Vekoma Scratches From Breeders Cup Sprint - And a Friday Undercard Race

 Vekoma, the morning line betting favorite (3 to 1) for Saturday's Breeders Cup Sprint race, with a purse of $2 million, was scratched today after developing a fever.  Once he recovers, he'll be retired to stud.  His departure opens the way for Lasting Legacy, the only entry on the "wait list" to step in - if his connections decide to do so.  Lasting Legacy had morning line betting odds of 30 to 1.  He's a 6-year-old chestnut horse bred in Kentucky, sired by Tapizar and out of Sweet Tune.

   The other day I lamented the loss of various races through the years, including the Marathon.  Well, the "Marathon" is back, at a shorter distance, and under a new name on Friday, before the start of the "Future Stars Friday" racing.  With the new name of The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Race, the race (previously run at 2 miles, then 1 3/4 miles, then dropped entirely) is now 13 furlongs, or 1 5/8 miles.  It is  a Grade II, with a purse of $200,000, and the post time is 1:50 EST.  (To me, it's a sad commentary on the people in today's world, that a race that takes over 2 minutes to run is "too long" and "boring."  It shows how we, as a nation, have become completely seduced by the quick fix of almost instant gratification. - I'm amazed that the popular "songs" of today last more than 25 seconds.... )  

So, just for my own gratification...

****      The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance     $200,000      13 Furlongs

   There is a full gate of 14 entries, with all competitors being male, aged between 3 and 6 years.  The two 3-year-olds carry 118 pounds, the gelding who won the race in 2018 (Cupid's Claws) carries 124 pounds, and the other eleven horses carry 122 pounds.  There are 5 geldings and a ridgling, plus the eight boys.  There are 9 bays, a gray/roan bred in Argentina, and 4 chestnuts.  There are three sons of Distorted Humor running against each other.   Other than the Argentina colt, all the entries were bred in Kentucky, with the exception of Danny California, who was bred in New York. Here, I will list the post position, the entry's name and age in [brackets], the morning line betting odds, the sire and the dam.

1.    Muralist [4]                   30 to 1       Street Sense       Alwaan

2.    Farmington Road [3]    15 to 1       Quality Road       Silver La Belle

3.    Rocketry [6]                 12 to 1        Hard Spun       Smart Farming

4.    Militiaman [4]              15 to 1        Broken Vow       Classic Strike

5.    Tenfold [5]                    5 to 1          Curlin       Temptress

6.    You're to Blame [6]      8 to 1          Distorted Humor       Bon Jovi Girl

7.    Signalman [4]              12 to 1         General Quarters       Trip South

8.    Ry's the Guy [4]            4 to 1          Distorted Humor       Sleepytime (IRE)

9.    Mirinaque (ARG) [4]   50 to 1         Hurricane Cat      Langostura (ARG)

10.  Dack Janiel's [3]          30 to 1          Tonalist       Tennessee Whiskey

11.  Job Security [4]            30 to 1          Distorted Humor       Serenading

12.  Plus Que Parfait [4]      8 to 1           Point of Entry       Belvedera

13.  Cupid's Claws [5]         5 to 1            Kitten's Joy       Primetimevalentine

14.  Danny California [5]    5 to 1            Afleet Alex       Cinco de Mayo Mio

Ry's the Guy is the morning line betting favorite in Friday's

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance race at 1 5/8 miles.

Saturday's Breeders Cup Races For 3-Year-Olds And Up - 9 Races Worth $21 Million

 Friday's Breeders Cup 2020 races are designated as "Future Stars Friday" and are only for horses  that are 2 years old.  Saturday's races are for the older horses.  The United States is just about the only nation to choose "dirt" raising over racing on grass (turf).  That happened when the Colonies kicked off the traces of the English government; they decided to race their horses the opposite from England.  Hence, we breed for light-weight horses who can run short distances on dirt and race counter-clockwise.  Most other nations prefer to race clockwise, on turf and breed for endurance.  This is why, in both Friday's and Saturday's races, you'll see horses from other nations entered in the turf races, while almost every horse entered in a dirt race was bred in the US (with a few from Ontario thrown in).

