1 of 2 | Gaming wins Sunday’s Grade I Del Mar Futurity, and could be favorite for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Benoit Photography, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club
Sept. 9 (UPI) — Grand Sonata and Cogburn earned Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” spots with weekend victories in Kentucky on a weekend notable for big turf racing from coast to coast.
Jumping right in:
Turf
Grand Sonata earned a “Win and You’re In” bid to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf with a late-running upset victory in Saturday’s $2 million Grade II FanDuel TV Kentucky Cup Turf.
The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro raced in mid-pack, advanced along the inside turning into the stretch and dueled with Highway Robber before securing the victory by 1 length. He finished the 1 1/2 miles on firm going in course-record time of 2:24.93.
Also: Truly Quality won Saturday’s $150,000 Colonial Cup at Churchill Downs, Lac Macaza took Saturday’s $120,000 (Canadian) Niagara Stakes at Woodbine and California Frolic won Sunday’s $100,000 Presious Passion Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Turf Mile
Goliad, running on just six days rest, made it back-to-back wins over the Kentucky Downs turf with a front-running score in Saturday’s $2 million Grade III Mint Millions.
The 7-year-old War Front gelding finished 1 length better than Cash Equity with Talk of the Nation third.
The Richard Mandella runner came all the way from California and made the most of the journey with an allowance win Sept. 1 to pair with the stakes victory. Cash Equity finished third in that earlier heat.
Brilliant Berti rallied five-wide through the stretch run of Sunday’s $1.5 million Global Tote Gun Runner Stakes for 3-year-olds at Kentucky Downs and edged clear late to win by 1 length.
A Noble Mission colt trained by Cherie DeVaux, Brilliant Berti has won four of his last five starts, with a second in the Grade II Secretariat in the other.
Deterministic, winner of the Grade III Gotham way back in March, has found new life on the turf and validated that form with a stretch-running neck victory over Grand Mo the First in Saturday’s $500,000 Grade III New Kent County Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.
Filly & Mare Turf
Neecie Marie found another gear in the final furlong of Saturday’s $2 million Grade III Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon at Kentucky Downs and spurted away to win by 2 3/4 lengths from defending champion Vergara.
Japanese-bred Three Priests was third and Irish visitor Greenfinch finished fourth.
Neecie Marie, a 4-year-old Cross Traffic filly, exited a third-place finish in the Grade II Beverly D. at Colonial Downs.
Also:
Style Points and Deep Satin hit the wire together at the end of the 1 1/8 miles of Saturday’s $250,000 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs, dead-heating for first and second; Hang the Moon upset Saturday’s $250,000 Grade II John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar; and Hurricane Clair triumphed in Sunday’s $250,000 (Canadian) Wonder Where Stakes for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Turf Sprint
Cogburn came off a three-month vacation to dominate Saturday’s $2 million Grade II Ainsworth Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs.
The 5-year-old son of Not This Time led all the way and drew off through the stretch to win by 3 lengths as the nearly even-money favorite in a field of 12, winning his third straight race. He also got a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Howard Wolowitz battled with Yellow Card down the long Kentucky Downs stretch in Saturday’s $2 million Grade I Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes for 3-year-olds before edging away late to win by 1 length.
Yellow Card held second, as Howard Wolowitz, a Munnings colt, finished 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.20 — just 0.01 second off the course record.
Simply in Front raced just off the pace in a tightly bunched field in Saturday’s $2 million AGS Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Kentucky Downs, challenged six wide and got to the front in time to win by 1/2 length over Pipsy.
South African import Isivunguvungu won Saturday’s $150,000 Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs in his first U.S. start after an onerous quarantine regimen and is one to watch.
The 2-year-olds
There was lots of action for the youngsters, most of it on the turf. At Del Mar, though, the Futurity and Debutante, both on dirt, fingered likely top contenders for the rapidly approaching Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies — also at Del Mar.
Juvenile
Bob Baffert saddled three of the seven starters in Sunday’s $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Futurity and saw them finish first, third and fourth.
Gaming, a Game Winner colt, took advantage of a fast early pace to rally through the stretch to a convincing 1 3/4-lengths lead. McKinzie Street, trained by former Baffert assistant Tim Yakteen, was second, 4 lengths in front of the favorite, Citizen Bull. Getaway Car was fourth.
Juvenile Fillies
With Baffert’s 2-year-olds, if Plan A doesn’t work, there often is a Plan B that does. That’s how Saturday’s $300,000 Grade I FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante worked out.
The odds-on favorite, Nooni, dueled to the lead midway through the 7 furlongs, but then cashed it in, fading to finish fifth. But the “other Baffertm ” Tenma, was there to pick up the pieces. The Nyquist filly was moving forward as her stablemate retreated and got past a stubborn Vodka With a Twist in the final yards to win by a nose.
Juvenile Turf
Tiztastic outfinished West Beach to win Sunday’s $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile by a neck over that one. Ready for Peace was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third.
Siesta Key outfinished Aristotle in a tight stretch battle to win Saturday’s $125,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Colonial Downs by a nose. Thrilla was third.
Artislas took the inside route to the lead in upper stretch in Sunday’s $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf and held on to win by 1/2 length over late running Sabertooth and Scipio.
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Thought Process won Saturday’s $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, May Day Ready won Sunday’s $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies and Kilwin took Sunday’s $1 million Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
Juvenile Turf Sprint
Governor Sam set a pressured pace in Saturday’s $125,000 Exacta Systems Rosie’s Stakes at Colonial Downs, and then gradually pulled clear to win by 2 lengths as the odds-on favorite.