Second round of Breeders’ Cup preps set to begin this weekend

Although Breeders’ Cup prep action continues this weekend at Belmont and Santa Anita, center stage shifts to Keeneland, where nearly half the stakes contested between Friday and Sunday (8 of 19) will take place. Following are notes on four of the weekend’s most anticipated races.

Phoenix Stakes (Friday, Keeneland) – This year’s 11-horse field includes the last two winners of this six-furlong sprint, Promises Fulfilled and Whitmore. Both horses were among the top sprinters in the land in 2018 but have yet to return to that form in 2019. Promises Fulfilled’s lone win in five starts occurred in the John A. Nerud Stakes in early July, while Whitmore’s only score in four outings came in the ungraded Hot Springs back in March. In the Phoenix, Whitmore will be competing at his preferred distance, at which he has won four career graded stakes and finished second in two others, including last year’s BC Sprint.

First Lady Stakes (Saturday, Keeneland) – An intrigu

ing “East vs. West” battle looms here, as Rushing Fall – whose seven graded wins have taken place in New York and Kentucky – takes on Vasilika, whose eight graded victories have all been in California. The two also have contrasting styles: Rushing Fall prefers to race on or just off the pace, while Vasilika relies on her formidable turn of foot in the lane.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (Saturday, Belmont) – There are no superstars entered in this year’s Turf Classic, but the field of seven veteran turf distance runners does include a trio of G1 winners. Among them is Channel Maker, last year’s winner of the 1½-mile race, who will be looking to break a string of three straight fourth-place finishes since winning the Man o’ War in May. Sadler’s Joy has only won once in 11 Grade 1 tries, but he placed in seven others and comes in off a strong second in the Sword Dancer. Arklow is another hard-knocker type – with more seconds and thirds than wins – who is almost always in the mix.

Shadwell Mile (Saturday, Keeneland) – With a full field of 14 and no clear-cut favorite, the Shadwell is the weekend’s most inscrutable race. The field includes the event’s last two winners, both of whom prevailed at a price, Suedois at 9-1 in 2017 and Next Shares at 23-1 last year. Suedois has hit the board in five group races this year in England and Ireland and will likely be among today’s favorites.

The two 3-year-olds in the field, undefeated Valid Point and Aidan O’Brien’s Van Beethoven, figure to take a lot of action. The pair finished one-two this summer in the Secretariat Stakes, which this year was shortened to a mile. The improving Bandua comes in off a win in the Arlington Handicap and a good third in the Arlington Million. Divisidero, winner of the Red Bank Stakes last out, is having perhaps his best year at seven.