Mystik Dan, Thorpedo Anna return to scene of Derby, Oaks triumphs
June 27 (UPI) -- Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna, winners of the 2024 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively, return to Churchill Downs on Saturday as key parts of a talent-laden program on dirt and turf in weekend racing.
On the international front, Lambourn seeks a "Derby Double" in Ireland and some heavyweights tangle in a French Group 1 tilt at Saint-Cloud. Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" spots are on offer in Louisville, Ky., and Montevideo, Uruguay.
Let's dive right in.
Classic
Saturday's $1 million Grade I Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 1. But, no matter who wins the Foster, six of the seven entrants easily could meet again in that year-end showdown. It's that good a field.
Hit Show enters off a win in the $12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup. Mystik Dan won last year's Kentucky Derby and got back on the winning path with a score in the Grade III Blame over the same course and 1 1/8-mile distance as the Foster in his last.
Sierra Leone won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic after a storied Triple Crown campaign.
Skippylongstocking won the Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup in his last start and has won just about everywhere -- except Churchill Downs. There, he's 0-for-2.
Mindframe, by contrast, exits a victory in the Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day. First Mission won the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap in his last start.
Another shocker: Three of the five entries in Saturday's $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby are from the Bob Baffert barn. Baffert seeks his ninth straight victory in the race and 15th overall with Tiz Secure, Varney and Nevada Beach.
Doug O'Neill counters with Rank and Antonio Garcia has the Cal-bred It's a Factor, who probably won't be as he seeks his second career win in his first start on dirt.
Seven are in for Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III HPIbet Marine Stakes for 3-year-olds on the Woodbine all-weather. Five are Ontario-breds and therefore candidates for the rapidly approaching King's Plate.
Distaff
Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, features 2024 Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna in a field of five.
The 4-year-old Fast Anna filly will have to prove her last race, a fading, last-place finish in the Grade I La Troienne, was a fluke. Trainer Kenny McPeek's decision to bring her right back from the May 2 debacle is encouraging, as is her record of seven wins from eight starts before the La Troienne.
Eight are slated to report for duty in Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Selene for 3-year-old fillies on the Woodbine all-weather. Mark it a tossup.
Sprint
Booth has won four straight races, three at the tough Oaklawn Park meeting, which is enough to make him the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday's $350,000 Grade III Kelly's Landing at Churchill Downs.
Super Chow, Subrogate and Dean Delivers all seem to have chances in a field of eight for Saturday's $175,000 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park.
Sunday's $250,000 Maxfield Stakes finds 13 3-year-olds set to go 7 furlongs out of the Churchill Downs backstretch chute. It looks wildly competitive.
Turf
Mercante, Brilliant Berti and Lagynos are well-regarded in Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Wise Dan at Churchill Downs after finishing 1-2-3, respectively, in the Grade III Arlington Stakes at the same 1 1/16 miles May 31.
Tiztastic was 2-for-2 on the grass before being detoured to the Triple Crown trail. Trainer Steve Asmussen has him back on the green course in Saturday's $250,000 American Derby at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Peter Eurton ships Stay Hot from California to Lone Star Park to make his 4-year-old debut as the 5-2 favorite in Saturday's $250,000 Texas Turf Classic.
Turf Mile
The twice-delayed $400,000 Grade III Penn Mile finally gets to the starting gate Friday at Penn National with a field of eight 3-year-olds. Zulu Kingdom seeks his third straight win in a field of eight.
Friday's $400,000 Penn Oaks at Penn National has a well-matched field of nine. The roster sounds like a Valentine's card with Love You Anyway, Love and Poetry, Reigning Flowers and Candy Quest in the field.
Speaking of romance, Lush Lips and Vixen finished second and third, respectively, behind the talented Nitrogen in the Grade II Edgewood on Kentucky Oaks Day. With Nitrogen out of the picture, they top the morning line for Saturday's $250,000 Tepin Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.
Don't overlook Something Stronger if her odds stay near the 10-1 morning line quote.
Caitlinhergrtness, the 2024 King's Plate winner, returns to the Woodbine turf in Saturday's $175,000 (Canadian) Grade II Nassau for fillies and mares.
Turf Sprint
Patches O'Houlihan is 12-for-15 at Woodbine and a solid favorite in Saturday's $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II bet365 Highlander at the same venue. My Boy Prince, runner-up in the 2024 King's Plate, returns from New York as a gelding with a new lease on life as a turf sprinter.
Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies
Sunday's $225,000 Bashford Manor and $225,000 Debutante for fillies are good chances to watch and learn about some early-maturing juveniles.
Around the world, around the clock
Ireland
Lambourn seeks the Derby Double in Sunday's Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. The Australia colt, trained by Aidan O'Brien, ran off with the Betfred Derby at Epsom, winning by 3 3/4 lengths.
It would seem there's not a lot standing in his way, with Tennessee Stud the next-favored in the antepost wagering. The Joseph Patrick O'Brien charge was third at Epsom, 4 3/4 lengths back of Lambourn.
The elder O'Brien's Whirl also is well-regarded in Saturday's Group 1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares at the Curragh.
But the 3-year-old Wootton Bassett filly, second by a neck in the Betfred Oaks in her last start, will have to cope with 4-year-old Kalpana, trained by the Gosden team. The Study of Man filly won the Group 1 Qipco British Champion Fillies & Mares last fall and was third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in her first start this year.
The Saturday program also includes heats for 2-year-olds.
France
Sunday's Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud only has five starters, but they're good ones.
Calandagan exits four straight runner-up finishes -- all in Group 1 races at York, Ascot, Dubai and Epsom. The 4-year-old Gleneagles gelding has never finished worse than third. Goliath, Junko, Aventure and Iresine complete the field.
Uruguay
A "Win and You're In" spot is on offer in Sunday's Group 3 Asociacion Uruguaya de Propietarios at Hipodromo Maronas in Montevideo, Uruguay. The winner will earn an automatic starting position and fees paid for the $1 million Breeders Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
The race is the first Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event ever held in Uruguay, which has had international success of late, including in Dubai.
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