ELMONT, N.Y. – While Beldame Stakes winner Horologist is unlikely to be supplemented to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Beldame runner-up Point of Honor is likely to run in that race on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, Aron Wellman, head of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which owns the filly, said Monday.
Her presence would give Eclipse a 1-2 punch in the Distaff as it also has Valiance, winner of Sunday’s Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Reigning Eclipse Award champion turf female Uni was winless in 2020 as she came to Keeneland, where she sizzled a mile in a course-record 1:32.87 while winning last year’s Grade 1 First Lady Stakes. Although the time for her one-length victory in Saturday’s renewal was well off her own mark – she finished in 1:34.90 – Uni did put herself back in the win column on a course she adores and is prepared to move ahead to a defense of her win in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ivar is by a Japanese-bred stallion, was born in Brazil, and spent the early part of his career racing in Argentina, where he was a multiple Group 1 winner. But he didn’t have far to travel to get home after winning his first U.S. Grade 1 on Saturday. After cooling out from his victory in the Shadwell Turf Mile on Saturday evening, Ivar vanned straight back to his base at The Thoroughbred Center on the northeast side of Lexington, just more than 20 minutes from Keeneland.
On Sunday morning, trainer Paulo Lobo reported that the colt was doing “very well.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A well-matched field of 11 2-year-old fillies, most trying stakes company for the first time, and several trying two turns for the first time, will look to springboard into the Breeders’ Cup in the Grade 2, $150,000 Jessamine Stakes on Wednesday on the Keeneland turf.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Madone will take an unbeaten record to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 6 after her second consecutive stakes win in the $102,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Madone ($4.20) won the Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by a neck over 25-1 Tetragonal after the two ran together in the final sixteenth.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Madone ran a mile on turf in 1:34.83. Prat positioned Madone in seventh on the backstretch and rallied around rivals to reach contention in early stretch.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - “We’ve just been waiting and waiting and waiting to swing for the fences with her," Aron Wellman of co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners said of regally bred Valiance.
Valiance got her chance to step up to the plate on Sunday - and belted a home run. In her first start in a Grade 1 race, the filly outgamed Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil in the stretch, then held off another Grade 1 winner in Ollie's Candy for a victory in the $400,000 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland.
Mutasaabeq showed plenty of dirt ability this summer at Saratoga, but even more turf talent Sunday at Keeneland.
After a smart dirt-sprint debut win and a decent if distant third in the Grade 1 Hopeful, Mutasaabeq aced his turf and two-turn debut winning the Grade 2, $200,000 Bourbon Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.
Breaking slowly under Luis Saez, Mutasaabeq rallied from last to first with help from a strong pace and won going away, sailing down the middle of the course to take control just past the eighth pole, with no rival coming near him.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Plum Ali kept her perfect record intact with a facile 2 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park that establishes her as one of the favorites for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 6.
If she goes.
Trainer Christophe Clement, though happy with the victory, said he will closely monitor Plum Ali over the next four weeks to determine whether or not to run in the Breeders’ Cup.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Mo Forza won his second consecutive graded stakes in Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita, confirming his status as the leading domestic contender for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
The City of Hope Mile was arguably Mo Forza’s best race, a victory by 1 3/4 lengths in a quick 1:32.09. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 106. The time could have been quicker and the margin wider had jockey Flavien Prat urged Mo Forza in the final strides.
ARCADIA, Calif. -- With less than 100 yards remaining in Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile, jockey Flavien Prat decided Mo Forza had done enough. Leading by about two lengths, Prat stopped urging Mo Forza who cruised to a victory by 1 3/4 lengths.
There is a major assignment looming for Mo Forza in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Might as well leave a little energy for that race, Prat thought.
“I thought he’ll be ready for the next one,” Prat said.
