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Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Arcangelo moved into the top position among 3-year-old contenders for November's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with his victory in last weekend's Travers Stakes. This weekend, the older horses targeting the same race get to show what they can do in two $1 million Grade I events. But wait. There's more. A few more 3-year-olds are taking an early shot against those older rivals Saturday, with a good chance to really scramble the standings.
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Overall, Labor Day is the first of two big weekend previews of the November Breeders' Cup World Championships with "Win and You're In" events in several of the divisions scattered around the country. The second weekend of October is the other.
The end of summer also is the start of this year's brief, but incredibly well-endowed, meeting at Kentucky Downs, the European-style turf track near the Tennessee border.
The purses advertised for Kentucky Downs races reflect significant state-bred supplements but most of the runners were bred locally and will run for the full amount. But even half the original prize is still a lot.
Much of this preview and the weekend recap will be abbreviated to fit it all in. That said, here are the highest of the highlights:
Classic
Two $1 million Grade I races a continent apart offer "Win and You're In" slots for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.
Saturday's $1 million Grade I FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar has the top older horses on the West Coast circuit but also features a trio of 3-year-olds looking to make a statement.
Geaux Rocket Ride is 3-for-4 and comes off a victory in the Grade I Haskell at Monmouth Park. Arabian Knight, a $2.3 million purchase last year, returns from finishing third in the Haskell after a six-month layoff. Skinner almost won the Santa Anita Derby back in the springtime.
The veterans, notably Defunded and Stiletto Boy, have their work cut out for them against those youngsters in Del Mar's premier race.
The horrible weather that plagued Saratoga earlier in the week is expected to be gone in plenty of time for Saturday's $1 million Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.
Rattle N Roll and Proxy should be well backed, but there's plenty of room for an upset in this field of eight.
Saturday's $200,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs brings back from a three-year hiatus a race that used to be a major stop on the road to glory. It's a competitive field but it won't be mistaken for the heats at Del Mar and Saratoga.
The morning-line favorite, How Did He Do That, won the Iowa Derby but finished seventh in the Texas Derby and sixth in the Ellis Park Derby.
Distaff
Faisa is the key to Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar. The Girvin filly, trained by Bob Baffert, won her first five starts, including the Grade I Starlet and Grade II Santa Anita Oaks, but was last seen finishing third in the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico in May.
Her works say she's back in form as well as back in town.
Turf
Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Del Mar Handicap, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, has a well-balanced lot including last year's winner, Gold Phoenix. Baffert steps a rare toe onto the green course with Azul Coast, a 6-year-old making only his second turf start.
Not to be outdone by the coastal rivals, Kentucky Downs jumps into the seven-figure purse game with Sunday's $1 million Grade III Dueling Grounds Derby. Red Route One, fourth in the Preakness Stakes, switches to grass for that one.
Also on the 3-year-old turf agenda are Friday's $175,000 Grade III Saranac at Saratoga with Grade II winner Carl Spackler as the odds-on morning-line favoite and Sunday's $300,000 Grade II Caesar's Sportsbook Del Mar Derby with a very contentious field of nine.
On opening day at Kentucky Downs, Harlan Estate rallied to an upset victory in Thursday's $500,000 Tapit Stakes and withstood objections by two rivals from different points in the race before the result was made official. English Bee and Yes This Time were second and third.
Harlan Estate, a 5-year-old Kantharos gelding, got his first win since last July at Woodbine.
Filly & Mare Turf
Only four signed on for Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Flower Bowl at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Chad Brown saddles the 4-5 morning-line favorite, McKulick.
Sunday's $1 million Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs has a full field and no clear favorite. It's 1 5/16 miles on the undulating course.
Turf Mile
Kentucky Downs has a lock on this division this weekend with Saturday's $2 million Grade III Mint Millions and $1 million Gun Runner Stakes for 3-year-olds, followed by Sunday's $500,000 National Thoroughbred League Handicap.
Annapolis, with six wins and four seconds from 11 starts, looks likely in the Mint Millions if he can handle the unique course. The Gun Runner has heavyweights Wadsworth, Major Dude and Talk of the Nation along with live long shot Tall Boy, who raced in Dubai early in the season.
Red Route One shortens up and tries turf in the Sunday race off a win in the West Virginia Derby He earlier finished fourth in the Preakness and eighth in the Belmont.
Del Mar joins the fun with Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Del Mar Mile. This is a tough little nut with the likes of Exaulted, Balnikhov, Du Jour and Count Again. This will produce Breeders' Cup prospects for sure.
Turf Sprint
Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, has an overflow field of speedy types. They only get 5 furlongs to sort it out and racing luck is bound to play a role.
Saturday's $1 million Grade III Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Kentucky Downs also is a jump ball with a wild card in Mama's Girl, making her U.S. debut after facing some of England's finest earlier in the year.
Speaking of England, Big Invasion, back from Royal Ascot, should have a big chance in a big field for Saturday's $150,000 Harvey Pack Stakes at Saratoga.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Five 3-year-old fillies are in for Saturday's $250,000 Grade II Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga and, on form, all five want to run on the lead. That should make for an entertaining 6 furlongs.
Juvenile & Juvenile Fillies Turf
Gala Brand, a filly running against males, rallied eight-wide from the back of a seven-horse field to win Thursday's $175,000 Grade III With Anticipation at Saratoga by 1/2 length over the favorite, Carson's Run.
Gala Brand, a Violence filly with German bloodlines on her dam side, ran 1 1/16 miles on the good inner turf in 1:45.93 with Jose Ortiz up for trainer Bill Mott, improving to 2-for-2.
Gala Brand was James Bond's ally and love interest in the Ian Fleming novel Moonraker, but the character was dropped from the movie.
Wednesday's $150,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga was washed off the turf, most of the major players, including Gala Brand, were scratched and Magic Cross, a Good Magic filly also trained by Mott, got the win going 1 mile on the fast main track. Her two previous starts also were on dirt.
Juvenile Fillies
Brightwork, undefeated after three starts and winner of the Grade III Adirondack early in the meeting, tops a big field for Sunday's $300,000 Grade I Spinaway at Saratoga. Becky's Joker won the Grade III Schuylerville back in July, but was seventh in the Adirondack.
Juvenile
While we eagerly await the entries for Sunday's $300,000 Grade I Hopeful at Saratoga, Saturday's third race at Del Mar has a field full of promising first-timers.
They include Mc Vay, a $1.2 million Constitution colt, and two trained by Baffert for his good friends and clients Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman who also own Pacific Classic contender Defunded.
Around the world, around the clock
France
Big Rock, second to Inspiral in the Group 1 Jacques le Marois in his last outing, won't face that rival as he seeks his fifth career win for trainer Christopher Head in Sunday's Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.
A win here could propel the 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar colt just about anywhere. His sire won this in 2002 and the honor roll also includes Goldikova, Excelebration and Baaeed among others.
The 2012 winner, Moonlight Cloud, is best remembered as the filly who almost beat Australian champion Black Caviar in that year's Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Germany
Sunday's Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden has a small but talented field. Sisfahan comes from a runner-up showing in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin.
Zagrey was second in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time out after a decent winter in Dubai. Fantastic Moon was second to Nation's Pride in the Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in his last.
Australia
Saturday Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield has some familiar names going 1,400 meters, with two-time Doncaster Mile winner Mr Brightside prominent.