   I covered the Juvenile races in my last post.  Today I cover the Saturday races in like manner.  However, all of yesterday's horses are age 2, and there is a set standard for male and female 2-year-olds.  Saturday's races have males and females running against each other (though some are gender specific) at varying ages.  They, too, have a specific weight to carry for age and sex.  You'll see soon where it's listed.  The sex determination is strange, if you're not knowledgeable about horses: a neutered male horse is a gelding, always; from birth until the age of 5, girls are fillies and boys are colts; at age 5 and after the girls are mares and the boys are horses.  Once a horse is being used for breeding, they are broodmares and stallions.  The father of a horse is the sire, the mother is the dam.

  The first of the Breeders Cup Races on Saturday is listed at 12:02 pm Eastern Standard Time, and they are taking place at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.  No crowds are permitted due to the pandemic.  I will list the name of the race, the amount of the purse, and the length of the race.  Then I'll put in my own, personal comments.  Next I'll list post position, the name of the entry with age in [brackets], the assigned weight in pounds, the morning line betting odds, the name of the sire, and the name of the dam.

***   Fillies and Mares Sprint        $1 million       7 furlongs (7/8 mile)

   There are nine entries for this race, all bred in Kentucky, except Speech, who is Florida bred.  Of the 9, 4 are 3 years old, 4 are 4 years old, and Come Dancing is 6 years old.  And eight of the nine ladies are bay, with Sally's Curlin a chestnut.

1.   Speech [3]                  122     6 to 1        Mr. Speaker       Scribbling Sarah

2.   Gamine [3]                 122     7 to 5        Into Mischief       Peggy Jane

3.   Come Dancing [6]     124     8 to 1        Malibu Moon       Tizahit

4.   Inthemidstofbiz [4]    124    30 to 1       Fed Biz        Midst

5.   Sconsin [3]                122    20 to 1        Include        Sconnie

6.   Venetian Harbor [3]   122    8 to 1          Munnings      Sounds of the City

7.   Serengeti Empress [4]   124   3 to 1       Alternation      Havisham

8.   Sally's Curlin [4]       124     20 to 1        Curlin       Cabo Queen

9.   Bell's the One [4]      124      6 to 1         Majesticperfection      Street Mate

***    Turf Sprint       $1 million        5 1/2 furlongs  (11/16 mile)

This race has both sexes running - there are 4 females running against 10 males, a full field of 14, with 4 entries on the "wait list" in case of scratches.  Six of the male starters are geldings.  Since this is an very short race, there are only two international entries - a 4-year-old filly bred in Great Britain, and a 6-year-old mare bred in Australia.  Two of the geldings entered were bred in Florida (Imprimis and Extravagant Kid), and the other 10 entries are Kentucky bred.  Two of the 14 entries are chestnut, Just Might and Got Stormy, while the rest are bays.  All entries  are aged 4 to 7; the females carry 3 pounds less than the males.

1.   Big Runnuer [5]             126     12 to 1       Stormy Atlantic      Elusive Luci

2.   Just Might [4]                126     30 to 1        Justin Phillip       Dynamite Babe

3.   Imprimis [6]                   126     4 to 1         Broken Vow       Shoppers Return

4.   Front Run the Fed [4]     126    12 to 1        Fed Biz       Lawless Miss

5.   Wet Your Whistle [5]     126    15 to 1         Stroll       Winlocs Glory Days

6.   Glass Slippers (GB) [4]   123   12 to 1        Dream Ahead      Night Gypsy

7.   Leinster [5]                    126     4 to 1          Majestic Warrior      Vassar

8.   Oleksandra (AUS) [6]    123    12 to 1        Animal Kingdom      Alexandra Rose (SAF)

9.   Into Mystic [4]               123    12 to 1        Into Mischief       Loveofalifetime

10. Bombard [7]                   126    15 to 1        War Front       Witty

11. Wildman Jack [4]           126    12 to 1         Goldencents      Orientatious

12. Got Stormy [5]               123     7 to 2          Get Stormy      Super Phoebe

13. Texas Wedge [5]            126     30 to 1         Colonel John       Callmenancy

14. Extravagant Kid [7]       126     15 to 1         Kiss the Kid       Pretty Extravagant

    *  The "wait list" four are:  Equilateral,  Chaos Theory,  Archidust,  Bulletproof One *

Got Stormy is the early betting favorite for the Turf Sprint.

