Belmont, Kentucky Downs Top Saturday Stakes

Each Saturday NTRA and BloodHorse provide a one-stop guide to the day's leading stakes races with capsule stories and entries. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). Click on links for full preview.

4:53 p.m.—$700,000 Turf Sprint (G3T) at Kentucky Downs (NBC and TVG)

Kentucky Downs' first Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race drew a field of 10, with the winner getting an entry fees-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park. Stormy Liberal, the two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner and reigning champion male turf horse, is winless in four starts this year, with a pair of seconds and thirds, but shows strong works at Del Mar. Stormy Liberal's half brother Leinster, winner of the grade 3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, faces his sibling for the first time. 

Entries: Runhappy Turf Sprint S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 7

• Grade IIIT
• 6f
• Turf
• $700,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:53 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Wet Your Whistle (KY)	Alex Cintron	125	Michael J. Trombetta	8/1
2	2Cautious Giant (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Michael J. Maker	15/1
3	3Imprimis (FL)	Paco Lopez	125	Joseph F. Orseno	4/1
4	4Smart Remark (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
5	5Undrafted (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	121	Wesley A. Ward	10/1
6	6White Flag (KY)	Joel Rosario	121	Christophe Clement	8/1
7	7Jazzy Times (KY)	James Graham	121	Wesley E. Hawley	15/1
8	8Leinster (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	125	George R. Arnold, II	3/1
9	9Stormy Liberal (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Peter Miller	9/2
10	10Totally Boss (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	George R. Arnold, II	6/1

5:15 p.m.—$750,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park (NBC and TVG)

Three European sophomore fillies led by Stella Thayer's group 1 winner Wonderment ship in for the inaugural running of the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational over the inner turf. Wonderment seeks her first win since the group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud last October in France.

5:28 p.m.—$500,000 Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs (TVG)

The Bill Mott-trained Mitchell Road, a half sister to Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Country House, won four straight races until she ran into female turf champion Sistercharlie in Saratoga's grade 1 Diana Stakes. The daughter of English Channel  will try to get back in the win column against a field of nine in the one-mile Ladies Turf Stakes.

Entries: Three Chimneys Ladies Turf S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:28 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Coachwhip (KY)	Tyler Baze	121	Jack Sisterson	20/1
2	2Simply Breathless (GB)	Florent Geroux	125	Neil D. Drysdale	5/1
3	3Kallio (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
4	4Viva Vegas (LA)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	123	Ignacio Correas, IV	8/1
5	5Storm the Hill (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Philip D'Amato	3/1
6	6Lynne's Legacy (CA)	Julien R. Leparoux	123	Doug F. O'Neill	12/1
7	7Mitchell Road (KY)	Joel Rosario	125	William I. Mott	5/2
8	8Sensitive (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	123	Brad H. Cox	8/1
9	9Ms Bad Behavior (ON)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Richard Baltas	8/1

5:47 p.m.—$1,000,000 Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park (NBC and TVG)

Leonard C. Green's A Thread of Blue and Bloom Racing Stable's Henley's Joy square off in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational, the third and final leg of the Turf Trinity at Belmont Park. Henley's Joy, who kicked off the Turf Trinity in July with a 20-1 upset of the grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational for trainer Mike Maker, will be joined by Digital Age in the 1 1/2-mile Jockey Club Derby as the only two horses to contest all three legs. A Thread of Blue, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, made every pole a winning one in the second leg of the Turf Trinity, the inaugural edition of the $1 million Saratoga Derby.

Entries: Jockey Club Derby Invitational S.

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 5:47 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1A Thread of Blue (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	4/1
2	2Current (KY)	Junior Alvarado	122	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
3	3Henley's Joy (KY)	Jose Lezcano	122	Michael J. Maker	5/1
4	4Pedro Cara (FR)	Tony Piccone	122	Mauricio Delcher	12/1
5	5San Huberto (IRE)	Flavien Prat	122	Fabrice Chappet	10/1
6	6Tone Broke (ON)	John R. Velazquez	122	Steven M. Asmussen	10/1
7	7Kadar (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Michael J. Maker	15/1
8	8Digital Age (IRE)	Javier Castellano	122	Chad C. Brown	5/2
9	9Spanish Mission (KY)	Jamie P. Spencer	122	David Simcock	3/1

6:01 p.m.—$500,000 Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs (TVG)

Ruby Notion heads into the 6 1/2-furlong test seeking her first victory since she won this race last year, after which she was fourth against boys in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Fan favorite Morticia, who has nine wins and never runs a bad race, was third in this race two years ago.

