Weekend Watch: Unique Bella, Penn National in the spotlight

It’s the calm before the Belmont Stakes storm this weekend with only four domestic graded stakes up for grabs. But horse players who enjoy turf events have to be pleased with the lineup, and on the West Coast, a trio of Grade 1 winners will face off in Santa Anita's Grade 1 Beholder Mile.

We offer the highlights and post times to know in Eastern Standard Time:

Catholic Boy returns to turf in Pennine Ridge
 

Catholic Boy, who ran on the Kentucky Derby trail this year, is back on the lawn Saturday for the first time since running fourth behind Mendelssohn in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). He gave a good accounting of himself before bleeding while running fourth in the Florida Derby (G1). A move back to his original racing surface in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park will not be an easy one, however, as he will have to face undefeated heavy favorite Analyze It. Trained by Chad Brown, Analyze It has won all three of his career starts by open lengths but will be traveling nine furlongs for the first time. That should be well within his abilities, though, as he has never raced at a distance shorter than a mile and is coming in off a 5 ¼-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Transylvania (G3). Well-regarded Untamed Domain is also part of the field. Post time is 5:50 p.m.

Turf racing on display at Penn National

Penn National gets its chance in the spotlight this weekend with a nice card on the books for Saturday.

Morticia tops the Penn Ladies Dash Stakes, carded for five furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares 3 years old and upward. She will face 11 others but is a solid 5-2 morning line favorite.

Thewayiam will likely be the post time favorite in the Penn Oaks, a one-mile turf event for 3-year old fillies, but will face stiff competition from Senorita (G3) winner Treasuring and Goodthingstaketime. Thewayiam and Goodthingstaketime both exit the Appalachian (G3) where they ran second and third respectively behind Rushing Fall. Those three will take a good bit of the money, but there are definitely other betting opportunities here as the rest of the field is no pushover.

Hawkish, who is cross-entered in the Pennine Ridge, will instead run in the Grade 2 Penn Mile against American Turf (G2) winner Maraud. Therapist, who has just one career defeat, and at the hooves of Maraud at that, is coming in off a gutsy win in the Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream and should definitely not be overlooked. Five others comprise the rest of the field.

Penn Ladies Dash 6:10 p.m.

Penn Oaks 6:40 p.m.

G2 Penn Mile 7:45 p.m.

Unique Bella looking to rebound in Beholder Mile

Champion sprinter Unique Bella will try to rebound off a loss in the Apple Blossom (G1) when she faces five others in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile. In her last race, the Tapit filly broke poorly and then pulled jockey Mike Smith around the track before ultimately finishing second. Multiple top-level winner Paradise Woods is also looking for a victory, having not visited the winner’s circle since September when she won the Zenyatta (G1). Vale Dori finished fifth in her 2018 bow last out and will be looking to improve off that. Rafael Bejarano will be aboard in place of Mike Smith, who will stay with Unique Bella. The other three entrants are longshots, including the Doug O’Neill duo of Munny Spunt and Mopotism, both of who raced just last week. Post time is 7:30 p.m.

Awesome Maria filly to be unveiled

Millionaire and Grade 1 winner Awesome Maria’s second filly will be unveiled in Saturday’s fifth race at Churchill Downs. Awe Emma, a 3-year old by War Front, will break from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile turf affair for fillies and mares 3 years old and upward. Owned by Willis Horton Racing and trained by Steve Asmussen, Awe Emma is the 2-1 favorite on the morning line and will face six others. Post time is 7:57 p.m.

Wilbo travels east for Aristides

Sprint specialist Wilbo returns to Churchill Downs for the Grade 3 Aristides Stakes hoping for better placing after his runner-up effort in last year's running. The 9-5 morning line favorite, Wilbo is 6: 4-1-0 under the Twin Spires and is quite adept at the six furlong distance of this event. He will face six rivals, including Mr. Crow and Awesome Saturday. Post time is 10:42 p.m.

Redirected Hogy headlines overnight stakes

Thanks to the deluge at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness weekend, Hogy, as well as numerous others, scratched out of the turf races that day. The 9-year old gelding will instead compete in the Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The five-furlong turf affair drew a field of 10, including stakes winner Long On Value, who is making his seasonal debut. Post time is 11:10 p.m.

Tapwrit returns from layoff

2017 Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit will head postward for the first time since August in Belmont’s eighth race on Sunday. Now 4-years old, Tapwrit was last seen finishing fourth in the Travers (G1). He gets a fairly easy spot here as he will face just five others on a track he does like. His stiffest competition will likely come from Grade 3 winner Timeline, who already has a race under his belt after being off since September. Post time for the 1 1/16-mile race is 5:18 p.m.

Regalada seeks second jewel in Puerto Rico Triple Crown

The undefeated filly Regalada kept her record in tact when she beat the boys in the Derby Puertorriqueño (G1), the first leg of Puerto Rico’s Triple Crown. By Hockenheim, the chestnut filly was never threatened, winning by 9 ¾ lengths. She will face just four others in the second race of the series, the Grade 1 Copa Gobernador Stakes. While the Derby was contested at 1 1/16 miles, this event is 1 1/8 miles. The second- through fourth-place finishers from the Derby, El Salsero, Amigojulioforti, and Sacromonte, respectively, all return to take another crack at the talented filly. New comer Mi Vaquita completes the field. Regalada will break from the rail as the 4-5 morning line favorite. Post time is 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.