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UPI Horse Racing Weekend Preview

By Robert Kieckhefer, UPI Racing Writer
Breaking Lucky wins the Prince of Wales Stakes Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at Fort Erie, defeating Queen's Plate victor Shaman Ghost. (Woodbine Entertainment photo)
Breaking Lucky wins the Prince of Wales Stakes Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at Fort Erie, defeating Queen's Plate victor Shaman Ghost. (Woodbine Entertainment photo)

Who could ask for more in a weekend of racing: Triple Crown champ American Pharoah returns, Solow at Glorious Goodwood, five graded stakes at Saratoga and another at Del Mar.

Oh, wait. There IS more. Lots more. The $750,000 West Virginia Derby highlights an eight-stakes card at Mountaineer. Beholder and Untapable, the top fillies of 2013 and 2014, are both in action. Woodbine has graded stakes action and Arlington has state-bred stakes as the International Festival of Racing looms just two weeks hence.

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And in Canada, there will be no Triple Crown winner, eh?

Speaking of looming, let's weave this narrative together.

Classic

Any way you look at it, American Pharoah's place in history is secure as the first U.S. Triple Crown champion since Affirmed. His few remaining races will determine how far forward in the history books his exploits will be chronicled. That race to judgment starts Sunday at Monmouth Park, where the Pioneerof the Nile colt is set to make his first start since winning the Belmont Stakes. He faces seven in the Grade I William Hill Haskell Invitational, going 9 furlongs on the dirt. Monmouth this week added $750,000 to the original $1 million purse, making the race worth $250,000 more than either the Belmont Stakes or the Preakness and only $250,000 less than the Kentucky Derby. American Pharoah drew gate No. 4, giving jockey Victor Espinoza every opportunity, with a clean start, to take up whatever position the pace dictates. He concedes four pounds to each of his rivals -- 122 pounds vs. 118. Those rivals, from the rail out, are Upstart, Competitive Edge, Nona's Boy, Mr. Jordan, Keen Ice, Top Clearance and Dontbetwithbruno. Bayern won this race last year -- for American's Pharoah's conditioner, Bob Baffert -- with Untapable finishing fifth as the favorite while running against males.

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If the Haskell looks like a soft spot for American Pharoah, Saturday's $600,000, Grade II Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds at Saratoga looks like a tough go for everyone -- handicappers included. Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red stretches out to 9 furlongs for the first time. Last year's Grade I Hopeful winner, Competitive Edge, is cross-entered here and in the Haskell as he tries to rebound from his only career loss. And, frosting on the cake, Frosted, who was second to American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes, makes his return here. Tekton, Frammento and Japan all could make their presence felt, too.

And then there's The $750,000, Grade II West Virginia Derby. Don't overlook these 11 3-year-olds or one of them is liable to jump up and ruin an otherwise perfectly good trifecta ticket on Breeders' Cup weekend. It's a pretty well-matched field with Madefromlucky the lukewarm morning-line favorite at 3-1. He was second to American Pharoah in the Rebel at Oaklawn back in March. Granted, he was beaten 6 1/4 lengths in that heat but it was run in the slop, which is right up the Triple Crown winner's alley. More recently, Madefromlucky won the Grade II Peter Pan at Belmont, then finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes. He's trained by Todd Pletcher, who also has entered Stanford and Tommy Macho. Others to watch: Bent On Bourbon, Tale of Verve and Tekton.

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The older set gets to shine in Sunday's $200,000, Grade II Monmouth Cup at 1 1/16 miles. These are mostly American-style middle-distance types -- 7 furlongs to a mile -- but Protonico and Irish You Well have been going a little longer. Among those stretching out a little we find Bradester and Valid, first and third in the recent Grade III Salvator Mile over the same track.

Post time for the Haskell is 5:52 p.m., EDT and remember, if you can't make it out to the race track, tune in to Horse Racing Radio Network's coverage of all the big events. Broadcasting from Saratoga, the crew will of course have full coverage of the Haskell. Check www.horseracingradio.net, Sirius 220, XM 206 or your local affiliate. Need help picking a winner? That's www.popejude.com. See if Jude Feld likes American Pharoah.

Detouring to England

Goodwood

French invader Solow made it eight straight wins with a narrow, yet convincing, 1/2-length victory over Arod in Wednesday's Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. With dual Guineas winner Gleneagles out because of the give in the going, Solow was the heavy favorite. But after getting past Arod with a couple of hundred meters to run, the winner held the runner-up safe rather than putting him away. "He didn't have the best of runs," said winning trainer Freddie Head. "He was always in the open and saw a bit of daylight. And he is getting a bit lazy with age too. He does exactly what he needs to." Still, Solow never looked like losing and trainer Freddy Head said Solow can be expected back in England for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day in October.

