Her Emmynency, Ageless and Messi won the big turf races that highlighted the weekend racing agenda.
Otherwise, it was rather quiet as the sport awaits British Champions Day this weekend and Breeders’ Cup three weeks down the road.
There was some graded stakes action in Australia.
It was nothing but bad news on the Sprint front.
It’s short, if not sweet:
Turf
Messi came from last of nine to win Saturday’s $200,000, Grade III Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park by a nose, nipping the pacesetter, Cage Fighter, in the final jump. Mr Speaker was only 1/2 length farther back in third while the favorite, War Dancer, faded to get home seventh. Messi, a 5-year-old German-bred gelding by New Approach, ran 9 furlongs on firm turf in 1:49.70 with John Velazquez in the irons for trainer Graham Motion. Messi won his first two starts in the United States, then finished seventh in the Grade I Sword Dancer after a messy start. In Saturday’s race, Velazquez said he had to put on the brakes at the half-mile pole, costing momentum. “Once he got going — at the quarter-mile pole — it took him a little bit to get going, but once he switched down the lane I thought he was going to get there,” Velazquez said. “It was little by little but he had a nice kick coming home.”
Filly & Mare Turf
Her Emmynency took the lead entering the stretch turn in Saturday’s $500,000, Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, held off a late bid by Miss Temple City by a diminishing head and then survived a claim of foul for shutting off that rival early in the stretch run. Miss Temple City’s connections said Florent Geroux, aboard Her Emmynency, came in and impeded their filly. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke, in fact, took up briefly when he unable to get through along the rail. However, the stewards ruled Van Dyke was going to an opening that already had closed and let the result stand. Her Emmynency, in from California for the race, ran 9 furlongs on firm turf in 1:48.84. She was second in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks in her previous race. “She had two really tough defeats in Grade I’s previously,” said winning trainer Mike Stidham, “so this was well deserved for her.” The favorite, Sentiero Italia, finished third in the QE II.
Classic and Turf
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships re-validate the claim of their name this year, likely featuring the world’s two top-rated horses, U.S. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victor Golden Horn. Sadly, they won’t be facing each other. Golden Horn, despite his victory in the Arc last weekend, remains rated a single pound shy of American Pharoah in the Longines “World Best Racehorse” calculations. The latest standings, out this week, keep American Pharoah at 131 as he prepares to wrap up his career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Hallowe’en at Keeneland. All signs point to Golden Horn also making his career valedictory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on the same card, aiming to improve his 130 rating. If he does, he could face off again with Flintshire, who has been second twice in the Arc and also ran second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf. Flintshire currently is ranked at the top older horse in Europe in the Cartier Horse of the Year standings.
Turf Sprint
Ageless was just up in the final jumps to capture Friday’s $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland, beating the odds-on favorite, Lady Shipman, by a head. Free as a Bird was up for third. Ageless, a 6-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal, ran 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:03.66 with Julien Leparoux in the irons. She won for the third time in her last four starts and snapped Lady Shipman’s four-race winning streak. “She likes Keeneland,” said winning trainer Arnaud Delacour. “We kept her fresh for this race and it worked out.” Asked about plans, he said, “One race at a time. See how she comes back.” She was vanned off after the race with a cut on one leg.
Sprint
The news is all bad on this front, as the Sprint lost two of its prospective favorites. Rock Fall, winner of seven straight races including the Grade I A.G. Vanderbilt and the Grade I Vosburgh, broke down just past the wire after a Saturday morning workout at Keeneland and was euthanized. Earlier in the week, Midwest Thoroughbreds announced the retirement of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner, Work All Week, with an injury suffered during his last start. That injury is not life-threatening.
Juvenile Turf
Dressed in Hermes edged by I’malreadythere in the final yards to take Saturday’s $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita by 1/2 length. Bully Pulpit finished third. Dressed in Hermes, a Hat Trick gelding, ran 1 mile on firm going in 1:35.76 under Gary Stevens.
Conquest Enforcer kicked away in the stretch run of Sunday’s $250,000 (Canadian) Cup and Saucer Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds at Woodbine, winning by 6 3/4 lengths over Butterfly Dance. Shakhimat finished third. Conquest Enforcer, an Into Mischief colt, ran 1 1/16 miles on good turf in 1:43.17 with Patrick Husbands in the irons.
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Stays in Vegas rallied to the lead with a sixteenth to run in Saturday’s $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita and kicked away to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Lucky Folie finished second but was set down to third behind Mirage. Stays in Vegas, a City Zip filly, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:35.23 with Alex Solis up.
Juvenile Fillies
Surfside Tiara got the lead late in Sunday’s $70,000 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita and went on to win by 1/2 length over Uptown Twirl. Find Joy was third, 6 1/2 lengths farther back, and the favorite, Miss Big Stuff, faded to finish fourth. Surfside Tiara, a Scat Daddy filly, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.84 with Rafael Bejarano up for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
State-bred festivals:
Charles Town
Charitable Annuity rallied four-wide into the stretch in Saturday night’s $500,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic, got the lead at the sixteenth pole and went on to win by 2 3/4 lengths in a mild upset. Hidden Canyon led the way and held second by a nose over Little Big Slime with the favorite, Lucy’s Bob Boy, fourth. Russell Road beat only one rival. Charitable Annuity, a 3-year-old gelding by Charitable Man, ran 9 furlongs on a fast track in 1:52.06 with Antonio Lopez in the irons.
