Breeders' Cup glance: Enable leads Ascot battle for Turf bid
As the 2020 Breeders’ Cup approaches, “Win and You’re In” berths are up for grabs ahead of the Nov. 6-7 championships at Keeneland. This weekly series from Horse Racing Nation highlights upcoming Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races, recaps recent stakes and shows how the fields for each division are shaping up.
Upcoming Challenge Series races
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot, Saturday (Turf)
Four of Europe’s top racing stars are entered for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (G1), a mile-and-a-half trip at Ascot.
John Gosden trainee Enable will attempt to become a three-time winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, having also taken this event in 2017 and ’19. The 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf champion started her 6-year-old campaign July 5 with a second-place finish in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) at Sandown Park.
Enable was the 8-15 favorite as of Thursday morning, according to Racing Post.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has three runners entered for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth to battle Enable on Saturday: Anthony Van Dyck, Japan and Sovereign.
2020 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1)
| # | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rank | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | HRN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Van Dyck Galileo | A. O'Brien O. Murphy |
| 10-1 | ||||
| 2 | Japan Galileo | A. O'Brien R. Moore |
| 5-2 | ||||
| 3 | Sovereign Galileo | A. O'Brien W. Buick |
| 12-1 | ||||
| 4 | Enable Nathaniel | J. Gosden F. Dettori |
| 1-2 |
Sussex Stakes, Goodwood, Wednesday (Mile)
Turf milers will take center stage Wednesday at Goodwood, with undefeated 3-year-old Siskin an early 7-4 favorite as of Tuesday, acccording to The Telegraph.
Siskin went 4-for-4 during his 2-year-old season, then started his 2020 campaign June 12 by winning the Irish 2000 Guineas (G1). Ger Lyons trains the Kentucky-bred First Defence colt.
Circus Maximus, winner of the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) during June’s Royal Ascot meet, is targeting the Sussex. So too is Mohaather, last-out winner of Ascot’s Betfred Summer Mile (G2) on July 11.
2020 Sussex Stakes (G1)
Recent Challenge Series race
Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park (Classic)
Authentic became the first 3-year-old to stamp a 2020 Breeders’ Cup ticket Saturday thanks to a victory in the Haskell (G1). Trainer Bob Baffert earned his ninth win in Monmouth Park’s showcase event, a “Win and You’re In” for the Classic Division.
The Into Mischief colt made it to the wire just ahead of a late-charging Ny Traffic, winning by a nose.
“We were blessed to hang on,” jockey Mike Smith said.
Authentic will spend the next 1½ months training up to the Kentucky Derby.
Challenge Series race winners
Classic
Authentic, Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park, July 18
Authentic’s win in the Haskell (G1) made him the first runner from the barn of Bob Baffert – a 15-time Breeders’ Cup winner – to clinch a berth in the 2020 championships. The Kentucky-bred Into Mischief colt is 4-for-5 lifetime. The 3-year-old sits second in the points standings for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, which is targeted as his next start. Despite Authentic’s Haskell victory, he wasn’t ranked in the top 10 of the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings released Wednesday.
Mozu Ascot, February Stakes, Tokyo Racecourse, Feb. 23
A Kentucky-bred son of Frankel, 6-year-old Mozu Ascot is a two-time Group 1 winner in Japan. The Yoshito Yahagi trainee last finished sixth May 5 at Funabashi in the Kashiwa Kinen.
Tom’s d’Etat, Stephen Foster, Churchill Downs, June 27
7-year-old Tom’s d’Etat showed no signs of slowing down in the Stephen Foster (G2), winning his fourth straight start. Conditioner Al Stall Jr. has the Kentucky-bred Smart Strike horse training at Saratoga in preparation for the $750,000 Whitney (G1), scheduled for Aug. 1. He ranks No. 1 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings.
Dirt Mile
Vekoma, Metropolitan Handicap, Belmont Park, July 4
One race after stamping a Breeders’ Cup Sprint “Win and You’re In” ticket by taking Belmont’s Carter Handicap (G1), Vekoma won the Met Mile (G1) to also earn a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile berth. Trainer George Weaver and owners will have to choose which way to go with the 4-year-old, Kentucky-bred Candy Ride colt. He also ranks ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings.
