LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 25, 2020) – Throughout the year, the NTRA will provide a guide to the best stakes races in North America and beyond. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). Full previews when available can be found through the link for each race.
The upcoming week is highlighted by the opening of Santa Anita Park‘s fall meet, which was delayed by a week due to wildfires in the region. The weekend’s slate features seven Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” races including Saturday’s headliner, the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes, which offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
TVG is the go-to network for comprehensive coverage of racing at Santa Anita Park, starting on opening day September 25. TVG will also feature racing from marquee venues across the country including Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park and more.
Racing from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs continues on “America’s Day at the Races” which airs on either FS1 or FS2. Check the schedule below for air times. The weekend’s coverage on “America’s Day at the Races” is highlighted by Saturday’s Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Friday September 25
6:12 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Bob Baffert holds a strong three-card hand in the Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita, with his streaking 4-year-old Qahira, who is in search of her fourth consecutive win, rating top billing among a field of seven fillies and mares three and up going 6 ½ furlongs. Baffert will also be well represented by classy Quality Response, a restricted stakes winner at two who will be making her second start of the year on Friday and by recent restricted stakes winner Message, a 4-year-old filly that will be shortening up out of four consecutive routes.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092520USA6-EQB.html
6:43 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Eddie D. Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
A graded stakes winning turf sprinter who was most recently a close fourth in a Grade 1 sprint on dirt, trainer Doug O’Neill’s Wildman Jack looks like the horse to beat among a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Friday’s Eddie D. Stakes to be run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf. A W.C. Racing homebred 4-year-old gelding by O’Neill’s 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, Wildman Jack was last seen at Santa Anita winning the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes three starts back on May 23.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092520USA7-EQB.html
Saturday September 26
2:16 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes at Woodbine on TVG
Sav chases her second added-money title in Saturday’s $125,000 Ontario Fashion, a six-furlong main track event which has attracted six starters. Trained by Ricky Griffith for owner Steven Duffield, Sav, who took last year’s La Prevoyante Stakes, will go after her second straight win after a half-length score over seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on August 15.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO092620CAN3-EQB.html
4:35 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
With three out of the five runners in the Chandelier Stakes, Bob Baffert would appear to “have ’em surrounded” indeed, as his budding starlet Princess Noor fairly towers over her competitors, based upon two impressive tallies at Del Mar over the summer. Princess Noor has done little wrong in two starts, taking her 5 ½ furlong debut by 2 ½ lengths at 3-5 on August 22 and crushing five rivals by 6 ½ lengths at 3-5 in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs on September 6.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092620USA3-EQB.html
4:42 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2
Feel Glorious (GB) has finished on the board in each of her last six starts and will look to win her second consecutive stakes contest in Saturday’s Noble Damsel for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on the Belmont Park Widener turf. Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing, Feel Glorious defeated fellow Noble Damsel-contender Chaleur in the 1 1/16-mile Perfect Sting on August 14 over firm Saratoga Race Course turf. That marked the Bated Breath filly’s first win in three attempts of her 4-year-old campaign, which started with a third-place effort in the Grade 2 New York going 1 1/4 miles on June 27 at Belmont.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL092620USA8-EQB.html
4:53 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS2
Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables’ multiple stakes winner Warrior’s Charge tops a full field of 14 that were entered in the one-mile Ack Ack. Trained by Brad Cox, Warrior’s Charge was elevated to first in last month’s Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth after interference by Pirate’s Punch in the stretch. Warrior’s Charge, a 4-year-old son of Munnings, won the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn earlier this year and finished second behind By My Standards in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD092620USA9-EQB.html
5:14 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2
Six-time graded stakes winning millionaire Firenze Fire will take on five others in Saturday’s Vosburgh Stakes over six furlongs. Firenze Fire has won four of his seven starts over Big Sandy, including a 1 ½-length score in the Grade 2 True North on June 27 three starts back. During his juvenile season, the Florida homebred son of Poseidon’s Warrior bested subsequent champion Good Magic in the Grade 1 Champagne on October 2017 and was a runaway nine-length winner of the Grade 3 Dwyer in July 2018.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL092620USA9-EQB.html
