Saratoga opens for summer horse racing meeting
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July 3 (UPI) -- Here come the Euros, looking to pick up some dollars as the Saratoga summer meeting gets into full swing this Independence Day weekend.
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Runners from both the English and Irish Guineas, the German 2000 Guineas and the Jumeria Two Thousand Guineas in Dubai hold entries for Saturday's Grade 1 races at the Spa.
At Saratoga and around most of the country, most of the weekend action in North America is on grass. On the global front, look to the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in England with other Group 1 heats in South Africa, Germany and France.
A look at what's on tap:
Turf / turf mile
Mikki Fight wins Wednesday's Keio Sho at Oi Racecourse in Japan, one of that country's major dirt races for older horses. Photo by and courtesy of Katsumi SaitoSaturday's $750,000 Grade I Belmont Derby at Saratoga does have a good dose of international flavor, but the invaders' morning-line odds indicate this might not be the first team from over the ocean.
The early favorite is West End Kid, a William Walden-trained Twirling Candy colt with three straight wins, including the Grade III Pennine Ridge during the Spa's Belmont meeting.
He's closely followed on the line by Remember Mamba, a Kitten's Joy colt whose three-race win streak snapped with a second in the Grade I American Turf at Churchill Downs in his last start.
The foreigners are no bums, even if they did get a bit of a chilly reception from the oddsmaker. Godolphin's Pacific Avenue has a Grade II second in Qatar and a last-start third in the Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Title Roll, owned by a group including Coolmore "lads," won three of his last four starts, most recently the Group 2 German Two Thousand Guineas.
Saturday's $100,000 Soldier's Dancer at Gulfstream Park has eight entries to go 1 1/16 miles, with Layabout and Gran Oriente the morning-line picks.
A field of 11, with three additional "main-track only" entries, is on tap for Sunday's $225,000 Grade III Kelso at Saratoga.
Zulu Kingdom, winner of the Manila Stakes over the course last July 4, drew the rail and is the morning-line favorite. The Irish-bred Ten Sovereigns colt also lists this year's Maker's Mark Mile in his win column.
Also: Friday's $125,000 Sarnac Friday at Saratoga and Saturday's $100,000 Soldier's Dancer at Gulfstream Park.
Filly & mare turf / turf mile
The foreign contingent gets a bit more morning-line love in Saturday's $600,000 Grade I Belmont Oaks at Saratoga, as Godolphin's Abashiri is posted as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The Frankel filly finished fifth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, won by True Love and third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, won by Precise.
Godolphin also has Kensington Lane, and Carmensita arrived from Argentina in time to get in a prep race during the Belmont meeting at the Spa and finished a closing third.
The locals in the Oaks seem well matched with Imaginationthelady, Fitz Right and Faithful Departed all showing flashes of serious ability.
Friday's $150,000 Wild Applause for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga is a 1-mile program stabber.
Turf sprint
Look for another busy weekend in this fascinating division: Saturday's $175,000 Dade Park Dash for 3-year-olds at Ellis Park, Sunday's $200,000 Harvey Pack at Saratoga, Sunday's $175,000 Pea Patch for 3-year-olds at Ellis Park and Sunday's $100,000 Monmouth County Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park.
Classic
Antiquarian, Hit Show and, appropriately, Stars and Stripes, are the morning-line favorites among 11 entries for Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Suburban at Saratoga. Phileas Fogg returns to defend his title after defeating Antiquarian last year. Brazilian-bred Obstacle makes his first North American start for trainer Paulo Lobo.
Sprint
Saturday's $100,000 Smile Stakes at Gulfstream Park looks like a wide-open scramble with eight signed on to go 6 furlongs.
Filly & mare sprint
Sweet Azteca is the 3-5 morning-line favorite while facing six rivals in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Why not? The 6-year-old daughter of Sharp Azteca has won seven of nine starts and seeks a three-peat in this race. She won by 5 lengths in 2025 and 1 1/2 lengths last year, defeating 2-5 favorite Kopion, who was coming from a win in the Grade I Derby City Distaff.
Juvenile
Eight of the nine 2-year-olds entered for Saturday's $225,000 Grade III Sanford at Saratoga won their last start, by margins on the order of 7 1/4 lengths, 8 1/2 lengths and 9 3/4 lengths. They come from California, Kentucky, Florida and New Jersey, and one of them, Waggley, is a filly. Watch and learn.
Sunday's $100,000 Proud Man at Gulfstream Park drew eight youngsters, six of them Florida-bred, to try 5 1/2 furlongs.
Juvenile fillies
Luminous Beauty's 3-1 morning-line odds in Friday's $200,000 Schuylerville at Saratoga seem generous, but these are 2-year-old fillies, and some of the others are well-bred, relatively expensive and eligible to step up. Wait for Bill Mott to take the wraps off a Flightline filly named Elevated sometime soon.
Elegante Miz, a late-running winner in her only previous start, is the morning-line favorite in Friday's $100,000 Sharp Susan at Gulfstream Park.
Around the world, around the clock
England
Constitution River is the even-money favorite in antepost wagering for Saturday's Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
The 3-year-old Wootton Bassett colt puts on the line, against older foes, a four-race win streak, with the Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby as the latest of those scores.
In that, Aidan O'Brien sent out the first three finishers with Hawk Mountain second, 3/4 length back, and Montreal third after ensuring the pace. Hawk Mountain returns for the Sandown test.
France
Calandagan looks for a better outcome over firmer turf in Sunday's Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud to wipe away the memory of his disastrous turn in quagmire conditions in the Coronation Cup at Ascot in his last start.
The Aga Khan's Stud's runner won the Saint-Cloud last year en route to a stellar season that culminated in victory in the Group 1 Japan Cup over Masquerade Ball and earned him Horse of the Year honors.
A return to form Sunday would propel him to the Group 1 King George back at Ascot on July 25 -- and a rematch with Masquerade Ball.
Germany
A massive field goes to the post for Sunday's Group 1 Deutches Derby at Hamburg, and with the big international outfits giving the race a miss, Germany's solid breeding industry gets an extra chance to shine.
South Africa
A full field is set for Saturday's Group 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July at Greyville, with trainer Justin Snaith holding the hottest hand by far with four of the best-fancied.
Snaith already has taken home the trophy five times. This is the 130th renewal of the Durban July, and the purse has been doubled to about $615,000, making it the richest race in Africa.
The annual theme, which sets off a wild fashion fest among the racegoers, this year is "Country Allure". If Royal Ascot is fashion-forward, the Durban July is fun-forward.
Japan
Mikki Fight hit a new height with a handy victory in Wednesday's Teio Sho on the Oi Racecourse dirt. The 5-year-old son of crack American sprinter Drefong got his eighth win from 13 starts and has never finished worse than third. He was second, just 1 1/4 lengths back of Forever Young, in the 2024 Japan Dirt Classic.
The Teio Sho, along with the Tokyo Daishoten, considered top-tier for older horses on the circuit. Despite his consistent record in top company, his connections have not yet indicated any plan to send Mikki Fight overseas.