The buildup to the Breeders’ Cup moves into its final stages this weekend, with six “Win and You’re In’’ races topped by the California Crown (G1) at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Formerly known as the Awesome Again Stakes, the California Crown carries a $1 million purse (up from $300,000 a year ago), and the winner earns an all-fees paid, automatic berth into the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 1-2.
January 27, 2024: National Treasure (7), ridden by Flavien Prat, wins the Pegasus World Cup Invitational
during Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Carlos Calo/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM
Saturday’s Horse Racing Action: Key Contenders and Exciting Stakes to Watch
The 1 1/8-mile race is the showcase event on a card that includes the “Win and You’re In’’ $200,000 City of Hope Mile (G2), and pair of $750,000 stakes, the John Henry Turf Championship and the Eddie D.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, an eight-time winner of the Awesome Again, is loaded for Saturday’s renamed event with a trio of entries in the seven-horse field – Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Muth, Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner National Treasure, and Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Newgate.
Other top contenders include Saudi Cup (G1) winner Senor Buscador and Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) winner Subsanador.
For those who bet horse racing, and for racing fans everywhere, Saturday will be a long – very long – day.
The $400,000 Woodward Stakes (G2) starts off the day at Aqueduct with a post time of 1:38 p.m. ET and Churchill Downs races at night, with the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) set for a 10:40 p.m. post
With that, here’s the lineup of the “Win and You’re In’’ (WAYI) races and other notable stakes over the weekend:
Aqueduct Racetrack
Four graded stakes are on Saturday’s card, including the Pilgrim (G2) for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles (WAYI to the BC Juvenile Turf) and the Vosburgh (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going 7 furlongs (WAYI to the BC Sprint).
Earlier on the program, there’s the Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles and the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) for 3-year-olds and up going going 1½ miles.
Pilgrim Stakes, Vosburgh Stakes
The Pilgrim drew a field of eight, including With Anticipation (G3) winner Zulu Warrior for trainer Chad Brown; the Vosburgh has seven entries, among them True North (G2) winner Baby Yoda for trainer Bill Mott and Dean Delivers, riding a four-race win streak. Saffie Joseph, Jr., has a pair entered, Lord Miles and Comedy Town.
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
The Joe Hirsch has a seven-horse field led by War Like Goddess for Mott. The 7-year-old English Channel mare is a two-time Hirsch winner and is 1-for-3 this year – the win coming in the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3) at Delaware Park. She ran second to Idea Generation in the Flower Bowl Stakes (G2) at Saratoga on Aug. 31 last time out.
Other contenders include Truly Quality, winner of the Colonial Cup on Sept. 7, and Get Smokin for trainer Mark Casse.
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward has lost some luster over the years and drew a field of five. Skippylongstocking, winner of the Charles Town Classic (G2) last out, and Tapit Trice, Monmouth Cup (G3) winner and fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 1, look to be the top runners.
But watch out for Kay Army, bred in Chile, who brings a perfect 10-0 record to his first race in America and with Mott as his trainer. The 4-year-old has won once on the dirt and his last six wins have come in Group 1 races, most recently the El Derby (G1) in March.
Sunday at the Aqueduct
On Sunday, the $200,000 Miss Grillo (G3) for 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles is a WAYI to the BC Juvenile Fillies.
Churchill Downs
The unbeaten Louisville Cardinals (3-0) play at Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon, and then there’s Saturday night racing at the Downs.
It could be quite a day if you play your cards right, especially at the races. The WAYI race is the $400,000 Ack Ack (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 mile (BC Dirt Mile berth to the winner), with the other feature the Lukas Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.
Ack Ack Stakes
The Ack Ack has a slew of stakes winners in the seven-horse field, led by Saudi Crown, 2023 winner of the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), hoping to regain his top winning form. He won the Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park on Aug. 11 after a five-month break following a third in the Saudi Cup and a 12th in Godolphin Mile in March.
Challengers include Three Technique, and a pair from trainer Cherie DeVaux, 6-year-old Stage Raider and 4-year-old Cagliostro.
Lukas Classic
The Lukas field includes Hit Show (2-for-3 in 2024), Disarm (third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup), five-time graded stakes winner Rattle N Roll (in his first race since finishing fourth in 2023 Lukas), and Stilleto Boy, 0-for-7 since winning the 2023 Santa Anita Handicap (G1).
Santa Anita Park
With an approach of duplicating the Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park in the winter, California Crown Day was created by the track’s parent company 1/ST Racing (which also owns Gulfstream) to increase handle and attendance.
The five stakes races on the card are worth $3.8 million.
California Crown
Muth, scratched from the Preakness and sidelined for six months, returned Sept. 1 with a win the 1-mile Shared Belief Stakes.
National Treasure, the 2023 Preakness winner, finished fourth in the Whitney Stakes (G1) over a muddy Saratoga track on Aug. 3 in his last start.
City of Hope Stakes
The City of Hope is led by Johannes for trainer Tim Yakteen. The 4-year-old colt is 6-for-7 since moving to turf and is 5-for-5 on turf at Santa Anita. Not to be forgotten is Trikari for trainer H. Graham Motion. The 3-year-old colt comes into the race off victories in the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) and the Secretariat Stakes (G2) at Colonial Downs on Aug. 11.