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"I don't think he'll run before and he'll have a well-deserved vacation afterward," Head added. The eight straight wins include four Group 1 events, all this season -- the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp and the Dubai Turf before Wednesday's triumph. Arod, meanwhile, is being eyed for international competition next year, including the top mile races in France and the 10-furlong trip of the Cox Plate in Australia later in the year, said trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam. He said the Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland is a consideration but added, "Although he does go round a turn, I think that would almost be too tight a track." Some other European trainers have echoed that sentiment about the Lexington, Ky., oval.

Toormore, making his first start in Godolphin Blue, took the lead in Tuesday's Group 2 Qatar Lennox Stakes at and stormed home first by 3/4 length from Dutch Connection. Safety Check, another Godolphin runner, was only a head farther back in third. The 7 furlongs went in 1:25.98 with James Doyle riding over turf rated good to soft. Toormore, an Arakan colt, had struggled -- admittedly against top rivals --since going 3-for-3 as a 2-year-old. Trainer Richard Hannon said the win should be a confidence-builder for the colt and that he can be expected to travel, especially since Hannon also handles Godolphin's Night of Thunder, who finished up the track in the aforementioned Sussex Stakes. "He did it the hard way," Hannon said of Toormore's win. "They came to him one by one. He needed to get a win under his belt and get his confidence back, and now we can move to the next level. He deserved this go today and I should think the Prix Jacques Le Marois will be next." That would be 1,600 meters or about 1 mile at Deauville on Aug. 16.

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Galileo Gold got an opening at the right time for jockey Frankie Dettori to guide him to the front and to victory in Tuesday's Group 2 Qatar Vintage Stakes for 2-year-old. The Paco Boy colt, out of a Galileo mare, scored by 3/4 length from Ibn Malik with Palawan third. The Hugo Palmer trainee has won three straight races and stirred some early interest for next year's 2,000 Guineas. "He's beaten the best around today and he beat them well so we've got to aim high," said winning rider Frankie Dettori. "He's quirky but he's learning and has got a good engine." The colt is owned by Sheik Joaan's Al Shaqab Racing, which is a principal in the new, long-term Qatar sponsorship of Goodwood racing.

On Thursday at Goodwood, Shalaa ran home the easy winner as favorite in the Group 2 Qatar Richmond Stakes at 6 furlongs while Big Orange upset the favorite, Quest For More, by a neck after 2 miles in the Group 2 Qatar Goodwood Cup.

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In other action, prospective and retrospective:

Fort Erie}

Breaking Lucky trailed the field early in Tuesday's $500,000 (Canadian) Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, took the overland route into the stretch and outfinished Queen's Plate winner Shaman Ghost by a neck, denying the latter a shot at the Triple Crown title. It was only another neck to Field of Courage in third. Danish Dynaformer, the second-favorite behind Shaman Ghost, never fired and finished next-last of seven. Breaking Lucky, a Lookin at Lucky colt out of the Sky Classic mare Shooting Party, ran 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:56.59 with James McAleney up. "I had the option on the turn to take the path he (Shaman Ghost) was going and follow him or move toward the outside, McAleney said. "I felt I had a clear outside trip so I opted for the outside." Winning trainer Reade Baker added, "Jimmy is a very good rider. He just needs more opportunities now. He was close enough to the lead. It was a very fair racetrack. Inside. Outside. Back. Front. You just had to have the best horse and we had the best horse." Baker said the winner will go on to the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Aug. 16 Breeders' Stakes.

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Distaff

Beholder has won seven of her last eight races, three of those Grade I events, and she will be on display again in Saturday's $300,000, Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, going 1 1/16 miles against eight rivals. The 5-year-old Henny Hughes mare, the 2013 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly, drew the rail and Gary Stevens will work out the trip for her. Among the others, My Sweet Addiction won the Grade I Vanity two starts back but beat only three rivals in that. Warren's Veneda won the Grade I Santa Margarita back in March but hasn't scored since. Most of the others have been in the picture in big races without starring.

Untapable, last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly, takes on five rivals in Sunday's $200,000, Grade III Shuvee Handicap at Saratoga, a 9-furlongs event on the main track. She has a win and a pair of seconds this season, the losses coming in her 2015 debut at Oaklawn and a disappointing second in the Grade I Ogden Phipps in her last outing. She'll need to be on her toes to handle the likes of Stopcharging Maria, Tiz Windy and House Rules. The wild card is Privet Hedge, in from France and now under the care of Bill Mott for her first U.S. start.

