Woodbine, Keeneland Offer Grade 1 Stakes on Turf

Each Saturday NTRA and BloodHorse provide a one-stop guide to the day's graded stakes races, through capsule looks and entries. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). 

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4:30 p.m.—$250,000 Nearctic Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine (FS2 and TVG)

Yorkton, an unlucky second in last year's edition of the Nearctic Stakes, will be looking for a happier ending in the six-furlong turf test Oct. 12 at Woodbine. Yorkton, a 5-year-old horse who races for Chiefswood Stables, comes into the Nearctic off his second consecutive win in the grade 3 Bold Venture on the Tapeta surface. 

Entries: Nearctic S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, October 12, 2019, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 6f
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Admiralty Pier (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	119	Barbara J. Minshall	6/1
2	2Lookin to Strike (KY)	Jerome Lermyte	119	Mark E. Casse	12/1
3	3Boreal Spirit (ON)	Gary Boulanger	119	Jennifer Shafer	10/1
4	4Reconfigure (KY)	Luis Contreras	119	Robert P. Tiller	12/1
5	5City Boy (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	119	Michael Keogh	20/1
6	6Blind Ambition (KY)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	119	Mark E. Casse	5/2
7	7Woody Creek (GB)	Kazushi Kimura	110	James A. Stack	8/1
8	8Richiesinthehouse (IL)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	119	Larry Rivelli	7/2
9	9Yorkton (ON)	Patrick Husbands	121	Stuart C. Simon	3/1

5:05 p.m.—$600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) at Woodbine (FS2 and TVG)

Ten fillies and mares, including a pair of starters who have recorded high-profile victories at Woodbine, will contest the E.P. Taylor Stakes. Holy Helena, an eight-time winner from 19 starts, counts the 2017 Queen's Plate, two editions of the grade 3 The Very One, and the grade 2 Sheepshead Bay among her stakes triumphs. Blue Heaven Farm's Starship Jubilee, trained by locally based Kevin Attard, arrives in the E.P. Taylor off an outstanding repeat score in the grade 2 Canadian Stakes. Under Luis Contreras, the ultra-consistent six-year-old daughter of Indy Wind romped to a 4 1/4-length triumph in the Canadian, a win that pushed Starship Jubilee's record to 13-4-3 from 30 lifetime starts.

Entries: E. P. Taylor S. (G1T)

Woodbine, Saturday, October 12, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IT
• 1 1/4m
• Turf
• $600,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:05 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Gaining (GB)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	124	Brad H. Cox	10/1
2	2Red Tea (GB)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	124	Joseph O'Brien	3/1
3	3A. A. Azula's Arch (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	124	Kevin Attard	20/1
4	4Si Que Es Buena (ARG)	Chris Landeros	124	H. Graham Motion	8/1
5	5Holy Helena (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	124	James A. Jerkens	10/1
6	6Durance (GER)	Lucas Delozier	120	Peter Schiergen	6/1
7	7Imperial Charm (GB)	Andrea Atzeni	120	Simon Crisford	4/1
8	8Starship Jubilee (FL)	Luis Contreras	124	Kevin Attard	7/2
9	9Platane (GB)	Maxime H. Guyon	120	Carlos Laffon-Parias	20/1
10	10Secret Message (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	124	H. Graham Motion	10/1

5:13 p.m.—$200,000 Sands Point Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park (FS2 and TVG)

Godolphin's Romantic Pursuit will look to build on her first stakes appearance as part of a talented seven-horse field in the Sands Point at 1 1/8 miles on the Belmont Park inner turf. Romantic Pursuit, finished fourth in the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Sept. 7 at Saratoga Race Course and entered her stakes bow with two consecutive wins.

Entries: Sands Point S. (G2T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 12, 2019, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dyna Passer (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Thomas Albertrani	7/2
2	2Olendon (FR)	Manuel Franco	118	Chad C. Brown	5/1
3	3Ledecka (PA)	Daniel Centeno	118	Arnaud Delacour	12/1
4	4Feel Glorious (GB)	Junior Alvarado	118	Christophe Clement	4/1
5	5New and Improved (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Chad C. Brown	5/2
6	6Romantic Pursuit (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	7/2
7	7Souper Escape (FL)	Julian Pimentel	118	Michael J. Trombetta	8/1

5:30 p.m.—$500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1T) at Keeneland (TVG)

OXO Equine's Cambier Parc, winner of the grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in her most recent start, tops a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered for the 36th running of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup contested at 1 1/8 miles on the Keeneland turf. Cambier Parc is one of three fillies trained by two-time race winner Chad Brown. The others are Paul Pompa Jr.'s Regal Glory and Peter Brant's Café Americano. 

Entries: Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. presented by Lane's End (G1T)

Keeneland, Saturday, October 12, 2019, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lady Prancealot (IRE)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	Richard Baltas	15/1
2	2Kelsey's Cross (FL)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Patrick L. Biancone	15/1
3	3Cambier Parc (KY)	John R. Velazquez	121	Chad C. Brown	8/5
4	4Princesa Carolina (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Kenneth G. McPeek	15/1
5	5Castle Lady (IRE)	Mickael Barzalona	121	HENRI-ALEX PANTALL	7/2
6	6Cafe Americano (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Chad C. Brown	6/1
7	7Magnetic Charm (GB)	Florent Geroux	121	William J. Haggas	12/1
8	8Varenka (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	H. Graham Motion	6/1
9	9Regal Glory (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Chad C. Brown	6/1

5:42 p.m.—$800,000 Canadian International Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine (FS2 and TVG)

Desert Encounter will be looking to become the first repeat winner of the Canadian International since Joshua Tree in 2012-2013 when he headlines a field of six. Desert Encounter went off at 8-1 when he captured last year's Canadian International, defeating fellow English shipper and favorite Thundering Blue by a length. The Irish-bred gelding returns while riding the wave of three consecutive group 3 turf stakes scores, all in England.