The upcoming weekend in horse racing is filled with necessary races on the highway to the 41st annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships, with six Problem Sequence “Win and You’re In” preps scheduled Sept. 28-29. Santa Anita Park in California hosts its first big-event card, the California Crown, with two Problem Sequence races scheduled, whereas three will likely be held at Belmont on the Large A (Aqueduct) in New York and one at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Del Mar is the host for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup, set for Nov. 1-2.
Along with the Problem Sequence races, a number of different stakes are on the weekend calendar which were traditionally important in sending members on to excel on the Breeders’ Cup, led by the historic Woodward Stakes and the Joe Hirsch Turf Traditional Stakes.
Learn on for an summary of the upcoming “Win and You’re In” qualifiers and different key races.
California Crown Stakes Offered by SirDavis American Whisky
The place: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Calif.
When: Saturday, Sept. 28
Learn how to watch: FanDuel TV
“Win and You’re In” for: Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional
Why it’s necessary: This 1 1/8-mile race is the ultimate West Coast prep for the $7 million Longines Traditional, and main contenders based mostly in California have typically used it to tune up for the large race going all the best way again to the Nineteen Eighties (it was named the Goodwood Stakes till 2012 after which the Superior Once more Stakes till its rebranding for 2024). 5 horses have gained each races in the identical 12 months – Ferdinand (1987), Tiznow (2000), Pleasantly Excellent (2003), Mucho Macho Man (2013), and Speed up (2018) – and several other different Superior Once more winners have skilled on to hit the board within the Traditional.
Finest winner throughout the Breeders’ Cup period: Corridor of Famer Tiznow will get the sting among the many robust fivesome listed above as he gained the Superior Once more and Breeders’ Cup Traditional as a 3-year-old in 2000. The Jay Robbins-trained son of Cee’s Tizzy posted hard-fought wins in each races, defeating Captain Steve by a half-length at Santa Anita after which Europe’s “Iron Horse” Big’s Causeway by a neck within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional at Churchill Downs. Tiznow then turned the one back-to-back winner of the Traditional in 2001 when he outfought one other European star, Sakhee, at Belmont Park.
2024 discipline: Bob Baffert holds the all-time win report on this race with eight, and he’s bought two main contenders amongst his three entrants lined up for Saturday’s race in 4-year-old a number of Grade 1 winner Nationwide Treasure and 3-year-old Muth. Muth missed some races and coaching time attributable to harm however returned with a pointy win in a listed stakes Sept. 1 at Del Mar and seems to be rounding into his finest kind. Baffert’s third entrant is Grade 1 winner Newgate.
The place: Aqueduct, Queens, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Sept. 28
Learn how to watch: FS2
“Win and You’re In” for: Breeders’ Cup Dash
Why it’s necessary: The Vosburgh was held at six furlongs from 2004 by 2021 earlier than being switched again to seven-eighths of a mile in 2022. No matter distance, it is a marquee race for sprinters and has a protracted affect on the Breeders’ Cup. Whereas solely two horses have gained the Vosburgh and Breeders’ Cup Dash in the identical 12 months – Artax in 1999 and Elite Energy in 2022 – 5 also-rans within the Vosburgh rebounded to earn victories within the Dash weeks later. As well as, the 2003 Vosburgh winner was stretched out within the subsequent season by coach Bobby Frankel and have become among the finest horses of this century, shining brightest at Lone Star Park when successful the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Traditional. His title: Ghostzapper.
Finest winner throughout the Breeders’ Cup period: If strictly reserved for Vosburgh winners who subsequent gained the race they earned a bid for – the BC Dash – then Elite Energy narrowly edges Artax based mostly on his higher profession report (9-for-13 vs. 7-for-25) and the truth that he got here again to win one other BC Dash in 2023 (after skipping the Vosburgh). Nevertheless … final 12 months’s Vosburgh winner honestly takes high honors regardless of utilizing the race as a springboard to a different Breeders’ Cup occasion. Cody’s Want went off as an amazing 0.15-1 favourite within the Vosburgh regardless of having completed third in his prior race, the Whitney Stakes, and regardless of breaking slowly, he validated these odds with a facile 1 ½-length win. That set the fan favourite up for a repeat bid within the Large Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Dust Mile Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, the place he outfinished Nationwide Treasure for an emotional victory celebrated by the Dorman household and lots of, many extra. Cody’s Want was voted 2023 Horse of the Yr on the Eclipse Awards two months later.