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Sprint

Here there be speedballs. Five of the seven entrants for Saturday's $350,000, Grade I Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga won their last races. Among those are Rock Fall, who rides a five-race winning streak, culminating in the Grade II True North at Belmont Park last month; Salutos Amigos, who has won five of his last six starts with the exception being the Dubai Golden Shaheen on World Cup night; and Departing, who exits a win in the Grade II Firecracker on the Churchill Downs turf. The Big Beast won four straight before finishing fourth in the Grade I Carter and returns from a nice rest. Favorite Tale makes his first start since winning the Grade II Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park, defeating Work All Week and Wildcat Red.

A field of five is set for Sunday's $200,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar. The 7-furlongs race is for state-bred sprinters but nonetheless features Gimme Da Lute, another Baffert runner, who comes off a pair of graded stakes victories. A check is a check, right?

Three-year-old sprinters -- or prospective sprinters -- take the spotlight in Saturday's $200,000, Grade II Amsterdam at Saratoga, going 6 1/2 furlongs. The "late bloomer" contingent includes Holy Boss, who has won three in a row, and Victory Is Sweet, whose only loss in his last three starts was to Holy Boss. Requite has won three of four starts, sandwiched around a thumping in last year's Hopeful at the Spa. Among the better known are Barbados, March and Bluegrass Singer. The real question mark is The Great War, trainer Wesley Ward's Irish import who was a Kentucky Derby candidate back when there was snow on the ground but who has not been seen since finishing last of 10 in the Battaglia Memorial on the Turfway all-weather course in February.

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Filly & Mare Sprint

La Verdad quickly separated herself from her four rivals in Wednesday's $200,000, Grade II Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga and went on to win easily, by 4 lengths over Street Story. The odds-on favorite, Judy the Beauty, chased the winner and was edged into third near the wire. Enchantress and Ultimate Shopper completed the order of finish. La Verdad, a 5-year-old mare by Yes It's True, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.14 with Jose Ortiz aboard. It was her fourth straight win and fifth in her last six starts. "Judy the Beauty is a very great horse and intimidating filly," said winning trainer Linda Rice. "La Verdad is at her best right now and this is great because we are going into the Ballerina. We're going after that elusive Grade 1 victory." The $500,000, Grade I Ballerina is over the same surface on Aug. 29.

Turf Sprint

Shore Runner prevailed by a nose in a blanket finish in Mondays' $100,000 Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga, then had to sweat out an objection before the result was made official. Sharp Sensation was second and Amelia's Wild Ride third as the entire 9-horse field was within 5 lengths of the winner at the finish. Shore Runner, a More Than Ready gelding, ran 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:01.00 with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons.

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Turf

A mixed bag of nine horses entered for Saturday's $250,000, Grade II Bowling Green Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on the Saratoga greensward. Most of them are graded stakes winners but none has delivered consistency along with talent. Still, it's tough to look past Grade II Pan American winner Imagining, Grade I Man o' War runner-up War Dancer, Belmont Gold Cup winner Innovation Economy and Grade II Elkhorn winner Dramedy.

Eight are set for Sunday's $150,000, Grade III Oceanport at Monmouth Park with the 1-2 finishers from the recent Elkwood Stakes over the course -- Kharafa and Lochte -- the prime suspects. Heart to Heart, Old Time Hockey and Cage Fighter also have had good days on their way to this.

Filly & Mare Turf

There are no monsters in Sunday's $150,000, Grade III Matchmaker at Monmouth Park, with I'm Already Sexy looking pretty good after winning the Grade III Eatontown over the same course in her last outing. Among the other seven, an up-and-coming Sea the Stars filly, Casual Smile, could be ready to make her presence felt. The Chad Brown trainee earlier raced in England, where she finished second to Taghrooda

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Fort Erie}

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Tahnee led from the start in Tuesday's $75,000 (Canadian) Rainbow Connecton for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies and shot clear at the end, winning by 3 3/4 lengths. Crysta's Court and Christina's Halo were second and third with Executive Allure filling out the superfecta. Tahnee, a daughter of Where's the Ring, ran 5 furlongs on firm turf in 56.10 seconds with Eurico Da Silva in the irons.

Woodbine

London Tower swapped the lead with Galina Point in the stretch run of Wednesday's $125,000 (Canadian) Eternal Search Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies before prevailing by a neck over that one. Miss Sea was up for third. London Tower, an aptly named daughter of Head Chopper, ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:44.41 with Gary Boulanger up.

Arlington Park

While the Chicago-area oval gears up for the International Festival of Racing in two weeks' time, locals get their chance to shine in a pair of 3-year-old events at 6 furlongs on the all-weather course. The purses have suffered along with the rest of Illinois racing but something is better than nothing and the races drew respectable fields.

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