The highlight of this weekend's stateside racing action is the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday, featuring 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs over the main track. Runaway Prioress winner Alva Starr is the favorite, though recent G3 winners Lady Radler and Vahva will also be well-backed at the windows.
On Friday, Aqueduct' G3 Knickerbocker will be held off the turf, and has scratched down to a field of three runners. Later Friday, eight stakes races comprise the Oklahoma Classics at Remington Park, led by a closely-matched field of 11 for the OKC Turf in race 10.
On Saturday, the British flat racing season comes to its conclusion with two Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In races featured as part of a spectacular British Champions Day card. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) (G1) gives the winner an automatic starting position for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) and the winner of the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) earns an invitation to the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).
Also Saturday, the G1 Grand National will be held for steeplechasers at Far Hills, and the Florida Sire Series Susan's Girl and Affirmed will be held at Gulfstream Park, while the G3 Ontario Derby is the feature at Woodbine.
Sunday's headliner is the G3 Dowager at Keeneland, featuring nine fillies and mares to go 1 1/2 miles on the turf.
Saturday
5:16 p.m. – Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland
Alva Starr, runaway winner of the Prioress (G2) at Saratoga in her most recent start, headlines a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered in the $350,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2). A winner of three of five races for trainer and co-breeder Brett Brinkman, Alva Starr made her graded stakes debut in the six-furlong Prioress and led all the way in posting an 8¾-length victory. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Alva Starr for the seven-furlong Raven Run and will exit post position 7.
Ladner and trainer and co-breeder Brett Brinkman have been down this road before. Two years ago, they came to Keeneland for the Raven Run with a filly they co-bred named Cilla, who had just posted a breakthrough Grade 2 victory in the Prioress.
Also in the field for the Lexus Raven Run are recent Grade 3 winners Lady Radler and Vahva.
Lady Radler posted a 23-1 upset in the seven-furlong Dogwood (G3) at Churchill Downs on Sept. 23 for trainer Michael Campbell. Jesus Castanon has the mount for the Lexus Raven Run and will break from post position 8.
Vahva won the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G3) as the favorite in her most recent start for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Vahva will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post position 4.
5:41 p.m. – Grade 3 Ontario Derby at Woodbine
OLG Canadian Triple Crown jewel winners Velocitor and Touch'n Ride are set to compete in the $150,000 Ontario Derby, which drew a field of 10 3-year-olds to go 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta.
Kevin Attard trainee Velocitor will make his return to the track after winning the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown at Fort Erie Race Track on September 12. Velocitor has a record of 4-1-1 from 10 starts. The son of Mor Spirit won the Coronation Futurity last November and ran fourth in The King's Plate ahead of his Prince of Wales win.
Twin City, Cool Kiss, Stanley House and Twowaycrossing join Velocitor and Touch'n Ride as horses racing in Saturday's Grade 3 Ontario Derby that competed in a leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown. All six horses raced in two of the three legs of the Triple Crown.
Layne Giliforte trainee Touch'n Ride won the mile and a half Breeders' Stakes over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 1. Twowaycrossing is the only other starter in Saturday's Ontario Derby that ran in the Breeders'.
Sunday
4:12 p.m. – Grade 3 Dowager Stakes at Keeneland
Vergara and Transient (GB), who ran 1-2 in the Aristocrat Ladies Marathon (G3) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9, headline a field of nine fillies and mares entered for the $300,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) to be run at 1½ miles on the grass.
Trained by Graham Motion, who has won the Dowager three times, Vergara prevailed by three-quarters of a length at Kentucky Downs to earn her first victory of 2023 from four races. Joel Rosario, who was aboard that day, retains the mount and will exit post position 3.
Motion will have a second starter in Team Valor International's Romagna Mia (GB). A Group 2 winner last year in Italy, Romagna Mia was third in the Beverly D. (G1) in her U.S. debut at Colonial Downs on Aug. 12. John Velazquez has the mount and will exit post 6.
Saffie Joseph Jr. trains Transient, who is three times graded-stakes placed in 2023. Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount and will break from post position 9.
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