With the Breeders' Cup fading in the rearview mirror, 2-year-old races take center stage this weekend, from California to France.
In Japan, defending champion Snow Fairy and Dancing Rain comprise the overseas contingent in Sunday's Group I Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup at 2,200 meters on the Kyoto turf.
And a couple green spots dot the U.S. racing landscape – graded turf races for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs and Aqueduct.
Calder Race Course has eight races for Florida-breds, each worth $100,000 or more, on Saturday. The "Big A" has four for New York-breds on Sunday.
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The Juveniles
Topping the list of domestic 2-year-old races is Saturday's $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park. Contenders include Senor Rain, a 4-lengths winner of a starter allowance last time out at Santa Anita; Rousing Sermon, victor in the Cal Cup Juvenile Oct. 29 in his first two-turn race; and Captain Obvious, an Irish-bred recently purchased privately by J. Paul Reddam after one win in three starts on the Ould Sod. Several others come to the Real Quiet off maiden wins.
Across the water, on Saturday at Saint-Cloud in France, 2-year-old colts and fillies will be tackling 10 furlongs on the turf in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Tai Chi ships in from Germany after winning a Group event at Cologne. Andre Fabre will send out Mandaean after an impressive win at Longchamp. And Nicolas Clement will saddle the Lando filly Brocette, who won at first asking at Longchamp two weeks ago.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Remington Park cards the $100,000 Clever Trevor for 2-year-olds at 7 furlongs; Calder's Florida Million Day card includes four events, each worth six figures, for juveniles on both the main track and the grass; and Golden Gate Fields features the $50,000 Golden Nugget Stakes for 2-year-olds.
Sunday, Hollywood Park features the $100,000 Sharp Cat Stakes for juvenile fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather course with Jerry Hollendorfer saddling Killer Graces, winner of the Cinderella and Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood during the summer meeting. Aqueduct's New York Stallion Series has 6-furlong, main-track races for both 2-year-old fillies and colts and geldings; and Woodbine has the $150,000 Glorious Song for 2-year-old fillies, at 7 furlongs on the artificial track.
In Japan
Snow Fairy, since her triumphs last year in Japan and Hong Kong, has failed to find the winner's circle while running in top company. She comes into Sunday's QE II off a pair of thirds -- in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp and the Champion Stakes at Ascot. Overall, the 4-year-old Intikhab filly has six wins from 14 starts and has been off the board only four times. Dancing Rain, winner of the Epsom Oaks back in June, finished fifth in the Irish Oaks before capturing the German Oaks and the British Champions Day Filly & Mare Stakes in her last two outings. As always, a formidable local contingent awaits the foreigners, including Aventura, who won the G1 Shuka Sho on Oct. 16 at Kyoto, and last year's third-place QE II finisher, Apapane.
On the grass
A field of 12 is entered for Saturday's $175,000, Grade II Mrs. Revere for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course. Prominent is Marketing Mix, runner up to Together in the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland.
At Aqueduct, eight distaffers are set to try 1 1/2 miles on the turf Saturday in the $150,000, Grade III Long Island Handicap. Morning-line favorite and highweight at 119 pounds is Emerald Beech. The 4-year-old Maria's Mon filly had won four in a row before finishing fourth behind Stacelita in the Grade I Flower Bowl last time out. Last year's winner, Mekong Melody, also is back.
In Canada
At Woodbine, Stunning Stag will try for a repeat win Saturday in the $150,000, Grade II Autumn Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track. Last year, as a 6-year-old, the former claimer won the event by 3 3/4 lengths. Also lining up for this year's Autumn is Pender Harbour, winner of this year's Prince of Wales and Breeders' Stakes.
In Florida
In addition to the 2-year-old races, Saturday's Florida Million Day program features the $150,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff at 1 1/16 miles, the $150,000 Carl G. Rose Classic at 9 furlongs and the $125,000 Jack Dudley Sprint at 6 furlongs. Sweet Repent has won eight of her last nine starts and figures to be a heavy favorite in the Elmer Heubeck. Turbo Compressor and Mad Flatter are likely picks in the Carl Rose. The latter won the $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap on both of his previous invasions from Kentucky.
Not in South Carolina
Sunday's card at Parx Racing in Philadelphia includes a pair of $75,000 events restricted to 2-year-olds which have spent 90 days in South Carolina and paid a nomination fee to the South Carolina TOBA. Each is 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. The colt/gelding event attracted a field of seven, none of them bred in South Carolina. The filly race got 10 entrants, two of whom were bred in the Palmetto State.
In Dubai
In the looking-ahead department, Thursday kicked off the season at Meydan with six races, all for Thoroughbreds and all on the all-weather track. In January, the regular season will morph into the annual Carnival, which this year is even more closely aligned with Dubai World Cup Day, set for March 31. This will be the third season at the spectacular Meydan course, which succeeds the old Nad al-Sheeba facility. Trainer Ali Rashid al-Raihe saddled four of the six winners on opening day, including Rochdale in the featured handicap at 2,000 meters under stable rider Royston Ffrench.
