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Royal Ascot winds up Saturday while American racing sees the return of Songbird, The Pizza Man, Effinex and Gun Runner in weekend races. European action moves across the Channel with Sunday's 1 million-Euro Prix de Diane-Longines for 3-year-old fillies at Chantilly.
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And we move right along to:
Royal Ascot
Another edition of Royal Ascot goes into the books after Saturday's session, featuring the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at 6 furlongs and the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 1 1/2 miles, with four supporting races.
The Diamond Jubilee is a relatively wide-open affair with early wagering holding six of the 10 runners at or near single-digit odds. Among them are Hong Kong's hope, Gold-Fun, American runner Undrafted, Twilight Son, The Tin Man and the favorite, Magical Memory. Magical Memory has won his last two starts, including the Group 2 Duke of York in his most recent. Undrafted, trained by Wesley Ward, won this last year and prepped with a victory at Keeneland in the Grade II Shakertown. Gold-Fun, a 7-year-old, represents an ambitious undertaking for trainer Richard Gibson. But Gibson has pulled many rabbits out of his hat at Sha Tin and is never to be overlooked.
The Hardwicke also has a Hong Kong accent with Highland Reel in the picture. He won the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase last year but did not fare quite as well when cut back to 1 1/4 miles for the Group 1 Audemars Piguet QE II over the Sha Tin course in April, finishing eighth. Better fancied are likely to be Eagle Top, Exosphere and Dartmouth. Ten are entered to go 1 1/2 miles.
France
Eighteen fillies remain in for Sunday's Group 1 Prix du Diane-Longines at Chantilly, with a significant Irish component. Even as trainer Aidan O'Brien was lavishing praise Thursday at Ascot on the Coolmore owner/breeder combine and the Ballydoyle yard back home, his fillies Coolmore and Ballydoyle were still on the list for the French classic. Ballydoyle is the more promising after finishing second to Minding in the English 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. John Gosden also has Swiss Range, twice a winner this season in England, entered against the strong local contingent for the 2,100-meters test.
Back in North America:
Santa Anita
Songbird flies again in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Summertime Oaks. The undefeated filly missed the Kentucky Oaks after spiking a fever. She hasn't really been tested yet in winning all seven of her starts and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and jockey Mike Smith basically have given up finding enough superlatives to describe her. Her works indicate she's ready to go and, if so, six rivals will be competing for second-place money. Among those, Coppa is interesting as one to watch for the future after a pair of wins in as many starts. Actually, even if Songbird isn't quite up to her best, the others probably are still running for second.
Sunday's $200,000 Grade II Honeymoon Stakes also is for 3-year-old fillies but it's nine furlongs on the grass. Among the 10 in here, Stays In Vegas has been hot with three wins from her last four outings. Be Mine finished a close second to that one in the Grade III Senorita last time out -- her first loss in three starts. How Unusual has been improving, as has Where's the D.
Churchill Downs
Effinex, runner-up to American Pharoah in last fall's Breeders' Cup Classic, classes up Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Stephen Foster against six rivals. The 5-year-old son of Mineshaft makes his first start since winning the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap April 16. Among those facing him are Majestic Harbor and Eagle, who finished 1-2 in the Grade II Alysheba over the same track last time out. That was 1 1/16 miles. The Foster adds a sixteenth. There are many question marks around the others.
Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Gun Runner resurfaces in Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Matt Winn at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. The Candy Ride colt came into the Derby off a six-week layoff following his victory in the Louisiana Derby. For those not keeping score at home, it's been six weeks since the Kentucky Derby. The other six will have to step things up to be competitive.
All six distaffers in the $200,000 Grade II Fleur de Lis have something to prove. Untapable has been really tough for the past year and a half while winning only once in eight starts. Ahh Chocolate and Brooklynsway have taken turns beating each other. Big Book and Paid Up Subscriber both come off wins, but against easier foes. Engaginglee has been going the wrong way of late.
Last year's Arlington Million winner, The Pizza Man, returns in Saturday's $200,000, Grade II Wise Dan at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. Since that Grade I triumph last August, the now 7-year-old English Channel gelding has been second in the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile, a close fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, missed a trip to the Grade I Japan Cup, won the Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup and flattened out to finish fifth in the Grade I Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in his 2016 debut. Thatcher Street and Pleuven, the 1-2 finishers in the recent Opening Verse over the course, lead the opposition. Kasaqui fell in the mishap at the top of the stretch in the Grade I Turf Classic on Derby Day but the Argentine import ran well in his previous outing.
Eleven 3-year-old fillies will try 1 1/16 miles on the grass in the $100,000 Grade III Regret on Saturday. Gone Away, Family Meeting and Wessex all show up here after finishing first, second and third last time around in the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico. Noble Beauty just missed in the Honey Ryder at Gulfstream in her second career start. Dothraki Queen returns to the turf, where she won at first asking nearly a year ago. Auntie Joy was second behind the always-tough Catch a Glimpse in the Grade III Edgewood over the course and distance in her last race and will not be sorry to note that rival's absence.
Belmont Park
Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Poker Stakes at Belmont Park is 1 mile on the turf and assumes added interest with the Tuesday's impressive Royal Ascot win by defending Breeders' Cup Mile champ Tepin and the prospect of trainer Andre Fabre sending another winner from that meeting, Usherette, to oppose her in November's renewal.
"I'm quite confident she could beat Tepin," Fabre said after Usherette's win on Wednesday.
Some of the six in this mix, however, might have a word in that conversation. Grand Arch was third in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile. Force the Pass won last year's Grade I Belmont Derby and since has been third three times in graded stakes. Those included the Grade I Secretariat Stakes at Arlington, where he was the favorite in a heat won by Highland Reel. Obviously has run in four consecutive renditions of the Mile and finished third in 2012. King Kreesa won this event last year and in 2013. And Takeover Target was a Grade II winner at Pimlico in his last start.
Monmouth Park
Seven 3-year-olds were drawn for Sunday's $150,000, Grade III Betfair.com Pegasus Stakes. Unified, undefeated winner of the Grade III Bay Shore at Aqueduct and the Grade II Peter Pan at Belmont, got the middle gate with Jose Ortiz up. To his outside is Abiding Star, winner of five straight before finishing 11th in the Preakness. The others have more modest resumes. Could one or more of these move along to the $1 million Haskell on July 31? Some of the big boys could show up for that party.
