Weekend Stakes Rundown: State-Bred Saturday

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 graded events at Keeneland and loaded state-bred cards at Belmont Park and Laurel Park. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the link for each race.

Saturday, Oct. 21

12:55 p.m.—$250,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont Park

Grade 2 winner Pure Silver will try to pick up her fourth win and third stakes victory. The Twin Creeks Racing Stables homebred enters off a fourth-place finish in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) after she won the Adirondack Stakes (G2) two starts back.

2:01 p.m.—$200,000 Ticonderoga Stakes at Belmont Park

Chad Brown-trained graded winners Fifty Five and Ancient Secret will drop into state-bred company. Fifty Five won the Florida Oaks (G3T) in March, and placed in two graded stakes later in the year, while Ancient Secret scored in the 2016 Lake George (G2T) and has been winless in six starts since.

2:34 p.m.—$300,000 Empire Classic Handicap at Belmont Park

With victories in five of his last six races, a stretch that has included four stakes wins, Twisted Tom will try older horses for the first time in the Empire Classic. The only loss for Twisted Tom in his six starts this season was an off-the-board finish in the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1). He most recently drew off to win the Albany Stakes Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course. That win followed a score in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes.

Entries: Empire Classic H.

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 21, 2017, Race 5

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:34 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Papa Shot (NY)	Dylan Davis	118	Linda Rice	5/1
2	2Becker's Galaxy (NY)	Eric Cancel	114	Rudy R. Rodriguez	15/1
3	3Twisted Tom (NY)	Javier Castellano	120	Chad C. Brown	2/1
4	4Control Group (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	112	Rudy R. Rodriguez	6/1
5	5Hit It Once More (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	116	Gary Sciacca	20/1
6	6Can You Diggit (NY)	Manuel Franco	114	James A. Jerkens	8/1
7	7Testosterstone (NY)	John R. Velazquez	116	Gary Sciacca	15/1
8	8Governor Malibu (NY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	7/2
9	9Royal Posse (NY)	Luis Saez	120	Rudy R. Rodriguez	12/1

3:33 p.m.—$100,000 Maryland Million Distaff Handicap at Laurel Park

Morgans Ford Farm's Crabcakes will aim for her third straight victory and third Maryland-bred stakes overall in the seven-furlong test. The Great Notion  filly won a conditional allowance outside of the state-bred ranks by 5 3/4 lengths last time out at Laurel, which followed a 1 1/4-length score in the Miss Disco Stakes Aug. 19.

5:13 p.m.—$150,000 Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park

Dr. Stephen Sinatra's homebred Admirals War Chest will look to become the first horse to win three consecutive editions of the Maryland Million Classic Stakes, but he'll have to find a stark reversal of form to do so. He sped to victory twice in the 1 1/8-mile test for Maryland-breds—by a neck in 2015 and by 3 1/2 lengths in 2016—but his last two races have not been encouraging.

Entries: Maryland Million Classic S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, October 21, 2017, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Admirals War Chest (MD)	Steve D. Hamilton	119	Corby Caiazzo	10/1
2	2John Jones (MD)	Jevian Toledo	119	Lacey Gaudet	2/1
3	3Jerandson (NJ)	Nik Juarez	114	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
4	4Ballivor (MD)	Luis J. Rodriguez	119	Carlos A. Mancilla	30/1
5	5Bonus Points (MD)	UNKNOWN	118	Todd A. Pletcher	3/1
6	6Nicaradalic Rocks (MD)	UNKNOWN	119	Kieron Magee	15/1
7	7Legend's Hope (MD)	Forest Boyce	119	Edward Maher	30/1
8	8Takethattothebank (MD)	Edgar S. Prado	119	William M. Sienkewicz	20/1
9	9Clubman (MD)	Sheldon Russell	114	Jonathan Maldonado	10/1
10	10Flash McCaul (MD)	Julian Pimentel	119	Michael J. Trombetta	15/1
11	11Ghost Bay (MD)	Horacio Karamanos	119	W. Robert Bailes	8/1
12	12Southside Warrior (MD)	Alex Cintron	119	Michael J. Trombetta	10/1

5:29 p.m.—$100,000 California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita Park

After a tough-luck neck loss in the Eddie D. Stakes (G3T) last time out Sept. 29, Tribalist will look to get back to his winning ways down the Santa Anita hillside turf course. Prior to the Eddie D. the Tribal Rule gelding had a four-race win streak (spread across four years). He returned from a nearly 13-month layoff Aug. 18 to score his first stakes victory in the Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar.

5:30 p.m.—$250,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland

Though her class has carried her to a graded placing beyond one mile, Dorothy Matz's homebred Tequilita is most formidable sprinting—particularly when traveling seven furlongs. The Union Rags  filly has three wins from four starts at the distance, including scores in the Feb. 4 Forward Gal (G2) and the Sept. 23 Charles Town Oaks (G3).

