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July 7 (UPI) -- Weekend racing has a derby here, a derby there, a derby, derby everywhere, from coast to coast and on turf and dirt. The 3-year-old races on dirt at Los Alamitos, Horseshoe Indianapolis and Prairie Meadows all are worth a look in a year when the 3-year-old hierarchy is in constant flux. The big one, though, is the $750,000 Grade I Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational on the turf.
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There are Oaks races to go with most of those. And the older horses have plenty of opportunities, too, in New York, Delaware and elsewhere.
On the world scene, the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse highlights the Sandown season and France has the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud for older horses and the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat for 3-year-old sprinters.
Diving right in ...
The 3-year-olds
California
Reincarnate makes his first start since finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby facing just five rivals in Saturday's $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby.
The Good Magic colt, trained by Bob Baffert, won the Grade III Sham Stakes at Santa Anita to start 2023, and then was third in the Grade III Rebel and the Grade I Arkansas Derby, both at Oaklawn Park.
The opposition includes Skinner, who was third in both the Grade II San Felipe and the Santa Anita Derby, but skipped the Louisville festivities. The other four look a lot less likely.
Indiana
Verifying was second in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland and second in the Grade III Matt Winn Stakes at Ellis Park, credentials good enough to make him the 8-5 favorite in Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
In between those efforts, the Brad Cox-trained Justify colt reported 16th in the Kentucky Derby after leading a good part of the way. Raise Cain, another by Violence, finished eighth in the Run for the Roses and fourth in the Matt Winn.
Trainer Ben Colebrook has him cross-entered in this and the Iowa Derby. Hayes Strike was seventh in the Blue Grass, won the Texas Derby and finished third two weeks ago in the Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
Larry Rivelli brings back Act a Fool on two weeks rest after winning the Hawthorne Derby on the grass.
Iowa
Saturday's $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows lacks the firepower of the weekend's other two derbies and unless Colebrook opts for this spot for Raise Cain, it does not have any Kentucky Derby starter.
That leaves Eyeing Clover as the morning-line favorite in the big field. The Lookin at Lucky colt has won three of five start and was third, beaten just a neck in the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in his most recent effort.
The Oaks
Defining Purpose and Taxed are the morning-line favorites in Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Indiana Oaks.
Defining Purpose won the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland in April, then was seventh in the Kentucky Oaks. Taxed was second in the Grade III Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, and then won the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan on Preakness weekend at Pimlico.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. shipped Imonra up from Florida for Saturday's $225,000 Grade III Iowa Oaks and was rewarded with the favorite's status. It's a wide-open field, though, so the Violence filly, winner of two in a row at Gulfstream Park, is no shoo-in.
Turf / Turf Mile
The Foxes is the morning-line favorite, but Silver Knott looks like the key marker in a strong field in Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational.
Silver Knott, a Lope de Vega colt, has competed at the highest levels on both sides of the Atlantic for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, notably winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last October before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.
He chucked it in through the final furlong of the Group 1 2000 Guineas -- not the only top colt to do that -- but then shipped back to New York for what looks like a key race in the Grade II Pennine Ridge on June 3.
Silver Knott was away slowly in the Pennine Ridge, but ran on to finish third and now faces the first two finishers from that one, Kalik and Far Bridge, to see which side of the Atlantic can prevail. Meanwhile,
The Foxes arrives for his first start since finishing fifth in the Derby at Epsom. He earlier won the Group 2 Dante at York and last fall's Group 2 Royal Lodge at Newmarket.
The field also includes the 1-2 finishers from the Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs, Webslinger and Mendelssohn's March, Jersey Derby winner Boppy O, Cinema Stakes winner Wizard of Westwood and recent maiden winners Cyber Ninja and Redistricting, neither of whom should be dismissed out of hand.
Friday's $250,000 Grade III Manilla Stakes for 3-year-olds is 1 mile on the Belmont Park lawn.
Major Dude has come along nicely for trainer Todd Pletcher and won the Grade II Penn Mile in his latest start. Talk of the Nation exits a second in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth.
Nagirroc was second in the Grade III Transylvania at Keeneland, and then won at Pimlico on Preakness weekend. Activist Investing, a Kingman colt, makes his 3-year-old debut for trainer Chad Brown.
Filly & Mare Turf
Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational lacks its usual infusion of talent from Coolmore and Godolphin but, nonetheless, has a solid field including two Brown charges and two from the Graham Motion barn.
Brown fields the undefeated Aspray, as well as Prerequisite. The latter won the Grade II Wonder Again over the course June 11 for her second win from three starts.
Motion's pair is Mission of Joy, who is one hard-luck third short of a five-race win streak, and Speirling Beag, a Group 3 winner in Ireland last season. There are several other candidates who wouldn't need much improvement to win this 1 1/4-mile test.
Classic
Saturday's $350,000 Grade II Suburban at Belmont Park drew a field of five to go 1 1/4 miles. None of them has had much success of late and only one, Unbridled Bomber, has won at the distance.
The only last-out winner is Tonal Impact, who steps up from the allowance ranks after changing hands six times last year in claiming races for as little as $20,000.
Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows attracted five runners from Kentucky to face four locals and one from Florida. There's no clear favorite.
The Florida visitor, Skippylongstocking tops the morning line at 3-1. Locally trained Ain't Life Grand is next at 7-2. It's a nice wagering opportunity.
Distaff
Idiomatic looms large in a field of six for Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap.
The Juddmonte homebred, a 4-year-old Curlin filly, has won four of her last five starts including the Grade III Shawnee at Churchill Downs in her most recent outing for trainer Brad Cox.
Classy edition has won three of her last four but was 10th in the Grade I La Troienne two starts back. Morning Matcha has potential, too.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Four of the eight 3-year-old fillies entered for Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park are either undefeated or one race shy of that, promising a competitive 6 1/2 furlongs for sure. Red Carpet Ready looks scariest as two of her four wins came in graded stakes.
Around the world, around the clock
England
Emily Upjohn is left with just four rivals for Saturday's Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, but despite the top-shelf defections, some worthy foes remain.
Emily Upjohn, whose sire, Sea the Stars, won the Eclipse in 2009, has been pointed toward the race since she won the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes last autumn and showed she's ready with a top effort in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 2.
With the likes of Bay Bridge, Desert Crown, The Foxes, Adayar and My Prospero taken out on Monday, the main challenger is Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas and Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes winner Paddington.
Anmaat, winner of the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan in May, was ruled out on Thursday with a foot absess -- a temporary woe that surfaced at exactly the wrong time. Dubai Honor and West Wind Blows complete the field.
Frankie Dettori will miss the ride on Emily Upjohn while serving the nine-day suspension he was handed during the Royal Ascot proceedings.
Saturday's Group 2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock features Mimikyu as favorite in a field of nine. The Dubawi filly, a George Strawbridge homebred, has been inconsistent, but is good when she switches on.
France
Trainer Ralph Beckett has two Juddmonte runners, Westover and Malabu Drive, both by Frankel, in Saturday's Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Westover was last seen finishing second behind the world's best horse, Equinox, in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March. He will have to contend again with the horse that finished third in that event, Zagrey.
Malabu Drive takes a big step up, as do the other two.
Chaldean, winner of the 2000 Guineas and second in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, returns for Sunday's Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.
Among the rivals is Coolmore's filly Meditate, looking for a breakthrough after finishing second in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and fourth in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at the Royal meeting.
The 1,400 meters or about 7 furlongs is a slight cutback for both. Dettori, Chaldean's regular rider, will miss this one, too.
