Weekend Stakes Rundown: Divisidero Back in Action

Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend's biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week, we have a trio of graded stakes at Gulfstream Park Saturday, Oaklawn Park's first Triple Crown prep, and more. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the link for each race.

Saturday, Jan. 14

2:30 p.m.—$150,000 Marshua's River Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park

With both of their racing careers in the final furlong, Todd Pletcher trainees Sandiva and Isabella Sings are looking to pad their already showy résumés with another graded score when they enter the starting gate. "Right now they are both scheduled to be bred this year," Pletcher said. "I suppose they could run their way into other plans, but we will take it a race at a time right now."

4:34 p.m.—$200,000 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream has served as a springboard for Divisidero throughout his career. After his maiden win in 2015, the Buff Bradley-trained runner came in third in that year's Palm Beach (G3T) prior to earning his first graded triumph in the American Turf (G2T) in just his third outing. Last season, the bay horse hit the board in both the Canadian Turf (G3T) and Appleton (G2T) en route to becoming Gunpowder Farms' first grade 1 winner with a score in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1T) at Churchill Downs May 7.

5:05 p.m.—$150,000 Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park

Following a pair of off-the-board finishes to end 2016, Tommy Macho returns to Gulfstream for his 5-year-old debut. He put forth a career-best effort to beat a solid cast in the Fred W. Hooper (G3) 11 months ago, but just as he was rounding into top form, the bay son of Macho Uno   emerged from that race with a knee chip that required surgery and kept him away from the races for eight months.

5:29 p.m.—$200,000 La Canada Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum's Vale Dori will attempt to secure her second straight grade 2 victory and she'll encounter familiar challengers. Three of the other four entered in the La Canada ran behind Vale Dori in her last win, the Dec. 3 Bayakoa Handicap (G2) at Del Mar. Wild At Heart loomed as a potential threat turning for home in the Bayakoa, but never got within a length of the winning daughter of Asiatic Boy.

Sunday, Jan. 15

1:20 p.m.—$100,000 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack

Libby's Tale, who earned a grade 1 placing with a second-place run in the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park in October, takes a significant drop in class for her first 3-year-old start. The daughter of Tiz Wonderful trained by Rudy Rodriguez has raced in graded competition since she won her debut at Belmont in July.

Monday, July 16

2:20 p.m.—$125,000 Toboggan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack

Stallwalkin' Dude enters off a win in the Dec. 18 Gravesend Stakes, also at six furlongs on the inner track, where he defeated fellow Toboggan entrant Green Gratto by two lengths. All Star Red and Life in Shambles, also entered in the Toboggan, finished third and fourth, respectively.

5:38 p.m.—$150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park

Of eight entered for the Smarty Jones, Warrior's Club is the lone stakes winner. The Warrior's Reward   colt owned by Churchill Downs Racing Club and trained by D. Wayne Lukas broke his maiden Oct. 30 in the Spendthrift Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs, then followed with a third-place run in the Nov. 26 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), behind McCraken and Wild Shot.

6 p.m.—$100,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park

It's taken a while for Do the Dance to get her bearings on the Southern California grass, but the improving filly will look to continue her upward trajectory. In an October allowance at Santa Anita Park she nosed out a victory, then followed that with a three-quarter-length score in the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes Nov. 11 at Del Mar, where she defeated 2016 Megahertz winner Keri Belle.