LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 4, 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.
Having been postponed from their usual May dates due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 146th edition of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks finally take place beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. The Derby and Oaks anchor eight hours of live broadcasts from NBC Sports on September 4 and 5. On Friday, NBCSN will show the Kentucky Oaks and other stakes races from Churchill Downs on a three-hour show from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
On Saturday, NBC will air five hours of coverage from Churchill Downs including six other stakes races and culminating with the 146th run for the roses. The broadcast runs from 2:30-7:30 p.m. ET.
Saratoga’s final weekend of racing will be broadcast on Fox Sports’ “Saratoga Live,” and as a bonus for racing fans, the NYRA-produced show will also show live races from Churchill during Kentucky Derby week that are not telecast on NBC or NBCSN. Highlights of the week include the 67th running of the Woodward Stakes for older horses on September 5.
Del Mar also winds down its summer meet this weekend, ending on Labor Day. All Del Mar races will be shown on TVG as part of their comprehensive on-site coverage.
Fans of international racing can tune in to TVG on Saturday morning as international superstar Enable (GB) competes in the September Stakes at Kempton in preparation for her fourth appearance in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October. She won the Arc in 2017 and 2018 and was second last year. Post time for the September Stakes is approximately 9:35 a.m. ET/6:35 a.m. PT.
Friday September 4
3:05 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBCSN
Whitham Thoroughbreds’ homebred Four Graces, riding a three-race win streak, headlines the field for the Eight Belles. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces has won four of five career starts and has posted Grade 3 wins in her past two starts in the Beaumont at Keeneland and the Dogwood at Churchill Downs.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090420USA8-EQB.html
3:40 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBCSN
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stables’ Sharing, winner of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall and the Tepin at Churchill Downs in her 2020 debut, tops a field of eight for the Edgewood. Trained by Graham Motion, Sharing will be making her first start since finishing second in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Manny Franco has the mount Friday and will break from post position three.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090420USA9-EQB.html
4:15 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBCSN
Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s McKinzie will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the Alysheba when he takes on seven rivals. Trained by Bob Baffert, McKinzie romped to a 4 ¾-length victory in last year’s Alysheba. Fifth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap going a mile in his most recent start, McKinzie will be ridden Friday by Mike Smith and break from post position two. Looming as the top challenger to McKinzie is Allied Racing Stable’s By My Standards. Runner-up in the Grade 1 Whitney in his most recent start and a winner of three of five starts in 2020, By My Standards is trained by Bret Calhoun.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090420USA10-EQB.html
4:50 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBCSN
Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, headlines of a field of eight for Friday’s 35th running of the La Troienne. Trained by Brad Cox, Monomoy Girl has won five Grade 1 races in her career that has produced more than $3 million in earnings. Two of her biggest victories came at Churchill Downs where she won the 2018 Kentucky Oaks and the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Winner of the Grade 2 Ruffian in her most recent start, Monomoy Girl will be ridden in the La Troienne by Florent Geroux and break from post position eight. Among the competition lined up to face Monomoy Girl is defending champion She’s a Julie and Vexatious, who upset Midnight Bisou in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 1.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090420USA11-EQB.html
5:45 p.m.—$1,250,000 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on NBCSN
Michael Lund Petersen’s brilliant two-time Grade 1 winner Gamine and Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver, winner of the Grade 1 Alabama in her most recent start, headline a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered for the 146th running of the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks. Gamine, the even-money morning line favorite, comes into the Oaks off blowout victories in the Grade 1 Acorn by 18 ¾ lengths going a mile and the Grade 1 Test going seven furlongs. Swiss Skydiver has won her past four starts against fillies with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes the boys the lone blemish in the past six months.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090420USA12-EQB.html
6:20 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 2 Turf Sprint Stakes at Churchill Downs on FS2
Diamond Oops, making his return to the grass for the first time since finishing second in last fall’s Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, and Grade 2 winner Bound for Nowhere head a deep field of 14 grass sprinters and one also-eligible in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint. Diamond Oops is a three-time graded stakes placed runner on dirt to go with his grass success. Trained by Patrick Biancone, Diamond Oops will be making his first start since June and be ridden by Florent Geroux out of post position one.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090420USA13-EQB.html
Saturday September 5
1:26 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1
