1 of 2 | Hit Show, shown winning the Lukas Classic earlier this year, is the morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $500,000 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs
Oct. 25 (UPI) — The Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar in California attracted 212 of the world’s top horses, including an intimidating 80-strong foreign contingent.
The fields, announced Wednesday, will be key in determining the winners of the 2024 Eclipse Awards for best U.S. runners, although the foreign raiders look likely to get in the way in some of the divisions. International entries come from Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, including 19 from Japan.
The provisional fields, schedule of races, wagering menus and other data are at breederscup.com. The fields will be finalized and post positions assigned Monday.
Almost simultaneously, the Hong Kong Jockey Club released its list of nominations for the four Group 1 events that comprise the Longines Hong Kong International Races on Dec. 8 at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The list has 191 horses, including 58 Group 1 or Grade I winners and there is a bit of overlap with the Breeders’ Cup nominees Obviously, many of the nominees will not make the arduous trip to Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, there’s a surprisingly impressive racing schedule around North America this weekend.
Keeneland
Blink and you’ve missed Keeneland’s all-too-brief fall meeting. The Bluegrass track hands over to Churchill Downs after:
Friday’s $350,000 Grade II Bank of America Valley View is 1 mile on the turf with a full field of 12 3-year-old fillies, four on the waiting list and nothing like a solid favorite. Tricari is the 2-1 favorite in another overflow field for Saturday’s $600,000 Grade III Bryan Station for 3-year-olds, also 1 mile on the grass.
Friday’s $200,000 Myrtlewood is for 2-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs and also has a full and competitive field. A relatively modest field of seven is assembled for Saturday’s $200,000 Bowman Mill for 2-year-olds at the same sprint distance.
Hit Show is the 2-1 morning line pick in Saturday’s $350,000 Grade III Hagyard Fayette, 1 1/8 miles. The Brad Cox-trained Candy Ride colt has won three of his last four starts.
The 2033 St. Louis Derby winner, Rattle N Roll, returned from a full year’s absence to finish third in the Grade II Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs on Sept. 28 and looks revved for this. He’s on the also-eligible list for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, too.
Churchill Downs
Not all the most promising 2025 Derby and Oaks candidates are at Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup. Check out Sunday’s $200,000 Grade III Street Sense for 2-year-olds and $200,000 Rags to Riches for 2-year-old fillies, both at 1 1/16 miles.
These are “watch and learn” heats, certainly. But it’s no surprise Steve Asmussen and Brad Cox train the favorites, Tiztastic and Comes a Time, respectively, among the colts.
Tiztastic won twice on the Kentucky Downs turf. Comes a Time won his only previous start on the dirt at Aqueduct. Cox also has Good Cheer as a the solid favorite in the Rags to Riches. The Godolphin homebred is 2-for-2 and won her last start by 17 lengths under the Twin Spires on Sept. 28.
Aqueduct
Gun Song headlines a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered for Saturday’s $250,000 Grade II Mother Goose at 1 1/8 miles. She’s posted runner-up finishes in the Grade III Monmouth Oaks and Grade I Cotillion recently. The Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks winner, Tarifa, also is in this excellent race.
A well-matched field of eight is set to contest Saturday’s $250,000 Grade III Forty Niner at 1 mile. It looks to provide some good opportunity for good handicappers.
Top Gunner and Scotland are the morning-line favorites in what promises to be a hotly contested $175,000 Grade III Bold Ruler at 6 furlongs on the dirt.
Sunday’s Empire Showcase program for New York-breds offers a day’s worth of decent-sized, competitive fields on both turf and dirt.
Santa Anita
Seven are set to try 1 1/8 miles on the turf in Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Twilight Derby and there’s not a lot to separate them. Note that Turning Point is cross-entered for the Bryan Station at Keeneland.
Phil D’Amato saddles three of the 12 3-year-old fillies set for Sunday’s $100,000 Grade III Autumn Miss another 1-mile stroll on the lawn. We’ll see what he’s developed to extend his long run of success on the West Coast grass.
Mahoning Valley
Saturday’s “Best of Ohio” has five $100,000 races for state-breds including two for juveniles. The John W. Galbreath for 2-year-old fillies has, pending potential scratches, a rare four-horse coupled entry.
Around the world, around the clock
Japan
Sunday’s Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Racecourse has a field filled with star-quality runners, many with roughly equal claims.
Last year’s filly Triple Crown winner, Liberty Island, is likely to be atop the wagering boards alongside Lebensstil. Liberty Island finished second to Equinox in the Japan Cup after the Triple Crown sweep, and then was an honorable third in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March and has not raced since. Lebensstil is more the up-and-coming type, winner of his last two starts.
They are far from the whole deal, though, with the likes of Do Deuce, Tastiera, Sol Oriens. Justin Palace and Bellagio Opera set to mix things up.
Australia
Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate got an unwanted bit of theater Tuesday as Via Sistina, one of the favorites for that and for the Melbourne Cup, tossed jockey James McDonald during a public trackwork session at Moonee Valley and got loose for 2 1/2 turns around the course before being corralled.
The 6-year-old was running with a loose bandage and gear but managed to avoid trauma, trainer Chris Waller told Racing.com.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s great theater, one I didn’t want to be part of,” Waller said. “We’ll use all of that time right up until Saturday morning to make sure that everyone’s happy. She will only run if she’s 100%.”
On Friday morning, he reported her “bouncing” after an easy canter and ready to go with such as Mr Brightside, Pride of Jenni, Broadsiding and others set to oppose.
England
Saturday’s Group 1 William Hill Futurity Trophy at Doncaster has seven juveniles auditioning for the 2025 Classics.
Wimbledon Hawkeye is the antepost favorite off a victory in the Group 2 Royal Lodge at Newmarket, but is no sure thing. What is a sure thing is the race has been a springboard to greatness with past winners, including St Nicholas Abbey, Camelot, Saxon Warrior, Kameko, Luxembourg and Auguste Rodin.