***     Dirt Mile        $1 million        8 furlongs (1 mile)

   This race has a full 12 entries, plus one on the "wait list."   All of the entries are males; so the 3-year-olds carry 123 pounds, while the older guys carry 126.  Three of the 12 are geldings: Sharp Samurai, Silver Dust, and Pirate's Punch.  They range in age from 3 to 6 years.  All but two were bred in Kentucky: Knicks Go was bred in Maryland and Rushie is a Florida bred.  Of the twelve, only one is a chestnut (Mr. Freeze), and three are gray/roan (Silver Dust, Knicks Go, and Rushie); the rest are bays. 

1.    Art Collector [3]         123      6 to 1       Bernardini      Distorted Legacy

2.    Sharp Samurai [6]      126      15 to 1      First Samurai      Secret Wish

3.    Silver Dust [6]            126     30 to 1       Tapit        Filare l'Oro

4.    War of Will [4]           126     10 to 1       War Front       Visions of Clarity (IRE)

5.    Knicks Go [4]            126       7 to 2        Paynter       Kosmo's Buddy

6.    Mr. Money [4]           126      20 to 1       Goldencents       Plenty O'Toole

7.    Rushie [3]                  123      20 to 1       Liam's Map       Conquest Angel

8.    Pirate's Punch [4]       126     20 to 1        Shanghai Bobby      Catch the Moon

9.    Mr. Freeze [5]            126      6 to 1         To Honor and Serve      Heavenly Cat

10.  Complexity [4]          126      2 to 1          Maclean's Music       Goldfield

11.  Jesus' Team [3]          123      30 to 1         Tapiture       Golden Memories

12.  Owendale [4]             126     15 to 1         Into Mischief     Aspen Light

     *  The colt on the "wait list" is Pingxiang *

***      Fillies & Mares Turf          $2 million        10 1/2 furlongs  (1 3/16 miles)

    There is a full field of 14 ladies here, with no wait list.  They range in age from 3 to 7 years in age.  The three 3-year-olds carry 120 pounds, while the rest of the field carry 124.  There is one chestnut, one gray/roan, eleven bays, and, surprisingly, one brown.  (Most horses listed as brown are dark bays, and black legs, muzzles and mane and tail can be seen in certain light.  This filly is a light chocolate brown all over - Terebellum.)  Starship Jubilee was bred in Florida, Mucho Unusual in California, and the Kentucky-breds are: Mean Mary, Rushing Fall, Harvey's Lil Goil, and Civil Union.  There are also two ladies from France and six from Ireland.  - - It's not unusual to have two horses with the same sire running in the same race - stallions cover a lot of mares in any one year.  But in this race, we have two half-sisters with the same mother and different sires.  The shared dam is Starlet's Sister (IRE); she has a 6- and 5-year-old daughter in this race, bred in different countries....  I don't know if this has happened before in Breeders Cup history....

1.   Starship Jubilee [7]          124     10 to 1       Indy Wind       Perfectly Wild

2.   Sistercharlie (IRE) [6]     124     6 to 1         Myboycharlie (IRE)      Starlet's Sister (IRE)

3.   Peaceful (IRE) [3]           120     12 to 1        Galileo (IRE)       Missvinski

4.   Mean Mary [4]                124      7 to 2         Scat Daddy        Karlovy Vary

5.   My Sister Nat (FR) [5]    124     12 to 1        Acclamation (GB)       Starlet's Sister (IRE)

6.   Rushing Fall [5]              124       5 to 2        More Than Ready       Autumnal

7.   Terebellum (IRE) [4]      124      20 to 1        Sea the Stars (IRE)       Marvada (IRE)

8.   Mucho Unusual [4]        124      30 to 1         Mucho Macho Man       Not Unusual

9.   Harvey's Lil Goil [3]      120      20 to 1         American Pharoah       Gloria S.

10. Civil Union [5]               124      12 to 1         War Front       Photograph

11. Audarya (FR) [4]            124      12 to 1         Wootton Bassett (GB)     Green Bananas (FR) 

12. Lady Prancealot (IRE) [4]  124   30 to 1        Sir Prancealot (IRE)       Naqrah (IRE)

13. Nay Lady Nay (IRE) [4]  124    20 to 1         No Nay Never       Lady Ederle

14. Cayenne Pepper (IRE) [3]  120    8 to 1         Australia (GB)       Muwakaba

***        Sprint               $2 million                6 furlongs (3/4 mile)   

   This race has a full field of 14, plus one on the scratch "wait list."   Although it's not in the race title description, this race is on the dirt, and all entries are US-bred.  This is a weight for age and sex; and there is one filly (Frank's Rockette) racing against the boys.   There are also 3 geldings in the race: C Z Rocket, Whitmore, and Diamond Oops.  The horses range in age from 3 to 7 years.  Eleven were bred in Kentucky and three in Florida (C Z Rocket, Collusion Illusion, and Firenze Fire).  There are three chestnuts and eleven bays.

