Casa Creed, the victorious horse in the 2022 Kelso at Saratoga, is now seeking another win in the Group 1 Fourstardave at the same track on Saturday. This race is a “Win and You’re In” event for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The Secretariat turf course at Colonial Downs in Virginia will host the Arlington Million, Beverly D., and Secretariat Stakes, which were previously known as the “International Festival of Racing.” The fields for these races will consist mainly of American horses. Saratoga and Del Mar will also feature turf action, while Ellis Park continues its extended meeting with some intriguing races. Additionally, two-year-olds from various tracks across the country will start to increase their activity. Furthermore, a significant race for juveniles will take place in Ireland. Be sure to keep an eye out for His Majesty’s participation in this event. For more information on international races, check out the “Around the world…” section. On Sunday, Deauville will host the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois, which serves as a qualifying race for the Fan Duel Breeders’ Cup Mile. The lineup for this race includes an impressive group of contenders. The Beverly D. and the Grade I Fourstardave at Saratoga’s turf are also Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” challenges. Let’s dive into the turf action. The $1 million Grade I Arlington Million, taking place on Saturday, has been relocated to Colonial Downs in Virginia. This year, it will feature a field of 11 highly skilled turf experts. Surprisingly, only one of these horses has won their last race, and just two have previous experience on the Secretariat Turf Course at Colonial. Atone, the winner of the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park in January, is the lukewarm favorite at 7-2 odds, despite finishing ninth and fifth in their two recent starts. Furthermore, this will be Atone’s first attempt at the 1 1/4-mile distance. Santin, the 2022 Million winner at Churchill Downs, will also be racing, although they have not secured a top placement in their last six starts. Chad Brown, a dominant force in this race during its glory years at Arlington International Racecourse, has two runners in the field, neither of which are considered front-runners in his strong stable. There are no international entries in the Arlington Million, as Churchill Downs Inc., the owner of Colonial Downs, did not actively seek international competition. However, the $500,000 Grade II Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds at Colonial Downs will feature one foreign-owned entry, Silver Knott. While the Godolphin runner has become a regular in the U.S., finishing second by a nose in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, they will be looking for a rebound after their recent finishes of third and fifth place in New York races. Notable contenders in this race include Nagirroc, who placed third in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf, and Mo Stash, who finished second behind the promising Wadsworth in the American Derby. Additionally, More Than Looks and Northern Invader, both trained by Cherie DeVaux, are worth keeping an eye on, although the former is also entered in a race on Friday at Saratoga. The $500,000 Grade II National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes for 3-year-olds, postponed from last weekend, will take place on Friday at Saratoga. This race features the progressive More Than Looks, a colt sired by More Than Ready, who has won three out of five races, including a convincing victory in the Grade III Manila Stakes at Belmont Park. Chad Brown has three contenders in this field, any of whom could potentially make a strong showing. In the Filly & Mare Turf category, Fev Rover is the 2-1 favorite in a field of seven for the $500,000 Grade I Beverly D. at Colonial Downs. This race offers a “Win and You’re In” opportunity for the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Fev Rover, a 5-year-old Irish-bred mare trained by Mark Casse, recently finished third in the Grade I Diana race at Saratoga. Trainer Chad Brown has two strong contenders, Gina Romantica and Rocky Sky, while trainer Ignacio “Nacho Quatro” Correas IV fields Didia, who has an impressive record of 4 wins in 5 races since arriving from Argentina. The $250,000 Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday will feature a field of seven horses. Trainer Phil D’Amato has three contenders in this race, although none have achieved the same level of success as the horses from his barn who have raced earlier this year. The other horses in the field do not inspire significant confidence, so handicapping skills will play a crucial role in predicting the outcomes. The $500,000 Grade I Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday will see the return of Casa Creed as the favorite in a field of seven. This race is a “Win and You’re In” event for the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile on the turf. Casa Creed, a 7-year-old entire son of Jimmy Creed trained by Bill Mott, finished second in this race in 2020 and 2021 before claiming victory last year. After placing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland, Casa Creed came in second, falling just a head short of Japanese star Bathrat Leon, in the Group 3 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia. They then secured third place in the Grade I Jaipur and won the Grade III Kelso. Out of their five starts at Saratoga, Casa Creed has achieved three wins and two thirds. Trainer Todd Pletcher also has strong contenders in the Fourstardave, including Emmanuel, the Grade III Poker Stakes winner, and Annapolis, who finished second in the Kelso. Mark Casse will field three horses, with Ice Chocolat, the fourth-place finisher in the Kelso, as the most promising contender. As for the three-year-olds, even though the main contenders are taking a break this weekend, there are several Derby races happening all over the country. The $250,000 Ellis Park Derby on Sunday features a competitive field that includes How Did He Do That as the morning-line favorite. This horse won the Iowa Derby due to the disqualification of One In Vermillion. Other notable contenders in this race are Denington, who was on the fringes of the Triple Crown chase and recently finished fourth in the Iowa Derby, and Transect, who finished fourth in the Indiana Derby. Blue Light and Loyal Company also show promise. Additional Derby races to watch include the $100,000 Minnesota Derby for state-breds at Canterbury Park on Saturday, the $75,000 Robert Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa on Saturday, the $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby at Emerald Downs on Sunday, and the $75,000 Bald Eagle Derby on the Laurel Park turf also on Sunday. Turning our attention to Red Route One, the winner of last weekend’s West Virginia Derby, it’s possible that this colt will switch surfaces to compete in the $1 million Dueling Grounds Derby on the grass at Kentucky Downs on September 3. Red Route One won his debut at Kentucky Downs before finishing as runner-up in the Grade III Southwest and Grade II Rebel races at Oaklawn Park. He then placed fourth in the Preakness Stakes. Considering the significant purse and the fact that one of the owners, Ron Winchell, is a co-managing partner of Kentucky Downs, it seems like a logical choice. Racing manager David Fiske stated that the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Grounds Derby “looks like a real possibility.” In the Distaff category, Interstatedaydream is the morning-line favorite among a field of 11 for Sunday’s $150,000 Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park. The Ontario-bred four-year-old finished third in the Grade II Azeri at Oaklawn Park earlier this year, won the Allaire DuPont Distaff at Pimlico, and placed second in the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline at Thistledown in her most recent race. For the Filly & Mare Sprint race, Topsy and Merlaza are the top picks for Sunday’s $150,000 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park. Topsy, a filly sired by Bee Jersey, struggled in her last race, the Grade III Victory Ride at Belmont Park. However, prior to that, she won the Leslie’s Lady at Ellis and placed second in the Grade III Miss Preakness at Pimlico. Merlaza finished fourth in the Indiana Oaks in her most recent start and fifth in the Black-Eyed Susan on Preakness weekend. She shortens the distance for this 7-furlong race. In the Juvenile division, Rhyme Schemes is the morning-line favorite to face five rivals in Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Saratoga Special. Rhyme Schemes won by an impressive 9 1/2 lengths, with a Beyer Speed Figure of 94, in their second career start at Ellis Park on June 15. However, it’s important to view this accomplishment with caution.
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