1 of 2 | Seize the Grey wins Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Pennsylvania Derby. Photo by Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO, courtesy of Parx Racing
Sept. 23 (UPI) — It’s officially fall now, but Breeders’ Cup contenders were sprouting like the flowers of spring in weekend racing from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Germany to England to Japan.
Seize the Grey kept a spark of competition alive in the 3-year-old division by backing up his Preakness Stakes victory with an impressive score in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. Big names in the mix from overseas included Epsom Derby winner City of Troy and globtrotting star Rebel’s Romance.
Here’s all the competition …
Classic
Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey stirred the pot in the 3-year-old division yet again with a rather dominant front-running victory in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.
The Arrogate colt, trained by 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas for the microshare partnership My Racehorse, shook off a brief challenge by Santa Anita Derby winner at the top of the lane and rolled home in front by 3 3/4 lengths. Stronghold held second by a head over Dragoon Guard.
If Seize the Grey were to add a Breeders’ Cup Classic win to the Preakness and Pennsylvania Derby, he’d get some votes for the championship — if he even gets into the big race.
“I will give them my vote,” Lukas said. “I don’t like to make decisions in the winner’s circle. I am thinking [Breeders’ Cup Dirt] Mile but a mile and a quarter is well within his scope, especially on that track.
Also in the division: Ohio Derby winner Batten Down won Saturday’s $300,000 Bourbon Flight Stakes for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs by 5 3/4 lengths with Hades best of the rest.
And in England, Derby winner City of Troy passed his dress rehearsal for the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a Friday simulation at Southwell Racecourse. Trainer Aidan O’Brien says the colt is the best horse he’s trained.
Distaff
Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna got her fifth win of the season, and the fourth at the Grade I level, in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Cotillion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Parx Racing. It was a close call as she won by just a neck over 44-1 chance Gun Song.
“We didn’t train her all that hard for this race,” Trainer Kenny McPeek said in the winner’s circle. “I thought we could win it regardless and we did. We didn’t really have to hammer on her for this race. We really, really want to win the next one {Breeders’ Cup Distaff}.”
Dirt Mile
If Seize the Grey does go in the Dirt Mile on Nov. 2, he’ll see some of this weekend’s performers.
Coastal Mission, stepped up to win Saturday’s $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile by 1/2 length over Repo Rocks.
Show Card tracked the pace in Saturday’s $125,000 Dark Mirage Stakes for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos, claimed the lead in the stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths as the odds-on favorite. Forever
Souper dueled to victory in Friday’s $150,000 Presque Isle Mile on the Tapeta all-weather.
And Miss New York stalked and pounced in Sunday’s $100,000 Twixt Stakes for fillies and mares at Laurel Park.
Sprint
Bentornado, third in the Group 3 Saudi Derby in February, won Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Gallant Bob at Parx Racing and is Breeders’ Cup bound. Henro came from last of six to win Saturday’s $300,000 Harrods Creek Stakes for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs by 1 1/4 lengths from Jefferson Street.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Soul of an Angel claimed a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with a victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Grade III Princess Rooney Invitational at Gulfstream Park.
Roses for Debra took Friday’s $300,000 Grade II Presque Isle Downs Masters on the all-weather.
My Mane Squeeze won Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Fasig-Tipton Dogwood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.
And Irish Maxima was along late to upset pacesetting favorite Youalmosthadme in Sunday’s $100,000 Weather Vane Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Laurel Park.
Turf Sprint
Saturday’s $250,000 Turf Monster came off the turf just hours before the race and Smooth B proved best of the five remaining starters, winning by 4 1/2 lengths.
Saturday’s $95,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park also was taken off the grass with Reef Runner prevailing by 2 lengths.
Filly & Mare Turf
Charlie’s Wish found her best stride in the final furlong of Saturday’s $100,000 off-the-turf Ginger Punch Stakes at Gulfstream Park and drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths from the favorite, Majestic Venezuela. The 4-year-old First Dude filly ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:42.95.
Juvenile
Sacrosanct won Sunday’s $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct by 12 lengths. He won his only previous start by 3 1/4 lengths Aug. 21 at Saratoga.
Bucaro took Friday’s $80,000 Fitz Dixon Memorial Juvenile on the Presque Isle Downs all-weather track.
Crazy Frazy won Saturday’s $95,000 Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream Park by 1 1/4 lengths.
Juvenile Fillies
With the Angels blew away her competition in Sunday’s $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-bred fillies, winning off by 9 3/4 lengths. She won her only previous start by 11 1/2 lengths Aug. 22 at Saratoga.
Foxtastic prevailed in Friday’s $80,000 Presque Isle Debutante.
Around the world, around the clock
Germany
The last time Rebel’s Romance won the Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne, he went on to win the Breeder’s Cup Turf at Keeneland. That was in 2022, and since then, he’s won in England, Qatar, Dubai and Hong Kong. After Sunday’s repeat in Cologne, he likely is targeted for this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.
Australia
Buckaroo, under Joao Moreira, got away to a minor upset victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Henley Homes Underwood Stakes at Caulfield, defeating serious long shot Huetor by 3 1/2 lengths, with Pericles third and the favorite, Place du Carrousel, eighth.
Japan
For those keeping track of the 3-year-olds eyeing the Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger: Meisho Tabaru won Sunday’s Grade 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai at Chukyo Racecourse and Urban Chic outfinished Cosmo Kuranda in a battle of favorites in the Grade 2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen at Nakayama.
Both were minor players in the first two Japanese Classics in the springtime.
On Saturday at Niigata, Ecoro Sieg improved to 2-for-2 with a 2 1/2-length victory in course-record time of 1:07.2 and could be headed for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
The Twirling Candy colt is trained by Hideyuki Mori, who has a long record of competing in the Breeders’ Cup races.
