Super Saturday Storylines

The line-up on Super Saturday at Belmont Park features five grade one stakes races and a grade two, all six are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” Series. The stakes have combined $3,400,000 in purse money. Here are the specifics for each race including their respective Breeders’ Cup event followed by some of the interesting storylines for Super Saturday.

 

The Beldame – 1 1/8 miles - 3YO and up F/M – The Distaff

The Flower Bowl – 1¼ miles (T) - 3YO and up F/M – The F/M Turf

The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic - 1½ miles (T) – 3YO and up – The Turf

The Jockey Club Gold Cup – 1¼ miles – 3YO and up - The Classic

The Kelso (G2) – 1 mile – 3YO and up – The Dirt Mile

The Vosburgh – six furlongs – 3YO and up – The Sprint

 

Can anyone beat Royal Delta in the Beldame? In 2012 Royal Delta won the Beldame en route to her second consecutive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and no horse has ever won three in a row in the Distaff. The Beldame has the best match-up on Super Saturday as the likely three year-old filly champion Princess of Sylmar steps up to face older girls for the first time.

 

Is the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic a slam dunk for trainer Chad Brown and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey? Brown will send out Big Blue Kitten and Real Solution in the Turf. Big Blue Kitten won the United Nations (G1) and the Sword Dancer (G1) this summer. Real Solution just missed by head in the Arlington Million, but was placed first through disqualification.

 

Flat Out has been dubbed the "Baron of Belmont" by Horse Racing Nation Managing Editor Brian Zipse because of his five for six career record on Big Sandy.  Flat Out is going for his third consecutive victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Nine other horses have won the JCGC in consecutive years. It is a star-studded group that includes: Curlin, Skip Away, Slew o’ Gold, Shuvee, and Nashua.  Kelso is the only horse to have won more than two JCGCs and he won five in a row from 1960-1964.

 

Orb and Palace Malice will renew their rivalry in the JCGC as they step up to face older horses. However, with Will Take Charge’s victories in the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby, it has become essential for Orb or Palace Malice to win the JCGC in order to stay in contention for the three year-old male championship?

The lightly raced four year-old, Graydar makes his return to the races in the Kelso. Graydar who has a career record of four wins in five starts has been sidelined since easy victories in the New Orleans Handicap (G2) and the Donn Handicap (G1). Graydar won the Donn gate to wire, but came back to take the New Orleans with a staking trip. Those two wins put Graydar at the top of the handicap division in the beginning of 2013. If you like gray horses then you will love this very striking son of Unbridled’s Song.

 

Which trainer will win the most Super Saturday Stakes: Todd Pletcher or Bill Mott? Pletcher will likely enter five or six with Whitney winner Cross Traffic and the Belmont Stakes victor Palace Malice ready for the JCGC. Princess of Sylmar and Authenticity will go in the Beldame. Graydar returns in the Kelso with Forty Tales listed as a possible entry in the Vosburgh.  Bill Mott’s five runners are headlined by Royal Delta and Flat Out.  Slumber is slated to go in the Joe Hirsch. Ron the Greek will run in either the Kelso or the JCGC and White Rose is a possible for the Flower Bowl.