Brown won Grade 1 gold and silver on two greens Saturday.
An hour after running one-two with Rockemperor and Serve the King in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on the Belmont grass course, trainer Chad Brown ran one-two on the Keeneland turf when Blowout held off Regal Glory in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes.
And that made four – four First Ladies in a row for Brown, who won the race in 2020 and 2019 with Uni and in 2018 with A Raving Beauty.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bell’s the One earned a Win and You’re In berth into the Breeders’ Cup by winning as a decisive favorite Saturday at Keeneland, but her trainer, Neil Pessin, was looking for a little something extra.
“The only thing I regret with her is she never gets the respect she deserves,” Pessin said after Bell’s the One looped her five rivals for a neck triumph in the 41st running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, a Win and You’re In for the $1 million BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
ELMONT, N.Y. - In Jackie’s Warrior, Joel Rosario already rides the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. In a span of 24 hours, Rosario got an up-close-and-personal look at two of his would-be challengers.
On Friday, Rosario guided Special Reserve to victory in the Grade 2 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland. On Saturday, Rosario was back at Belmont Park, where he rode Following Sea to a 4 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Brad Cox is hoping history repeats itself after he sent out Juju’s Map to a dominant victory in the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes on Friday, opening day of the fall meet at Keeneland.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Special Reserve had enough in reserve to hold off Aloha West by a neck in the Grade 2, $250,000 Phoenix Stakes on Friday at Keeneland, moving closer to completing his rise from claiming horse to Breeders’ Cup entrant.
Special Reserve, a 5-year-old Midshipman gelding, is trained by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms and David Staudacher. That team claimed him for $40,000 out of an allowance victory on Feb. 6 at Oaklawn. Since then, he has won four times and been second twice in six starts.
Sisfahan, winner of the Group 1 German Derby in Hamburg in July, is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, according to published reports.
Sisfahan, trained by Hank Grewe for Darius Racing, started twice against older horses in Group 1 races at 1 1/2 miles in Germany in September. The BC Turf is run at 1 1/2 miles, the same distance as the German Derby.
Oviatt Class closed from last of seven to finish third in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 1.
His next start comes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the same distance at Del Mar on Nov. 5, and trainer Keith Desormeaux expects Oviatt Class to use a slightly different tactic.
“The horse is so laid back he let himself get too far back,” Desormeaux said. “I believe he can stay a little closer.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Don’t scratch Tarabi off your running list for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies just yet. Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Tarabi, runner-up to divisional standout Echo Zulu in the Sept. 5 Spinaway at Saratoga in her last start, is still under consideration for the Nov. 5 race at Del Mar, conceding the schedule is a tight one.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Royal Flag has done her best work in races contested around two turns. But the 5-year-old mare is in such good form right now that trainer Chad Brown is hopeful his filly can successfully adapt to the one-turn configuration of Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park.
Royal Flag and Horologist, last year’s Beldame winner, head a competitive field of eight fillies and mares in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race that could lead one or more of these into the $2 million Breeders Cup Distaff on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The most important test is right around the corner, but the task for Letruska on Sunday at Keeneland is no easy quiz.
Getting her final prep for the Breeders’ Cup as the leader of the filly and mare dirt division, Letruska will be asked to outrun some pretty accomplished foes as a heavy favorite in the 66th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Spinster Stakes.