Also on Saturday night at Charles Town, in races all for West Virginia-breds:
Cuppa Mocha Mojo outfinished the favorite, Red Hot Diva, to win the $150,000 Cavada Breeders’ Classic for fillies and mares by 1/2 length; Help a Brother held sway in the $75,000 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Onion Juice Breeders’ Classic, beating Comeonletsplay by 1 3/4 lengths; Greenway Court set a pressured pace in the $50,000 Dash for Cash Breeders’ Classic at 4 1/2 furlongs, then edged clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Just Fuhr Real; Aye a Song was along late to win the $60,000 Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders’ Classic for 2-year-old fillies by 1/2 length over the favorite, R C’s Daisyduke; Bullets Fever was much the best in the $60,000 Vincent Moscarelli Breeders’ Classic for 2-year-olds, rolling home first by 5 lengths over Imaflashyfellow; Navy Ribbon was up in the final yards to win the $60,000 Division of Tourism Breeders’ Classic for 3-year-old fillies by a neck over Nay’s Back; and Spa Creek got by Dimples late to take the $70,000 Breeders’ Classic Distaff by a neck over that rival.
Thistledown
Saturday was “Best of Ohio” day with five races for Ohio-breds each worth $150,000.
Rivers Run Deep, the prohibitive favorite, won the Best of Ohio Sprint, stalking the pace before getting by to defeat Candy Bites by 1 3/4 lengths. Needmore Flattery, also the prohibitive favorite, took the Best of Ohio Distaff by 2 1/4 lengths after stalking the early pace. Unbridled Trick won a three-way dash to the finish in the Best of Ohio Juvenile, edging the favorite, Sawyers Mickey, by a head despite repeated bumping. School Board Prez came from well back to win the John W. Galbreath Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by a head over Star Mabee. Dubacious endured 1 1/4 miles on the lead and held on at the end to win the Best of Ohio Endurance by 1 length over Doctoriat.
Elsewhere:
Woodbine
Seen It All Before put a nose in front under the wire to win a three-way photo in Sunday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Bunty Lawless Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up. Kingsport held the lead late and just failed to last. The favorite, Born in a Breeze, was along late to finish third, another neck in arrears. Seen It All Before, a 6-year-old Niigon gelding, ran 1 mile on good turf in 1:36.00 with Luis Contreras up.
Caren battled for the lead early in Saturday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Victorian Queen Stakes for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies, worked clear to a 2-lengths lead in the stretch and held off Crumlin Spirit at the end by 3/4 length. Sparkles’ Girl was third. Caren, a daughter of Society’s Chairman, ran 6 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:10.46 for jockey Jessee Campbell. She posted her fourth win from five starts with the only loss a third-place showing in the Grade II Natalma Stakes while trying turf for the first time. Trainer Mike DePaulo said the filly might have one more start this year and then might get a chance going longer.
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Can’t Use Nellie ran by pacesetting favorite Hero’s Amor in the closing strides of Saturday’s $50,000 (Canadian) Duchess of York Handicap and won by 3/4 length over that one. Truvi finished third. Can’t Use Nellie, a 4-year-old Mineshaft filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.96 with Ismael Mosqueira up.
Parx Racing
Bound bounded to the lead in deep stretch in Saturday’s $75,000 Plum Pretty Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares and got clear, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. Primo Via was second, followed by Maybe Tonight. Bound, a 4-year-old Jump Start filly, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:47.08 with Julio Hernandez in the irons.
Fresno
Raised a Secret poked a head in front of pacesetting favorite Richard’s Boy at the end of Sunday’s $100,000 Harris Farm Stakes for California-breds. It was 8 1/4 lengths back to Gangnam Guy in third. Raised a Secret, a 5-year-old son of Songandaprayer, got 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.14 with Juan Hernandez up.
International:
Australia
Alpha Miss and extreme long shot Cashed both outfinished one-time sprint sensation Lankan Rupee in Saturday’s Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield, casting doubt on Lankan Rupee’s future at the highest level in Australia. Trainer Mick Price said his star simply was unable to produce the late kick that had led him to the highest level in past campaigns and “alarm bells are ringing.” Alpha Miss had not won for more than a year and a half previous to Saturday’s race and Cashed had been competing well down the class ladder. The Mankato Stakes and the Darley Classic remain open targets on the Australian spring sprint calendar.
On the same card, Criterion’s return to Australia was a resounding success as the 5-year-old prevailed by 1/2 length in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes, beating Happy Trails with Mongolian Khan third. The favorite, Kermadec, was not embarrassed in fourth but the Godolphin runner, Contributor, failed to contribute to a recent run of success for Sheik Mohammed’s crew with another disappointing run to a fifth-place finish. The globe-trotting Criterion, second to Fawkner in this race last year, since has been third in two of Hong Kong’s international Group 1 races but was unplaced this summer in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York.
Also Saturday at Caulfield, Lucky Hussler defeated 16 rivals in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at 1,600 meters; Stay With Me was home first in the Group 1 Schwepps Thousand Guineas; and Press Statement was a convincing winner in the BECK Caulfield Guineas.
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