1 of 2 | First Mission, shown winning the Alysheba Stakes, is the favorite in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs
June 28 (UPI) — A huge program at Churchill Downs, headed by The $1 million Stephen Foster, headlines a big Saturday card at Churchill Downs and Woodbine in Canada offers five graded stakes, all fueling a hot preholiday weekend of horse racing.
Monday is Dominion Day in Canada, with the Fourth of July fireworks primed for three days later south of the border.
Leading up to those festivities, in addition to Churchill Downs and Woodbine, there’s stakes action at Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore, Lone Star Park deep in the heart of Texas, Gulfstream Park in steamy South Florida, scenic Los Alamitos in California and Aqueduct, next to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
On the global front, Sunday is Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day at the Curragh and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud day in France.
A quick look at the highlights:
Classic
He won the Grade III Essex at Oaklawn. He won the Grade II Alysheba at Churchill Downs. Now First Mission takes the favorite tag into Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Stephen Foster under the Twin Spires, a “Win and You’re In” for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 4-year-old Street Sense colt is trained by Brad Cox. Eight rivals include Skippylongstocking, Kingsbarns, Pyrenees and Disarm.
The first three finishers from the Grade II Eclipse Stakes on June 1 — Palazzi, Tyson and Paramount Prince, return for Saturday’s $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Dominion Day on the Woodbine all-weather.
Saturday’s $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Marine for 3-year-olds on the Woodbine all-weather doesn’t have an especially strong field, but several could be King’s Plate candidates.
Saturday’s $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby has five to go 1 1/8 miles. Tapalo, the 7-5 morning line favorite, drew the rail. Cornell and Wynstock are both from the Bob Baffert barn.
Distaff
Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs features the 1-2 finishers from the Grade III Shawnee June 1 — Scylla and Xigera. Pity there’s no Charybdis.
Saturday’s $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Selene for 3-year-old fillies on the Woodbine all-weather could be a pointer to the Woodbine Oaks, except that only two of the seven entrants are Canadian-bred.
Sprint / Dirt Mile
Saturday’s $250,000 Kelly’s Landing at Churchill Downs has an eclectic mix of up-and-comer types and older guys looking to get back on track.
Bango, the co-all-time leading horse at Churchill Downs with 11 wins, will attempt to break the record in the Kelly’s Landing. Ready’s Rocket shares the mark.
Charge It and Zozos get top billing on the morning line for Sunday’s $300,000 Hanshin at Churchill Downs. Eleven are set for the one-turn mile out of the backstretch chute.
Seven are entered for Sunday’s $175,000 Maxfield for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance at Gulfstream Park has nine entries, four from Saffie Joseph Jr. Seven 3-year-old fillies go in Saturday’s $100,000 Maryfield Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Turf / Turf Mile
Godolphin’s Ottoman Fleet is the even-money favorite in a field of six in Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Wise Dan at Churchill Downs. He exits a win in the Grade III Arlington Stakes over the course and distance and has not missed a first-three finish in four U.S. starts for trainer Charlie Appleby.
Ocelot and Japanese-bred Komorebino Omoide are the morning-line picks in Saturday’s $250,000 Texas Turf Classic at Lone Star Park.
Gotham Stakes winner Deterministic looks for a rebound from two poor efforts when trainer Christophe Clement treats him to a surface switch and a little class relief in Saturday’s $250,000 Grade III Manila for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.
Saturday’s $250,000 American Derby at Churchill Downs is so wide open that Green Light heads the morning line at 3-1, coming off a maiden win. Several others tested the Triple Crown trail without much to show for it.
Filly & Mare Turf / Turf Mile
Saturday’s $250,000 Tepin for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs is a really well-matched affair with 11 entered. Pipsy is dubbed favorite after winning the Grade III Soaring Softly at Aqueduct in her first start off the plane from Ireland.
Stir Crazy, Libban and Ever Smart top a field of 10 for Saturday’s $125,000 Wasted Tears Stakes at Lone Star Park.
It’s far from a “gimme” for the 6-year-old, Irish-bred mare but Saturday’s $175,000 (Canadian) Grade II Nassau at Woodbine features reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Fev Rover in a field of 10 going 1 mile.
Turf Sprint
Filo Di Arianna, an 8-year-old Brazilian-bred by Drosselmeyer, is the morning-line favorite in Saturday’s $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II Highlander at Woodbine. It’s 6 furlongs on the lush Canadian grass.
A competitive field of 11 is set to go 5 furlongs in Saturday’s $125,000 Grand Prairie Turf Sprint at Lone Star Park.
Ova Charged is the 6-4 favorite Saturday’s $125,000 Chicken Fried Stakes for fillies and mares at Lone Star Park. The Star Guitar mare seeks her seventh straight win.
Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies
Sunday’s $225,000 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs attracted a baker’s dozen of 2-year-olds, 12 colts and a gelding to tackle 6 furlongs. The companion $225,000 Debutante has seven 2-year-old fillies. Watch and learn.
Around the world, around the clock
Ireland
Sunday’s Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh doesn’t have the Epsom winner, City of Troy, but it does have the runner-up from the English Classic, Ambiente Friendly, and City of Troy’s Coolmore compatriot, Los Angeles.
Ambiente Friendly, a Gleneagles colt, won the Lingfield Derby Trial May 11 with Los Angeles second, 4 1/2 lengths back. At Epsom, there was 2 3/4 lengths between the pair.
Whistlejacket is the star of Aidan O’Brien‘s entries for Sunday’s Group 2 Railway Stakes for 2-year-old and, if he goes, will be trying to improve on a fourth-place finish in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn feature among eight confirmed for Saturday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile heat at the Curragh. Also Saturday, O’Brien has three in the Airlie Stud Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
France
A hard-knocking field of eight was still in for Sunday’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at deadline time. Three of them are progeny of Frankel.