LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 23, 2021) – 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.
Keeneland closes its spring meeting on Friday with the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes, and the Kentucky scene shifts to Churchill Downs on Saturday evening with the William Walker Stakes to open its spring meeting just one week before the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve.
Graded stakes action in California this weekend is highlighted by the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita Park and the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields, part of a five stakes race program which also includes the California Derby.
TVG will be broadcasting every race, every day. In addition to racing from Keeneland, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, TVG will feature racing from Oaklawn Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.
“America’s Day at the Races” will also be live on Saturday on FS2 from 1-11 p.m. ET. On Sunday, “America’s Day at the Races” will air from 1-5:30 p.m. ET on FS2.
Friday, April 23
5:30 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on TVG
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is seeking his fourth win in the Grade 3 1 ½-mile, $150,000 Bewitch Stakes on turf with War Like Goddess and Delta’s Kingdom among 12 fillies and mares in the field on closing day of the Keeneland spring meet. George Krikorian’s War Like Goddess enters the Bewitch off a nose victory in last month’s Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream Park. Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for the Orchid victory, has the call as he seeks his third victory in the race. Delta’s Kingdom, who broke her maiden at Keeneland in April 2019, was fourth in the Orchid. The Al Stall-trained Dalika (GER) won the Albert Stall Memorial, named after the trainer’s late father, at the Fair Grounds in February.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE042321USA-EQB.html#RACE9
Saturday, April 24
7:30 p.m. – $100,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields on TVG
The $100,000 California Derby, for 3-year-olds, is one of the highlights of Gold Rush Weekend at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday. Run on the Tapeta surface at 1 1/16 miles, the eight-horse field is led by the John Shirreffs-trained Parnelli, a bay son of Quality Road, who will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado. Seeking his first win of the year, Parnelli finished sixth in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in his previous start. California-bred Stalking Shadow, a winner of three of his four starts this year, steps into stakes company for the first time for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GG042421USA8-EQB.html
7:46 p.m. – Grade 2 $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s 4-year-old filly As Time Goes By looms large as the 3-5 morning line favorite over four rivals at Santa Anita in Saturday’s Grade 2 $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles for older fillies and mares. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith, As Time Goes By has a regal pedigree. She is by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of three-time Grade 1 winner Take Charge Lady. In her first start against stakes competition, As Time Goes By finished second to 2020 3-year-old filly champion Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on March 13. The Simon Callahan-trained Harvest Moon, fourth in the Beholder Mile, won four races last year, including the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita and Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar. She was also fourth, beaten less than three lengths, in the Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA042421USA8-EQB.html
8:07 p.m. – Grade 3 $250,000 San Francisco Mile Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on TVG
Grade I winners Ohio (BRZ) and Keeper Ofthe Stars headline Saturday’s one-mile, $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf for 3-year-olds and up, the centerpiece of the Gold Rush Weekend at Golden Gate Fields. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Ohio has 11 career wins, including the Grade 1 2019 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds’ 5-year-old mare Keeper Ofthe Stars, the lone female in the eight-horse field, won last year’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita. Trained by Jonathan Wong, Keeper Ofthe Stars tuned up for Saturday’s race by winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance race over the course on April 3, which was her first start since finishing seventh in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon last August at Del Mar. The Richard Mandella-trained Border Town ran third to Grade 1 winner Hit the Road in the Grade 3 Thunder Road at Santa Anita in February.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GG042421USA9-EQB.html
10:11 p.m. ―$150,000 William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS2
On opening night of the spring meeting at Churchill Downs, Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables and Spendthrift Farm’s Cowan, runner-up in Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, leads a field of 10 3-year-olds and two also-eligibles entered in Saturday’s 5 ½ furlong $125,000 William Walker Stakes on turf.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Cowan, the 7-2 morning line favorite, is making his first start since finishing 10th in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai, beaten only 4 ¾ lengths. Luis Saez, who was aboard in Dubai, has the call Saturday evening. Second choice Field Day (4-1) finished third last time out in the five-furlong Texas Glitter at Gulfstream Park on March 20 for trainer Brad Cox.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD042421USA9-EQB.html
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