Weekend Warrior for Saturday, Oct. 14: Picks for Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, Pebble Stakes, West Virginia Breeders' Classic

The whirlwind of Breeders’ Cup preps the last several weeks has abruptly ended, as evidenced by Saturday’s stakes schedule. The Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland is easily the most important race of the day. But beyond that, there is only one other graded event – the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity at Belmont, which is actually a supporting feature to the ungraded, $200,000 Pebbles Stakes.

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

With due respect to Daddys Lil Darling, who is facing vastly better company than what she walloped last time in the Dueling Grounds Oaks; La Coronel, who couldn’t make an easy lead stand up in the Sands Point most recently; Dream Dancing, who was a decided cut below the east’s best 3-year-old turf fillies, but who went west and edged three others in this race in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks; and the seemingly overmatched English shipper Unforgetable Filly; there are three primary players in this spot. They are, in post-position order, Proctor’s Ledge, Uni, and New Money Honey. Let’s talk about them.

Proctor’s Ledge looked to be on a similar career treadmill as Dream Dancing. But when she got Lasix for the first time in her two starts at Saratoga, she became a completely different horse. Proctor’s Ledge powered from off the pace to be clearly best in the Lake George, and followed with a determined score in the Lake Placid, beating Uni, who came back to win the Sands Point. And what was especially impressive about Proctor’s Ledge’s Lake Placid is she rallied from fourth in a field of five into a pace that was exceptionally slow even by today’s U.S. turf racing standards.

Uni was compromised by slow paces in the Lake Placid, in which Proctor’s Ledge got the crucial first jump on her, and in the Sands Point, which she won anyway. She might not get much more pace Saturday, but she has already proven to be dangerous even without a favorable setup, which is much to her credit.

New Money Honey suitably moves back to turf after an unsuccessful dirt experiment in the Alabama, from which the first two finishers came back to win Grade 1 races. New Money Honey, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year, won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks two starts back, on the heels of a score in the Wonder Again three back. However, she did enjoy perfect trips in both of those victories.

Until Godolphin announced Wuheida was going to be withdrawn, I was going to make her a strong play here as she is a legitimate Group 1-level European shipper who was not only getting Lasix for the first time, but also the firm footing she seems best on. Now, however, I’m siding with Proctor’s Ledge. She has quickly developed into a serious filly and can make it three straight with a duplication of her Saratoga form.

Pebbles Stakes

Rubilinda has a reputation bigger than what she’s actually accomplished on the track so far, and I have doubts about her stretching out to a mile at this point in her career. I like the other Chad Brown trainee – Thais.

Thais was the beaten favorite when a rallying second at Saratoga in her U.S. bow, but that came at a point in the Saratoga meet when speed was carrying on turf. Thais has Group 3 placings in France from earlier in her career that are good enough to win this.

West Virginia Breeders’ Classic

This might be restricted to West Virginia-breds, but with a purse of $350,000, it is the second-richest race of the day and has a vulnerable favorite in Charitable Annuity, who did little real running in losses his last two starts.

Weekend Liberty has a shot to upset at a big price. Many horses in this race are suspect at the nine-furlong distance, but Weekend Liberty is a true router, and he comes into this fresh from a successful layoff barn.