1.    Echo Town [3]               124       20 to 1       Speightstown       Letgomyecho

2.    C Z Rocket [6]               126        7 to 2        City Zip       Successful Sarah

3.    Collusion Illusion [3]     124       20 to 1       Twirling Candy      Natalie Grace

4.    Bon Raison [5]               126       30 to 1       Raison d'Etat       Padmore

5.    Manny Wah [4]              126       30 to 1        Will Take Charge      Battlefield Angel

6.    Frank's Rockette [3]       121       10 to 1        Into Mischief       Rocket Twentyone

7.    Whitmore [7]                 126       15 to 1        Pleasantly Perfect      Melody's Spirit

8.    Firenze Fire [5]              126        8 to 1         Poseidon's Warrior       My Every Wish

9.    Empire of Gold [3]        124       30 to 1        Goldencents       Empire Diva

10.  Yaupon [3]                     124        7 to 2         Uncle Mo        Modification

11.  Diamond Oops [5]         126        8 to 1          Lookin At Lucky       Patriotic Viva

12.  Hog Creek Hustle [4]    126       30 to 1         Overanalyze       Candy Fortune

13.  Jasper Prince [5]            126       30 to 1         Violence       Ambitious Journey

14.  Vekoma [4]                    126        3 to 1           Candy Ride (ARG)       Mona de Momma

      *  The one horse on the "wait list" is Lasting Legacy *

***            Turf Mile               $2 million              8 furlongs (1 mile)

   A full field of 14 entries, ranging in age from 3 to 7 years, with two mares (One Master and Uni) competing against the boys.  (There  is also one horse on the scratch "wait list.")   Again, this is a weight for age and sex race. Of the fourteen starters,  one each were bred in Brazil, France, and Florida; two in Great Britain, four in Ireland, and five in Kentucky.  So there are eight international and five domestic starters; the Florida-bred is March to the Arch.  March to the Arch is also one of two geldings in the race, the other is Safe Voyage.  In coat colors, there is one chestnut, one gray/roan and the rest are bays.  ** If you want to make an homage bet for/to the great Sunday Silence, his grandson is the Brazilian-bred Ivar. **

1.   Circus Maximus (IRE) [4]     126     12 to 1       Galileo (IRE)       Duntle (IRE)

2.   Kameko [3]                            123      6 to 1         Kitten's Joy       Sweeter Still (IRE)

3.   Lope Y Fernandez (IRE) [3]  123     30 to 1       Lope de Vega (IRE)     Black Dahlia (GB)

4.   Siskin [3]                                123     12 to1        First Defence       Bird Flown (GB)

5.   Digital Age (IRE) [4]             126      8 to 1        Invincible Spirit (IRE)      Willow View

6.   Safe Voyage (IRE) [7]            126     15 to 1       Fast Company (IRE)       Shishangaan (IRE)

7.   Casa Creed [4]                        126     20 to 1       Jimmy Creed        Achalaya

8.   March to the Arch [5]            126     15 to 1        Arch       Daveron (GER)

9.   One Master (GB) [6]              123      15 to 1       Fastnet Rock (AUS)      Enticing (IRE)

10. Halladay [4]                            126     12 to 1        War Front       Hightap

11. Ivar (BRZ) [4]                         126      4 to 1         Agnes Gold (JPN)       May Be Now

12. Uni (GB) [6]                           123      5 to 1         More Than Ready       Unaided (GB)

13. Factor This [5]                        126       8 to 1         The Factor        Capricious Miss (GB)

14. Raging Bull (FR) [5]              126      8 to 1          Dark Angel (IRE)       Rosa Bonheur

      * The single horse on the "wait list" is Order of Australia (IRE) * 

Ivar (BRZ) is the early betting favorite in the Turf Mile.

