After a huge Saturday of action, the big weekend continues at both Keeneland and Santa Anita Park. Both tracks have a pair of graded stake events with the two in Kentucky being Breeders’ Cup “Win, and you’re in” races. Here are horses I am interested in the four graded stake races on a busy Sunday agenda that also includes a huge day overseas in France headlined by the Prix De L’ Arc De Triomphe (G1).

Keeneland:

Race 9 Spinster (G1)

#5 Thorpedo Anna is the headliner in the lone Grade 1 on the Sunday slate. The 2024 Horse of the Year avenged her off the board effort in the La Troienne (G1) with back-to-back victories. She should be comfortable throughout either on the lead or just off the early pace and is the obvious one to beat, but I prefer #3 Nitrogen given the likely difference in off odds. The D J Stable filly was very, very good on the grass this winter and spring and was set to continue racing over the lawn, but opted to compete in the Wonder Again (G3) over the muddy going at Saratoga in early June. She romped that day and looked great doing so, which led Mark Casse to give her a shot in the Alabama (G1) in mid-August. The Medaglia d’Oro filly passed the test with flying colors and in fact might just be faster on the dirt. I think she proves that with a minor upset in the Keeneland Sunday feature.

Play: #3 Nitrogen (5-2 ML) *pictured*


Race 10 Bourbon (G2)

#6 Final Score was understandably made the 8-5-ML favorite in this 1 1/16-mile event for 2YOs over the lawn. The Repole Stable colt rattled off back-to-back gate-to-wire scores in his turf route victory wins at the Spa this summer for Todd Pletcher. The Not This Time colt will be tough if left alone again on the front end, but the tote board will almost certainly illustrate that, so I will take a swing with #3 Repentless. The Violence colt won going away at a big price at Kentucky Downs last month for a barn that does not generally have their runners cranked at first asking. The Kelsey Danner trainee took advantage of a favorable trip going 7-furlongs on debut and certainly appears capable of a step forward in his
second lifetime start. The inside draw should help his chances.

Play: #3 Repentless (12-1 ML)


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Santa Anita Park:

Race 4: Zuma Beach (G3)

The first of the two stake races at the Great RacePlace is for 2YOs at one-mile over the sod where there does not appear to be much speed signed on. This should benefit #3 Medici. Trainer Richard Mandella moved the Into Mischief colt to the grass last out and added blinkers and it nearly led to a gate-to-wire score over the Del Mar sod. Interestingly, Mandella opted to scratch this Bass Stable homebred out of a MSW event yesterday to run against winners with the hope of gaining some black type. He looks capable of stealing this one on the front end under jockey Mirco Demuro.

Play: #3 Medici (8-1 ML)


Race 8: Surfer Girl (G3)

The final stake race of the weekend at in Arcadia is a similar event to the Zuma Beach, but for the juvenile fillies where I am expecting a much more honest early tempo. 9-5-ML favorite #3 Will Happen was very fast in a dominant win going 5-furlongs on debut at Del Mar and is the expected pacesetter, but there are a couple of other gals that should keep her honest on the stretch out to two turns. This would benefit 3-1-second choice #6 Scratch It. The Brad Cox trainee ships cross country after a pair of performances going a route over the Saratoga turf. She took advantage of the lack of speed on debut, but I expect her to get a trip more like the one she had in the PG Johnson when she was unable to go with the talented Time to Dream late, but still held on for second. The ship out west means Cox is almost definitely thinking Breeders’ Cup with a Tapit filly that has done very little wrong through two starts.

Play: #6 Scratch It (3-1 ML)