Historic features at Santa Anita in Memorial Day weekend horse racing
May 23 (UPI) -- A pair of historic Grade I features at Santa Anita, graded stakes as far afield as Kentucky and Texas, and an international schedule that includes the Irish Guineas, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" in Chile and three 9-year-olds in a French Group 1 race -- all in Memorial Day weekend horse racing.
Let's get summer off to a right old start with ...
Classic / Dirt Mile
Skippylongstocking journeys to California for only the third time in his extensive career -- and the first time for a non-Breeders' Cup race -- to contest Monday's $200,000 Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
On the plus side for the 7-year-old, he catches a questionable field. On the flip side, he himself is questionable at the 1 1/4-mile distance. His previous West Coast visits were for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Recent winners of the Hollywood Gold Cup include Country Grammer, Game on Dude (twice) and Lava Man (three straight years). Historically, the race has been won by the likes of Affirmed, Ack Ack, Round Table, Citation and Seabiscuit.
Louisiana superstar Touchuponastar, by Star Guitar, finished second in the Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park each of the past two years and is the 2-1 morning-line favorite to finally get the big prize in Monday's $400,000 Grade III renewal.
Instant Replay detours from the Arkansas-Louisiana circuit to start as the 4-5 morning-line favorite in Monday's $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park.
Distaff
Alpha Bella looks to shake off a case of seconditis in Sunday's $200,000 Grade II Santa Margarita at Santa Anita -- maybe here or maybe in Monday's Gamely on the turf, where she's cross-entered. She's been runner-up in four of her last five starts, all graded stakes, and in eight of 21 for her career. Where's My Ring and Splendora also have claims.
Turf
Saturday's $100,000 Cliff Hanger at Monmouth Park looks like anyone's race with nine in the main field. There are four "main track only" entries, but the weather forecast looks promising for turf racing.
Filly & Mare Turf
As noted, Alpha Bella is cross-entered in Monday's $300,000 Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita and Sunday's Grade II Santa Margarita on the dirt. She's 2-4-2 in 13 turf starts and 1-4-0 in seven goes on fast dirt. Where's My Ring also is cross-entered in the Santa Margarita, so handicappers will have to await the scratches to see who's running where and when.
Saturday's $250,000 Keertana at Churchill Downs attracted eight. Tarneema, a Kitten's Joy filly making her stakes debut, is the 3-1 favorite on the morning line.
Also: Sunday's $100,000 Miss Liberty at Monmouth and Monday's $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star Park.
Turf Mile
Eight locals mix it up with upstart Florida invader Seminole Chief in Monday's $300,000 Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.
Seminole Chief, a 4-year-old colt trained by Jack Sisterton, has risen through the ranks and sparkled since moving to turf this season. However, he gives away experience and class status as he takes on older rivals in just his second open stakes assignment.
Among those rivals is the formidable Formidable Man, who would have a five-race winning streak going but for a fading, 12th-place finish in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf in January at Gulfstream Park.
He returned from that to win the Grade I Frank Kilroe Mile on March 1. Four others exit wins or seconds in graded stakes in their last starts.
Turf Sprint
Monday's $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge at Lone Star Park has an overflow field and no clear favorite. It's 5 furlongs on the lawn.
Sprint
Saturday's $100,000 Speightstown Sprint at Lone Star Park has a wildly competitive field of 10 set to go 6 furlongs. Monday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park features Super Chow, making his first start since a ninth-place finish in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on World Cup night.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Trainer Bob Baffert left Hope Road at Churchill Downs after the Quality Road filly finished a fading second in the 7-furlongs Grade I Derby City Distaff on Derby Day. She resurfaces in Monday's $250,000 Grade III Winning Colors at 6 furlongs, facing eight rivals, a few coming off stakes victories.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. sends Mystic Lake from Kentucky to start as the favorite in a field of 11 for Monday's $100,000, 6-furlongs Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park.
Around the world, around the clock
Japan
Sunday's Grade 1 Yushun Himba or Japanese Oaks features the 1-2 finishers from the Grade 1 Oka Sho, or Japanese 1,000 Guineas -- Embroidery and Arma Veloce.
While both certainly have earned their place in the field, both have something to prove -- mainly about their distance capabilities. None has ever raced beyond 1,800 meters, or about 1 1/8 miles. The Yushun Himba requires them to see out 2,400 meters or about 1 1/2 miles. In addition, it will be the first run over the tricky Tokyo Racecourse layout for Arma Veloce.
Hong Kong
Sunday's Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup wraps up the Group 1 season in Hong Kong with only one overseas entry. The lack of locals makes sense as Hong Kong's best seldom compete at this 2,400-meter distance.
The short interest on the part of the internationals might be laid to the increasing early-season role of Saudi Arabia and Dubai on the global schedule and the need to prepare for summer campaigns in Europe.
Still, the Champions and Chater Cup is not devoid of stars, with top-shelf British visitor Dubai Honor taking on the likes of Hong Kong's four-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble and BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat.
Ireland
If all goes to form, it should be another big weekend for the Coolmore-Ballydoyle forces at the Curragh.
The combine fronted by trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Ryan Moore has favorites or near-favorites Officer in Saturday's Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas, Lake Victoria in Sunday's Group 1 Irish 1,000 Guineas and Los Angeles in the Group 1Gold Cup.
England
Saturday's Temple Stakes at Haydock drew a baker's dozen to go 5 furlongs. With no clear favorite, there's lots of long odds on good horses, including 2024 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust, who preps for Royal Ascot prior to a stud career in Australia. The companion Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes is 5 furlongs for 3-year-olds, also with a competitive field.
France
Sunday's Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp features a tough one. Sosie returns from last month's victory in the Group 1 Prix Ganay, his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Nine-year-old Dubai Future, last seen winning the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night, is back for Sunday's Group 1 Prix Vicomtessa at Longchamp. His rivals include Godolphin stablemate and fellow 9-year-old Passion and Glory, fourth in the Dubai heat. Both are trained by Saeed bin Suroor. And, proving the Jude Feld saying, "old guys rule," the opposition includes another 9-year-old, Trueshan.
Chile
Breeders' Cup's International "Win and You're In" Challenge program rolls on, this weekend at Club Hipico de Santiago in Chile. The winner of the Group 1 Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella gets a pass into the Breeders' Cup Mile on All Saints Day at Del Mar.
Four-year-old Frateli La Vita lines up to defend his 2024 victory against archrival Medjool. The latter has won his last six starts, three of them over Frateli La Vita. The race is contested at 1 1/4 miles.
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