6:41 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Blessed with a pair of talented turf distaffers, trainer Richard Baltas has a big look at the Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita, as his Lady Prancealot (IRE), a fast closing second in her most recent start, has solid distance credentials, while his Bodhicitta is in top form although distance may be a question. A winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks in her only try at the Rodeo Drive distance five starts back on December 28, Lady Prancealot is winless in four graded stakes this year, but she flew late to be beaten a diminishing neck in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar September 5 and merits top billing.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092620USA7-EQB.html
7:12 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
A gutty runner-up in two summertime starts, Bob Baffert’s highly regarded Spielberg looms the horse to beat in the American Pharoah Stakes. Most recently second, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs on September 7, Spielberg, a $1 million Keeneland September Yearling, will try two turns for the first time and be ridden for the first time by eastern-based Luis Saez.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092620USA8-EQB.html
7:43 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
A winner of three out of his last four starts and no worse than third in his last nine, Richard Mandella’s classy United heads up a field of eight 3-year-olds in Saturday’s John Henry Turf Championship. Most recently second, beaten a diminishing head at 3-5 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, United will again use the John Henry as a springboard to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland, a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar last year at Santa Anita.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092620USA9-EQB.html
8:14 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Unbeaten in two starts for Bob Baffert, Gary and Mary West’s homebred Maximum Security, the No. 1-ranked horse in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll, heads a field of field of five in Awesome Again Stakes. Maximum Security comes off a huge three length win in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 22 and will once again be a prohibitive favorite. Baffert’s Improbable, winner of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga August 1, will be bidding for his third consecutive win.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092620USA10-EQB.html
Sunday September 27
5 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
An impressive gate to wire winner of her last two starts, the Gary and Mary West homebred Fighting Mad looms a standout in the Zenyatta Stakes, to be contested at 1 1/16-miles. Trainer Simon Callaghan’s Harvest Moon, a 3-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, has won her last three starts and is an up and comer that will attract considerable pari-mutuel attention. Hard Not to Love, a Grade 1 winner and well accomplished, comes off a dull sixth behind Fighting Mad in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar and will hope to rebound for trainer John Shirreffs.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092720USA4-EQB.html
5:24 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks at Remington Park on TVG
Trainer Kenny McPeek has three of the eight horses entered for the Remington Park Oaks, including the heavy 7-5 morning-line favorite Envoutante. McPeek is looking for his second victory in this race, having won the 2013 edition with Montana Native. His other two entrants also certainly have a shot Sunday with Jeweled Princess at 4-1 and Curls and Bows at 6-1. That gives him three of the top four favorites in this field.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RP092720USA4-EQB.html
7 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Trainer Mark Glatt’s red-hot Collusion Illusion, who seeks his fourth consecutive win and C Z Rocket, in search of his fifth consecutive win photo, headline a solid field of five 3-year-olds and up in Sunday’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs. A winner of five out of six starts, Collusion Illusion was all heart in taking Del Mar’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes by a nose on August 1, while C Z Rocket, in his first graded stakes assignment, proved best by half a length in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien going seven furlongs on August 29.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092720USA8-EQB.html
8 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
In a marathon devoid of any clear standout, Tizamagician, Azul Coast and Combatant all figure prominently among a field of seven in the Tokyo City Cup. A gate to wire first condition allowance winner going one mile on September 5 at Del Mar, Tizamagician broke his maiden on January 1 and now has two wins from six starts this year. A non-threatening fifth on turf in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap August 9, Azul Coast was second to his eventual Kentucky Derby winning stablemate Authentic five starts back in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes January 4.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA092720USA10-EQB.html
8:12 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on TVG
A competitive field of nine horses were drawn for the Oklahoma Derby with Indiana Derby winner Shared Sense being made the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The three horses with top earnings in the field are close in talent and in odds with Dean Martini at 7-2. He comes in as the winner of the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby and the top money earner in the field of nine horses at $393,202. Rowdy Yates, trying to become only the third Oklahoma-bred to win the Oklahoma Derby, is second in earnings with $346,556, and listed as the third-choice in the morning line at 4-1 odds.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RP092720USA10-EQB.html
11:55 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile on TVG
Trainer Robertino Diodoro has won four of the last seven Canadian Derbies. He goes for his fifth on Sunday with Something Natural, who was third in the Manitoba Derby behind Mongolian Wind and Mr. Unusual, who have both come to Edmonton. Something Natural did run second to eventual Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou at Oaklawn Park and also won a solid allowance race at Oaklawn.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CTM092720CAN10-EQB.html