Del Mar kicks off inaugural Bing Crosby Fall Meet
Racing at Del Mar in November might have an odd sound to it, but the warm temperatures and great racing will make for a November of racing in San Diego. Racing will kick off on Friday November 7th and run through Sunday November 30th with racing on a Thursday through Sunday schedule with first post time at 3:30pm EST on the weekdays and 3:00pm EST on the weekends. Many of the highlights of the meet will be the old stakes from Hollywood Park including the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 29th and the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup on Thanksgiving Day. The turf course will be the center for much of the stakes action as it was in Hollywood Park for their old fall meet.
The Saturday feature is the $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes for three year olds at one mile on the grass and drew a field of nine runners. Awesome Return is a multiple stakes winner, but hasn’t been seen since the Del Mar Summer Meet when he ran third in an optional claiming event. He picks up the riding services of Mike Smith who is climbing on board for the first time in the Let It Ride. His main competition looks to come from his inside in the form of Forever Juanito and Home School. Forever Juanito was second in his last start going down the hill in a stake at Santa Anita. He’s only competed once at Del Mar and that was at a mile in the Oceanside on opening day this past summer where he ran seventh, but beaten only three lengths. His best performances seem to come when he’s close up so look for him to possibly send from the inside. Home School is another one who could be up on the early pace and while he’s never won in three starts at Del Mar, he’s hit the board in all three, two of which were stakes events. I’ll Wrap It Up is Grade 3 placed and picks up the riding services of Gary Stevens for the Let It Ride.
First post time at Del Mar on Saturday is 3:00pm EST.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Let It Ride
- I’ll Wrap It Up
- Awesome Return
- Forever Juanito
Longshot: Number Five
Grade 3 River Cities headlines Churchill Saturday
Churchill Downs fall meet is underway and the $100,000 River Cities Handicap tops the Saturday program. Eleven older runners will compete in the Grade 3 event including Grade 1 Silver Max. Silver Max is most known for beating Wise Dan in last year’s Shadwell Mile at Keeneland. He couldn’t defend his title last month when he finished fifth in the Shadwell Mile behind Wise Dan. His record over the Churchill turf course is very solid as he’s won 2 of his 3 starts there including the Firecracker Handicap back in June. Silver Max will tote the highweight of 123 pounds and is spotting at least four pounds to every rival. Guys Reward is the second high weight and has had a long and storied career, with nearly $800,000 in earnings. Guys Reward won the Grade 3 Oceanport earlier this summer and after a bad effort at Kentucky Downs he was sent to the bench for almost two months. Trainer Graham Motion has entered Under Control who was third in that Oceanport Stakes behind Guys Reward. He’s cutting back from the mile and one half Laurel Turf Cup, a race he led in mid-stretch but faltered late.
The River Cities Stakes is the 9th race at Churchill Downs on Saturday and the Churchill card gets underway at 12:40pm EST.
BetPTC.com Selections for the River Cities
- Silver Max
- Under Control
- Gentlemen’s Kitten
Longshot: Villandry
Saturday is Florida Sunshine Millions Preview Day
Gulfstream Park West will be showcasing the Florida-breds on Saturday with the Florida Sunshine Millions Preview Day. With Sunshine Millions coming up in a few weeks, many of the horses will be prepping for that big day on Saturday as there are seven stakes events for $100,000 each. The showcase is the Million Classic Preview which sees the return of Wildcat Red. Wildcat Red won the Fountain of Youth Stakes earlier this year at Gulfstream and finished a strong second in the Florida Derby. He returns to Florida after trying lots of top graded stakes company, including a third place finish in the Haskell Invitational. East Hall is coming off a huge win in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby, the biggest win of his career. East Hall is in the best form of his career and will look to put together two of his best races back to back. Schivarelli has won three of four in his career with his only loss a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Wood memorial. He’s never started in Florida but he should be part of the early pace and if he’s as good as his record indicates.
The Turf Preview Stakes features Bad Debt who won this exact race last year before finishing third in the Sunshine Millions Stakes. He’s coming off a big second place performance in a non-conditioned allowance at Keeneland behind the talented Coalport. EB Ryder might have the home-court advantage as she’s 3 for 4 at Gulfstream Park West. She’ll be taking on the boys in this spot as the filly and mare turf preview didn’t go. The Distaff Preview features the very talented Devil’s Cave who was the Grade 2 winner of the Sabin Stakes. She followed that up with third place finishes in the Grade 3 Rampart as well as the Grade 1 La Troienne. She will have to deal with a few other pace types in the race including Puddifoot. Puddifoot is lightly raced and when she fires a good one she’s very tough.
The rest of the stakes races are for the two year olds including a pair of juvenile turf races and a pair of juvenile sprints. The Saturday Florida Million Preview gets underway at 12:35pm EST.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Million Classic Preview
- Wildcat Red
- East Hall
- Quisqueyano
Longshot: I’m Steppin Up
BetPTC.com Selections for the Million Turf Preview
- E B Ryder
- Bad Debt
- Triple Cross
Longshot: Poco Man
BetPTC.com Selections for the Distaff Preview
- Devil’s Cave
- Puddifoot
- Holiday Magic
Longshot: Flutterby
Long Island Handicap is Aqueduct Saturday feature
The Big A is underway and Saturday’s top event is the $200,000 Long Island Handicap at a mile and one half on the grass. A full field of twelve will compete in the Long Island including Viva Rafaela who is the high weight at 119 pounds. Viva Rafaela hasn’t hit the winner’s circle in quite a while but he’s been consistently hitting the board in races similar to this level. He just finished third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl so he should appreciate the class relief. Aigue Marine drew the rail for the Long Island Handicap and he’ll look to improve on his sixth place effort in this race last year. He won the Grade 3 Dickey two starts back and finished fifth last time out in the Grade 3 Glen Falls. Tabreed was second in the Long Island Handicap last year in what was his only try at Aqueduct. Last time out he was third in the $200,000 Kentucky Downs marathon, but that’s such a unique course, that the third place finish looks strong. Chad Brown will send out a French shipper in Danza Cavallo. Brown is coming off a very strong Breeders’ Cup and he’s tabbed Irad Ortiz to ride this horse who has been running at long distances in France.
The Long Island Handicap goes off as the 7th race on Saturday.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Long Island
- Tabreed
- Viva Rafaela
- Meri Shika
Longshot: Embarr
Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com
Aqueduct
Race 7 Long Island Handicap 3:14pm EST
Charles Town
Race 7 Tri State Futurity 9:44pm EST
Race 8 Tri State Futurity 10:11pm EST
Churchill Downs
Race 9 River Cities Handicap 4:37pm EST
Del Mar
Race 8 Let It Ride Stakes 6:30pm EST
Golden Gate Fields
Race 6 Golden Nugget Stakes 6:15pm EST
Gulfstream Park West
Race 2 Million Distaff Preview 1:04pm EST
Race 3 Million Turf Preview 1:33pm EST
Race 5 Juvenile Filly Turf 2:31pm EST
Race 6 Juvenile Sprint 3:00pm EST
Race 8 Million Classic Preview 3:58pm EST
Race 9 Juvenile Turf Stakes 4:27pm EST
Race 10 Juvenile Filly Sprint 5:05pm EST
Remington Park
Race 2 Razorback Futurity 8:29pm EST
Race 8 Lady Razorback Futurity 11:16pm EST
Turf Paradise
Race 5 Jack Coady Sr. Stakes 5:57pm EST
Race 7 Chandler Stakes 6:59pm EST
Woodbine
Race 6 Frost King Stakes 3:36pm EST
Race 8 Jammed Lovely Stakes 4:38pm EST