Trainer Tom Albertrani entered the improving pair of Beau Belle and Lovely Lucky in Saturday’s Glens Falls, a 1 3/8-miles inner turf marathon for older fillies and mares. Mark T. Anderson’s Beau Belle, a 5-year-old Giant’s Causeway mare, is out of the graded-stakes winning Royal Solo mare Binya, who produced Dynaire – the dam of the popular Grade 1-winning Albertrani trainee Sadler’s Joy. Beau Belle graduated in her 15th start last July over a yielding Saratoga turf in a maiden special weight and followed with an allowance score a month later again over yielding turf, both races at 1 3/16-miles.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR090520USA4-EQB.html
2:40 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park on TVG
Antonio Arriaga knows exactly what he’s up against in Saturday’s $150,000 Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes, a one-mile turf race. The horse that Arriaga will saddle, Share the Ride, was claimed two starts back for $16,000, has never gone two turns in his 14-race career and is trying the turf for just the second time. The first time was the 5-year-old gelding’s last start, when he was fourth in the Get Serious Stakes at Monmouth Park going 5½ furlongs on August 23.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH090520USA5-EQB.html
2:55 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC
Multiple stakes winners Field Pass and Smooth Like Strait top a field of eight entered for the American Turf. Three Diamonds Farm’s Field Pass, a two-time Grade 3 winner, comes into Saturday’s race off a seventh-place finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational. Prior to that, he had won the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland and the Audubon at Churchill Downs.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA8-EQB.html
3:35 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 2 Pat Day Mile Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC
Echo Town, No Parole and Rushie head a field of nine for the Pat Day Mile. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Echo Town comes into Saturday’s race off a 3 ¼-length victory in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens at Saratoga on August 1. No Parole, winner of the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont before faltering as the favorite in the Allen Jerkens, is trained by Tom Amoss. Rushie, third in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes, cuts back to a one-turn race for the first time since his debut last October at Santa Anita.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA9-EQB.html
4:07 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC
The Road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby will begin Saturday afternoon when 10 2-year-olds go to the post for the Iroquois. The Iroquois offers 17 points toward the 2021 Run for the Roses on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers. Topping the entries is Stephen Fidel’s Therideofalifetime, runner-up in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in his most recent start. Trained by Ignacio Correas IV, Therideofalifetime will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position 10.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA10-EQB.html
4:21 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1
Dr Post, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in June, will make his Saratoga Race Course debut as one of two talented entrants for trainer Todd Pletcher in the Jim Dandy for sophomores going nine furlongs. St. Elias Stable’s Dr Post hasn’t finished off the board in four starts this year. After running fourth in his lone start as a juvenile, the Quality Road colt won his first two races of 2020, breaking his maiden in March going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park before stepping up to stakes company at the same track, winning the 1 1/16-mile Unbridled in April.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR090520USA9-EQB.html
4:39 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC
Klaravich Stables’ Newspaperofrecord (IRE), winner of the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs, heads a field of eight fillies and mares for the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile. Trained by Chad Brown, Newspaperofrecord returned to the races in June following an 11-month layoff to win the Grade 3 Intercontinental and followed that effort up with a front-running score in the Grade 1 Just A Game.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA11-EQB.html
4:57 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1
Reagan’s Edge will look to turn the tables on Frank’s Rockette in Saturday’s Prioress, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies. Previously campaigned by David Ingordo, husband of trainer Cherie DeVaux, Reagan’s Edge was purchased privately by Lael Stables following a last-out second in the Grade 3 Victory’s Ride held July 4 at Belmont Park.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR090520USA10-EQB.html
5:08 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Vigil Stakes at Woodbine on TVG
Multiple graded stakes winner and 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd faces eight rivals in the $125,000 Vigil Stakes. Sovereign Award winner and 22-time stakes champion Pink Lloyd chases another stakes crown in a race he has owned the past three years. Trained by Robert Tiller for Entourage Stable, the 8-year-old gelded son of Old Forester goes after his fourth consecutive Vigil score.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO090520CAN9-EQB.html
5:17 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Derby City Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC
Joel Politi’s Serengeti Empress, the 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner who is coming off a victory in the Grade 2 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga, heads a field of 10 fillies and mares in the Derby City Distaff. Trained by Tom Amoss, Serengeti Empress has won two of three starts at the seven-furlong distance with her lone loss coming to champion Covfefe in last year’s Grade 1 Test Stakes.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA12-EQB.html
