There are five stakes at Del Mar from next Friday through Sunday, including races with ramifications for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5 and the Breeders’ Cup Saturday program at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

For the first time, Del Mar is hosting a Kentucky Derby prep, the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes at 1 1/16 miles next Saturday. The race is typically run in late August, but was moved forward to the start of the month this year after the Kentucky Derby was postponed from its traditional spot in early May because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Art Collector will use the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9 as his final prep toward the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, trainer Tommy Drury told Ellis officials early this week.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Caracaro, narrowly defeated by Country Grammer following a stirring stretch duel in the Peter Pan here on Thursday, could be a candidate for the Grade 1 Travers, according to Gustavo Delgado Jr., whose father, Gustavo Delgado, trains the 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tiz the Law closed as a clear-cut favorite when Pool 6 in the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday following the customary three days of betting.

Pool 6 coincided with a second futures pool toward the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, with an Oaks-Derby double future wager also being offered again.

The top three finishers in the Haskell Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth all emerged from the race in good order, and all will make their next start in the  Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, meaning they will come into the Derby following a seven-week layoff.

Authentic narrowly lasted over Ny Traffic in the Haskell, with Dr Post another 4 1/2 lengths back in third. Authentic received a Beyer Speed Figure of 100, a career-best for a colt who has now won four times in five starts, his only loss a second-place finish to Honor A. P. in the Santa Anita Derby.

Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan Stakes, 1 1/8 miles, Saratoga, July 16, 2020
(50 Derby qualifying points for a win, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)

Winner: Country Grammer, by Tonalist
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Owner: Paul Pompa Jr.
Beyer Speed Figure: 95

Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes, 1 1/8 miles, Monmouth Park, July 18, 2020
(100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Authentic, by Into Mischief
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owner: Spendthrift Farm, My Racehorse, Madaket Stable, and Starlight Racing
Beyer Speed Figure: 100

Authentic accomplished what he needed to accomplish on Saturday, earning his first Grade 1 victory in the $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, and succeeding at 1 1/8 miles.

But the performance continued to leave doubt as to his ability to go farther, the nagging concern that has followed him throughout the year as he has progressed towards the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 and its 1 1/4-mile distance that looks like it will be a big hurdle.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Heather Smullen had not sat on the back of Tiz the Law for about three months. It took less than a minute for her to realize how much the 3-year-old colt has changed in a short period of time.

Smullen guided Tiz the Law through a five-furlong workout in 59.63 seconds on Saturday morning over Saratoga’s main track. Working by himself, Tiz the Law went in fractions of 12.80, 24.41, 35.63, and got his final quarter in 24.00. He then proceeded to gallop out six furlongs in 1:12.84 and seven furlongs 1:26.20.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Country Grammer rallied along the rail to defeat Caracaro by a neck to capture the $100,000 Peter Pan in front of a silent, empty grandstand on what winning trainer Chad Brown called a “bittersweet day” Thursday at Saratoga.

The Grade 3 Peter Pan highlighted opening day of the 40-day Saratoga meeting that at the moment, and perhaps for the duration, will be run spectator-free.