2024 discipline: Corridor of Famer Invoice Mott, coach of Cody’s Want, is represented by two starters within the seven-horse discipline for Saturday’s Vosburgh: Child Yoda and Scotland.
The place: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.
When: Saturday, Sept. 28
Learn how to watch: FanDuel TV
“Win and You’re In” for: Large Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Dust Mile
Why it’s necessary: The Ack Ack, held at a one-turn mile at Churchill, was added to the Problem Sequence in 2022. Since its first working in 1991, only a few Ack Ack runners have gone on to compete with distinction on the Breeders’ Cup. One which did was $3.4 million earner Searching for the Soul, who gained the Ack Ack by 1 ¼ lengths in 2018 after which, a bit greater than a month later, ran once more below the Twin Spires and completed second to Metropolis of Mild within the Dust Mile for coach Dallas Stewart.
2024 discipline: A gaggle of seven is entered in Saturday’s Ack Ack, a part of a “Downs After Darkish” night card. Saudi Crown is the morning-line favourite at 4-5 odds coming in off of a blazing 1 ¾-length win in a listed stakes Aug. 11 at Ellis Park.
Metropolis of Hope Mile Stakes Offered by MyRacehorse
The place: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Calif.
When: Saturday, Sept. 28
Learn how to watch: FanDuel TV
“Win and You’re In” for: FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Offered by PDJF
Why it’s necessary: The Metropolis of Hope Mile Stakes was added to the Breeders’ Cup Problem Sequence this 12 months, changing the Shoemaker Mile held at Santa Anita Park in late spring. The race was a serious steppingstone to the World Championships 20-25 years in the past however has misplaced a lot of its luster in recent times. Turf stars Silic, Conflict Chant, and Val Royal gained this race after which the BC Mile in 1999, 2000, and 2001, again when the Metropolis of Hope was known as the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile Stakes. Extra just lately, Clearly gained the Metropolis of Hope Mile in 2012 after which the Breeders’ Cup Turf Dash a 12 months later.
2024 discipline: Saturday’s renewal shapes up as an awesome race for bettors and followers, with a number of achieved horses entered, together with Johannes (unbeaten in three begins this 12 months, all graded stakes) and Trikari (who’s gained three graded stakes in 2024 and ships west for coach Graham Movement).
Pilgrim Stakes and Miss Grillo Stakes
The place: Aqueduct, Queens, N.Y.
When: Saturday, Sept. 28 (Pilgrim) and Sunday, Sept. 29 (Miss Grillo)
Learn how to watch: FS2
“Win and You’re In” for: Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Pilgrim) and John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Miss Grillo)
Why they’re necessary: These two turf races for juveniles have been terribly influential on the World Championships over the previous 15 or so years. Three males have gained each the Pilgrim and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in the identical calendar 12 months – Oscar Efficiency (2016), Structor (2019), and Fireplace At Will (2020). Fillies exiting the Miss Grillo have completed even higher, with 5 twin winners: Maram (2008), Woman Eli (2014), New Cash Honey (2016), Newspaperofrecord (2018), and Arduous to Justify (2023). All 5 of these fillies have been skilled by Chad Brown, and Maram supplied Brown with the primary of what’s at present 18 Breeders’ Cup wins.
