Breeders' Cup, Kentucky Derby, Oaks winners mark weekend horse racing

Secret Oath, shown winning the 2022 Kentucky Oaks, is back in action Friday at Churchill Downs. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs

May 5 (UPI) — An action-packed weekend of horse racing headed by the Kentucky Derby also features five of last year’s Breeders’ Cup champions and the winners of last year’s Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

The roster of reigning Breeders’ Cup champs includes Saturday’s Kentucky Derby favorite, Forte, and one of the top picks in the Group 1 Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in England, Meditate.

Cody’s Wish, Caravel and Goodnight Olive also return. The 2022 Derby winner, Rich Strike, and the Oaks winner, Secret Oath, are in action Friday at Churchill Downs.

In England, the 1,000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies and 2,000 Guineas for 3-year-old colts are the first of the English Classics. Japan has the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup, also for 3-year-olds. And see the “Around the world …” section for an early Breeders’ Cup qualifier from South America.

With graded stakes action overflowing the tote board, there’s no better time to look for some handicapping help and no better place to find it than industry insider Jude Feld. His thoughts pulsate at popejude.com .

The Kentucky Derby

We’ll handle the 149th Run for the Roses separately. Please check that out, but don’t take too short a price on the favorite, Forte.

The Kentucky Oaks

Trainer Brad Cox will take some time out from preparing his four Kentucky Derby runners to saddle three starters, including the two favorites, in Friday’s $1.25 million Grade I Kentucky Oaks.

The race for 3-year-old fillies is an important line in the book of any filly targeting a post-track career as a broodmare and always gets a quality field as a result.

Cox leads over Wet Paint, winner of three straight at Oaklawn Park, as the 5-2 favorite. The Blame filly is a Godolphin homebred and counts the Honeybee and Fantasy Stakes at the Arkansas track among her wins.

Cox also has the second-favorite on the morning line in Botanical, winner of four straight on the Turfway Park all-weather, and The Alys Look, third in the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks.

As noted, it’s a tough field, also including last year’s 2-year-old filly champ, Wonder Wheel; Mimi Kakushi, winner of the Group 3 UAE Oaks in Dubai; the first two from the Fair Grounds Oaks, Southlawn and Pretty Mischievous; Grade II Gulfstream Park Oaks winner Affirmative Lady; Grade I Ashland Stakes winner Defining Purpose; the first two from the Grade III Gazelle at Aqueduct, Promiseher America and Gambling Girl; and Sunland Park Oaks winner Flying Connection.

Turf

Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs drew horses last seen on the Turfway Park all-weather and on grass at Fair Grounds, Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland and Santa Anita.

They’ve made their latest starts as recently as April 14 and as long ago as Nov. 5, that in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Only two of the 10 have previous experience at Churchill Downs. Go figure.

Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Fort Marcy Stakes at Belmont Park drew eight with Godolphin raider Ottoman Fleet installed as the 8-5 pick on the morning line.

The Sea the Stars gelding has been a consistent earner for Sheik Mohammed’s crew and comes off a win in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket.

Major Dude and Far Bridge, two of the major players in Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II American Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs, drew the Nos. 1 and 2 gates in a field of 14.

Both are trained by Todd Pletcher. The other featured contender is Carl Spackler from the Chad Brown barn, drawn No. 11, but others also appeal at longer odds.

Sunday’s $100,000 Singletary Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita drew six with Mike McCarthy saddling half of them.

Filly & Mare Turf

Friday’s $200,000 Grade II Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park has a field of five — three from trainer Chad Brown and two from the barn of Christophe Clement.

It’s a right toss-up, but Amazing Grace is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line after winning the Grade III Orchid at Gulstream Park in her first start for Clement since arriving from Germany. She’s among four German-breds in the race.

There’s enough talent for several races among the 11 3-year-old fillies assembled for Friday’s $500,000 Grade II Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs.

What there is not is a solid favorite. Coming one race before the Kentucky Oaks, this is a wide-open race that will be a challenge for the pick-3, pick-4, etc., bettors.

A pair of Chad Brown runners, Shantisara and McKulick, top the field nine set for Friday’s $300,000 Grade III Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs. Argentine import Dida, 3-for-3 since being sent north, could give them a run for their money.

Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile features Spendarella, a lightly raced filly who’d be 5-for-5 but for a second-place finish in last year’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. She’s been idle for eight months and there are other good ones in the eight-horse field.

Sunday’s $175,000 Grade III Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park has a field of eight, half trained by Brown. He is famous for sweeping the placings in turf races like this, but his fillies and mares run into some serious opposition in this heat.

Turf Mile

Annapolis outfinished Churchtown in the final yards of Thursday’s $300,000 Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs, winning by a head in his first start since finishing 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November.

The War Front 4-year-old colt, with Irad Ortiz Jr. riding for trainer Todd Pletcher, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:35.73. Other than the Breeders’ Cup, when he lunged at the start, Annapolis has not finished worse than second.

Turf Sprint

Danse Macabre stalked the pace in Wednesday’s $225,000 Mamzell Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs, got through along the rail to get the lead in the lane and kicked away to win by 2 1/4 lengths. American Apple was second and the favorite, Shootoutthelights, faded to finish seventh.

Danse Macabre, a daughter of Army Mule, ran 5 1/2 furlongs on firm going in 1:02.98 with Adam Beschizza aboard.

Reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel is back in action as the odds-on, morning-line favorite in Friday’s $300,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs. The Brad Cox trainee warmed up with a hard-fought win in the Grade II Shakertown at Keeneland on April. 8.

Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs goes as race No. 7 on the Kentucky Derby card and is another that will mess with handicappers playing multi-race bets. Big Invasion, a winner of seven of nine starts, looks best, but there are plenty of other chances among the 14 entries.

