Summer Fades, Racing Surges: Stars Shine on the Road to the Breeders’ Cup
As Labor Day weekend crests in the wave or summer, kids go back to school—and horse racing keeps chugging along like a powerful motorboat. This week’s racing results saw a slew of newly-minted graded stakes winners and returning stars entering the winner’s circle, primed for the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships in two months’ time.
Kentucky Downs Smashes Records with $25M Handle as New Stars Emerge
Another crop of multi-million-dollar graded stakes hit Kentucky Downs Sept. 6. In fact, wagering on that day’s card eclipsed the track’s record for the day; this year’s amount totaled over $25.39 million, up more than $4 million from this time last year. The revitalized Franklin, Ky. oval continues to make its mark on the global racing scene. Some standouts included Stellify, who won the $2 million Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon Invitational S. (G3T), garnering her fourth consecutive victory and second win at Kentucky Downs in just over a week. Epic Ride added a graded stakes win to his resume with a triumph in the $2.5 million FanDuel TV Mint Millions Invitational S. (G3T). But the grade 1 topper of the day was the $2 million Ainsworth Franklin-Simpson S. (G1T); three-year-old Troubleshooting is proving to be another rising star for sire Not This Time, closing late to win by a half-length.
World Beater Extends Dominance with Old Dominion Derby Victory
At Colonial Downs in Virginia, World Beater followed up his Aug. 2 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) victory by capturing the Old Dominion Derby (G3T) for trainer Riley Mott. This wrapped up a stellar weekend for veteran Claiborne Farm stallion Blame, broodmare sire of World Beater and sire of Epic Ride.
Bottle of Rouge Stuns in Del Mar Debutante as Baffert Adds 19th Futurity Win
Over on the West Coast, Del Mar concluded its summer meet with strong performances. For example, 9-1 Bottle of Rouge surprised bettors with a win in the Sept. 6 Del Mar Debutante (G1). The Vino Rosso filly was a bargain, selling for just $100,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale; she races for owner Jill Baffert, wife of trainer Bob. Bottle of Rouge has an interesting twist to her female family, as fourth dam Treacherous Turn is a ¾ sister to breed-shaping sire Hail to Reason. Further crosses of Hail to Reason appear in Bottle of Rouge’s pedigree through the likes of Hail to Reason’s sons Halo and Roberto. The next day, Brant captured the Del Mar Futurity (G1), marking Baffert’s nineteenth win in the race.
Global Stunners: Korea Cup, Sprint, and European G1s Shake Up Breeders’ Cup Picture
On Sept. 7 in Korea, Diktaean closed hard in the stretch to win the Sept. 7 Korea Cup (G3), earning him an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), while Self Improvement annexed the Korea Sprint (G3), meaning he earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). That same day, globe-trotting Goliath returned to his native Germany to bring home the crown in the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1), while longshot Sahlan, who shares a trainer with Goliath, slew giants in the Prix du Moulin (G1) at Longchamp.
Keeneland September Sale Set to Showcase Racing’s Blueblood Yearlings
And at Keeneland, all eyes are on the September Yearling sale, which sees royally-bred youngsters pass through the sales ring. The event starts Monday, Sept. 8.