Distaff
Midnight Bisou, Fleur de Lis, Churchill Downs, June 27
Making her first start since a valiant second-place run Feb. 29 in the Saudi Cup, Midnight Bisou was much the best in the Fleur de Lis (G2). Steve Asmussen trains the 5-year-old Midnight Lute mare, who was named the Eclipse Award 2019 Champion Older Dirt Female. The Kentucky-bred has run twice in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, finishing third in 2018 and second in 2019. She’s currently working at Saratoga and is the only female in the current Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings, checking in at No. 5.
She’s a Julie, Ogden Phipps Stakes, Belmont Park, June 13
Steve Asmussen trainee She’s a Julie became a two-time Grade 1 winner with her Ogden Phipps victory. The 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred Elusive Quality mare then followed that effort Saturday with a flat seventh-place finish at Monmouth Park in the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3).
Filly and Mare Turf
Almond Eye, Victoria Mile, Tokyo Racecourse, May 17
Sakae Kunieda trains the Japanese-bred Almond Eye, a 5-year-old Lord Kanaloa mare. A Group 1 winner in both Japan and the United Arab Emirates, she was second last out at Tokyo on June 7 in the Yasuda Kinen (G1).
Queen Supreme, Cartier Paddock Stakes, Kenilworth, Jan. 11
Irish-bred Queen Supreme is a 4-year-old Exceed and Excel filly trained by Mike de Kock, who American racing fans will remember as conditioner of 2015 Kentucky Derby contender Mubtaahij.
Juvenile Turf Sprint
The Lir Jet, Norfolk Stakes, Ascot, June 19
The Lir Jet improved to 2-for-2 when winning the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot. The 2-year-old then took his first career loss Sunday, finishing second in Chantilly’s Prix Robert Papin (G2). Michael Bell trains the Irish-bred Prince of Lir colt.
Mile
Circus Maximus, Queen Anne Stakes, Ascot, June 16
Circus Maximus, a Galileo colt, won his 4-year-old bow in the Queen Anne (G1), marking the second Royal Ascot victory of his career. The Irish-bred Aidan O’Brien trainee ran fourth last November in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He’s targeting another Challenge Series race in the Mile Division, the Sussex Stakes (G1) on Wednesday at Goodwood.
Gran Alegria, Yasuda Kinen, Tokyo Racecourse, June 7
Kazuo Fujisawa trains the 4-year-old filly Gran Alegria, a daughter of Deep Impact. The Yasuda Kinen marked her second Group 1 triumph in Japan.
Raging Bull, Shoemaker Mile Stakes, Santa Anita Park, May 25
The French-bred Raging Bull secured the first “Win and You’re In” berth of the U.S. racing season with his Shoemaker Mile (G1) score. Chad Brown trains the 5-year-old Dark Angel gelding, who was third last out at Keeneland on July 10 in the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (G1).
Vardy, L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, Kenilworth, Jan. 11
Vardy is a 5-year-old Var gelding bred in South Africa. Adam Marcus serves as trainer.
Sprint
Vekoma, Carter Handicap, Belmont Park, June 6
George Weaver trainee Vekoma made his Grade 1 breakthrough with a 7 1/4-length Carter (G1) victory. The 4-year-old, Kentucky-bred Candy Ride colt also won a “Win and You’re In” race for the Dirt Mile Division July 4 when taking Belmont’s Metropolitan Handicap (G1). He’s No. 9 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings.
Turf
Chrono Genesis, Takarazuka Kinen, Hanshin Racecourse, June 28
4-year-old Bago filly Chrono Genesis scored her second Group 1 victory in the Takarazuka Kinen. Takashi Saito trains the Japanese-bred runner.
Lord North, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, June 17
Irish-bred 4-year-old Lord North won Royal Ascot’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes in his Group 1 debut. John Gosden trains the Dubawi gelding.
Nao Da Mais, Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini, San Isidro Racecourse, Dec. 14
Nao Da Mais is a four-time Group 1 winner in his native Brazil. The 4-year-old T.H. Approval colt last raced March 14 at San Isidro in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1), finishing seventh. Marina Bragante Lopez is the trainer.
Turf Sprint
Hello Youmzain, Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Ascot, June 20
Kevin Ryan trains Hello Youmzain, a 4-year-old son of Kodiac. The French-bred colt stayed in Group 1 company off his Diamond Jubilee score, running fifth at Newmarket on July 11 in the July Cup.
Oleksandra, Jaipur, Belmont Park, June 20
6-year-old Animal Kingdom mare Oleksandra edged Kanthaka by a neck in the Jaipur (G1), marking her first top-level victory. Neil Drysdale trains the Australian-bred runner, who’s raced in the U.S. since 2018.