While there is some solid racing this weekend, everyone in the world of horse racing has the Breeders’ Cup on their mind, and I’m no different. Saturday at Santa Anita will be light for me, as I already have a wandering eye toward the races at Santa Anita next Friday and Saturday. This Saturday, I’ll look to play a daily double, beginning in race 7.

RACE 7

Desultory is probably the correct way to describe the way our Pix ran last week. This, too, shall hopefully pass. There were a lot of other BreezeFigs maidens who ran with interest and alacrity during the week, however: 15 of them won, and another previous winner took a stakes. The winners came at Belmont (four), Charles Town, Finger Lakes, Golden Gate, Gulfstream West (four, including an exacta and trifecta), Keeneland, Santa Anita (two, including a trifecta), and Woodbine.

The stakes action across the country is relatively light this week – not surprising with the Breeders’ Cup coming up next weekend. Still, there are some secondary stakes that hold appeal for the Weekend Warrior this Saturday, and we’ll take a look at those.

Awad Stakes

JET SET MAN
Trainer: Brian Koriner
Last race: Oct. 21, 5^th
Finish: 2nd by 1/2
Beyer: 77
A first-time starter in a maiden special weight turf sprint, this 3-year-old gelding set a fast pace, led to deep stretch, and got collared. Sharp debut, his dirt works suggest no problem if he switches surfaces.

Oct. 22

With a strategy to go four deep in the featured Dowager Stakes , hoping to connect with a price, here is my late pick three play for Sunday at Keeneland.

Race 7

Here's a pick three sequence to start the day at Santa Anita on Sunday. The payoff leg of this pick three (races 1-3) is the Anoakia for 2-year-old fillies, and there's a legitimate favorite that I'll single.

​Race 1

Let’s take a look at some of the stakes races on the New York Showcase card at Belmont.

We had some wet weather in the New York area Friday, with more showers expected. Hopefully, these races remain on the turf because I have some opinions in both the Mohawk and Ticonderoga.

Race 6 – Mohawk Stakes

8 - TAPITATION (4 to 1 Morning Line, 7 to 2 Value Line)

Last week’s Pick (and several other races during the week) demonstrates how important BreezeFigs runners can be in maiden race—even if the Pick of this column doesn’t win. We liked first-timer Takeoff very much but he ran like a one-paced horse to eventually get up for third, while Rockshaw, another BreezeFigs horse with a much shorter stride, but racing experience and a good speed, held on to win.

With many of the top horses in the country awaiting the Breeders’ Cup in a couple of weeks, there is little major stakes action this Saturday, with the Raven Run at Keeneland the only graded stakes in the U.S. or Canada.

A deep, competitive field in the Raven Run makes that race attractive, so the Warrior will examine that race along with two others for New York-breds.

Raven Run