In the Glens Falls Stakes held at Saratoga on Thursday, McKulick narrowly defeated War Like Goddess in an intense showdown. This event was captured in a photo by Coglianese and courtesy of the New York Racing Association. The upcoming weekend at Saratoga is packed with various prominent turf races, including appearances from reigning Breeders’ Cup winners Cody’s Wish and Caravel, as well as this year’s Kentucky Oaks champion. Additionally, Ellis Park, Del Mar, Monmouth Park, and Saratoga will host significant grass races of their own. The races at Ellis Park serve as previews for the upcoming Kentucky Downs meeting, where the prize money continues to increase. Even the 3-year-olds are not taking a break this weekend, as some former Triple Crown hopefuls are making their way to Mountaineer Park for the West Virginia Derby. On the international front, trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore bounced back from their disappointment at the King George with another impressive performance from a 3-year-old at “Glorious” Goodwood on Wednesday. This midweek meeting revealed a few potential stars for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup in November. It is worth noting that the turf races happening at Ellis Park over the weekend are previews and qualifiers for the lucrative grass stakes taking place at Kentucky Downs from August 31 to September 13. The purse amounts listed include supplements for Kentucky-bred horses, making them realistic figures since most of the entries are indeed Kentucky-bred horses. The Saratoga Derby Invitational on Saturday will feature a competitive field of nine, including Far Bridge and Mondego, who finished first and third, respectively, in the Grade I Belmont Derby last month. Aspen Grove, the Grade I Belmont Oaks winner, is also entered in this race as well as Friday’s Saratoga Oaks. Far Bridge appears to be a strong contender given his impressive track record, although there are also some promising newcomers, such as Program Trading, who could make a significant impact with just a slight improvement. Saturday’s Dueling Grounds Derby Preview at Ellis Park boasts 13 entries, with Wadsworth, the winner of the American Derby at the same course in his last outing, being the favorite according to the morning line. The Grade III La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar on Sunday features a group of 3-year-olds who have shown promise without necessarily achieving great success. Henry Q is one to keep an eye on as he transitions to the green course after finishing third in the Grade I Sunland Park Derby and the Grade III Peter Pan, before taking fifth place in the Grade III Ohio Derby. Zalamo will be making his second start since arriving from France in May. Sunday’s Turf Cup Preview at Ellis Park has a full starting gate, with two additional horses waiting on the sidelines. Spooky Channel, last year’s runner-up, is considered the leading contender according to the morning line. On Thursday, the $250,000 Grade II Glens Falls Stakes took place at Saratoga and provided an exciting battle between McKulick and War Like Goddess. McKulick emerged victorious, narrowly overtaking War Like Goddess who was aiming for a historic third win in the race. Amazing Grace finished in third place. McKulick, a 4-year-old filly bred in Britain by Frankel, secured her fourth victory out of 11 career starts. Trainer Chad Brown expressed his optimism for McKulick, stating that she belongs to a group of talented horses that can excel at longer distances as they age. He revealed that their next target will likely be the $500,000 Grade II Flower Bowl at Saratoga on September 2, which is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In Friday’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, Elusive Princess and Aspen Grove, both intriguing foreign contenders, will face off against each other. Elusive Princess recently finished fifth in the Group 1 Prix de Diane, also known as the French Oaks. Aspen Grove, on the other hand, triumphed in the Grade I Belmont Oaks after arriving from Ireland. Among the local contenders, Selenaia stands out with three consecutive wins in her recent races. The Pucker Up Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds, will take place at Ellis Park on Sunday. Despite not being part of the Kentucky Downs preview series, this race has attracted a competitive field of nine participants. Safeen, the 3-1 favorite, will be making her graded stakes debut. Moving on to the turf mile races, Friday’s National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga will feature nine 3-year-olds, with More Than Looks and Nagirroc as the modest morning-line favorites. However, the race is expected to be fiercely contested, and Euro invader Ocean Vision could potentially create an upset. The Mint Millions Mile Preview at Ellis Park on Saturday includes a field of 12, making it difficult to predict a clear frontrunner. The Lure Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday will witness the participation of nine horses hailing from various locations, making it challenging to identify a favorite. Chazzesme, a lightly raced 5-year-old hailing from Ireland, is noteworthy as trainer James Stack deemed him worthy of being shipped in for this event, with jockey Oisin Murphy aboard. The Ladies Turf Mile Preview at Ellis Park on Sunday also presents a competitive field, with Henrietta Topham and New Year’s Eve among the top contenders. Woodbine’s Hamilton Stakes on Sunday features seven 3-year-olds, all of whom have yet to establish a convincing case for being the favorite. In the Turf Sprint category, Caravel, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champion, seeks her sixth consecutive victory in the Troy Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. However, there are several other notable contenders to watch out for, such as Nobals, Grooms All Bizness, and Cogburn. Ellis Park’s Preview Turf Sprint on Sunday has One Timer, trained by Larry Rivelli, as the 5-2 favorite in a field of 12, with two additional entries on the waiting list. Bay Storm, a 5-year-old gelding sired by Kantharos, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Mint Ladies Turf Sprint Preview at Ellis Park on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Incredible Revenge Stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park on Sunday will feature nine participants, with Train to Artemus potentially having a slight advantage in terms of class. In the Classic category, Cody’s Wish, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion, aims for his seventh consecutive victory in the Grade I Whitney at Saratoga on Saturday. Despite being the heavy favorite with odds of 1-2 on the morning line, Cody’s Wish did not discourage his competitors from entering the race. Notable challengers include Florida Derby winner White Abarrio, Cornhusker Stakes winner Giant Game, Suburban Stakes winner Charge It, and Zandon, who finished second to Cody’s Wish in the Grade I Met Mile in June. The West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer on Sunday features a full field including several horses formerly on the Triple Crown trail. Raise Cain, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite following a second-place finish in the Indiana Derby. Red Route One returns after finishing eighth in the Belmont Stakes. One in Vermillion has recently secured back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Canterbury Derby and Iowa Derby. Another horse to watch out for is Lord Miles, who won the Grade II Wood Memorial earlier this year and finished fourth in the Ohio Derby. On a different note, a gelding named Fartlek, sired by Golden Lad, has only achieved two victories in low-level claiming races and remained unclaimed when offered for $4,000 in his last race.
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