McKinzie (Street Sense) and jockey Mike Smith win the Whitney (Gr I) at Saratoga Racecourse 8/3/19.
The first of two action-packed Breeders’ Cup Challenge weekends is highlighted by Opening Weekend at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A combined seven “Win and You’re In” races for the Breeders’ Cup will be run, including the last two for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic: the Awesome Again (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). The Challenge Series goes worldwide as well, with Newmarket Racecourse in England running a pair of races, while Nakayama Race Course in Japan adds one Sunday to close out a weekend that will see 10 races qualify runners for the Breeders’ Cup.
The Awesome Again will air live on NBCSN from 6:30-8:30 P.M. ET and the broadcast will also feature highlights of the Gold Cup, among other Challenge races. Saturday’s telecast is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – Presented by America’s Best Racing.”
Santa Anita’s autumn meet takes on added significance this year as all the local preps will be run over the same course, and many over the same distance, as their respective Breeders’ Cup races later this fall. A shakeup of its stakes schedule sees four grade 1 Challenge races spread out over the first two days of the meet, with the highlight, Saturday’s “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again, featuring divisional leader MCKINZIE, set to anchor the card and offer the last-of-seven automatic starting berths into the Classic.
Any talk of major players in this year’s Classic starts with Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, McKinzie, who already qualified for the race when he won Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Whitney (G1) in August and will loom a very short-priced favorite in the $300,000 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again for trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old son of 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense has been atop the handicap division for much of the year and also has been top rated for the past 16 weeks in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings. McKinzie, who is 7-for-12 lifetime and 2-for-5 this year, also won the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs in May and will look to use the Awesome Again as a springboard to the Classic, a race he was a disappointing 12th in last year at Churchill Downs.
The biggest threat could come from Hronis Racing’s HIGHER POWER, who already earned a berth into the Classic when he won Del Mar’s Aug. 17 “Win and You’re In” TVG Pacific Classic (G1) for trainer John Sadler. The 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro was a relative unknown entering Del Mar’s signature race but won off by 5 ¼ lengths in a breakthrough effort to move his lifetime mark to 5-for-13. Higher Power added blinkers three starts ago and is 3-2-1-0 since the equipment change and has a dangerous blend of speed and stamina. DRAFT PICK, a distant second in the Pacific Classic, and multiple graded stakes winner SEEKING THE SOUL, a disappointing seventh behind Higher Power, are the confirmed starters in the “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again.
Saturday will also include the “Win and You’re In” Rodeo Drive, which will award an automatic starting berth into the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and the 1 ¼-mile race will be led by All Schlaich Stables, Gatto Racing, George Todaro’s, and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s win machine and defending champion VASILIKA. The 5-year-old daughter of Skipshot has won 13-of-16 since being claimed for $40,000 in February 2018, including eight graded stakes. Vasilika is 18-for-34 lifetime and won the local Gamely (G1) in May.
Slam Dunk Racing or Medallion Racing’s BEAU RECALL (IRE) has been in top form all year for trainer Brad Cox, as the 5-year-old daughter of Sire Prancealot (IRE) won the Distaff Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs in May and the Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar Aug. 3. Juddmonte Farm’s homebred JULIET FOXTROT (GB) and Ken Baca’s TOINETTE, who ran second and third, respectively, in the Mabee, are expected to try Vasilika again. The former, a 4-year-old daughter of Dansili (GB) won the Modesty (G3) at Arlington Park in July for Cox, while the latter, a 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, won the local Autumn Miss (G3) last October for trainer Neil Drysdale. MEAL TICKET, PANTSONFIRE (IRE), and PAVED could also see action in the “Win and You’re In” Rodeo Drive.
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