Weekend Watch: Action leads up to Accelerate vs. West Coast

Each weekend, Horse Racing Nation previews the top races to tune into coast to coast and runs down the main contenders. Post times are all in Eastern Time. This edition focuses on Saturday's races with Breeders’ Cup implications.

Super Saturday at Belmont Park

A trio of Grade 1 races at Belmont Park on Saturday each offer a “Win and You’re In” spots for the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll start at the top.

The Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (5:50 p.m.) features a standout favorite in Diversify, who has proven he can carry his speed at 1 1/4 miles having stopped the clock in Belmont’s Suburban (G2) in 1:59.84. He could receive some pressure on the front end from Mendelssohn and Thunder Snow — two other horses pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Classic — while Gronkowski and Patch figure to pick up the pieces in the event of a pace collapse. Don’t count out Uno Mas Modelo underneath, as he won consecutive allowance races at Saratoga while earning respectable figures.

On the undercard, a race that most any other day would be a feature brings eight sprinters together for the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (4:42 p.m.). At 1 1/2 miles, it will see Arlington Million (G2) winner Robert Bruce stretch out while having to break from the rail. You can make a case, too, for most of his competition, namely Spring Quality, a previous Grade 1 winner this year at Belmont who was third in Saratoga’s Sword Dancer (G1) last out when Glorious Empire got away on an easy early lead. Curiously, this field includes Carrick, the 3-year-old Secretariat (G1) winner who will face elders for the first time in his march to the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The third top-level event on Belmont Park’s Saturday card is all about Imperial Hint. The Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Stakes (4 p.m.) looks like his to lose after the 5-year-old Florida-bred put in one of the summer’s most eye-popping performances in winning the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) by 3 3/4 lengths in a gallop. The Luis Carvajal Jr. trainee is 1/5 on the morning line and will likely be bet down beyond that. Imperial Hint is a single in the multi-race wagers.

Santa Anita’s card boasts star power

News this week that Bob Baffert would enter West Coast in the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (8:12 p.m.), facing Accelerate, spiced up the final Breeders’ Cup Classic qualifier. Baffert says West Coast is “80 percent” ready — this is just a prep — whereas Accelerate enters off an emphatic, record-setting 12 1/2-length score in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. But Accelerate has only showed vulnerable in 2018 at this distance, 1 1/8 miles, so perhaps he could be beaten. But even Baffert seemed as though he’d be happy with a second-place finish and move forward to Churchill Downs with West Coast.

Before the Awesome Again, Santa Anita will stage two features for the juveniles, both of which offer spots in the Breeders’ Cup along with points toward the 2019 Kentucky Derby and Oaks. Del Mar Futurity (G1) hero Game Winner is the one to beat in the Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (5:38 p.m.), formerly known as the FrontRunner. He’ll see Rowayton, who set the pace last out, again, while Jerry Hollendorfer will saddle a proven router in Gunmetal Gray for his stakes debut. Bellafina is a standout among fillies in the Grade 1, $300,000 Chandelier Stakes (7:07 p.m.) having already taken multiple graded stakes. She beat multiple rivals from this group last out, but Baffert adds a new name to the fray in Der Lu. Perhaps she’ll score the upset with Bellafina looking a bit weary near the wire at distances shorter than Saturday’s 1 1/16 miles.

Finally, the Grade 1, $300,000 Rodeo Drive (7:41 p.m.), which leads to the Filly & Mare Turf, is certainly a division with less hype than those mentioned above. But there’s a more-than-decent matchup to watch here as former claimer Vasilika, who beat Cambodia by 1 1/2 lengths last out in the John C. Mabee (G2), will meet that rival again. This time, they stretch to 10 furlongs, with little separating the top contenders on the morning line. Vasilika is the 8/5 favorite and Cambodia a 9/5 second choice.

Mind Your Biscuits stars under the Twin Spires

And the lights, too. Churchill’s “Downs After Dark” card hits its peak at 10:11 p.m. ET when they go postward for the Grade 3, $200,000 Lukas Classic. The leading money earner among all New York-breds, Mind Your Biscuits sits at even money on the morning line facing seven rivals in what could be a final prep for any of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Dirt Mile or Classic. Certainly, a two-turn win here would help his case for the latter. Toast of New York is already in the U.S. for this race, with the former stallion back in training but with no posted works. If, for some reason, you like him here, you’ll get a price. He’s 15-1 on the morning line.

On Churchill Downs’ undercard is the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack. At eight furlongs, it could produce a starter or two for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Curiously, Any of Awesome Slew, Warrior’s Club, Seeking the Soul and C Z Rocket appear eligible to move forward. Giant Expectations also shows up here. Trainer Peter Eurton indicated he’d try the turf, but this previous graded stakes winner remains on the main track with his last run a fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1).

Other stakes races to watch Saturday

• Opry 'earned his way' into Belmont's Opry Stakes

• Trainers see opportunity in Laurel's new Bald Eagle Derby

• Projected returns to defend his win in the BWI Turf Cup