Weekend Takeaways: Breeders’ Cup Classic looks wide open

Two “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Classic preps ran Saturday on opposite coasts. While Santa Anita Park’s Awesome Again (G1) result came as no surprise, there was a major upset in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park (G1). There's reason to think the Nov. 3 race at Churchill Downs could be won by any number of likely contenders.

Starting with the Awesome Again, Accelerate picked up his fourth Grade 1 score despite gate troubles and a slow break, likely securing favoritism in the Churchill Downs feature. The 5-year-old deserves it. He’s won five of six starts this season, finishing second in his lone defeat. He also put away a game West Coast, a multiple Grade 1 winner at 3 who held his own against Gun Runner and Thunder Snow. But Accelerate's lone defeat this season came in his only trip outside of California. Does that set him up as a vulnerable Classic top choice?

West Coast was not fully cranked coming into the Awesome Again. He’d been away since second in the Dubai World Cup (G1). Before that he was second in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) and third in last year’s Classic. He was sharp out of the gate and put in a good fight against a seasoned Accelerate. It wasn’t a return victory, but with limited spots to run in, the Awesome Again offered a good test for the Classic. Should West Coast travel for the championships, he should be even more fit and ready to roll, and has run well outside of California.

In New York, the leading older East Coast horse threw a dud after setting blazing fractions in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Diversify took his usual spot up front and pulled far ahead with only 3-year-old Mendelssohn on his tail. Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow, who led the separated group, passed them and lost by a neck when 45-1 shot Discreet Lover rolled late.

The mile-and-a-quarter distance does not seem like the problem for Diversify, Mendelssohn or Thunder Snow. But the pace caught up to the frontrunners and Diversify faded to fifth. Mendelssohn held for third, a respectable finish considering the fractions against older horses. Thunder Snow also proved he’s ready. He received a break after the Dubai World Cup and returned to finish eighth in the Juddmonte International (G1) on turf after losing two shoes.

Mind Your Biscuits and Seeking the Soul are also being considered for the Classic after their wins at Churchill Downs Saturday. Mind Your Biscuits, a multiple Grade/Group 1 winner sprinting, won his first route race in the Lukas Classic (G3) at 1 1/8 miles. Seeking the Soul, who won last year’s Clark Handicap (G1) showed his love for Churchill Downs again by winning the Ack Ack (G3) at a mile. The Classic will be longer and the competition will be harder. Both horses are also under consideration for the Dirt Mile and Mind Your Biscuits has a third option in the Sprint.

Distaff division leader in question

Bob Baffert won the Zenyatta Stakes (G1) Sunday at Santa Anita Park, but not with the horse expected to take it.

Abel Tasman was upset by stablemate Vale Dori in her final Breeders’ Cup Distaff prep. Now it's hard to say where both she and the Distaff stand. Who's the favorite?

Jockey Mike Smith speculated in an interview with TVG that Abel Tasman could have been sick with a flu going around the backside. Perhaps she's eligible to bounce back.

On the other hand, Vale Dori earned her shot in the Distaff after getting back to her top form. The mare had been out of the winner’s circle for more than a year but found her best stride Sunday with the addition of blinkers. She went on a six-race win streak between 2016-17, picking up her first Grade 1 in the Santa Margarita Stakes.

If Abel Tasman comes out of the Zenyatta in good order, she is still a strong contender for the Distaff. If something is wrong, though, it will be a question of if she can be ready in time.

The small horse is a big threat

Imperial Hint picked up his second Grade 1 score Saturday in the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, needing no more than a hand ride from jockey Javier Castellano. The victory comes one race after he won the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) in similar fashion, giving trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. his first Grade 1.

His speed figures in the Vosburgh dropped, but Castellano geared Imperial Hint down after pulling away at the head of the stretch, saving plenty for a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a race he was second in last year.

Imperial Hint will be riding a three-race win streak into the Sprint and should relish the six furlongs after winning his two Grade 1s at the same distance. The horse doesn’t appear to have a problem shipping with wins in Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. He also traveled to California for last year’s Breeders’ Cup. His one loss this season came in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2) where he faded to sixth, but that could also be attributed to fast fractions over a sloppy and sealed track on Kentucky Derby day.

West Coast juveniles consistent but unchallenged 

The juvenile scene on the West Coast has been full of ups and downs. Colts Instagrand and Roadster exploded on the scene along with fillies Brill and Mother Mother. The focus shifted, with what seemed the most promising horse taking a break and the other big names not running back to their hype.

Instagrand won the Best Pal (G2) in impressive fashion before owner Larry Best decided to rest him for the Kentucky Derby 2019 trail, counting him out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Roadster was upset in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) while his stablemate Game Winner won. Roadster is also out of the Breeders’ Cup, needing 45 days to come back from a throat issue.

Looking at the fillies, Brill ran fourth in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and third in the Chandelier (G1), far behind Bellafina both times. Mother Mother was second in the Debutante before scratching from the Chandelier, with Bellafina taking home the automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Game Winner is undefeated in three starts and Bellafina is a three-time winner from four starts, breaking her maiden in the Sorrento (G2) second time out. They both deserve to be some of the Breeders’ Cup favorites with their consistency, but they will also face much tougher competition and heave to deal with traffic when running at Churchill Downs. Neither Game Winner nor Bellafina have raced outside Southern California.

The two have proved they are leaders on the West Coast, while East Coast preps remain this coming weekend. They're likely Breeders' Cup favorites, but not locks.