The "Win and You're In" races start up now--they are designated Breeders' Cup feeder races, if you will: the winners of these races are guaranteed a spot in the corresponding BC race. Some of these take place overseas, especially the turf ones, but since I don't follow overseas racing, we'll only look at the US ones.

In the "In front of the Cut" races today:

Court Vision, Presious Passion, and Spice Route were the favorites for the 1 3/8 mile Grade 1 (Turf) United Nations Stakes at Monmouth, which proved to be the most exciting race in an exciting day of racing. Six-year-old Presious Passion, last year's winner of this race, took off for the lead, taking a twenty-length lead with a lap to go, setting blistering fractions for a race this long. The rest of the 9-horse field ranged along only about five lengths--but twenty from him--and narrowed the gap in the backstretch, trying to catch Presious Passion on the far turn. Only Lauro came close, but he couldn't whittle the lead down to less than three lengths, and Brass Hat was third. Presious Passion set a new course record with this win. This is a "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Turf, so Presious Passion is sitting pretty now, although I'm sure we'll see him race again before November.

In the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes at Belmont today, Heart Ashley and Gabby's Golden Gal, stepping down in distance after her win in the Acorn, were the big names. Heart Ashley looked strong at the start but then faded, Gabby's Golden Gal never threatened after a bad stumble. Instead, the day belonged to the entry pair of Virginia homebreds, undefeated Cat Moves and stablemate Light Green (her rabbit? She didn't do the rabbit thing and fade, fighting Cat Moves instead for the lead right to the finish), with Reforestation in third.

The Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont today pitted ten strong contenders over a mile and a quarter. Finallymadeit led through the far turn by three, high-weight Asiatic Boy challenged in the stretch, but the field started to bunch up on them and six-year-old Dry Martini rushed through for the win by two lengths. Good day for jockey Edgar Prado, who was up on the Dwyer winner, too.

The 1 1/16 mile Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes for three year olds at Belmont today was one of the big races of the weekend. Most of the Triple Crown contenders weren't at this, leaving Just Ben as the favorite. Warrior's Reward (the horse that prompted Rachel Alexandra's jockey Calvin Borel getting booted off Mine That Bird--since Borel would not commit to the West Virginia Derby because of prior commitments to Warrior's Reward in the Jim Dandy Stakes on August 1st) stumbled badly at the start (nearly falling to his knees), leaving him a faltering last through most of the race, but rushing at the end to make it up to third, behind a brilliant Kensei (winner by about 3 1/4 lengths) and Convocation.


Handicaps:

In the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill today, Thorn Song was the high weight for the mile turf race. Thorn Song--an utterly beautiful gray--took the lead early and led by two, setting an easy pace. The field caught him in the far turn, and he faded to third, leaving first and second to Mr. Sidney and Inca King.

In the Grade 3 Salvator Mile Handicap at Monmouth today, there wasn't much weight spread (117 to 121 pounds) and three horses shared top weight. In a wire-to-wire win, Coal Play took the mile contest by three lengths over favorite Smooth Air, who bore out badly in the stretch but rallied at the end (if he'd had forward instead of lateral progress in those mid-stretch steps, he might have caught up). Solar Flare was third. This is a "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

In the Grade 3 Chicago Handicap at Arlington Park today, high-weight Informed Decision (124 pounds) made it look easy, going wire to wire for a 4 3/4 length win (her fifth in a row), and giving 6 to 11 pounds to the five other horses in the 7 furlong sprint. She looked amazing.



Turf:

The Grade 2 American Handicap was run at a mile and an eighth on the turf at Hollywood Park. Monterrey Jazz took the lead early on and never let it go. He won impressively by three and a quarter lengths.



Juveniles (dirt):

On Friday, in the 6-furlong Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs, Backtalk looked like his pappy, Smarty Jones, stalking mid pack after a stumble at the start, getting pinched in the backstretch, but bumping it out to go around and rush through at the end. (Well, okay, his pop tended to run on or near the lead, but the winning part). His dam (Apasionata Sonata) was sired by Affirmed. Nice bloodlines here. I was a HUGE Smarty fan, so I love seeing one of his babies do well--this is Smarty Jone's first US graded stakes winner. Flatter than Me was a close second, with Brassy Boy coming in for the show.

In the second race at Arlington Park today, winner Credit Crunch and runner-up by a neck I See Mambo both looked superb in this 4 1/2 furlong outing. Credit Crunch benefitted from a sharp start from the inside post--good thing since she bore in significantly on the break and would have bumped another horse if she'd been in any other post position. But both fillies showed a lot of heart, resurging after it looked like they were done.

In the sixth race at Churchill Downs today, Cowgirl Mally and Bell's Shoes both raced great, coming in first and second in this 5 furlong outing, well ahead of the rest.

In the sixth race at Monmouth today, Dinner with D C looked amazing, winning the 5 furlong contest by about seven lengths. She's already been fighting bucked shins, but if she stays healthy, she should be one to watch.

In the eleventh race at Churchill today, going 6 furlongs on a track that went off sometime during the day, Thiskyhasnolimit looked extremely sharp going wire to wire in decent fractions for an off track and winning by five or so.