Anaconda tops a field of nine for Saturday’s $150,000 Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park. The Pioneerof the Nile 6-year-old seeks his first stakes win and drew the rail for this 7-furlong test.

Seven are set for Saturday’s $100,000 Senorita Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita and it looks like anyone’s race. Teena Ella is a narrow morning-line favorite after finishing second in the Angels Flight Stakes in her most recent.

Juvenile

Youalmosthadme, an Oxbow filly trained by Brad Cox, led all the way in Thursday’s $200,000 Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs and drew off to win by 8 3/4 lengths over Lou’s Legacy. Tranche was third and two others, both first-time starters, finished well up the track in fourth and last place.

Youalmosthadme ran 5 furlongs on a fast track in 57.49 seconds with Tyler Gaffalione up.

Classic

A year ago, Rich Strike won the 148th Kentucky Derby at odds of 80-1. Winless in five subsequent starts, he returns to Churchill Downs as third-favorite on the morning line for Friday’s $600,000 Grade II Alysheba Stakes. New Orleans Classic winner West Will Power and Pegasus World Cup winner Art Collector look scarier in this spot.

Distaff

The 2022 Kentucky Oaks winner, Secret Oath, is the 3-1 favorite on the morning line for Friday’s $750,000 Grade I La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs. She doesn’t face Clairiere, who beat her by a neck in the Grade I Apple Blossom in Arkansas in her last start.

But the likes of last year’s winner, Pauline’s Pearl, as well as Society, Search Results and Churchill Downs specialist Played Hard, will provide plenty of competition.

Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park features Kathleen O. as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of six. The Upstart filly has turned in three straight seconds since finishing fifth in last year’s Kentucky Oaks.

Dirt Mile

Zandon, third in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, headlines a field of seven set for Friday’s $175,000 Grade III Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park.

Twelve of the 14 in for Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs are Triple Crown nominees but the morning-line favorite is one of the other two — Echo Again, a Gun Runner colt who posted a nice win at Oaklawn Park in his last.

Tall Boy, winner of the Group 3 UAE Guineas in Dubai, is here, but he flopped in the Grade II UAE Derby.

Sprint

Cody’s Wish returns to the races in Saturday’s $750,000 Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes for the first time since winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland in November. He’s won seven of his last eight, including all four of his starts under the Twin Spires, and is the odds-on favorite among 11.

Saturday’s $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita is hard to figure with only four entries. The favorite, fittingly, is Hard to Figure from the Bob Baffert barn.

The other three range from Santa Anita Derby also-rans to a recent maiden winner. This one might not even be fun to watch.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Munnys Gold has won all three of her starts — and by margins of 14 1/2, 6 1/4 and 17 1/4 lengths — so it’s no surprise she’s the morning-line favorite among nine 3-year-old fillies entered for Friday’s $500,000 Grade II Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs.

As they say at the poker table, “If you can beat ’em, bet ’em.” But watch out for second-starter Accede, who could be a good one, too.

Goodnight Olive, the reigning Breeders’ Cup champ and winner of seven straight, is the star in a field of six for Saturday’s $750,000 Grade I Derby City Distaff at 7 furlongs out of the Churchill Downs backstretch chute.

Yuugirl stands out in a field of 10 for Sunday’s $150,000 License Fee Stakes for fillies and mares at Belmont Park. But the 4-year-old Shackleford filly comes with the caveat that she finished fifth and last in her last start, the Grade I Madison at Keeneland. That’s probably not a disqualifier, as Goodnight Olive was the winner of that.

Marathon

Warrant seized the lead heading for home in Wednesday’s $175,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon at Churchill Downs and held on to win by a neck over Red Run. Warrant, a 5-year-old son of Constitution trained by Cox, finished 1 1/2 miles on a fast track in 2:31.03 with Flavien Prat in the irons.

Around the world, around the clock

England

Saturday’s Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket is dominated by Coolmore’s Aidan-O’Brien trained colts with Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear the early antepost favorites.

Cairo, after taking a shellacking in the UAE Derby, was not left in by the Irish ace, who has won the race 10 times. Not overlooked is Chaldean, a Frankel colt carrying the Juddmonte colors.

Last year’s Acomb, Champagne and Dewhurst winner gets another chance after unseating Frankie Dettori at the start of the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on April 22 in his 3-year-old debut.

Godolphin will find out about Noble Style, a Kingman colt undefeated at 2, but stretching out from 6 furlongs in his 3-year-old bow.

Sunday’s Group 1 Qipco 1000 Guineas, pending final declarations, finds the Aga Khan’s Siyouni filly Tahiyra as the wagering favorite. Coolmore is in with Meditate, a No Nay Never filly making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland last November.

Japan

Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse is a bit of a proving ground for 3-year-olds who may not want to go the distance of the upcoming Classics, but who could have a nice career at the shorter trips.

That description might fit Dolce More to a tee. He has thrived at the 1,600 meters, including a victory in last year’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity, but faded badly in his last start, the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy, after setting too brisk a pace.

The field also includes the winner of the New Zealand Trophy, Eeyan, as well as Obamburumai, winner of the Grade 3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin, and the runner-up in that race, Umbrail, one of several fillies entered for the Mile Cup.

Argentina

Belleza de Arteaga won her eighth straight race and earned a “Win and You’re In” spot in November’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff with a late-running win in Monday’s Group 1 Gran Premio Criadores at Hipodromo de Palermo in Buenos Aires.

The 5-year-old Cosmic Tiger mare caught the favorite, Super Shine, in deep stretch to get home first by a head. Belleza de Arteaga’s connections confirmed she will be considered for the Distaff.