A Holiday Weekend treat of stakes races is all set to close out the horse racing meets at Churchill Downs and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
There’s a Kentucky Derby (G1) prep race at Churchill Downs on Saturday, the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), and a pair of Grade 1s on the turf at Del Mar, the $300,000 Hollywood Derby on Saturday and the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes on Sunday.
From Thanksgiving Day through Sunday, the iconic tracks will host 12 graded stakes for bettors to consider while chowing down on turkey and the trimmings, as well as eyeballing way too many college football rivalry games.
But let’s keep a watch on the races, particularly the graded stakes variety. Before we start, a quick note on the Kentucky Derby future wager for pool 2: Ted Noffey opens as the 6-1 individual favorite of 39 horses listed, with all other 2-year-olds at 9-5.
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The home of the Kentucky Derby gets the early jump on graded stakes with Thursday’s $400,000 Falls City (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. A field of 10 is entered, with Regaled the slight 5-2 favorite over 3-1 second choice Royal Spa.
Regaled, trained by Whit Beckman, won the Delaware Handicap (G3) in September, and ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) on Nov. 1. Royal Spa, trained by Rodolphe Brisset, won the Locust Grove Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in September.
Hit Show, surprise winner of the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) back in April, is the 3-1 favorite in the prestigious $600,000 Clark Stakes (G2), for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.
Rattle N Roll, who won the Clark last year for trainer Kenny McPeek, is among the field of nine as the 7-2 second betting choice. Also in the field: multiple graded stakes winner First Mission (5-1) and graded stakes-winning 3-year-olds Chunk of Gold (10-1), Gosger (4-1), and Magnitude (9-2).
The other stakes race on Black Friday is the $300,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies on turf, with Lush Lips topping a field of 12.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Lush Lips comes into the race off a 1 ¼-length victory at 8-1 in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Keeneland last month.
Lush Lips is the 7-5 favorite with Tyler Gaffalione aboard, leaving from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Further Ado is the 2-year-old to watch in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) after a remarkable 20-length victory last month at Keeneland in his first test around two turns.
The race is the feature on the Stars of Tomorrow card with all 12 races for 2-year-olds.
Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox, opens at 20-1 in pool 2 in the Kentucky Derby future wager, and will break from post 6 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Kenny McPeek entered two: Universe and Very Connected, second and third, respectively, in the Street Sense Stakes (G3). And so did Steve Asmussen: Soldier N Diplomat and Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Spice Runner.
The race awards the top five finishers with Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
A race earlier, the $400,000 Golden Rod (G2) is a points-qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with the same point scale as the Kentucky Jockey Club.
Explora, runner-up to Super Corredora in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), is the one to beat as trainer Bob Baffert sends his filly to Louisville to take on 12 challengers. Flavien Prat has the call leaving from post 12.
A top rival looks to be Life of Joy, winner of the Rags to Riches Stakes last month. Cox trains the filly and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 6.
The $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) kicks off the closing weekend at Del Mar.
The 1 ½-mile marathon for 3-year-olds and up drew a field of nine, including True Quality, who has run in California the past year for East Coast-based trainer Jonathan Thomas.
The 5-year-old gelding won this race last year by 1 ½ lengths over Bainikhov, who is back for another try for trainer Phil D’Amato.
Thomas, unlike most trainers, is not the most optimistic about the chances of his horse.
“He had a couple of very minor hiccups,” Thomas said. “We needed to slow down. He’s had a really good month and a half, but he’s definitely underprepared.
“He’s prepared enough, but if I had a hard-earned $20 bill in my pocket, I would tell anyone to probably save it. He’s training very well, but a mile and a half off an extended break. You never know. He’s got a lot of base fitness, and sometimes those horses surprise us.”
The $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) tops the card with a trio of East Coast invaders, Test Score, Salamis, and Noble Confessor, among the field of nine going 1 1/8 miles.
Test Score, trained by H. Graham Motion, won the Twilight Derby (G2) at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. Previously, the 3-year-old colt was fourth in the Nashville Derby (G3) at Kentucky Downs in August. He has a grade 1 win in the Belmont Derby at Saratoga. Juan Hernandez has the call from post 3.
The $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3) drew a field of 11 2-year-old fillies going a mile on the turf. Hypergamy, an American Pharoah filly, broke her maiden in her fourth career race for trainer Doug O’Neill.
The $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap (G3) drew a field of nine 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles, including lone California-bred Old Pal. Trainer Michael McCarthy has two entries: Scoobie Quando and Call Sign Seven.
Entries won’t be posted until Wednesday (Nov. 26), but the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1) could have a solid field that includes Ag Bullet, second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
Last year’s winner in the 1-mile turf race was Sacred Wish.
The $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille (G3), a mile on the turf, had 15 horses nominated. Three are trained by John Sadler, including Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3) winner Hey Nay Nay.
The $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3), a mile for fillies and mares, had 10 horses nominated, among them defending champion Hope Road, trained by Bob Baffert.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
