Penn Mile Highlights Saturday's Graded Stakes Slate

Each Saturday NTRA and BloodHorse provide a one-stop guide to the day's graded stakes races. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). For full preview, click race link. 

5 p.m.—$175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2) at Woodbine (TVG)

Multiple stakes winner Yorkton looks to rebound off an off-key effort as the Chiefswood Stables' homebred takes to the turf in the Connaught Cup. Trained by Stu Simon, the 5-year-old son of Speightstown  comes into the seven-furlong grass event for older horses off an eighth-place finish in the grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes May 4 at the Toronto oval.

Entries: Connaught Cup S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIT
• 7f
• Turf
• $175,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Shakhimat (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	116	Roger L. Attfield	6/1
2	2Savage Battle (KY)	Patrick Husbands	116	Nicholas Nosowenko	8/1
3	3Yorkton (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	120	Stuart C. Simon	4/1
4	4Eminent Force (ON)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	116	Dale A. Desruisseaux	20/1
5	5Hold'emforransom (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	116	Ian Black	20/1
6	6Emmaus (IRE)	David Moran	116	Conor Murphy	2/1
7	7El Tormenta (ON)	Luis Contreras	116	Gail Cox	10/1
8	8Curlin's Honor (FL)	Gary Boulanger	118	Mark E. Casse	5/2

5:18 p.m.—$200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park (TVG) 

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of talented stakes debuters in Saturday's Pennine Ridge: a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds on the inner turf at Belmont Park. Breaking from post 3, Peter Brant's Demarchelier broke his maiden at first asking over Aqueduct's inner turf in November where he defeated fellow Pennine Ridge aspirant Seismic Wave by a head. Following a five-month hiatus, he continued his winning ways against winners at Keeneland on April 12 defeating next out winner Award  Winner by three-quarters of a length. Brown also sends out 5-2 morning-line choice Value Proposition off a debut win.

6:15 p.m.—$100,000 Arlington Matron (G3) at Arlington International Racecourse (TVG)

Calumet Farm homebred Coachwhip, third last time out in the grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland April 26, seeks her first graded win in the Arlington Matron going 1 1/8-miles on the synthetic main track. Among those expected to vie for favoritism is stakes winner Daddy's Boo.

Entries: Arlington Matron S. (G3)

Arlington International Racecourse, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• All Weather Track
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mo's M V P (KY)	Joel Campbell	116	Michael B. Campbell	12/1
2	2Snuck Out (KY)	Sophie Doyle	116	Victoria H. Oliver	15/1
3	3La Force (GER)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	116	Patrick Gallagher	9/5
4	4Strawberry Tequila (NY)	Julie Burke	116	Jimmy Corrigan	20/1
5	5Na Pali Spirit (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	116	Ignacio Correas, IV	8/1
6	6Coachwhip (KY)	Tyler Baze	118	Jack Sisterson	9/2
7	7Oh So Terrible (KY)	Julio E. Felix	116	Bradley S. Ross	20/1
8	8Daddy's Boo (FL)	Christopher A. Emigh	116	Larry Rivelli	5/2
9	9Youngest Daughter (KY)	Ty Kennedy	116	Victoria H. Oliver	15/1
10	10Tough Irma (FL)	Santo Sanjur	116	Cipriano Contreras	20/1

7:03 p.m.—$150,000 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park (TVG)

A nose shy of being undefeated in three starts, trainer Simon Callaghan's Maxim Rate bids for her second consecutive graded victory as she heads Saturday's Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita Park. 

Entries: Honeymoon S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 7

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lady Prancealot (IRE)	Joseph Talamo	120	Richard Baltas	3/1
2	2Over Emphasize (KY)	Alonso Quinonez	120	Michael W. McCarthy	6/1
3	3Seranitsa (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Neil D. Drysdale	6/1
4	4Holly Hundy (VA)	Norberto Arroyo, Jr.	120	Vladimir Cerin	8/1
5	5Dr Wysong (CA)	Aaron T. Gryder	120	Philip D'Amato	20/1
6	6Maxim Rate (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	124	Simon Callaghan	9/5
7	7Sold It (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	122	Doug F. O'Neill	10/1
8	8Hostess (GB)	Drayden Van Dyke	124	Simon Callaghan	5/1

7:50 p.m.—$500,000 Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) at Penn National (TVG)

Kiaran McLaughlin's A Thread of Blue will bypass the Pennine Ridge at Belmont in favor of the more lucrative Penn Mile, where he aims for his second graded stakes victory. The son of Hard Spun  captured the grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March and was beaten three-quarters of a length last time out in the grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 4.

Entries: Penn Mile S. (G2T)

Penn National Race Course, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 11

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo
• 7:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Moon Colony (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	116	Mark E. Casse	12/1
2	2A Thread of Blue (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	5/2
3	3Casa Creed (KY)	Junior Alvarado	116	William I. Mott	6/1
4	4Real News (KY)	Ty Kennedy	116	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	5/1
5	5Forty Under (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Jeremiah C. Englehart	7/2
6	6The Black Album (FR)	Kendrick Carmouche	116	Rodolphe Brisset	15/1
7	7Empire of War (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	122	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
8	8Conative (KY)	Forest Boyce	116	Marat Kozhomzharov	20/1
9	9Fluminense (KY)	Edwin Gonzalez	116	Steven M. Asmussen	10/1

7:33 p.m.—$200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park (TVG)

Trainer John Shirreffs' Paradise Woods, fresh off a dominating 10 1/2-length win, looms a complete standout in Saturday's Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita. 

Entries: Santa Maria S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:33 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Just a Smidge (KY)	Martin Garcia	121	Bob Baffert	15/1
2	2Paradise Woods (KY)	Mike E. Smith	125	John A. Shirreffs	1/5
3	3Exuberance (KY)	Norberto Arroyo, Jr.	121	Ian Kruljac	15/1
4	4Tapped (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Richard Baltas	8/1
5	5La Force (GER)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Patrick Gallagher	4/1