***             Distaff                  $2 million                9 furlongs  (1 1/8miles)

   A field of ten fillies and mares will contest the Distaff this year (barring scratches).  The Distaff is always contested on the dirt track, and nine of the ten entries were bred in Kentucky; Horologist is a New Jersey bred filly.  The two 3-year-olds will carry 121 pounds, with the other eight will pack 124 pounds.  The 10 ladies  are from 3 to 5 years of age.  And Swiss Skydiver won the Preakness the first weekend of October.  There are five bays, four chestnuts and one gray or roan.  I will only list the ages of this group, since I explained the weights a couple of sentences ago...

1.    Ce Ce [4]                    12 to 1        Elusive Quality       Miss Houdini

2.    Harvest Moon [3]       12 to 1        Uncle Mo        Qaraaba (GB)

3.    Dunbar Road [4]         12 to 1        Quality Road       Gift List

4.    Horologist [4]              8 to 1          Gemologist        Cinderella Time

5.    Swiss Skydiver [3]      2 to 1           Daredevil        Expo Gold

6.    Lady Kate [4]             15 to 1          Bernardini        Princess Haya

7.    Point of Honor [4]      30 to 1          Curlin        Zayanna

8.    Valiance [4]                 12 to 1         Tapit        Last Full Measure

9.    Ollie's Candy [5]         10 to 1         Candy Ride (ARG)       Afternoon Stroll

10.  Monomoy Girl [5]        8 to 5          Tapizar        Drumette

***              Turf                $4 million                    12 furlongs  (1 1/2 miles)

   A field of ten for the $4million Turf seems small, for some reason.  But the entries themselves provide a variety: a single 3-year-old colt from Great Britain faces 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds.  In the group of ten are 3 fillies and 1 mare, 3 geldings, 1 colt, and 2 horses.  One was bred in Ontario, Canada; one in Germany; 2 in Great Britain; 3 in Ireland, and 3 in Kentucky.  There are 4 chestnuts and 6 bays.  Galileo (IRE) is the sire of  the mare running, as well as the 3-year-old colt.  And two of the entries, both 6-year-olds have the same sire, both are chestnuts; but one is a horse and one is a gelding, and they are listed as being bred is different countries...    This is a weight for age and sex race, so everything will be listed.  (The ladies carry 123 pounds, and the 3-year-old colt has 121.)

1.    Arklow [5]                  126      5 to 1        Arch       Unbridled Empire

2.    Magical (IRE) [5]       123      5 to 2        Galileo (IRE)      Halfway To Heaven (IRE)

3.    Tarnawa (IRE) [4]      123      6 to 1         Shamardal       Tarana (IRE)

4.    Mehdaayih (GB) [4]   123     30 to 1       Frankel (GB)       Sayyedati Symphony

5.    Donjah (GER) [4]       123     30 to 1       Teofilo (IRE)       Dyanamore

6.    Lord North (IRE) [4]  126       8 to 1       Dubawi (IRE)       Najoum

7.    United [5]                    126      8 to 1       Giant's Causeway       Indy Punch

8.    Red King [6]               126     30 to 1       English Channel       Youre Speeding Luv

9.    Channel Maker (ONT) [6]  126    5 to 1    English Channel       In Return

10.  Mogul (GB) [3]           122      4 to 1        Galileo (IRE)       Shastye (IRE)

***              Classic                  $6 million             10 furlongs  (1 1/4 miles)

   The Classic gets its name because it's run at the "classic" Kentucky Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles on a dirt track.  This year, all ten entries are male, ranging in age from 3 to 7 years.  The two 3-year-olds will carry 122 pounds, while the other eight will tote 126.  Tiz the Law, one of the 3's, won the Belmont Stakes in June.  The other, Authentic, won the Kentucky Derby in September.  (The Preakness winner is running in the Distaff.)  Maximum Security, who won the 2019 Derby but was subsequently disqualified - to my mind, wrongly, having viewed the tapes over 150 times - is also running in this Classic.  All of the entries were bred in Kentucky, except Tiz the Law, from New York.  Tacitus is the gray/roan in this race, and Improbable is the chestnuts; the rest are bays.  -- And, if you want to make another homage bet, this one with an eye to the ladies,  Title Ready's dam is out of the great Personal Ensign, who won a hard-fought 1988 Breeders Cup Distaff.  --  Since I explained the weight earlier I won't list them below.