5:30 p.m.—$500,000 Grade 1 Woodward Handicap at Saratoga Race Course on FS1
Juddmonte Farms’ three-time graded stakes winner Tacitus has been Grade 1-placed on four occasions, and will seek his first triumph at such level when he faces a field of five competitors in Saturday’s 67th running of the Woodward going 1 ¼ miles. The 4-year-old gray or roan son of prolific sire Tapit out of champion Close Hatches was a runaway winner of the Grade 2 Suburban going the 1 ¼-mile distance on July 4 at Belmont Park. With Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, he tracked a leisurely pace, took command at the quarter pole and drew off by 8 ¾ lengths in a final time of 1:59.40. This was his first start since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2 and marked his first victory since taking the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets in April 2019 at Aqueduct.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR090520USA11-EQB.html
5:50 p.m.—$1,000,000 Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs on NBC
A field of 10 top older grass runners will go to post in the 34th running of the Turf Classic, one of six graded stakes that will precede the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby. Factor This, riding a four-race win streak, and Somelikeithotbrown, winner of the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga in his most recent start, will be the starting top weights with 124 pounds in the Turf Classic. Trained by Brad Cox, Factor This counts the Grade 2 Wise Dan at Churchill Downs among his scores in his win streak.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA13-EQB.html
7:01 p.m.—$3,000,000 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on NBC
Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law, dominating winner of the Grade 1 Travers and Belmont Stakes, has been installed as the 3-5 morning line favorite in a field of 18 horses entered for Saturday’s 146th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby. Tiz the Law is the lowest-priced morning line favorite since 1989 when the entry of Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring was 3-5. Trained by Barclay Tagg, Tiz the Law has won six of seven starts with the lone blemish coming at Churchill Downs in last November’s Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in which he finished third over a sloppy track. The New York-bred son of Constitution is four-for-four in 2020.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD090520USA14-EQB.html
9:05 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar on TVG
The 63rd edition of the John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar has drawn a field of eight older fillies and mares headed by a pair of on-the-rise 4-year-olds in Raymundos Secret and Lady Prancealot. Raymundos Secret comes into the mile and one-eighth Mabee off a photo-finish tally in a one-mile allowance race at Del Mar on August 14. Lady Prancealot, who does her running out of the barn of trainer Richard Baltas, comes into the Mabee off a series of stakes tries against some of the better grass fillies and mares on the west coast.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR090520USA10-EQB.html
Sunday September 6
5:11 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on FS1
A field of six juvenile fillies will seek Grade 1 black type in Sunday’s 129th running of the Spinaway going seven furlongs over the main track. Trainer Tim Hamm shipped Dayoutoftheoffice for a victory in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on opening day at the Spa and will invade for another stakes engagement for juvenile fillies with Esplanande, who is unbeaten in three starts all against Ohio-breds. Owned and bred by Hamm’s Blazing Meadows Farm and WinStar Farm, the dark bay daughter of Daredevil won her debut by 6 ¼ lengths at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio before defeating Buckeye State native colts in the Hoover on July 3 at Belterra and the Cleveland Kindergarten on August 8 at Thistledown.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR090620USA9-EQB.html
5:45 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga Race Course on FS1
Four-time graded stakes winner Come Dancing will look to win a race at historic Saratoga Race Course for a third consecutive year, returning to the site of her lone Grade 1 win when she competes in the six-furlong Honorable Miss for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going six furlongs. Blue Devil Racing Stable’s Come Dancing won all of her graded stakes races across all three NYRA-operated tracks during a stellar 5-year-old campaign in 2019, with none of the victories by less than 3 1/4 lengths. The Malibu Moon mare started that stretch with a 7 ¾-length win in the Grade 3 Distaff last April at Aqueduct Racetrack before a 6 ¾-length romp in the Grade 2 Ruffian in May at Belmont. Staying on form, Come Dancing won the Grade 1 Ballerina going seven furlongs last August and registered another win in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom back at Belmont last September.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SAR090620USA10-EQB.html
8 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes at Del Mar on TVG
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sends out a pair of entries in the six-horse field for the Del Mar Debutante. Princess Noor broke her maiden at Del Mar on August 22 while Illumination ran second in her debut on August 15.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR090620USA9-EQB.html
8:30 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at Del Mar on TVG
A field of 12 was entered for the Del Mar Derby, which will be contested over 1 1/8-miles on the turf, including the filly California Kook who ran second last time out in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on August 22.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR090620USA10-EQB.html