WEEKEND STAKES: WHERE TO WATCH brought to you by KBC Horse Supplies
Friday, November 6th, 2009
Unless you live in a cave without an internet connection, you know that this weekend (Friday and Saturday) is the 26th Breeders’ Cup Championships which are being held at Santa Anita Park in Southern California. There’s plenty to be said about the Breeders’ Cup’s 14 races with a total purse value of $25.5 million but we’d like to mention the other graded stakes that are being run around the country.
Aqueduct features the G2 Red Smith Handicap as Saturday’s sixth race. Grand Couturier heads up the field in this 1 3/8-mile turf contest for 3-year-olds and up. He has just one win this year which came in the G2 Bowling Green Handicap but has been facing much stiffer competition. Another interesting prospect is 2007 Arlington Million winner Jambalaya. Sidelined for two years, the 7-year-old gelding won his comeback race, an optional claimer at Woodbine. Is he ready to return to his former glory? Also on Saturday, Aqueduct will spotlight juveniles in the G3 Tempted (7th race) for fillies, and the G2 Nashua (4th race) for colts and geldings, both run at one mile on the dirt.
A contentious field is slated to run in the G3 Ack Ack Handicap on Friday’s Churchill Downs card. Ones to watch in the one-mile dirt feature are Riley Tucker (2-1), Jonesboro (5-2) and Greeley’s Conquest (3-1). On Saturday, it’s the fillies’ turn in the G2 Chilukki. Two very talented runners here–One Caroline, who was 5-for-5 before her last out, a narrow loss in the Louisville Distaff on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, and the amazingly consistent Swift Temper who hit the board seven times before her most recent start, a puzzling 10th-place finish in the Spinster (G1). Also entered is Dubai Majesty, coming off a stakes win at Keeneland.
The Meadowlands will present the G3 Pegasus on Friday night. Kiaran McLaughlin may have a rising star in the Shadwell-owned Iqbaal. The 3-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro has only raced twice, but he won both races convincingly as favorite.
Oak Tree has carded supporting Grade 2 stakes on both Breeders’ Cup days. The ninth and final race on Friday is the Las Palmas Handicap for distaffers going a mile on the turf. On Saturday, the Oak Tree Derby, run at 1 1/8 miles on grass, will follow the Classic. Battle of Hastings is hoping to conquer here; the versatile gelding has over $1 million in earnings.
For further information about the Breeders’ Cup entries click here.
