Sierra Leone wins Whitney; retains leadership among older U.S. horses
Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Reigning Breeders' Cup Classic champion Sierra Leone earned a repeat trip to that race with a victory in Saturday's Grade I Whitney Stakes, but still has a scramble to nail down the leadership of his division.
Deterministic and Seismic Beauty also captured "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup spots and Ewing and Mythical emerged as top 2-year-olds -- all in weekend racing.
On the global front, Nicoreni defended local honor in Germany and Fallen Angel won a tough edition of the Prix Rothschild in France.
Classic
Saturday's $1 million Grade I Whitney at Saratoga attracted an appropriately talented field, including the last two winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Only one of them made much of an impression -- Sierra Leone, who rallied from the back of the nine-horse field to win with relative ease by 1 length over Highland Falls.
Sierra Leone, the reigning Classic champ, earned a try for a repeat in the "Win and You're In" race. The 2024 Classic winner, White Abarrio, was a non-factor Saturday, finishing fourth. The favorite, Fierceness, had a chance to near the sixteenth pole, but then tired to finish fifth.
It was the third start and first win of the year for Sierra Leone, a Gun Runner colt trained by Chad Brown for a trans-Atlantic partnership.
Mindframe, who was scratched from the Whitney in favor of stablemate Fierceness, defeated Sierra Leone by 1 length in the Grade I Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 28. Fierceness was last seen finishing second in the Grade I Met Mile. So the division title remains up for grabs?
Brown: "It's a division that's very good. This is no walk in the park to get back into the Breeders' Cup Classic."
Brad Cox, trainer of Highland Falls: "Horses beat horses. They take turns punching each other, and we'll see. I like where we are with our horse."
Also: Sunday at Mountaineer, Chunk of Gold led gate to wire in the $400,000 Grade III West Virginia Derby and won by 4 1/4 lengths over McAfee.
On the undercard Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show was all out to defeat Not This Boy by a head in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes.
And Saturday at Woodbine, Swift Delivery won the $150,000 (Canadian) Seagram Cup by 2 lengths over late-rallying favorite Dresden Row.
Distaff
Seismic Beauty took them gate to wire in Saturday's $400,000 Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, holding on at the end to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Kopion. Richi was third.
Seismic Beauty ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.33 with Juan Hernandez up and earned a "Win and You're In" spot for the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
"That wasn't an easy lead," winning trainer Bob Baffert said. "They were rolling. ... She's just getting better and better. She's still maturing, but I think she'll improve off of that."
Filly & Mare Sprint
Kilwin recovered from a stumbling start to win Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.
Turf
World Beater was up in the final yards to beat world traveler Juwelier by 1/2 length in Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational and The Padre took Sunday's $100,000 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds at Del Mar by 1/2 length.
Stanley House dominated 10 rivals in Saturday's $120,000 (Canadian) Niagara Stakes at Woodbine; and at Ellis Park, Tomasello won Saturday's $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby and Highway Robber took Sunday's $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup.
Filly & Mare Turf
Destino d'Oro stalked the pace in Sunday's $400,000 Grade III Pucker Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Ellis Park, breezed by the early speed and ran on to win the former Arlington Park fixture by 3 3/4 lengths.
Turf Mile
Deterministic was determined, indeed, in the late going of Saturday's $750,000 Grade I FanDuel Fourstardave at Saratoga.
Rallying three-wide, the 4-year-old Liam's Map colt surged by early leader My Boy Prince to take the lead, and then held off a late bid by Intellect to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
Deterministic, with Kendrick Carmouche up for Miguel Clement, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:33.87 and earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile on the Del Mar grass.
Luther, a European import trained by Charlie Fellowes, was awarded the win in Friday's $400,000 Grade II National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga as first-to-finish Zulu Kingdom was set down to fourth for interference into the first turn.
Also: Layabout won Saturday's $75,000 Bear's Den Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park, Beach Gold won Saturday's $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile at Ellis Park and Simply In Front won Sunday's $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile, also at Ellis.
Turf Sprint
Bring Theband Home won Sunday's $300,000 Grade II Troy Stakes at Saratoga, opened a big lead and coasted in first by 1 1/2 lengths as the odds-on favorite; at Ellis Park.
Pondering won Saturday's $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint and Bear River copped the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint; Love Appeals won Sunday's $100,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park and Euro import Oujda captured Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Sweet Briar Two at Woodbine.
Juvenile
Ewing overcame an erratic start to win Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Saratoga Special by 1 length over Obliteration. Both came into the race undefeated and with high expectations.
On Saturday at Monmouth Park, Hey Nay Nay ran a-way-way with the $100,000 Tyro Stakes, leading all the way to a 7-length score as the odds-on favorite. The Irish-bred No Nay Never colt improved to 2-for-2 after winning his career opener at Santa Anita on June 1 for trainer John Sadler.
Juvenile Fillies
Mythical, the odds-on favorite, proved herself the real thing with a 3 1/4-length victory in Sunday's $175,000 Adirondack at Saratoga. She remains undefeated after three starts, also including the Tremont Stakes, over colts, earlier in the Spa meeting.
Around the world, around the clock
France
Fallen Angel basically had to win Sunday's Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville twice. The 4-year-old Too Darn Hot filly first looked like edging clear to victory inside the 200-meter standard only to find the favorite, January, rallying to put a head in front.
With Danny Tudhope urging her on, Fallen Angel rose to the challenge, rallying to regain the lead and win by a head over January. Start of Day finished third, another 1 1/2 lengths back.
Germany
Nicoreni burst through between rivals midway through the stretch run in Sunday's Group 1 Henkel-Preis der Diana or German Oaks, drifted left for a few strides, but ran on to win by 1/2 length in a cluster of relative long shots.
The high-profile invaders, Coolmore's Garden of Eden and Godolphin's Spirited Style, rattled home ninth and 10th, respectively.
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