The big news for the upcoming weekend is torrential rainfall in the Northeast, which is causing widespread flooding in the New York metropolitan area. In response, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) cancelled Friday's card at Aqueduct, and has moved Saturday's 11-race card to Sunday and pushed Sunday's 10-race program to Wednesday.
Saturday's card, headlined by the matchup of War Like Goddess and Rebel's Romance in the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, will move in its entirety to Sunday with a first post time of 12:05 p.m. Eastern. The lucrative 11-race program also features the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodward, the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh, a “Win and You're In” for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.
The 10-race card originally scheduled for Sunday will move in its entirety to Wednesday with a first post time of 1:05 p.m. Wednesday's action is co-headlined by a pair of Grade 2 “Win and You're In” qualifiers for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The $200,000 Pilgrim awards a berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf while the $200,000 Miss Grillo for fillies awards a berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The weather is expected to be a bit brighter at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita Park on Saturday, leaving those two cards fully intact.
Beneath the Twin Spires, Grade 2 winner Three Technique will attempt to garner an all-entry-fees-paid berth into the $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) as the headliner of the $400,000 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs. The one-mile Ack Ack Stakes is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” contest for the Dirt Mile Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. The program also features the 10th running of the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) and 43rd running of the $200,000 Jefferson Cup.
Saturday's card at Santa Anita also features a “Win and You're In” race, the Grade 1 Awesome Again offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Defunded will try to defend his 2022 title against eight rivals in the 1 1/8-mile contest. Also on Saturday's card are the Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D, Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, and the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile.
Sunday at Santa Anita features the Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes, Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship, Grade 3, $100,000 Tokyo City Stakes, and the $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes.
International action is also expected to provide some fireworks on Sunday. Not only is the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on the ticket at Longchamp Racecourse in France, but a field of 14 is signed on to go postward in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine in the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.
Saturday
4:58 p.m. – Grade 3 Ack Ack at Churchill Downs
Grade 2 winner Three Technique will attempt to garner an all-entry-fees-paid berth into the $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) as the headliner of Saturday's $400,000 Ack Ack (G3). Trained by Jason Cook, Three Technique hasn't competed since his 3 ¾-length score in the July 1 John A. Nerud (G2) July 1 at Belmont but has remained in steady training at Trackside Louisville, located about five miles from Churchill Downs. A 6-year-old son of Mr Speaker, Three Technique ran in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile but only managed a sixth-place finish.
There are several other accomplished horses entered in the Ack Ack, including R. A. Cowboy Jones winner Stage Raider; two-time stakes winner Zozos; and four-time winner O Besos.
5:29 p.m. – Grade 2 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs
Five-time graded stakes winner Rattle N Roll leads a competitive field of nine older horses in the $500,000 Lukas Classic. Ken McPeek-trained Rattle N Roll will attempt to rebound from his sixth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) as the 8-5 favorite. Prior to that race, Rattle N Roll finished just a half-length second behind West Will Power in the Stephen Foster (G1). The 4-year-old Connect colt sports victories earlier this year in the Ben Ali (G3) in April at Keeneland, Pimlico Special (G3) in May, and Blame (G3) June 3 at Churchill.
Rattle N Roll's competition in the Lukas Classic includes Stephen Foster third-place finisher Happy American, Grade 3 winner Clapton, and Longacres Mile winner Five Star General.
7:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park
In what appears to be a wide-open affair, multiple Grade 1 winning Defunded rates top billing among a field of nine 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles as he defends his title in the $300,000 Awesome Again. A winner of this year's G2 Californian and G1 Hollywood Gold Cup three and four starts back on May 29 and April 22, Bob Baffert-trained Defunded has five wins from nine starts at Santa Anita. Despite the fact he was a well beaten sixth by stablemate Arabian Knight in the G1 Pacific Classic Sept. 2, Defunded rates a huge chance as he returns home to Santa Anita.
Doug O'Neill's California-bred Slow Down Andy, a solid third, beaten 1 ½ lengths in the Pacific Classic, rates a huge chance in what will be his fourth start of the year. Out of the Square Eddie mare Edwina E, Slow Down Andy's biggest performance to date came four starts back when he finished third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by eventual Eclipse Champion Cody's Wish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 5, 2022 at Keeneland—earning an Awesome Again best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.
A winner of the G1 Preakness Stakes three starts back on May 20, Baffert's National Treasure has been well beaten by top sophomore Arcangelo in his last two starts, the G1 Travers on Aug. 26 and the G1 Belmont Stakes June 10 and will be facing older horses for the first time.
Sunday
1:09 p.m. – Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes at Aqueduct
Godolphin's multiple Grade 1-winning Kentucky homebred Cody's Wish will turn back to a one-turn sprint in the $250,000 Vosburgh, a seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the fan favorite Cody's Wish was last seen finishing a closing third in the Grade 1 Whitney traveling a two-turn nine furlongs on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course. It was the first time the son of Curlin had faced the nine-furlong distance since finishing third in a second-out maiden special weight in July 2021 at Saratoga and his first two-turn race since taking the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in thrilling fashion last year at Keeneland.
