LEXINGTON, Ky. – A little more than a decade ago, Mandy Pope began making major investments in her broodmare band, with the long-range goal of developing an elite homebred racing and commercial operation. Now, that goal is coming to fruition, with Pope’s eye-catching pink silks in the winner’s circle of several graded stakes and others seeking to secure stock from her operation.

Four blue-blooded yearlings bred by Pope – including a son of newly minted Hall of Famer Songbird – fetched seven-figure price tags during the opening week of the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Sunday’s getaway-day card at Emerald Downs is headlined by a wide-open renewal of the $60,000 Gottstein Futurity, which is the meet’s championship event for 2-year-olds. The chief prospects for success in the 1 1/16-mile fixture are prior stakes winners Whiskey Harbor, trained by Ryland Harwood, and Rimrock Lake, trained by Howard Belvoir.

None of those entered have previously raced around two turns, so each will be covering an unfamiliar distance.

Racing nostalgia and handicapping acumen cross paths Saturday in the first stakes of the September daytime Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos.

Like a fun story about the history of California breeding? Kings River Knight is the right horse in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes. Like to wager on a sure thing? Kings River Knight might not be the right favorite to back, though he is the one to beat.

With top-three finishes in his last six starts, Smokin’ T has been a model of consistency for trainer Shug McGaughey.

That overall body of work, coupled with his excellent tactical speed, makes Smokin’ T a strong contender in Saturday’s Grade 3 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up at one mile at Pimlico.

Smokin’ T earned his first stakes victory winning the restricted Lure at Saratoga over yielding going Aug. 5. In his most recent race, just two weeks ago at Kentucky Downs, he finished a game third in the Grade 3 Mint Millions.

A rejuvenated Tawny Port is the 5-2 morning-line favorite on Saturday in Delaware Park’s $200,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Tawny Port enjoyed a successful 3-year-old dirt campaign in 2022 with wins in the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown as well as a good third-place finish behind Epicenter in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – European-based runners won both the Belmont Oaks and Saratoga Oaks and on Saturday Eternal Hope looks to give the Europeans a sweep of the New York Racing Association’s Turf Triple for 3-year-old fillies when she heads a field of seven entered in the Grade 3, $350,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Aqueduct.

Amstrong will be returning to his preferred surface Saturday for the $75,000 Bear’s Den for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.

He’s back on Tapeta for the Bear’s Den, which will be run over a mile and 70 yards. There are nine horses entered in the feature, and six of them won in their most recent start.

Amstrong is returning to Gulfstream Park after running seventh in the Grade 3 Manila on turf on July 7 at Belmont Park and third in a second-level allowance on dirt Aug. 4 at Laurel.

Stoic Luna has more than paid her way since she was claimed for $32,000 at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on June 24.

Since then, Stoic Luna has won two of three starts and earned $33,360 for owner Melvin Simonovich and trainer Jack Steiner.

A 5-year-old mare, Stoic Luna could provide a greater payday with a win in Saturday’s $50,000 Golden Gate Fields Turf Distaff at 1 1/16 miles.

“We claimed her at the right time,” Steiner said. “When you claim a horse for that kind of money on this circuit, you hope for the best. It’s worked out.”

Wondrwherecraigis is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in Pimlico’s $100,000 Lite the Fuse, one of five supporting stakes on the Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup card Saturday at Pimlico.

The Lite the Fuse is for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

A 6-year-old gelded son of Munnings, Wondrwherecraigis became trainer Brittany Russell’s first graded winner when he captured the 2021 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park.

Trainer Mac Robertson won five straight runnings of the Shakopee Juvenile from 2017 to 2021 at Canterbury Park – but he’s not resting on his laurels heading into Saturday’s closing night renewal in which he saddles Xtreme Smoke Show and Bourbon Aficionado.

“We hope we win this one,” he said.

The $50,000 Shakopee Juvenile shares a card with the $50,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint for 3-year-olds and up. Both races will be run over six furlongs.