So many races, so little time to map out a betting strategy for 21 decisive Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In" events this weekend at racetracks in California, Kentucky, New York, and France.
Perhaps the main event is the $5.85 million Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at ParisLongchamp outside Paris, one of the world’s most famous horse races and the richest flat race in Europe.
For those who bet horse racing, expect a large field to line up so leave time for some extra handicapping.
The Arc, as it is commonly called, is a “Win and You’re In" race to the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar in California on Nov. 1. The 1 ½-mile Arc is the centerpiece on Sunday card with six “WAYI” races.
It’s also a blockbuster opening weekend for the fall meet at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Over three days, Oct. 3-5, the track will host eight BC “Win and You’re In" races, with each winner earning a fees-paid, automatic berth to a corresponding Breeders’ Cup race on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, last out winner of the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), is set to go in the Spinster Stakes (G1) on Sunday, where she will be tested by 3-year-old star Nitrogen, winner of six of her last seven races, most recently the Alabama Stakes (G1).
Here’s the lineup, with qualifying Breeders’ Cup race in parentheses.
Prospective field: Go to Girl, Percy’s Bar, The Grumpy Rabbit, Taken by the Wind, Tommy Jo.
Jessamine Stakes (G2), (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf)
Prospective field: Aggressive Lime, Beach Ballad, Carolyncaroline, Diablo Shiraz, Dyna, Ground Support, Imaginationthelady, Infinite Sky, Lit Ship, Mackinac, Rose Room, Snappy Comeback, Soloist, Time to Dream, To a Flame.
Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2), (Breeders' Cup Sprint)
Prospective field: Here Mi Song, Nakatomi, Silver Slugger, Skelly, Whatchatalkinabout, World Record.
Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), (Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint)
Prospective field: Long Neck Paula, Praying, Vahva, Vodka With a Twist, Zeitlos.
Breeders' Futurity (G1), (Breeders' Cup Juvenile)
Big Dom, Blackout Time, Ewing, Spice Runner, Ted Noffey, Vost.
Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (G1), (Breeders' Cup Mile)
Beach Gold, Brilliant Berti, Diego Velazquez, Donegal Momentum, Epic Ride, Howard Wolowitz, Jonquil, Mountain Bear, Program Trading, Quatrocento, Rhetorical, Woodshauna.
Spinster Stakes (G1), (Breeders' Cup Distaff)
Prospective field: Leslie’s Rose, Nitrogen, Thorpedo Anna. Possible: Alpine Princess.
Bourbon Stakes (G2), (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf)
Blinging It Back, Casa Cielo, Dr. Agne, Final Score, Gordon Pass, J J Grey, Password, Repentless, Vintur. Possible: Exonerate, Outfielder.
A big weekend at Aqueduct features four WAYI races – the Pilgrim Stakes (G2) and the Futurity Stakes (G3) on Friday and the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2) and the Champagne Stakes (G1) on Saturday.
The Pilgrim winner earns a spot in the BC Juvenile Turf; the Futurity winner gains a place in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The Miss Grillo winner gains entry in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Champagne winner goes to the BC Juvenile.
The field for the Pilgrim, in post-position order
Ball of Fire, Heeere's Johnny, Teleport, Bottas, Truman's Commander, Scope, Baytown Dreamer, Noble Dynasty, Capital Partner, Repentless and Let's Be Frank.
The field for the Futurity, in post-position order
Outfielder, Channel the Music, Intricate Spirit, Longshoreman, Expressway, Attfield, Belgian, No Pressure.
The field for the Miss Grillo, in post-position order
Cara's Dreamchaser, Day to Day, Ground Support, Miss Call, Believe in Magic, Rose Room, El Barrio, Boomington, Deep Learning, Miss Picky, Fille d'Oro, Quiet Street, Dyna, and Caradise.
The field for the Champagne, in post-position order
Curtain Call, Stradale, Universe, Aye Eye, Just Asap, It's Our Time, Stickupwithoutagun, Napoleon Solo, Talkin.
Santa Anita chimes in with a trio of “WAYI” races on Saturday – the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) with the winner earning a spot in the BC Juvenile Fillies, the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2) for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) to the BC Juvenile.
For the American Pharoah, named, of course, for the 2015 Triple Crown winner, 15 2-year-olds are nominated, including five by trainer Bob Baffert: Brant and Desert Gate, the 1-2 finishers in the Del Mar Futurity (G1); Buetane, second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1); Balboar, fifth in the Futurity; and debut winner Kristofferson.
Trainer Doug O’Neill nominated four, including Civil Liberty and Brigante.
Oak Leaf nominees include Baffert trainees Bottle of Rouge and Explora, the 1-2 finishers in the Del Mar Debutante (G1).
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert won both BC Challenge “Win and You’re In" races on Sunday, the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) with Imagination and the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) with Cavalieri.
In the Sprint Championship, Imagination ($13.20), in his first start since January, swept past 3-5 favorite Straight No Chaser in deep stretch.
With the victory, the 4-year-old earned a fees-pain berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 1.
Straight No Chaser held a 2 ½-length lead before Imagination rallied on the far outside under Juan Hernandez in the final sixteenth of a mile and won by 1 ¾ lengths. Dr. Venkman finished second, with Straight No Chaser third.
“We gave him a lot of time (off),” Baffert said. “He looks beautiful. He has filled out, and his work was just sensational the other day. I thought, you know what, I am just going to run him in the Sprint. There is not a race for him for another three weeks. But this will set him up. He’s always been a good horse. He’s a little quirky but that is his thing.”
Straight No Chaser is still a likely starter in the Breeders’ Cup.
Earlier on the card, 3-5 favorite Cavalieri ($3.40) overcame a shaky start to overtake stablemate Richi and win the $200,000 Zenyatta by 1 ¾ lengths.
The win earned Cavalieri a fees-paid berth in the BC Distaff on Nov. 1. Hernandez was aboard.
“She was acting up, she was nervous,” Hernandez said. “It had been a while since she had run so she was excited. Even in the post parade she was dancing a little bit. But she recovered in three jumps.”
After four of seven horses were scratched from the usually prestigious Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, the field was reduced to three starters. Locked ($4.46 on a $2 win bet) ended a two-race slump with a three-quarter length win over Phileas Fogg, with Post Time third.
Locked, trained by Todd Pletcher, may opt to send the 4-year-old to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile over the BC Classic since he already has three top contenders for the $7 million Cassic in Fierceness, MIndframe and Antiquarian.
At Santa Anita, the Goodwood Stakes (G1), a “WAYI’’ to the Classic, saw Bob Baffert-trained Nevada Beach ($19) overtake 1-2 favorite Full Serrano for a 1 ½-length victory in a field of six.
And at Churchill Downs, 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan ($5.14) returned to the winner’s circle with a brave stretch run in between horses for a three-quarter length win over Disarm in the Lukas Classic Stakes (G2).
