Weekend Warrior for Saturday, Oct. 8: Picks for Breeders' Futurity, Hill Prince, Woodford

This is the last weekend of Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In events, meaning this is the last really big weekend of Breeders’ Cup preps. There are four Grade 1 events Saturday at Belmont Park, ostensibly led by the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, and all are Win and You’re In races. There are also three other stakes on the Belmont card.

Keeneland has three Grade 1 races Saturday, each a Win and You’re In event, as well as two other graded stakes. The $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile is the official headliner, but the $400,000 First Lady is the symbolic feature, thanks to the presence of Tepin.

And there are three stakes on Santa Anita’s card, led by the Grade 1, $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, another Win and You’re In race.

Breeders’ Futurity

Classic Empire will have his share of supporters off a victory in the Bashford Manor Stakes two starts back, a performance I really liked at the time but have since downgraded. I originally thought Classic Empire finished strongly that evening to catch Recruiting Ready. But when Recruiting Ready readily gave way in the stretch in his next two starts, it became apparent that Classic Empire’s successful rally might not have been quite as strong as it first appeared.

Compounding the issue with Classic Empire is his wheel out of the gate in last month’s Hopeful, which made him lose his rider. That unplanned nonstart means Classic Empire is now stretching out to two turns for the first time without having had a representative outing in three months.

For the same reasons, I’m also leaning against Gunnevera, who picked up the pieces after Recruiting Ready collapsed late to win the Saratoga Special in his most recent start. But that was almost two months ago, and now Gunnevera stretches out to a route.

Singing Bullet is my play. Singing Bullet comes into this off only a debut victory at Ellis Park, but he ran very well in that race. He disputed the pace while the 3-2 favorite sat a golden trip just off the early battle, and when that favorite challenged him in the stretch, Singing Bullet turned him away with style.

Singing Bullet was cut out to be a good horse, being out of the multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Life At Ten, and he gets Lasix for the first time Saturday. It’s also noteworthy that his trainer, Dale Romans, sent Not This Time into last month’s Iroquois Stakes off a maiden win at Ellis, and that colt won so impressively that I think he’s the best 2-year-old seen this year.

Hill Prince Stakes

Even if he had to work harder than expected to win the Secretariat Stakes last time, I couldn’t argue with anyone who likes Beach Patrol here. Nor could I take issue with those who like Inspector Lynley or Camelot Kitten, the one-two finishers in the Saranac. I just prefer Monster Bea.

Whether it was the switch of barns three starts ago, the relocation to California, or simple maturity, Monster Bea is just vastly improved. He was a dominant winner of the Oceanside three starts back and a fine fourth after an odd trip in the Del Mar Derby most recently.

Monster Bea was steadied along on the rail down the backstretch in the Del Mar Derby despite being well off the pace and then vacated his inside position on the far turn. That move caused Monster Bea to go four and then six wide, while Dressed In Hermes (also in this race) rallied unobstructed in the spot Monster Bea gave away. In any case, Monster Bea ran well that day, and I expect him to work out a more favorable, forward trip this time off the rider change to Javier Castellano.

Woodford Stakes

Mongolian Saturday returns to the scene of his Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint upset in this spot, but who knows what we’ll see from him after four straight international losses?

Hogy is an interesting alternative. Hogy ran his best race in almost a year when a narrowly beaten second most recently in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, and he appears to have cycled back to his best form. That is noteworthy because when both were going well last year, Hogy was very much in the same league with Mongolian Saturday. Moreover, at this stage of his career, Hogy might be well suited to the cutback in distance to 5 1/2 furlongs.