Breeders’ Cup Roundup: Win for the Money takes Woodbine Mile
Win for the Money winning the Woodbine Mile (G1) at Woodbine (Photo by Michael Burns)
September 16th, 2024
The 2024 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar is 46 days away. Catch up on the latest news and developments with our weekly Breeders’ Cup Roundup:
Win for the Money leads Woodbine qualifiers
A trio of Breeders’ Cup qualifiers took place at Woodbine on Saturday, and the results were generally not as bettors anticipated. Cashing in on longshot odds for Breeders' Cup Challenge Series events was a recurring them over the last several days.
The Woodbine Mile (G1), a highly influential stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), ended in a 13-1 upset. Win for the Money, coming off an unheralded runner-up finish in the KY Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile, secured his first graded stakes win in eye-catching fashion. The Mark Casse trainee rallied from as many as six lengths behind hot fractions of :23.05, :45.44, and 1:08.80 to win by 1 1/2 lengths over stablemate Filo Di Arianna, completing one mile over firm turf in 1:32.11.
Casse trainees performed even better in the Natalma (G1), sweeping the trifecta. Nitrogen set the pace while tracked by And One More Time and Vixen; down the homestretch, And One More Time (a 16-1 shot) edged up to win the one-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) qualifier by a neck over Vixen, with Nitrogen half a length back in third place. The winning time was 1:33.99.
The Summer (G1), a one-mile contest awarding a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), went to 3-1 second choice New Century. Shipping in from England off a win in the one-mile Stonehenge S., New Century charged from eighth place to get the better of fellow shipper Al Qudra by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:32.80.
Five horse qualify via Ireland
A giant weekend of racing in Ireland featured five “Win and You’re In” qualifiers for various Breeders’ Cup races.
Leopardstown hosted three qualifiers on Saturday. The feature event, the 1 1/4-mile Irish Champion (G1), awarded a Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) berth to Economics. Fresh off back-to-back Group 2 wins, the improving three-year-old valiantly outkicked reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Auguste Rodin to win by a neck in 2:03.20.
The Matron (G1), a one-mile stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), saw Porta Fortuna record a third straight Group 1 win. Previously victorious in the Coronation (G1) and Falmouth (G1), last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) runner-up got the better of Irish 1,000 Guineas (G1) winner Fallen Angel by one length in 1:40.67.
Earlier on the card, possible Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf contenders took center stage in the one-mile KPMG Champions Juvenile (G2). Green Impact and Delacroix, the top two finishers from a July 25 maiden race over one mile at Leopardstown, repeated that order of finish in the KPMG Champions Juvenile, with Green Impact getting the better of his rival by half a length in 1:40.24.
The action moved to the Curragh on Sunday for two more qualifiers. The five-furlong Flying Five (G1), a stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1), went to Bradsell by 1 1/4 lengths in :57.25. The red-hot four-year-old had previously earned a Turf Sprint berth via a victory in the Nunthorpe (G1) in England last month.
The seven-furlong Moyglare Stud (G1) yielded an upset as heavy favorite Bedtime Story finished last out of five. In the meantime, her Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Lake Victoria unleashed a big late rally to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) qualifier by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:23.73.
Pennsylvania Derby, Cotillion could produce Breeders’ Cup starters
A pair of prestigious races for three-year-olds at Parx Racing this weekend could yield starters for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).
The 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby (G1) is expected to draw a strong group of Classic possibilities. The prospective field includes Preakness (G1) winner Seize the Grey, Santa Anita Derby (G1) hero Stronghold, and the red-hot Indiana Derby (G3) and West Virginia Derby (G3) winner Dragoon Guard.
Meanwhile, the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion (G1) for fillies will feature Thorpedo Anna, the possible Distaff favorite after winning the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn (G1), and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and finishing second against males in the Travers (G1). Power Squeeze and Candied, the top two finishers from the Alabama (G1) last month, are other possible starters.
THORPEDO ANNA hit the track this morning ahead of her start in the Travers.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 14, 2024
pic.twitter.com/yqXGfgB09f
Princess Rooney awards Filly & Mare Sprint berth
Only one Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race is taking place this week. That’s Saturday’s Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park, a seven-furlong dirt dash for fillies and mares.
The 10-horse field is led by the red-hot Beth’s Dream, who capped off a four-race win streak when dominating Gulfstream’s seven-furlong Sheer Drama H. last month. Maryquitecontrary, the Sheer Drama runner-up, is back for a rematch. Last year, Maryquitecontrary placed in the Madison (G1) and also ran second by half a length in the Princess Rooney.
Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series qualifiers
The following horses have secured "Win and You’re In" berths to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
Breeders’ Cup Classic
Breeders’ Cup Turf
Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Breeders’ Cup Mile
Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
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