Along with Cody's Wish, Mott will also be represented by graded stakes-winner High Oak [post 5, Katie Davis]. The 4-year-old bay son of Gormley arrives from a game third-place effort in the Grade 1 Forego won by Gunite over High Oak's victorious stablemate and reigning Champion Male Sprinter Elite Power.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown saddles Accretive for another try at his first stakes score as he enters from a pair of allowance-level wins. This year, Accretive is undefeated through two starts at Saratoga, beginning with a 3 3/4-length romp in a first-level allowance on July 22 and most recently taking a one-mile second-level optional claimer by one length on September 2.
2:40 p.m. – Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct
Dual Grade 1-winner War Like Goddess vies to defeat males for a second consecutive victory in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, a 1 1/2-mile inner turf marathon. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 6-year-old daughter of English Channel was slated to run in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course in pursuit of a second win in that event, but was removed from consideration after she spiked a temperature.
War Like Goddess scored in last year's Joe Hirsch with an off-the-pace trip engineered by Jose Lezcano, pouncing from six lengths back to notch the 2 3/4-length triumph over Bye Bye Melvin and garner a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure. War Like Goddess' win in the Joe Hirsch propelled her to a second appearance at the Breeders' Cup after finishing a close third in the 2021 Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf. Last year, she remained in the company of males when taking on the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf and again finished third, defeated three lengths to returning rival Rebel's Romance after saving ground on the inside and angling around Master Piece in the stretch to get up for show honors.
Godolphin's Irish homebred Rebel's Romance [post 5, William Buick] looks to make amends from a last-out trip to Saratoga where he contested the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 30, but clipped heels in the final turn and unseated jockey Richie Mullen. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the son of Dubawi was making his first start since a seventh-place effort in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March and was in the midst of a strong bid from sixth in the nine-horse field when the incident occurred. He completed the course, was collared by the outrider and arrived back at the barn in good order, prompting his connections to briefly reroute him to the Grade 1 Arlington Million the next week at Colonial Downs before deciding to send the 5-year-old gelding back to Appleby's yard at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket, England instead.
3:11 p.m. – Grade 2 Woodward at Aqueduct
Charge It enters the Woodward from a distant fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course. There, he raced in between horses when a close fifth down the backstretch and was shuffled back to last-of-6 around the far turn before moving to the rail and making a run under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, but finished 10 lengths behind the victorious White Abarrio. This effort came following a pacesetting 4 3/4-length win in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 8 going 10 furlongs at Belmont Park, where the 4-year-old gray son of Tapit made amends from three straight losses at graded stakes level.
This year's Woodward will get a touch of international flavor in the form of Algiers, who will emerge from a six-month hiatus after finishing second in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March at Meydan Racecourse. Trained by Simon Crisford, the 6-year-old Shamardal chestnut began the season with a pair of open-lengths victories in the first two rounds of the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan Racecourse.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown will saddle Zandon [post 4, Flavien Prat], who finished second to White Abarrio in the Whitney last out. Third in last year's Kentucky Derby, Zandon earned Grade 1 honors when securing a 2 1/2-length victory in the Blue Grass last April going the Woodward distance at Keeneland. After finishing in the money in Saratoga's Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Travers as well as the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, the 4-year-old Upstart colt finished fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets in December at the Big A – his lone off-the-board effort in 12 lifetime starts. This year, Zandon has finished second in all three of his efforts, rounding out the exacta in Belmont Park's Grade 3 Westchester in May and Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap in June en route to the Whitney.
5:30 p.m. – Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Adare Manor seeks her fifth consecutive win as she heads a field of four fillies and mares three and up going 1 1/16 miles in the $200,000 Zenyatta. With her last three victories coming in graded the stakes, the most recent a one-length score going a mile and one sixteenth in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar Aug. 5, Adare Manor should be tough to deny on the front end with Juan Hernandez back aboard for Bob Baffert.
Although winless in nine starts since taking the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9, 2022, Arizona-bred Desert Dawn is plenty strong at the bank, earning $155,375 from four starts this year and amassing career earnings of $776,525 from an overall mark 15-2-3-5. Most recently second, beaten one length at 5-1 by Adare Manor in the Hirsch at Del Mar, Desert Dawn would be well-suited by a fast pace with regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard for trainer Phil D'Amato.
7:00 p.m. – Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita Park
Trainer Phil D'Amato's Gold Phoenix tops the $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship as he seeks his third consecutive graded stakes victory. The John Henry has attracted a field of eight three-year-olds and up at 1 1/4 miles.
Although seventh in the G1 Shoemaker Mile on turf here May 29, Gold Phoenix, a 5-year-old gelding, has been nothing short of brilliant in his last two starts, rallying to take the G2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf by three quarters of a length July 30 and the G2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on grass by 1 ¼ lengths Sept. 2. A close third in last year's John Henry, Gold Phoenix, who surpassed the $1 million mark in earnings on Sept. 2, will hope to be rolling late under Juan Hernandez in what will be his 16th career start and 15th with D'Amato.
D'Amato will also send out the venerable Masteroffoxhounds, who showed the way in the Eddie Read on July 30 when finishing third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by his stablemate, Gold Phoenix. Winless in four starts this year, the 6-year-old full horse by War Front's last win came seven starts back in last year's John Henry here at Santa Anita. Masteroffoxhounds is a two-time graded stakes winner over the course and will be ridden back by Edwin Maldonado.
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