Finest winners throughout the Breeders’ Cup period: Oscar Efficiency has the sting amongst Pilgrim winners as he skilled on to win 5 extra graded stakes in his profession for coach Brian Lynch, together with three Grade 1 races. And on the Distaff facet, it’s clearly Woman Eli. That fan favourite gained six races in a row to begin her profession (the Miss Grillo and Juvenile Fillies Turf have been numbers two and three) however then was sidelined for greater than a 12 months and almost misplaced her life when growing laminitis. Amazingly, Woman Eli returned in summer time 2016 and gained 4 extra stakes races into fall 2017, together with three Grade 1s, whereas additionally ending second by a nostril to Queen’s Belief within the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Final 12 months’s outcomes: Pilgrim winner Agate Street completed a strong fifth, defeated by 2 ½ lengths, within the BC Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, however Miss Grillo winner Arduous to Justify did significantly better than that for the abovementioned Chad Brown. The daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify posted a recreation half-length win within the Miss Grillo after which gained the Juvenile Fillies Turf by the identical margin, with Flavien Prat within the irons for each races.
Different notable races:
Along with the official “Win and You’re In” preps on the calendar, a handful of different graded stakes slated for this weekend have had a serious influence on ends in the Breeders’ Cup. Chief amongst them is Saturday’s historic Woodward Stakes, which was held at Saratoga for many of this century earlier than shifting to Belmont Park in 2021 after which quickly to Aqueduct as a part of the Belmont on the Large A meet in 2022. 5 horses have gained the 1 1/8-mile Woodward and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional in the identical 12 months: Alysheba in 1988, Cigar in 1995, Ghostzapper in 2004, Saint Liam in 2005 and Gun Runner in 2017. Not coincidentally, every of them was voted Horse of the Yr. In addition, two different greats gained the Woodward and BC Traditional in several years, Skip Away and Curlin. These illustrious names are a quick indication of how important this race has been in figuring out year-end honors in Thoroughbred racing.
Though it’s not a Problem Sequence race, the 1 ½-mile Joe Hirsch Turf Traditional Stakes at Belmont on the Large A has been arguably an important home prep race for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf for the reason that World Championships launched in 1984. Six, rely ’em, six horses have gained each races in the identical 12 months, beginning with Manila in 1986 and adopted by Theatrical in 1987, Tikkanen in 1994, Illinois-bred Buck’s Boy in 1998, English Channel in 2007, and Most important Sequence in 2014. Different Joe Hirsch winners have definitely made their mark on the World Championships with out successful a marquee race, together with present star Conflict Like Goddess. That in style racemare skilled by Invoice Mott has gained the previous two editions of the Joe Hirsch Traditional and has run nicely twice in three Breeders’ Cup begins, ending third within the 2021 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and third within the 2022 Longines Turf. She’s nonetheless going robust at age 7 and goals for a three-peat within the Hirsch this Saturday, which might be the primary on this race’s historical past.
Among the many remaining graded stakes on faucet for this weekend, Kotashaan and Northern Spur gained Santa Anita’s California Crown John Henry Turf Championship Stakes Offered by 1/ST BET and the Longines Turf in the identical 12 months, again in 1993 and 1995, respectively. Kotashaan was named the Horse of the Yr for his 1993 marketing campaign.
The California Crown Eddie D Stakes Offered by FanDuel, a grass dash at Santa Anita that often sends horses to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Dash, was gained thrice in 4 years by California Flag (2008, 2009, 2011). California Flag gained the ’09 Breeders’ Cup Turf Dash as nicely, and Stormy Liberal turned the second horse to tug off the Eddie D-Turf Dash double in 2018, taking the latter race for the second consecutive 12 months.
Lastly, the Lukas Traditional Stakes at Churchill Downs, named after the legendary coach often known as “The Coach,” was the ultimate prep for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional in 2021 for Knicks Go, who had already gained the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and Whitney Stakes earlier within the 12 months for coach Brad Cox. Knicks Go gained the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Traditional by a simple 4 lengths after which pulled off a near-repeat effort in opposition to harder competitors within the Longines Traditional at Del Mar, romping by 2 ¾ lengths. He was a simple alternative as Horse of the Yr and champion older grime male amongst Eclipse Award voters.