1.    Tacitus [4]                   20 to 1       Tapit       Close Hatches

2.    Tiz the Law [3]            3 to 1         Constitution       Tizfiz

3.    By My Standards [4]   10 to 1       Goldencents       A Jealous Woman

4.    Tom's d'Etat [7]             6 to 1        Smart Strike       Julia Tuttle

5.    Title Ready [5]            30 to 1        More Than Ready       Title Seeker

6.    Higher Power [5]         20 to 1       Medaglia d'Oro       Alternate

7.    Global Campaign [4]   20 to 1       Curlin        Globe Trot

8.    Improbable [4]              5 to 2         City Zip       Rare Event

9.    Authentic [3]                 6 to 1        Into Mischief       Flawless

10.  Maximum Security [4]  7 to 2        New Year's Day       Lil Dixie      

Improbable is the early betting favorite in the Classic.

Happy handicapping!  Happy Betting!!   

And here's to two days of racing without accidents

or injuries of any kind!

Future Stars Friday - Breeders Cup 2020 For Two-Year-Olds

  Friday, 6 November will be the first day of the Breeders Cup races this year, and, as in the recent past, the juveniles, or two-year-olds, are showcased.  It's called "Future Stars Friday."  The races will be run at Keeneland this year, for the first time ever.  Post positions were drawn today, so I will start by giving information on the five juvenile races for Friday.  If you've read my racing posts before, you know I write about odd things - like coat colors, and where the horse was bred.  I'll right a small bit about each field of entries and then specific information, which I'll spell out before the first full listing.

  The first Breeders Cup race kicks off at 2:30 pm Eastern Standard Time just so you can view it live, if you so desire.   

 *After listing the name of the race,  the purse amount, and the distance (all entries carry 122 pounds, except the two fillies noted below, who get a 3 pound weight allowance since they are competing against  the male of the species), I will list the post position, name of the entry, morning line betting odds, name of sire and name of dam. *

*** Juvenile Turf Sprint      $1 million     5.5 furlongs (11/16 mile)

  This race is is being held at 5 1/2 furlongs, or 11/16ths of a mile this year because of track conditions at Keeneland.  Fourteen  horses will contest the race, and two of them this year are fillies.  The colts will carry 122 pounds, while the two fillies (Amanzi Yimpilo and Dirty Dangle) will carry 119 pounds.  This field also has a gelding entered - Second of July.  Three of the entries were bred in Ireland: Amanzi Yimpilo, Mighty Gurkha, and Ubettabelieveit.  Two were bred in Florida: Golden Pal and Windy Red City; while After Five was bred in Maryland and Bodenheimer is a Washington bred. The other seven entries were bred in Kentucky. There are 3 gray/roans, 5 chestnuts, and 6 bays. Two of the colts are sired by Uncle Mo. - There are three horses on the waiting list in case there are any scratches.

1.    Mighty Gurkha (IRE)     20 to 1        Sepoy (AUS)     Royal Debt (GB)

2.    Windy Red City              30 to 1        Chitu      Gator Hall

3.    Lippizaner                       20 to 1        Uncle Mo      Irish Lights (AUS)

4.    County Final                   15 to 1         Oxbow      Tapajo

5.    Cowan                              8 to 1          Kantharos      Tempers Flair

6.    Ubettabelieveit (IRE)     20 to 1          Kodiac (GB)      Ladylishandra (IRE)

7.    Momos                           15 to 1          Distorted Humor      Inspeight of Us

8.    Amanzi Yimpilo (IRE)   15 to 1          No Nay Never      Honourably (IRE)

9.    After Five                        6 to 1          The Factor      Idle Talk

10.  Bodenheimer                  8 to 1           Atta Boy Roy      Beautiful Daniele

11.  Into the Sunrise             15 to 1           Into Mischief       Bellini Sunrise

12.  Dirty Dangle                  20 to 1          Not This Time      Chambray

13.  Second of July                 8 to 1           Jack Milton       Wichita

14.  Golden Pal                      8 to 5            Uncle Mo       Lady Shipman

     * The three "wait list" entries are: Blame the Booze, Gypsy King, and Trade Deal *

Golden Pal is the morning line betting favorite for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

***  Juvenile Turf           $1 million       8 furlongs (1 mile)

   This race has a full field of 14 - 12 colts and 2 geldings (New Mandate and Go Athletico).  All but two entries are bay: Sealiway is chestnut and Outadore is a gray/roan.  Five horses each were in Ireland and Kentucky, 2 were bred in France, 1 in Great Britain, and 1 in Ontario, Canada.  And two entries were sired by Into Mischief.  -  Two horses on the "wait list" in case of scratches.

