Serious contenders for Breeders' Cup Classic set for weekend horse racing

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Serious contenders for November's Breeders' Cup Classic are in action in weekend horse racing from New York to Japan, while the "European Road to the Kentucky Derby" kicks off in England and Ireland.

There are Breeders' Cup qualifiers in other divisions, too, plus some important races for 2-year-olds on both turf and dirt.

Lots to do. Let's get going.

Classic

Action in this division got started early as two of Japan's top candidates, Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake, finished second and fifth, respectively, in their Breeders' Cup Classic prep race at Funabashi Racecourse on Wednesday.

Both were running for the first time since the March 30 Dubai World Cup. Ushba Tesoro, fifth in last year's Classic, fell just 1 length short of catching breakaway leader Wilson Barows with a bold stretch rally while Derma Sotogake, second to White Abarrio in the big race last year, faded from a challenging spot.

Both are expected to move along to the Breeders' Cup Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Saturday's $1 million Grade I California Crown at Santa Anita, is a "Win and You're In" for the Classic and a showdown among local contenders, but it also provides a little bit of comparison with the Japanese talent.

Senor Buscador, a 6-1 long shot in the California Crown field, took home the $10 million winner's share of the Saudi Cup in February after defeating Ushba Tesoro by a head.

After that triumph, though, he was third in the Dubai World Cup, and then fourth after a layoff in the Grade II Pat O'Brien at Del Mar on Aug. 24.

Bob Baffert trains three of the seven California Crown entries -- Muth, National Treasure and Newgate. All are talented and well-bred, but all still have questions to answer.

National Treasure was fourth in the Saudi Cup and Newgate was a well-beaten ninth in Dubai. The oddsmaker favors National Treasure at 8-5 with Muth held at 2-1.

Also in the division:

Eight are set for Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs, but the odds are that none will feature in the big race at Del Mar in November.

Four locals and a recent import from Chile make up the field for Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Woodward at Aqueduct.

The American contingent arguably is led by 5-year-old Skippylongstocking, third in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Paramount Prince is the 1-5 favorite on the morning line for Saturday's $135,000 (Canadian) Durham Cup on the Woodbine all-weather.

And Most Wanted tops the morning line for Sunday's $400,000 Oklahoma Derby.

Distaff

Sunday's $200,000 Grade II Zenyatta at Santa Anita features reigning Santa Anita Oaks winner Nothing Like You, most recently second in both the Grade II Summertime Oaks over the course and the Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar.

Desert Dawn, the 2022 Santa Anita Oaks winner, was second in last year's Zenyatta and went on to finish fifth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Rivals come from the East Coast and Argentina.

Alpine Princess and Wonder Ride are the morning-line picks among nine in Sunday's $200,000 Remington Park Oaks.

Dirt Mile

Saudi Crown, third in the Grade 1 Saudi Cup in February, is the prohibitive favorite among seven in Saturday's $400,000 Grade III Ack Ack at Churchill Downs, a "Win and You're In" for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Sprint

Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Vosburgh at Aqueduct, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, is a very competitive affair, with a case to be made for just about any one of the seven entries.

Fort Bragg returns from a nine-months layoff to face six rivels in Sunday's $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Turf

Seven-year-old War Like Goddess and 4-year-old Silver Knott are the morning-line top two for Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct.

A lot of familiar foes face each other again in Saturday's $750,000 Grade II California Crown John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita, including four saddled by Phil D'Amato.

Turf Mile

Johannes enters Saturday's $200,000 Grade II City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita, a "Win and You're In" for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, as winner of three straight on the Southern California circuit and odds-on favorite to make it four on the trot.

Graham Motion brings Grade I Belmont Derby and Grade II Secretariat Stakes winner cross-country to try to derail the locals.

Turf Sprint

Johnny Podres and Big Invasion, from the inside and outside gates, respectively, are the favorites in a field of 11 for Saturday's $750,000 Grade II Eddie D. Stakes down the Santa Anita hillside course.

Ways and Means, winner of the Grade I Test Stakes in her last, returns in Sunday's $250,000 Grade II Gallant Bloom for fillies and mares at Aqueduct.

Juvenile Turf

Zulu Kingdom is the big news in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Pilgrim at Aqueduct, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

The Irish-bred colt won big in France in his career debut for trainer Andre Fabre, and then captured the Grade III With Anticipation for trainer Chad Brown in his first U.S. start.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

Sunday's $200,000 Grade II Miss Grillo at Aqueduct, a "Win and You're In" for the John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf has a full field with an also-eligible. Chad Brown saddles three of them.

Around the world, around the clock

Japan

Sunday's Grade I Sprinters Stakes kicks off the long Japanese autumn-winter series of world-class racing with defending champion Mama Cocha back seeking a repeat and Mad Cool, second a year ago, looking for revenge and a possible division championship.

Hong Kong sends Victor the Winner, who was third behind Mama Cocha in the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in the springtime, and progressive sprinter Mugen.

England

It's busy weekend at Newmarket including an early leg of the "Euro / Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby". That's the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at 1 mile, but more likely an early look at the English or Irish Classics than the one at Churchill Downs.

The favorite is Luther, a Frankel colt who has won two of three starts. Wimbledon Hawkeye and Puppet Master also get support.

The Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park, a 6-furlongs test for 2-year-old colts, features two Aidan O'Brien runners, Whistlejacket and Ides of March, and Godolphin's Shadow of Light.

The Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park is for 2-year-old fillies and a Juddmonte Farms color-bearer, Bobouche and Coolmore's Lake Victoria in a field of eight.

Ireland

Saturday's Beresford Stakes at the Curragh is the other Kentucky Derby "Road" race of the weekend and, like the Royal Lodge, is a poor pool to fish for candidates for the Run for the Roses.