Mrs. Revere Stakes headlines Churchill Saturday night Stakes Double

Churchill Downs will have a Saturday evening program that gets underway at 4:30pm and the $175,000 Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes drew a full field of fourteen.  As with any turf stakes these days, there are a few Kitten’s in the field, with Emotional Kitten and Quality Kitten both drawn to the two inside posts.  Emotional Kitten is multiple Grade 1 placed and was closing last time in the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland, finishing seventh, but beaten only three lengths.  Quality Kitten on the other hand will be making her stakes debut after a pair of impressive wins to start her career.  Wayne Catalano trains Quality Kitten and she’ll be ridden again by Norberto Arroyo Jr.

Tapicat drew out in the thirteen hole and she should be part of the early speed, so the post position won’t matter as she’ll have the entire length of the stretch to clear over towards the hedge.  Tapicat won the Florida Oaks at Gulfstream this spring and was close in a couple of Grade 2 events this summer at Saratoga.  Most recently she was second in the Pebbles Stakes at Belmont and her regular rider Mike Smith will make the trip to Churchill to ride.  Effie Trinket will also take some money at the windows as she’s proven to be a win machine on the grass in New York, winning 6 of 10 lifetime.  But she’s been doing that against state-bred competition, so this will only be her second try against graded runners, her first being a 9^th place finish in a Grade 3.

Thirteen horses will go in the $100,000 Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth for three year olds.  Central Banker returns to the grass where he’s already a stakes winner.  He tried the synthetic last time and while he finished fourth last time out at Keeneland, he racked up a career top speed figure.  River Seven just dominated the $100,000 Labeeb Stakes at Woodbine last time and he was a big presence all throughout the Canadian Triple Crown, finishing second in both the Prince of Wales and the Breeders’ Stakes.  Ruler of Love will also return to the turf after spending his last three races going on the dirt in Grade 2 events.

Churchill’s Saturday evening card gets underway at 4:30pm EST.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Mrs. Revere

1. Tapicat
2. Effie Trinket
3. Emotional Kitten

Longshot: I’m Already Sexy

BetPTC.com Selections for the Commonwealth

1. Ruler of Love
2. Winning Cause
3. River Seven

Longshot: Dorsett

Jammed Lovely Stakes highlights Woodbine’s Saturday

Three year old fillies will clash at seven furlongs on the main track at Woodbine in the $150,000 Jammed Lovely Stakes.  The race is filled with horses who have had allowance success but are trying to jump up into stakes contention.  Silent Treat drew the rail and is two for two at the seven furlong distance.  Like many of these same rivals she tried the Ruling Angel Stakes last time out and faded down the lane after contending to the top of the stretch.  She’s going to have to deal with some serious early speed types like Tequilamockingbird who will be foot on the gas pedal early on.  One horse who will be coming from off the pace and should be a good price is Bangla Dancer.  She chased from in behind in the Ruling Angel Stakes and flattened out late.  Jesse Campbell though gets back on and he’s been aboard for her last three wins.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Jammed Lovely Stakes

1. Bangla Dancer
2. Philzana
3. Checkered Past

Longshot: Line of Best Fit

Four-pack of stakes at Laurel on Saturday

Laurel Park will showcase four $100,000 Stakes events on their big Saturday card that gets underway at 12:35pm EST.  The first is the Jennings Handicap which could be another exhibition for Eighttofasttocatch who dominated the Maryland Millions Classic last time out.  Bellefire ships up from Florida off a win and his one start at Laurel was a good second place finish in a $100,000 event.  Who’s In Town has a big class edge in the $100,000 Smart Halo Stakes.  Who’s In Town finished first in the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga before being disqualified.  She was just fourth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades and will likely be a big favorite in this spot.  Her main competition will come from Hug a Tree and Co Cola, both of whom are undefeated in their short careers and are making the jump to stakes competition.

The $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes features Maryland legend Ben’s Cat who is a win machine on any surface.  He’ll get tested on Saturday though as Guam Typhoon came to Laurel for his last start and dominated by five lengths and picked up a big figure in doing so.  Just like Ben’s Cat, he’s over a 50% winner in his career, so something will have to give when these two titans hook up.  It’s a Bang will look to run his career record to 3 for 3 as he drew the inside post in the James Lewis Stakes.  He scored impressively in the Maryland Millions Nursery Stakes last time out, but that was only facing five rivals.  He’ll have to compete with a full field of twelve in this spot.  Joint Custody was second in the nursery and was the favorite that day, so he’ll be looking to turn the tables on that rival.  Debt Ceiling is a Grade 3 winner but is coming off an eased effort last time in the Grade 1 Champagne.  Pure Sensation could be the one to watch out for as he showed marked improvement breaking his maiden last time out.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Jennings H.

1. Eighttofasttocatch
2. Bellefire
3. Wild Louis

Longshot: Concealed Identity

BetPTC.com Selections for the Smart Halo

1. Hug a Tree
2. Who’s In Town
3. Co Cola

Longshot: Henny’s Princess

BetPTC.com Selections for the Dave’s Friend Stakes

1. Guam Typhoon
2. Ben’s Cat
3. Rainbow Heir

Longshot: Service For Ten

BetPTC.com Selections for the James Lewis

1. Pure Sensation
2. It’s a Bang
3. Joint Custody

Longshot: Aaron’s Orient

Sharp Cat Stakes is the Hollywood Park prep for the Starlet

Six two year old fillies will be prepping for the Grade 1 Starlet on Saturday in the Grade 3 Sharp Cat Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.  With all the top stakes runners competing in the recent Breeders’ Cup, the young up and comers will take their shot at at $100,000 pot on Saturday.  Bob Baffert will send out Georgia who was a big maiden breaking winner in her second start.  Rafael Bejarano will ride Georgia who drew post two, just outside of the rail runner Be Proud.  Be Proud was second to Georgia in her maiden breaking score and came right back to break her own maiden next time out by five and a quarter lengths.  Pleasant Miss might be the horse who most enjoys the synthetic, as her entire career so far has been all on either synthetic or turf.  She was third in the Landaluce Stakes, only a length and a half behind She’s a Tiger who finished first before disqualification in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Sharp Cat

1. Georgia
2. Pleasant Miss
3. Be Proud

Longshot: Saintly Joan

Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com 

Betfair Hollywood

Race 3                  Sharp Cat Stakes                               4:30pm EST

Calder

Race 7                  Excellent Luck Stakes                         3:30pm EST

Race 8                  Cut The Charm Stakes                       4:00pm EST

Charles Town

Race 8                  A Huevo Stakes                                10:25pm EST

Churchill Downs

Race 7                  Commonwealth Stakes                       7:32pm EST

Race 9                  Mrs. Revere Stakes                            8:36pm EST

Evangeline Downs

Race 7                  EVD Derby                                       9:10pm EST

Race 8                  LQHBA Breeders’ Futurity                   9:34pm EST

Golden Gate

Race 7                  Oakland Stakes                                 6:45pm EST

Hawthorne

Race 6                  Lightning Jet Handicap                       5:40pm EST

Race 8                  Powerless Handicap                           6:40pm EST

Laurel Park

Race 4                  Jennings Handicap                             1:59pm EST

Race 6                  Smart Halo Handicap                          2:56pm EST

Race 7                  Dave’s Friend Stakes                          3:25pm EST

Race 8                  James Lewis III Stakes                       3:55pm EST

Turf Paradise

Race 4                  Jack Coady Stakes                             4:25pm EST

Race 7                  Chandler Stakes                                5:58pm EST

Woodbine

Race 8                  Jammed Lovely Stakes                       4:26pm EST

 

 

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