Men’s sprinters scored in Class I glory on both coasts on Saturday with GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. in Saratoga and GI Bing Crosby S. in Del Mar, which is the “Victory and You are in” for GI Breeders’ Trophy.
Champion Jackie’s Warrior (Music by Maclean) was four to four at Saratoga, capped by a crunch win over MGISW Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in last year’s GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial. A perfect treble this year, with his most recent win at Belmont’s GII True North S. June 10, the bay was the favorite with a 1-5 on the morning line before the year. quite a formidable competitor.
The next closest on the light line is a 6-1 . shot Traffic Ny (Cross Traffic), winner of the State-Brewed S. Successfully Confirmed Competition in Belmont on April 29, and Chocolate Town S.
Meanwhile, on West Bank, a more even 10-person school seeking a spot in the Breeders’ Cup starting gate at Bing Crosby. Bob Baffert has won the event three times, but not since Lord Nelson in 2016, and he takes on the lightweight race Shaaz (Uncle Mo) Saturday. The $1.1 million acquisition of EASMAY won two of his four startups and started the third in the GIII Steve Sexton Mile on May 30 while in the care of the Sean McCarthy Conditioner.
GI Winner Woody Stephens S. of the previous term Watch discharge (Music by Maclean) avoid your opponent Jackie’s Warrior by starting first on West Bank Saturday. He finished 4th in GIII Smile Sprint S. July 2nd.
The top three finishers from Santa Anita’s GII Triple Bend S. also reappear here: American Theorem (American pharoah), Principe Carlo (Coil) and Get her number (Dialed).
Although this race has been won by some very talented horses, it has not produced a Breeders’ Cup winner since Kona Gold in 2000. The last Alfred Vanderbilt winner scored at the Championships. world enemy is Sightstown in the year 2004.
Short but sweet school set for Jim Dandy
There may be only five ponies set to line up for the GII Jim Dandy S. on Saturday, the local prepares for next month’s GI. Runhappy Travers S., but it’s a talented quintet.
This field is led by The epicenter (Not this time), who became the Derby favorite after dominating the rounds of the Fair Grounds. He is a second hero below Twin Spiers after being shot dead by a ranged Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and regrouping to fill the same slot in GI Preakness S. May 21.
Preakness Winner Vote early (Gunman) is also back here, hoping to give his sensational young male his second Class I winner in the seventh-most after Cyberknife’s Haskell score. He is joined by a stable friend Zandon (Start up), who finished third in the Derby after winning the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. in April.
GIII Ohio Derby Winner Port of Tawny (Pioneerof the Nile) and recent Churchill allowance winner West River (Tapit) round the field.
Country Grammer is back in San Diego
Country Grammer (Tonalist) started his first since upset the G1 Dubai World Cup on March 26 at Del Mar’s GII San Diego. John Velazquez set off from Saratoga to drive Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. This is the Gulf’s first game on American soil this year, after starting the season with a second-place finish at the G1 Saudi Cup on February 26.
Mandaloun (Into Mischief), named the GI Kentucky Derby and last year’s GI winner Haskell S. via DQ, moved west to run in this position instead of facing the aforementioned Life Is Good in the GI Whitney S . next weekend. He beat a good fourth in the GII Stephen Foster S. July 2.
There Goes Harvard (Fees will be charged), trained by Baffert Refunded (Dialed) and Royal Ship (Brz) (Boatman), who finished one-two in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 30, rematched in the event.
