By Dennis Miller
Saturday is full of graded stake races and it would be a great day to spend at the Pleasanton OTB!
There are five graded races at Santa Anita, three at Belmont, and two at Churchill Downs!
Here’s a look at the two Grade I races Saturday and the horses I found interesting in each.
Belmont Park
Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
(10th race, 2:19 p.m. PDT)
A marathon of a race as seven are entering to take on the 1.5-mile race on the turf at Belmont.
Minaret Station (William Waldren, Jose Ortiz) has yet to win a race this year but has run well in some big races. On August 15 he has second at 4/1 in the Grade I Clement Turf at Saratoga, chasing the speed around the track. Two back it was a third in the Grade II Bowling Green on July 11, also at Saratoga. On May 30 in the Grade III Arlington at Churchill, he came from off the pace and ran second. Those last three starts have earned him 97, 96, 95 Beyer marks so he has been in contention.
El Cordobes (Charles Appleby, Flavien Prat) got some good news as Prat chose to ride here as he has ridden three in the field recently and picked this runner. His last start was back in February in the Amir Trophy in Qatar where he was fifth. That was his lone start of the year. He ended last year running third in this race and followed that with a third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Fort George (Ed Walker, Kieran Shoemark) was running in Europe and the Middle East until shipping to the United States in July. He was second in the Grade II Bowling Green July 11 at Saratoga beating Minaret Station by a half-length. Then came back in the Grade II Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs on September 5 and was third, getting a 101 Beyer that day. His first start in the U.S. he stayed on the pace throughout and in the second start he came from well back.
Program Trading (Chad Brown, Ricardo Santana) was third in the Grade I Clement Turf, finishing a length back of Minaret Station. He did get a 97 Beyer that day and was coming off a win in the Grade II United Nations on July 18 at Monmouth when he came from off the pace to win and get a 96 Beyer in the process. He does not want the lead and he loves to close.
Santa Anita
Grade I Goodwood
(8th race, 4:30 p.m.)
We’ve got 3-year-olds and up going 1-1/8-miles on the main track. There are nine horses entering.
Vodka Vodka (Aggie Ordonez, Kent Desormeaux) had a break from April to the end of August and returned with a bad effort in the Grade II Pat O’Brien, finishing seventh after a stumble and a bad trip. Before then he had been solid, winning the Turf Classic at Santa Anita in January, running second in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 7, and winning a $250,000 stake at Sunland Park on April 5. You must figure if he gets a clean trip here, he is a contender.
Original Sin (Brendan Walsh, Kazushi Kimura) has certainly seen some big races his last three starts. On May 26 it was the Grade III Blame at Churchill where was the winner at 5/1. That was followed by the Grade II Suburban on July 4 at Saratoga where he didn’t run a lick and was ninth, beaten 19 lengths. He Came west for the Grade I Pacific Classic on August 22 at Del Mar and closed strong to finish second at 21/1 behind Knightsbridge.
Caldera (Saffie Joseph, Paco Lopez) was a stake runner last year while he’s run nothing but optional claimers this year. But he’s done well, winning all three races this year. His last start was August 20 at Colonial Downs where he won by over two lengths. He’s got tactical speed and jumping to a Grade I in California is not as tough as doing it on the east coast.
Nevada Beach (Bob Baffert, JJ Hernandez) has been off since Feb 14 when he was 12th after stumbling at the start of the Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia. Last year he was big in graded races, winning four of his seven starts, and had a pair of seconds. The only bad start he had last year was in the Breeders’ Cup Classic where he was seventh, beaten by 11 lengths. He has put together a solid work tab over the track for the return. Trust the connections.