Chi Chi is a multiple stakes winner, graded stakes-placed, and the 123-pound highweight in Saturday’s $95,000 Game Face Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But as far as the bettors are concerned, Chi Chi is likely to fly a little bit under the radar when returning locally to face six rivals in the six-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies.
Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox have the likely favorite, First Mission, for the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes later on June 29. They also have the likely favorite, Highland Falls, for the local Stephen Foster prep, the $275,000 Blame, the last of six stakes Saturday at Churchill Downs.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A highly regarded comeback sprinter and a promising Midwest turf filly, both making their fourth start, aim for their first stakes victories in back-to-back graded races Saturday at Santa Anita.
Even though Dr. Venkman and Faith Understood are the least-experienced runners in the Grade 2 Triple Bend and Grade 3 Honeymoon, one could argue they are the most likely winners.
Multiple graded stakes winner Buchu was last seen under colors in the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, when her late run lacked punch on a yielding turf course, finishing sixth. She looks to rebound against a competitive field, including Edgewood runner-up Way to Be Marie, in the Grade 3, $275,000 Regret Stakes Saturday, another tilt for 3-year-old fillies on the Churchill Downs turf.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Candy Overload and Flag of Honour will renew their recent rivalry Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier, one of two $135,000 sprint stakes on the card, along with the Grade 3 Royal North.
Not long after being purchased privately by Gary Barber and partners, Candy Overload notched his first stakes here in the fall of 2022 in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road. He was campaigned sporadically last year and returned from an extended layoff March 9 to land the Big Daddy Stakes at Turfway.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Grade 2, $175,000 Eclipse has a quality cast and is the marquee race among four graded events on the outstanding “Super Saturday Stakes” card at Woodbine.
Canadian champions Tyson and Paramount Prince will clash in the 1 1/16-mile Eclipse. Tyson captured the 2023 Sovereign Award for champion older male on the main track off victories in the Grade 2 Seagram Cup and Grade 3 Dominion Day, for which he got a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. One of his better performances was a troubled third on dirt in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga.
Godsend heads a competitive group of nine entered in Saturday’s six-furlong allowance feature at Emerald Downs.
The 5-year-old son of Midshipman is owned by Stan Munro and trained by Justin Evans. He is scheduled to make his Emerald Downs debut from the outside post. Most recently Godsend won an April 29 allowance race at Turf Paradise in the sharp time of 1:07.80 for six furlongs as a 1-20 favorite
It’s remarkable that either Aidan O’Brien or John Gosden has trained the Oaks winner the last 10 years. O’Brien has six victories during that span, Gosden four, last year’s with his son Thady down as co-trainer. Gosden is not winning the 2024 Oaks on Friday at Epsom because he has no runner in the 1 1/2-mile race. O’Brien starts two, the three-race maiden Rubies Are Red and Ylang Ylang, the favorite with English bookmakers on Wednesday.
Horseshoe Indianapolis’s loss was Penn National’s gain.
Eight of the 3-year-old fillies in Friday’s $150,000 Penn Oaks at one mile on turf were entered in the Horseshoe Indianapolis Handicap on May 15, but heavy rain forced the cancellation of that program.
Thus, the Penn Oaks features a full field and is one of the better betting races on an 11-race card that includes six stakes.
Llamarada will likely be considered one of the outsiders among the seven fillies and mares entered in Friday’s featured fifth race at Gulfstream, a $61,000 allowance carded at one mile on the main track.
What is noteworthy about the 3-year-old filly is that she has Kent Desormeaux listed to ride, one of two horses the Hall of Fame jockey has been named aboard Friday by trainer Laura Cazares along with Lady Cha Cha, who figures to be among the favorites in the afternoon’s co-featured seventh event for Florida-bred fillies and mares.
