Champagne, other Belmont Park stakes fields take shape

Fields are beginning to take shape for Belmont's October Festival of Racing run Oct. 6-8/

The Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes for 2-year-olds will anchor four stakes on Saturday. The one-mile Champagne, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, also pays qualifying points toward the 2019 Kentucky Derby. It will be joined by the Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame, the Grade 2, $500,000 Hill Prince, and the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational.

Sunday's live racing program will be highlighted by three Breeders' Cup qualifiers: the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl for the Filly & Mare Turf; the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for the Juvenile Fillies, and the $150,000 Futurity offering an all-fees-paid spot in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Columbus Day Monday will feature the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron, the filly counterpart of the Futurity, as well as the Grade 2, $200,000 Knickerbocker.

Saturday, October 6

The Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne
"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Juvenile Division

Probable: Achilles Warrior (Mark Hennig); Aurelius Maximus (Chad Brown); Call Paul (Jason Servis); Casa Creed (Bill Mott); Classy John (Dallas Stewart); Code of Honor (Shug McGaughey); Complexity (Brown); Endorsed (Kiaran McLaughlin); Sir Truebadour (Steve Asmussen); Trophy Chaser (Juan Carlos Avila)

The Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame

Probable: Come Dancing (Carlos Martin); Divine Miss Grey (Danny Gargan); Farrell (Wayne Catalano); Teresa Z (Anthony Margotta, Jr.); Verve's Tale (Barclay Tagg); Wow Cat (Brown)

Possible: Dreamcall (Asmussen)

The Grade 2, $500,000 Hill Prince

Probable: Analyze It (Brown); March to the Arch (Mark Casse); Prioritize (H. James Bond); Raging Bull (Brown); Ride a Comet (Casse); Sand Dancer (Timothy Hills) 

Possible: Golden Brown (Patrick McBurney); Up the Ante (Christophe Clement)

The $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational

Probable: Blind Ambition (Todd Pletcher); Disco Partner (Clement); Hembree (Mike Maker); Pocket Change (Js. Servis); Proforma (Michael Stidham); Pure Sensation (Clement); Simon Bar Sinister (John Mazza)

Possible: Gidu (Pletcher)

Sunday, October 7

The Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette

"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Division
Probable: Brucia La Terra (Tagg); Cassies Dreamer (Tagg); Covfefe (Brad Cox); Graceful Princess (Ralp

h Nicks); Jaywalk (John Servis); Nonna Madeline (Pletcher); Sue's Fortune (Jeremiah Englehart) 

The Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl

"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Division
Probable: Danceland (McGaughey); Fourstar Crook (Brown); Lady Montdore (Tom Albertrani); Onthemoonagain (Brown); Savannah Belle (Brian Lynch) 
Possible: Holy Helena (Jimmy Jerkens); Tricky Escape (Lynn Ashby)

The $150,000 Futurity

"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Division
Probable: Backtohisroots (John Terranova); Bizzee Channel (Larry Rivelli); Credit Swap (Mike Stidham); Dull Knife (Pletcher); Invigorous (Miguel Vera); Joyful Heart (Lynch); Malibu Mischief (Gary Contessa); Neverland Rock (Asmussen); Real Money (Casse); Swamp Rat (Phil Gleaves); Veterans Beach (David Donk)

Monday, October 8

The Grade 3, $150,000 Matron

Probable: Devious Charm (Casse); Entirely (Jonathan Thomas); Guacamole (Pletcher); Into the South (Ignacio Correas, IV); Malibu Mischief (Contessa); Monette (Graham Motion); 

The Grade 2, $200,000 Knickerbocker

Probable: Inspector Lynley (McGaughey); Revved Up (Jorge Abreu) 
Possible: Aquaphobia (Robert Falcone, Jr.); Blacktype (Clement)