1.    Sealiway (FR)                8 to 1        Galiway (GB)      Kensea (FR)

2.    New Mandate (IRE)     12 to 1        New Bay (GB)      Mishhar (IRE)

3.    Abarta                           12 to 1        Into Mischief       Dame Marie

4.    Public Sector (GB)        8 to 1         Kingman (GB)      Parle Moi (IRE)

5.    Cadillac (IRE)               6 to 1          Lope de Vega (IRE)       Seas of Wells (IRE)

6.    Mutasaabeq                   5 to 1          Into Mischief       Downside Scenario

7.    Fire at Will                   12 to 1         Declaration of War      Flirt

8.    Outadore                        8 to 1          Outwork       Adore You

9.    Battleground                  6 to 1          War Front      Found (IRE)

10.  Ebeko (IRE)                 20 to 1         Awtaad (IRE)      Allegrezza (GB)

11.  Gretzky the Great          8 to 1          Nyquist       Pearl Turn

12.  Go Athletico (FR)        10 to 1         Goken (FR)      Byburg (FR)

13.  Devilwala (IRE)           30 to 1         Kodiac (GB)      Najraan (GB)

14.  The Lir Jet (IRE)          20 to 1         Prince of Lir (IRE)      Paper Dreams (IRE)

     *  The two "wait list" horses are Barrister Tom and Harlan Estate *

***  Juvenile Fillies        $2 million       8.5 furlongs  (1 1/16 miles)

   Only seven fillies are entered in this race - half a full field.   Six were bred in Kentucky, with Simply Ravishing bred in New York.  Five of the fillies are bay, and Girl Daddy and Crazy Beautiful are gray/roans.

1.    Simply Ravishing          5 to 2        Laoban       Four Wishes

2.    Vequist                           8 to 1        Nyquist       Vero Amore

3.    Dayoutoftheoffice          5 to 2        Into Mischief       Gottahaveadream

4.    Thoughtfully                 20 to 1       Tapit        Pension

5.    Girl Daddy                     6 to 1        Uncle Mo       Cara Marie

6.    Crazy Beautiful             20 to 1       Liam's Map       Indian Burn

7.    Princess Noor                 9 to 5        Not This Time       Sheza Smoke Show

Princess Noor is the morning line betting favorite for the Juvenile Fillies.

***  Juvenile Fillies Turf          $1 million        8 furlongs (1 mile)

   A full field of 14 and two fillies on the "wait list" in case of scratches.  Eight of the fillies were bred in Ireland, the other six in Kentucky.   Two are gray/roans, three are chestnuts, and nine are bays.  Two fillies share the sire Kodiac (GB), and two share the sire Lope de Vega (IRE)

1.    Oodnadatta (IRE)            20 to 1        Australia (GB)       Bewitched (IRE)

2.    Miss Amulet (IRE)          12 to 1        Sir Prancealot (IRE)       Shena's Dream (IRE)

3.    Alda                                 12 to 1        Munnings       Soldata

4.    Plum Ali                           4 to 1          First Samurai       Skipping

5.    Aunt Pearl (IRE)              3 to 1          Lope de Vega (IRE)       Matauri Pearl (IRE)

6.    Nazuna (IRE)                  30 to 1         Kodiac (GB)       Night Fever (IRE)

7.    Tetragonal (IRE)             20 to 1          Mehmas (IRE)       Crystal Snowflake (IRE)

8.    Mother Earth (IRE)         20 to 1         Zoffany (IRE)       Many Colours (GB)

9.    Madone                           10 to 1          Vancouver (AUS)       Indian Love Call

10.  Campanelle (IRE)            4 to 1           Kodiac (GB)       Janina (GB)

11.  Royal Approval                10 to 1         Tiznow       Touch the Moon

12.  Spanish Loveaffair           15 to 1          Karakontie (JPN)       Spanish Bunny

13.  Union Gables                   20 to 1          Speightstown       Tonasah

14.  Editor at Large (IRE)       12 to 1          Lope de Vega (IRE)       What Say You (IRE)

   * Two fillies on the "wait list" are  Invincible Gal and Snowfall *

***  Juvenile Colts              $2 million        8.5 furlongs (1 1/16 miles)

   A full field of 14 here, all colts bred in Kentucky.  Two are chestnuts, two are gray/roans, and ten are bays.  Two colts share the same sire, Laoban.

