The Breeders' Cup World Championships loom ever closer, but there is still a wide variety of notable stakes action throughout North America Saturday, Oct. 23. It's Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park, where there are seven stakes worth $100,000 or more, capped by the $150,000 Maryland Classic. But other than the Hendrie (G3) for synthetic surface sprinters at Woodbine Racetrack, all the graded stakes take place at Belmont Park and Keeneland.
Both turf courses will be in use at Belmont, with the $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares scheduled for one mile on the Widener, followed by the $400,000 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf.
Three-year-old sprinters are spotlighted at Keeneland in the $150,000 Perryville Stakes for males and the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) for fillies.
The Noble Damsel, Hill Prince, and Raven Run are respectively legs 1-3-4 of a Cross Country Pick Five filled out by two allowance races at Keeneland.
Perryville (Kee, race 7, 4:12 ET): Looking forward to the return of Soup and Sandwich (1), who has been away since pressing the early pace in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) in just his fourth lifetime start for Mark Casse. That race followed three big efforts in Florida, a couple of blowout wins in preliminary conditions and a game second in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) when three lengths clear of the third horse. The homebred colt by Into Mischief has turned in a series of promising workouts for his return.
Pipeline (6) is an up-and-coming sort as well. After a couple of off-the-board finishes to start off, the son of Speightstown has staged a total turnaround with the addition of blinkers for his last two outings, climaxed by a fast maiden score at seven-eighths.
He'smyhoneybadger (4) and Pickin' Time (5) emerge from rallying runner-up finishes in the Harrods Creek Stakes and the Gallant Bob Stakes (G3), respectively. Either or both could benefit from a pace that figures to be hotly contested among Boca Boy (2), Irish Unity (7), and Cool Quest (8).
A - 1, 6
B - 4, 5
Noble Damsel (Bel, race 8, 4:21 ET): Chad Brown has been on a stakes rampage this fall, and not only does he have the one to beat here in morning-line favorite Tamahere (10), he's also sending out Love And Thunder (6), who comes off a sharp allowance win on the same course.
Tamahere has been allowed to roll on the lead in her last two, and that paid dividends four weeks ago when she drew off to a lengthy triumph in the Violet Stakes on yielding ground at Monmouth Park. She earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort—a number that has been surpassed only by her stablemate Raging Bull (106) in turf races up to nine furlongs this year. Tamahere also ran lights out when second in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1T) on yielding turf earlier this year, so the half-empty view is that she probably won't get those conditions here. Plus, she is coming back relatively quickly off a huge effort so it's possible she might regress, particularly if she gets hung wide early contesting the pace with Shifty She (5).
Shifty She returns from a 16-month layoff in April and has turned in five solid performances, including back-to-back wins in minor stakes at Gulfstream Park under Edwin Gonzalez, who is riding lights out recently in South Florida and listed to be back aboard here. In her two most recent starts, Shifty She was beaten less than two lengths in the De La Rose Stakes and Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3T) against some very salty competition, notably Regal Glory, who was narrowly beaten last out in the First Lady Presented by UK Healthcare (G1T), and Princess Grace, who has won four straight graded stakes.
The price horse I want to try and get in the mix is In a Hurry (1), a homebred filly by Blame whose recent races hint she may be another late-blooming type for Shug McGaughey. She showed improvement with blinkers on in June, then got most of the summer off and returned with two more good races in September, capped by a stalk-and-pounce victory over second-level allowance optional company on this layout. She ought to sit another cozy pocket trip.
High Opinion (3) is the strongest closer based on rail-skimming rally that came up a nose short in the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T). Her most recent appearance on the Widener course was a maiden win last October at odds of 97-1.
A - 1, 3
B - 5, 6, 10
Hill Prince (Bel, race 9, 4:52 ET): Four of these sophomores stretch out a bit from the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/16 miles, while two emerge from the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at 1 1/2 miles.
Solider Rising (11) and Slicked Back (2) ran second and third, respectively, in the Jockey Club Derby, and get our main focus on the cutback. Soldier Rising has won or placed in all six of his starts, and the son of Frankel won at this distance to begin his career in France last fall. Slicked Back did much of the heavy lifting contesting the pace in the Jockey Club Derby, but is capable of rate-and-finish tactics and may resort to that strategy due to the presence of several speed types, among them Original (6), a front-end winner of the Manila Stakes two back, and Saranac runner-up Never Surprised (10).
Chad Brown's trio of Founder (4), Sifting Sands (8), and Public Sector (9) are the backups. Public Sector will go favored off wins in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) and Saranac, but the likeable Kingman colt has never been beyond 1 1/16 miles and must give four pounds to the field.
A - 2, 11
B - 4, 8, 9
Raven Run (Kee, race 9, 5:16 ET): Bill Mott sends out the first two choices on the morning line in Obligatory (13) and Caramel Swirl (8), while Mark Casse counters with the duo of Souper Sensational (3) and Miss Speedy (11).
Miss Speedy figures to be the biggest price among that foursome, and it's worth noting that she is coming off synthetic-track races, as did the Casse-trained Shamrock Rose in 2018 when she won this race at 18-1 and came right back to take the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at 25-1.
Miss Speedy overcame a horrible start and rallied from last to win her July 10 debut for trainer Denyse McClachrie, after which Gary Barber purchased a share and the Souper Speedy filly was turned over to Casse. She has since won twice on the lead, and rated kindly with blinkers removed last out.
Souper Sensational and Obligatory come off good seconds in the Prioress Stakes (G2) and Cotillion Stakes (G1), respectively, while Caramel Swirl looks to rebound after fading to fourth as the 7-10 chalk in the Charles Town Oaks (G3).
Seven furlongs at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races involves two turns, and Caramel Swirl's two most eye-catching runs at the distance were at the conventional one-turn configuration, beginning with a 10-length win at Keeneland back in April.
Moreover, Caramel Swirl wound up three wide on the turns while swimming against the current of a powerful rail bias on the Charles Town Classic undercard. That race also followed a big-figure comeback win at Saratoga Race Course, so the bounce-rebound angle is potentially in play for this daughter of Union Rags .
A - 8, 11
B - 3, 13
