) but was nailed at the wire by Space Blues (IRE). Smooth Like Strait has been based at McCarthy's Churchill Downs barn since Aug. 2 and completed his major work for the Arlington Million on Saturday with a swift half-mile move in :47.80. He'll be ridden by John Velazquez from post 4.
Another top horse that entered the Arlington Million is Juddmonte's homebred Set Piece (GB). The 10-time winner has four wins from five starts beneath the Twin Spires that includes victories in last year's $130,000 Opening Verse, $110,000 Douglas Park Overnight Stakes and $300,000 Wise Dan (G2). Set Piece sports one victory this year when he stormed from off the pace to win the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) at Pimlico. Set Piece will be ridden by 2015 Arlington Million winner Florent Geroux from post 1.
7:30 p.m. – Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar
The 70th edition of the Yellow Ribbon Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile spin on the turf course for fillies and mares, aged 3 and up, carries a $250,000 purse and has drawn a field of seven headed by the multiple-stakes winning 4-year-old Going Global.
Going Global, who is owned by Dubb, Gevertz or Nentwig, et al, has won eight of her 14 lifetime starts and compiled a bankroll of $817,292. The Irish-bred by the Acclimation stallion Mehmas raced in her native land as a 2-year-old, winning one of two starts, then went right on a roll at age 3 in the U.S. She won four straight stakes, then ran second in one before winning two more. The bay has raced twice this year – winning the Grade 2 Royal Heroine at Santa Anita, then coming back there to finish a close-up third in the Grade 1 Gamely.
Trainer Phil D'Amato has named Umberto Rispoli to ride Going Global Saturday and they'll break from Post 2 in the lineup. Morning line maker Jon White has hung her a solid 6-5 favorite in the stakes.
9:00 p.m. – Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar
In the Sorrento, which is seen as the major stepping stone to the meet's top offering for 2-year-old fillies – the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Saturday, Sept. 10 – the chestnuts Procrastination and Absolutely Zero loom large.
The former, a daughter of Not This Time foaled in Kentucky, has started only once, but it was a dandy. The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' miss ran off and hid from a field of straight maidens in good time for five furlongs at Los Alamitos on July 4, finally reporting home eight lengths the best. She was handled that day by rider Ricky Gonzalez and trainer Mike McCarthy has named him back for the Sorrento.
Absolutely Zero, a California-bred by Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, has won both her outings, the most recent the Fasig Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita on June 18. Trainer Doug O'Neill has had rider Mario Guiterrez up for both the filly's scores, so you know he wouldn't go any other way for the Sorrento.
Procrastination is listed at 8-5 on the morning line with Absolutely Zero just a tick behind at 9-5.
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