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Sword Dancer, Arlington Million top weekend of classy turf racing

1 of 4 | Integration, shown winning the 2024 Red Smith at Aqueduct, is the favorite in Saturday's Grade I Arlington Million at Colonial Downs. Photo by Susie Raisher/Coglianese Photography, courtesy of NYRA Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Lots of top-level turf racing with a little seasoning of promising 2-year-olds makes up the menu for weekend horse racing. Saturday's Grade I Sword Dancer on the Saratoga greensward is a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and anchors a Saturday card that also includes turf-running fillies and mares and sprinters. The Grade I Arlington Million returns to the Colonial Downs turf along with the Beverly D and Secretariat Stakes. The 2-year-olds start to stretch out a little on both coasts. On the global scene, Royal Ascot runners Rebel's Romance and Lazzat return in Germany and France and, as usual, Aidan O'Brien runners look dominant as the Irish 2-year-old scene heats up. Turf Last year's Arlington Million winner, Nations Pride, has been through a rough patch since then, but returns to the scene of long-ago triumph in Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Sword Dancer at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Turf. The 6-year-old Godolphin homebred went from the Million victory to finish 10th three months later in the Group 2 Bahrain International Trophy and bounced back to Gulfstream Park in January to finish ninth in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf. He won the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes in Dubai on March 1, but then was 10th in the Group 1 Dubai Turf. His record at the Spa is much better. The son of Teofilo got his first top-level win in the 2022 Saratoga Derby and reported second behind stablemate Measured Time in the 2024 Manhattan Stakes. The Sword Dancer drew a tough field, including last year's winner, Far Bridge, who captured three of his last four. Todd Pletcher saddles Rezeen and Ignacio "Nacho" Correas has Utah Beach, and all of them have been knocking on the door. Speaking of the Arlington Million, Saturday's renewal at Colonial Downs drew a field of eight, with Integration, second in the Grade I Manhattan in his last start, as the morning-line favorite. He also was second in the 2024 Million, behind Nations Pride. The sole international raider, Cairo, exits a third-place finish in the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. The wrinkle in the Million sheets is 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, who gets his first opportunity on turf. He has just a single win from seven starts since his dramatic, three-way photo in Louisville, so a fresh start may be just the ticket. On the Million undercard at Colonial, as it was for decades at Arlington Park, is Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Secretariat for 3-year-olds. Filly & Mare Turf Be Your Best is best on the morning line in a field of nine lining up for Friday's $300,000 Grade II Ballston Spa at Saratoga. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee has won four of her last five starts, but has not raced since winning the Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita on May 26. She's cross-entered in the Grade II Beverly D at Colonial Downs. Be Your Best also tops the morning line for the Beverly D, transplanted along with the Arlington Million to Colonial Downs. Should the Muhaarar filly opt to stay in New York, the Virginia heat would look like a really ripe spot for South African import Beach Bomb, who just missed to the super She Feels Pretty in the Grade I New York Stakes at Saratoga last time out. Go Go Boots, last seen a competitive fourth in the Group 2 Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot for owner Bobby Flay, gets her first North American start in Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks. The Night of Thunder filly has been handed off from John and Thady Gosden to Miguel Clement. Laurelin enters undefeated after four starts but steps up in class. Opulent Restraint was a narrowly defeated third in the Grade I Belmont Oaks in her last start. Eight signed on for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. All have been graded stakes placed and most have won at that level. The closest thing to consistency, however, is the record of Musical Rhapsody, who has finished in the top three in all but one of her last seven starts. Turf Sprint Already in the books: Pop Idol led gate-to-wire in Thursday's $150,000 Galway for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga. The Maclean's Music filly, trained by George Weaver, finished the 5 1/2 furlongs on firm going in 1:02.13, winning for the third time in her last four starts. Governor Sam is the even-money favorite in a field of nine for Sunday's $175,000 Grade III Mahony for 3-year-olds at Saratoga. Dirt Mile / Sprint Admiral Dennis is the 8-5 morning-line favorite among eight set for Sunday's $300,000 Ellis Park Derby. Older horses go 7 furlongs on the same Ellis Park program in the $200,000 R.A. "Cowboy" Jones Stakes. Distaff / Filly & Mare Sprint Alpine Princess, coming from a win at Horseshoe Indianapolis, is a slight favorite in a competitive field of nine for Sunday's $200,000, 1-mile Groupie Doll at Ellis Park. In the $200,000 Audubon Oaks at the same 7 furlongs on the same program, Vodka With a Twist, second in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, looks for redemption after a sixth-place showing in the local Pea Patch Stakes. Juvenile With less than three months to go to their biggest test in the Breeders' Cup, it's time to start paying serious attention to the 2-year-olds. Doug O'Neill has three and Bob Baffert two in Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Best Pal at Del Mar -- and that's the whole field. None has starred. Any could shine. Comport is the even-money favorite in a field of six set for Sunday's $200,000 Ellis Park Juvenile at 7 furlongs. The Eddie Kenneally trainee was second in the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs earlier. Juvenile Fillies Sunday's $150,000 Grade 3 Sorrento at Del Mar has a field of six featuring Himika, the likely favorite off a career-first race that produced a 6-lengths victory that could have been more. Baffert trains. Kingsolver and Chopsticks headline in a field of six for Sunday's $200,000 Ellis Park Debutante. Around the world, around the clock Ireland Gstaad is the star in a three-horse Coolmore package that makes up half the field for Saturday's Group 1 Phoenix Stakes for 2-year-olds at the Curragh. The Starspangledbanner colt is 2-for-2 and won the Group 2 Coventry at Royal Ascot by 3 lengths. True Love and Puerto Rico complete the team. France Last year's winner, Lazzat, tops the entries for Sunday's Group 1 Maurice de Gheest, 1,300 meters at Deauville. The 4-year-old, now toting the colors of Wathnan Racing, was a brave winner in his last race of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, holding off Japanese star Satono Reve through the final strides. Germany Rebel's Romance returns from his third-place finish in the Group 1 King George at Ascot to face five rivals in Sunday's Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, 2,400 meters at Berlin Hoppegarten. Pay attention. The now-7-year-old Godolphin globetrotter used wins in Germany as a springboard to Breeders' Cup victories in 2022 and 2024 and has shown with three wins from five runs this season that he still has plenty of punch left.