1.    Camp Hope               30 to 1       Summer Front       Praising

2.    King Fury                  15 to 1       Curlin       Taris

3.    Reinvestment Risk      9 to 2        Upstart       Ridingwiththedevil

4.    Likeable                     15 to 1        Frosted       Dashing Debby

5.    Essential Quality         4 to 1        Tapit       Delightful Quality

6.    Keepmeinmind          30 to 1        Laoban       Inclination

7.    Jackie's Warrior           7 to 5        Maclean's Music       Unicorn Girl

8.    Classier                      15 to 1        Empire Maker       Class Will Tell

9.    Sittin on Go               12 to 1        Brody's Cause       Set'n On Ready

10.  Dreamer's Disease     30 to 1        Laoban       Marketplace

11.  Next                           15 to 1        Not This Time       Bahia Beach

12.  Hot Rod Charlie         30 to 1        Oxbow       Indian Miss

13.  Rombauer                  15 to 1         Twirling Candy       Cashmere

14.  Calibrate                    20 to 1         Distorted Humor      Glamour and Style

Jackie's Warrior is the morning line betting favorite for the Juvenile Colts.

The Preakness Stakes of 2020

With the Belmont Stakes being run first this year, due to the pandemic, and only at 1 1/8 miles instead of 1 1/2  miles, the Triple Crown is just plain strange.  The Kentucky Derby, usually run the first Saturday in May was run on the first Saturday in September, and the Preakness (which is usually run 2 weeks after the Derby, with the Belmont following the Preakness in 3 weeks time) will be run this Saturday, 4 weeks after the Derby.  Confusing, ain't it? 

   Anyway, the Preakness Stakes will be run on 3 October, with a post time of 5:36 pm EDT.  Strangely enough, the Preakness will be run at Pimlico Racecourse, outside of Baltimore, Maryland, as usual.  There was a lot of debate as to whether the race would be run at Old Hilltop, which will be specially opened for 3 days only (October 1 through 3) or at Laurel, which is normally open at this time.

   The race will be run at the usual distance of 1 and 3/16 miles, a half-furlong shorter than the Derby, the colts will carry 126 pounds, and the filly will carry 121 pounds..  The guaranteed purse is $1.5 million.   Tiz The Law, who won the shortened Belmont in June and finished second in the Kentucky Derby, is skipping the Preakness.  The owners and trainer decide that they "wanted a fresh horse" for the Breeders Cup races that will take place 5 weeks after the Preakness.

   There are 11 entries in the Preakness this year, ten colts and one filly.  Nine of the entries were bred in Kentucky, with Thousand Words bred in Florida and Ny Times bred in (surprise!) New York.  The filly, Swiss Skydiver, is a chestnut, Ny Traffic is a gray/roan, and the other nine are bays.  Four of the colts ran in the Derby four weeks ago: Authentic won the race, Mr. Big News was third, Max Player was fifth, and Ny Traffic finished eighth out of a field of 15.  

   Here are the entries in post position order, followed by their sires and dams, and the morning-line betting odds:

1.    Excession          Union Rags - Draw It     30 to 1

2.    Mr. Big News    Giant's Causeway - Unappeased (IRE)     12 to 1

3.    Art Collector      Bernardini - Distorted Legacy     5 to 2

4.    Swiss Skydiver   Daredevil - Expo Gold     6 to 1   ** she carries 5 pounds less than the colts

5.    Thousand Words  Pioneerof the Nile - Pomeroy's Pistol     6 to 1

6.    Jesus' Team         Tapiture - Golden Memories      30 to 1

7.    Ny Traffic           Cross Traffic - Mamie Reilly      15 to 1

8.    Max Player         Honor Code - Fools in Love      15 to 1

9.    Authentic            Into Mischief - Flawless       9 to 5

10.  Pneumatic           Uncle Mo - Teardrop    20 to 1

11.  Liveyourbeastlife   Ghostzapper - Ellie's Moment      30 to 1 

Swiss Skydiver, the girl running against the boys

in the Preakness (below, at left, winning the Fantasy)