Baeza returns home to Southern California with a Grade 1 victory finally on his resume, and now a run in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) over familiar ground is a distinct possibility.
The Breeders’ Cup is at Del Mar on Oct. 31-Nov. 1, and Baeza is stabled 100 miles up the road at Santa Anita. Of course, when Baeza shows up for the Classic, the only two horses he’s finished behind will be waiting in Sovereignty and Journalism, along with top older horses Fierceness, Mindframe, and Sierra Leone.
That’s for a later discussion as a big weekend of horse racing approaches with five Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In" races – four at Santa Anita, including the Goodwood Stakes (G1) on Saturday, and one at Aqueduct, the Vosburgh Stakes (G3), also Saturday.
For those who bet on horse racing, here’s a brief rundown of the top races Saturday and Sunday:
Five-graded stakes races are lined up for the 12-race card:
The 7-furlong Vosburgh for 3-year-olds and up drew a field of nine, including 7-year-old gelding Baby Yoda, a winner last out in an allowance optional claimer to surpass $1 million in earnings (32-11-4-4). Also entered is Crazy Mason, winner of the Carter Stakes (G2) in April at Aqueduct.
The winner earns a fee-paid, automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
The 1 1/8-mile Woodward Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up, drew a field of seven, including Grade 1 winners Locked for trainer Todd Pletcher, Suburban Stakes (G2) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) runner-up Phileas Fogg for trainer Gustavo Rodriguez, and Post Time, a 17-length winner in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel for trainer Brittany Russell.
The Woodward is not a “Win and You’re In" race, but winners of the race have gone on to win the Classic. The list: Alysheba in 1988, Cigar in 1995, Ghostzapper in 2004, Saint Liam in 2005, and Gun Runner in 2017.
The 1 ½-mile Joe Hirsch on the turf drew a small field of five, with two others entered if the race is moved to the main track.
Three Grade 1 winners are in the field – Rebel's Romance, a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) (2022, 2024) and earnings of more than $14 million, 2025 Sword Dancer Stakes winner El Cordobes, and 2024 Sword Dancer winner Far Bridge.
The others are Redistricting and Rebel Red. Bank Frenzy and Le Gris are entered for the main track only.
Twenty-six Black leads a field of seven going 6 ½ furlongs on the outer turf.
The 4-year-old gelding comes into the race off a runner-up finish in the Troy Stakes (G2) and a 2 ¼-length victory in the Disco Partner Stakes, both at Saratoga. Top rider Flavien Prat has the call.
Senbei is back to try to make it two in a row in the race. He won last year for Christophe Clement, who recently passed away, and is now trained by his son, Miguel Clement.
Impel, coming off a win in the Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park on Aug. 10 for trainer Brad Cox, is among a field of nine 3-year-olds and older fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs.
Also in the field are Sunday Girl, a winner in seven of 10 career starts, 6-year-old gray Sterling Silver, a $1 million earner trained by Bill Mott, and a pair for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., R Disaster and Street View.
2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan headlines a field of seven for the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic.
After winning the Blame Stakes (G3) in May, the 4-year-old trained by Kenny McPeek finished fourth in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) and the Arlington Million (G1) in August.
Brian Hernandez, Jr., the regular rider for McPeek, was injured in a spill Sunday night at Churchill Downs and suffered rib fractures and multiple internal injuries. His wife Jamie said on social media Sunday night that he has seven broken ribs, a punctured lung, a liver laceration, and “some bleeding", but will undergo surgery to repair his ribs and has a positive prognosis.
Full update-With permission from his wife @JamieRadosevich he’s going to have surgery in morning to repair three displaced ribs. We are on the road to recovery. Please read the attachments below, ironically today decisions were made on a commemorative Thorpedo Anna 9 year… pic.twitter.com/hOb1xMnGOb
— Kenny McPeek (@KennyMcPeek) September 22, 2025
Hit Show, the surprise winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1) in April, is also entered, along with Willy D's, Rattle N Roll, Prince of Power, Disarm, and Banishing.
The race honors Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who passed away in June at the age of 89.
The 1 1/8-mile Goodwood Stakes is the final “Win and You’re In’’ race to the BC Classic in North America and features Gaming taking on six others.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Gaming, runner-up in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), won the 1 1/16-mile Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita in June. With a record of 9-3-2-3, and with Hall of Famer Mike Smith aboard, he’ll be tough to beat, but last out he was a well-beaten third behind stablemate Citizen Bull in the 1-mile Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 31.
Nevada Beach is also entered. He finished second to Gaming in the Affirmed but 20 days later returned and won the Los Alamitos Derby on June 28.
Full Serrano has won three of four starts since arriving in the U.S. from Argentina. Trained by John Sadler, he ran second in the 2024 Pacific Classic (G1), then won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and won an allowance optional claimer earlier this month in his first start of 2025.
Also entered are Privman, a 3-year-old colt by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Express Train and Ultimate Gamble.
Also, Saturday at Santa Anita is the City of Hope Mile (G2). The winner earns an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).
On Sunday at Santa Anita, it’s the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2). The winners earn automatic berths in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), respectively.
The official odds for the upcoming races will be posted later in the week.