Entries: Lexus Raven Run S. (G2)

Keeneland, Saturday, October 21, 2017, Race 9

• Grade II
• 7f
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Yorkiepoo Princess (FL)	Edwin Gonzalez	120	Edward R. Barker	15/1
2	2Overture (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	William I. Mott	10/1
3	3Pinch Hit (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	118	Brad H. Cox	12/1
4	4Nonna Mela (KY)	Christopher P. DeCarlo	118	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
5	5Happy Mesa (KY)	James Graham	118	Michael J. Maker	15/1
6	6Pretty City Dancer (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Mark E. Casse	15/1
7	7Tequilita (KY)	Feargal Lynch	120	Michael R. Matz	4/1
8	8Chalon (KY)	Paco Lopez	118	Peter Miller	9/2
9	9Classy Tune (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Simon Callaghan	5/1
10	10Torrent (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Ron Moquett	30/1
11	11Miss Sunset (CA)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Jeff Bonde	4/1

Sunday, Oct. 22

4:13 p.m.—$100,000 English Channel Stakes at Belmont Park

Live Oak Plantation's homebred Souper Tapit, the last-out winner of the Marine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine, will ship across the border to try grass for the first time off a nearly five-month layoff. Prior to the Marine, the Tapit  colt finished seventh in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3).

Entries: English Channel S.

Belmont Park, Sunday, October 22, 2017, Race 7

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo
• 4:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hammerin Aamer (MD)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	117	Rudy R. Rodriguez	4/1
2	2Lunaire (KY)	Joel Rosario	117	Thomas Albertrani	8/1
3	3Let's Get Loud (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	Chad C. Brown	5/2
4	4Dalarna (KY)	Nik Juarez	119	Kelly Rubley	12/1
5	5Sonic Mule (KY)	Rider TBA	123	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1
6	6No Dozing (KY)	Daniel Centeno	123	Arnaud Delacour	3/1
7	7You're to Blame (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	Chad C. Brown	2/1
8	8Bird's Eye View (KY)	Eric Cancel	117	Michael Dini	15/1
9	9Harlan's Harmony (KY)	Angel S. Arroyo	123	John P. Terranova, II	20/1
10	10Souper Tapit (FL)	Jose Lezcano	123	Mark E. Casse	7/2
11	11Fact Finding (KY)	Luis Saez	123	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1

4:30 p.m.—$70,000 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita Park

Just a Smidge, once the favorite in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) over the summer, drops into a much softer spot after two tries at the grade 1 level in her last two starts. The Into Mischief  filly finished fifth in both the Debutante and the Chandelier Stakes (G1) and broke her maiden in her debut at Del Mar by 1 1/4 lengths July 19.

Entries: Anoakia S.

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, October 22, 2017, Race 3

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $70,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 1:31 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Chatty (KY)	Tyler Baze	118	Michael W. McCarthy	9/5
2	2Secret Spice (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	118	Richard Baltas	7/2
3	3Artistic Diva (IL)	Victor Espinoza	118	John W. Sadler	4/1
4	4Just a Smidge (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	118	Bob Baffert	2/1
5	5Steph Being Steph (KY)	Stewart Elliott	118	Brian J. Koriner	5/1

4:54 p.m.—$125,000 Carotene Stakes at Woodbine

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Inflexibility heads back to Woodbine, where she won the Wonder Where Stakes July 30. In between the Scat Daddy filly finished fourth in the Sands Point Stakes (G2T) at Belmont. Earlier in the year she placed in both the Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser at Woodbine.

4:57 p.m.—$125,000 Dowager Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland

Apple Betty made her U.S. debut in last year's Dowager and was beaten a nose at the wire by Elektrum. The daughter of Galileo (IRE) has put in some admirable runs since that race, including a third-place effort in the May 6 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T), where she finished ahead of eventual grade 1 winner Zipessa, and earned her first stakes score when she took the River Memories Stakes going 1 1/2 miles at Belmont July 9.

Entries: Rood and Riddle Dowager S. (G3T)

Keeneland, Sunday, October 22, 2017, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $125,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bootsy's Girl (KY)	Channing Hill	121	Luis A. Jurado	30/1
2	2Lottie (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	H. Graham Motion	3/1
3	3Place des Vosges (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Richard Baltas	15/1
4	4Coco Channel (KY)	Julie Burke	118	Charles Lopresti	20/1
5	5Daring Duchess (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Michael J. Maker	5/1
6	6Promotional (FL)	Corey J. Lanerie	121	Thomas F. Proctor	12/1
7	7Apple Betty (IRE)	John R. Velazquez	121	Claude R. McGaughey III	3/1
8	8Polar Vortex (IN)	Ty Kennedy	118	Tim Glyshaw	30/1
9	9Daddy's Boo (FL)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	121	Larry Rivelli	10/1
10	10Grateful (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Todd A. Pletcher	5/2