What to watch for: Pharoah's sis to target Saratoga Grade 1

Saratoga and Del Mar will wind down their respective meets this weekend, but not before hosting a number of Grade 1 races, with the highlight Saturday's Woodward Stakes along with a slew of top-level events for juveniles.

Looking toward the weekend, here’s what to watch for:

American Pharoah’s half-sister ships to Saratoga

The 2015 Travers Stakes shook the racing world when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was upset by Keen Ice. His half sister could make good for the family, however, on Saturday at the Spa.

Chasing Yesterday, a half-sister to American Pharoah, is set for her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Spinaway for 2-year-olds. By Tapit and out of Littleprincessemma, the chestnut filly is also trained by Bob Baffert and enters the race off a winning debut.

With Mike Smith aboard, Chasing Yesterday made her first career start at Del Mar this summer, sitting a couple lengths off the pace before drawing away by 4 1/2 lengths. She’ll stretch out to seven furlongs Saturday for the Spinaway, and a win would award her an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs.

Baffert vs. Hollendorfer at Del Mar

Del Mar will card Grade 1 races for juvenile colts and fillies this weekend. In both races, Baffert and Jerry Hollendorfer will saddle the big horses.

In Monday's Del Mar Futurity, Baffert sends out debut winner Roadster against Hollendorfer’s Instagrand. Roadster was impressive in his first start, winning by 4 1/2 lengths after schooled behind rival horses, but Instagrand brings a little more experience to the table. After debuting at Los Alamitos with a 10-length victory, Instagrand replicated that form in the Grade 2 Best Pal at Del Mar, winning again by 10 1/4 lengths.

The trainers will also send out two highly regarded fillies in the Del Mar Debutante in Mother Mother and Brill. Both won first time out at Del Mar this summer, and both will be making only their second career starts. Baffert’s Mother Mother led all but the first quarter-mile in her race, drawing away by 6 ½ lengths, while Brill rallied from mid-pack to win by 1 ¼ lengths. 

Grade 1 turf winner tries dirt in Woodward

Without a Gun Runner-type horse this year, the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes looks wide open. Probables include Gunnevera, who’s still trying to break through at the Grade 1 level, the one-eyed Patch and 2017 Belmont Stakes victor Tapwrit, who is looking his first win since then.

One of the most interesting probables is Yoshida, a Grade 1 winner on turf. All 10 of his career starts have been on the grass, but trainer Bill Mott has said all along he wants to try this one on the main track. Yoshida has been spotted aggressively, too.

After earning Grade 1 status in the Old Forester Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby day, the Japanese-bred 4-year-old went to Royal Ascot for the Group 1 Queen Anne, in which he finished a respectable fifth. Yoshida returned stateside to run fifth in the Grade 1 Fourstardave over a turf course rated “good,” although he took to yielding turf just fine on Derby day in the pouring rain. 

One advantage of trying the Woodward is the absence of New York’s current big horse, Diversify. Another is the 1 1/8-mile distance, the same at which he won the Turf Classic along with the Grade 3 Hill Prince last October.

Kentucky Derby contender switches to turf

Opposite of Yoshida, Free Drop Billy could be making his first start on the grass Saturday at Saratoga. Listed as probable for the Grade 3 Saranac, a 1 1/8-mile turf event for 3-year-olds, the flashy colt will be trying to get back in the winner’s circle for the first time since October.

Free Drop Billy became a strong contender on the Derby trail after winning the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. He hit the board in three Derby preps at 3, but only ran 16th on the first Saturday in May. Trainer Dale Romans then skipped the Preakness with him and next ran in the Belmont Stakes, finishing seventh.

Free Drop Billy regularly returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs in July and put in his first work at Saratoga this summer on Monday.