Grass, Juvenile Stakes Offer Wagering Appeal

Turf and 2-year-olds dominate the stakes action in North America Saturday, Sept. 14.

Three of the four graded events at Woodbine Racetrack are scheduled for grass topped by the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T), a Breeders' Cup Challenge event for the TVG Mile (G1T). It is supported by the Bold Venture (G3) for sprinters, the Canadian Stakes Presented By the Japan Racing Association (G2T) and the Northern Dancer Turf (G1T).

The three Woodbine turf stakes are part of the Cross Country Pick Five along with two more grass races from Belmont Park, including the $200,000 Pebbles for 3-year-old fillies.

And of course, it's the second Saturday in September, which means the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) begins at Churchill Downs with the Iroquois (G3) and the Pocahontas (G2). Those $200,000 routes each offer 17 qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to the Derby and Oaks respectively, not to mention the winners receive fees-paid berths to the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Juvenile Fillies (G1). Immediately preceding those races is the Locust Grove (G3) for older fillies and mares, where Mylady Curlin shoots for her sixth straight win and takes on the hard-knocking Go Google Yourself.

Here are some thoughts and rankings on the four stakes in the cross country pick five (in sequence order), followed by the 2-year-old races on day two of Churchill's September meet.

Canadian (WO, race 7, 4:30 ET): Starship Jubilee (6) won this race at 11-1 last year and takes another crack at Holy Helena (2), who outkicked her through the stretch run of the 1 1/4-mile Dance Smartly (G2T) in early summer. The cutback to 1 1/8 miles helps Starship Jubilee, who has turned out to be one heck of a claim for $16,000. They both have to beat Competitionofideas (5), who invades for trainer Chad Brown after picking up third money in the Beverly D. (G1T).

The foreign-bred fillies Touriga (1) and Magnetic Charm (3) belong on deep tickets. Touriga had some trouble early and late when close behind Competitionofideas in the WinStar Matchmaker (G3T), her first start outside her native Brazil and first since last October. Magnetic Charm, a 3-year-old bred and owned by Her Majesty The Queen of England, is in with a feathery 110 pounds against older foes. Her trainer, William Haggas, sent out Call To Mind to win the 2018 Belmont Gold Cup (G2T) (same owner!), and also brought Beverly D runner-up Awesometank back for the Mile later on this program.

A - 5

B - 2, 6

C - 1, 3

Woodbine Mile (WO, race 9, 5:42 ET): Awesometank (6) was three lengths behind Sistercharlie's course-record performance in the Beverly D, and held well after racing in closest attendance to the winner's rabbit, Thais, to the stretch. She'll take on males here, as will morning-line favorite Got Stormy (5), who beat the boys with a blazing course-record mile of 1:32 in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) on a week's rest Aug. 10.

Got Stormy got six pounds from second-place finisher Raging Bull (7) that day, but they're at level weights for the rematch. Both came from a long way off suicidal early fractions in the Fourstardave, but there doesn't seem to be nearly as much pace in this match-up. That could favor the local runner Silent Poet (3), a 15-1 chance who is 5-2-0 from seven starts over the course and making his third start of the year as the potential controlling speed.

A - 5, 7

B - 3, 6

Pebbles (Bel, race 10, 5:57 ET): Brown, naturally, has the first two choices in Blowout (2) and Seek and Destroy (4), but it's not like either of them has a substantial edge over Christophe Clement's duo of Feel Glorious (6) and East (8). The latter has disappointed in three starts overseas at age 3, but was a rallying second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) last fall and will be back on Lasix for the first time since then.

A - 2, 4

B - 6, 8

Northern Dancer (WO, race 10, 6:17 ET): Old Persian (1) captured the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) earlier this season, and the Godolphin homebred looks like the class of this field while picking up first-time Lasix to boot. His trainer, Charles Appleby, came within a head of winning this race in 2017 with Hawkbill, and last year shipped across the pond to win the Natalma (G1T) at Woodbine and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) with Line of Duty.

The backups, for those so inclined, are the deep-closing Focus Group (3), and local horse for course Tiz a Slam (6), who comes off front-running scores in the Singspiel (G3T) and Nijinsky (G2T).

A - 1

B - 3, 6

Pocahontas (CD, race 9, 4:53 ET): Maiden winners from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York and Virginia converge on Louisville for this 1 1/16-mile route. Among them are three granddaughters of Tapit : Portrait (3), British Idiom (7) and Lotta Ott (8), not to mention Shadilee(1), who is out of a Tapit mare.

Portrait and Morning Gold (6) were installed as 3-1 co-favorites. Portrait went turf to dirt with blinkers added second time out at Ellis Park and beat maidens by a dozen lengths. Morning Gold will be first-time Lasix after two turf routes at Saratoga Race Course, the latest an easy front-running maiden win.

Lazy Daisy (4) is back two weeks after running fourth—beaten less than a length for second—in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) behind runaway winner Bast.

A - 3, 6

B - 4

Iroquois (CD, race 10, 5:26 ET): Dennis' Moment (8) is the buzz horse off a fast maiden win at Ellis by over 19 lengths; seven furlongs in 1:21.95, just a few ticks off the track record. How that translates to two turns remains to be seen, but the Tiznow  colt has followed up with three bullet workouts over Churchill's main track and now picks up Irad Ortiz Jr.

The one-two finishers from the TwinSpires Ellis Park Juvenile, Rowdy Yates (4) and Letmeno (2), drew favorably for the stretch-out, as did Scabbard (3), who makes his first start since running second in the Saratoga Special (G2) under the name Noose.

For a potential bust-out, consider Automate (5). He's been a mile twice already and repeats a turf-to-dirt switch that produced a maiden win at Ellis at 20-1, albeit in pedestrian time.

A - 8

B - 2, 3, 4

C - 5