Entries: Spendthrift Farm Ladies Sprint S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 9

• Grade IIIT
• 6 1/2f
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:01 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Raven's Lady (GB)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Patrick L. Biancone	15/1
2	2Pastime (KY)	Edgar Morales	121	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
3	3Oleksandra (AUS)	Joel Rosario	123	Neil D. Drysdale	3/1
4	4A Little Bit Me (KY)	Joe Bravo	121	Richard Baltas	10/1
5	5Coexistence (KY)	Adam Beschizza	121	Joe Sharp	15/1
6	6Painting Corners (FL)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	123	Peter Miller	8/1
7	7Morticia (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	George R. Arnold, II	4/1
8	8Cool Beans (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	10/1
9	9Tiny Tina (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Philip D'Amato	10/1
10	10Ruby Notion (WV)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Darrin Miller	6/1
11	11Stillwater Cove (KY)	Paco Lopez	121	Wesley A. Ward	20/1
12	12May Lily (KY)	Gabriel Saez	123	Gregory D. Foley	15/1
13	13La Dame Blanche (KY)	Chris Landeros	121	Ian R. Wilkes	20/1
14	14Therighttobeararms (KY)	Tyler Baze	121	William R. Helmbrecht	50/1
15	15She's All Skeet (KY)	Adam Beschizza	121	Joe Sharp	30/1

6:07 p.m.—$300,000 Super Derby (G3) at Louisiana Downs (TVG)

Knicks Go seeks his first victory since upsetting the field in the grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland last October when he breaks from Post 8 in a field of 10 for the 1 1/16-mile Super Derby. Trained by Ben Colebrook, Knicks Go has lost his last seven races but enters the Super Derby off a runner-up finish in the Ellis Park Derby Aug. 11.

Entries: Super Derby (G3)

Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino and Racetrack, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 11

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo
• 5:07 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Rotation (KY)	Richard E. Eramia	124	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
2	2Cabot (KY)	Marcelino Pedroza	124	Ron Moquett	12/1
3	3Pirate's Punch (KY)	Robby Albarado	124	Grant T. Forster	10/1
4	4Vangilder (FL)	C.J. McMahon	124	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
5	5Trevilion (LA)	Diego Saenz	124	Victor Arceneaux	8/1
6	6Rescind (KY)	Joel Dominguez	124	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	10/1
7	7Fredonian (KY)	Carlos Lozada	124	Jason H. Meaux	30/1
8	8Knicks Go (MD)	Colby J. Hernandez	124	Ben Colebrook	9/5
9	9Leader of Men (KY)	Hector Del-Cid	124	Jodie Hodges	6/1
10	10Paynt Battle (KY)	Thomas L. Pompell	124	Lonnie Briley	30/1

6:35 p.m.—$1,000,000 Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs (TVG)

Multiple graded stakes winners Arklow and Bigger Picture, last year's 1-2 finishers, are back for another try in the 1 1/2-mile test, the most lucrative race of the Kentucky Downs meet. Arklow, the 5-2 favorite on the morning line, has run well against grade 1 company but seeks his first victory of 2019. Bigger Picture's Mike Maker-trained stablemate Zulu Alpha, a multiple graded stakes winner who was claimed 11 1/2 months ago at Churchill Downs partly with this race in mind, is the 9-2 second choice. 

Entries: Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Botswana (KY)	Declan Cannon	123	Bentley Combs	20/1
2	2My Boy Jack (KY)	James Graham	121	J. Keith Desormeaux	12/1
3	3Blended Citizen (KY)	Aaron T. Gryder	121	Doug F. O'Neill	15/1
4	4Gliding Alone (OH)	Abel Lezcano	121	Luis A. Jurado	50/1
5	5Bigger Picture (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Michael J. Maker	8/1
6	6Factor This (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	123	Brad H. Cox	12/1
7	7Pillar Mountain (IRE)	Adam Beschizza	123	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1
8	8Hello Don Julio (KY)	Channing Hill	121	Michael Dilger	15/1
9	9Zulu Alpha (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Michael J. Maker	9/2
10	10Arklow (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	5/2
11	11Campaign (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	John W. Sadler	5/1
12	12Noble Thought (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Michael J. Maker	15/1
13	13Golden Dragon (KY)	Rayan Gazader	121	Mikhail Yanakov	50/1
14	14Zero Gravity (FL)	Adam Beschizza	121	Joe Sharp	30/1

7:35 p.m.—$250,000 British Columbia Derby (G3) at Hastings Racecourse (TVG)

Ole Nielsen's Canadian Derby (G3) winner Explode puts his four-race win streak on the line against a field of eight challengers in the 1 1/8-miles British Columbia Derby. 

Entries: British Columbia Derby (G3)

Hastings Racecourse, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo
• 4:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Doobiedoobiedoobie (FL)	Jose Mariano Asencio	126	Robert Maybin	30/1
2	2Explode (KY)	Amadeo Perez	126	Mark Cloutier	2/1
3	3Stay Fantastic (BC)	Antonio Ambrosio Reyes	126	Christine Ammann	20/1
4	4All Good (KY)	Rigo Sarmiento	126	Philip Hall	6/1
5	5Call It a Wrap (BC)	Wilmer Galviz	126	Tim Rycroft	15/1
6	6Final Jeopardy (KY)	Enrique Alonzo Gonzalez	126	Philip Hall	3/1
7	7Flatout Winner (KY)	Rico W. Walcott	126	Greg Tracy	15/1
8	8Five Star General (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	126	Glen Todd	5/2
9	9Whiskey Bound (KY)	Sahin Civaci	126	Keith Pedersen	15/1