September 25, 2019 Contact: Jim Gluckson, Breeders’ Cup, 212-230-9512 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the sixth of nine weekly news releases focusing on the horses and races leading to the 36th Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2 at Santa Anita. For more information, please visit www.breederscup.com. The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on NBC and NBCSN. You can follow all the contenders’ activity leading up to the Breeders’ Cup with Equibase’s free “Road to the Breeders’ Cup” Virtual Stable notification service. McKinzie leads Saturday’s “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again Stakes Eclipse Sportswire photo Challenge Races Runneth Over at Santa Anita’s Opening Weekend, and at Belmont’s Championship Meet as Final ‘Cup Preps Loom The first of two action packed Breeders’ Cup Challenge weekends is highlighted by Opening Weekend at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, as a combined seven “Win and You’re In” races for the Breeders’ Cup will be run, including the last two for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic: the Awesome Again (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). The Challenge Series goes worldwide as well, with Newmarket Racecourse in England running a pair of races, while Nakayama Race Course in Japan adds one Sunday to close out a weekend that will see 10 races qualify runners for the Breeders’ Cup. The Awesome Again will air live on NBCSN from 6:30-8:30 P.M. ET and the broadcast will also feature highlights of the Gold Cup, among other Challenge races. Saturday’s telecast is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – Presented by America’s Best Racing.” Santa Anita’s autumn meet takes on added significance this year as all the local preps will be run over the same course, and many over the same distance, as their respective Breeders‘ Cup races later this fall. A shakeup of its stakes schedule sees four grade 1 Challenge races spread out over the first two days of the meet, with the highlight, Saturday’s “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again, featuring divisional leader MCKINZIE, set to anchor the card and offer the last-of-seven automatic starting berths into the Classic. Any talk of major players in this year’s Classic starts with Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, McKinzie, who already qualified for the race when he won Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Whitney (G1) in August and will loom a very short-priced favorite in the $300,000 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again for trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old son of 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense has been atop the handicap division for much of the year and also has been top rated for the past 16 weeks in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings (see News and Notes below). McKinzie, who is 7-for-12 lifetime and 2-for-5 this year, also won the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs in May and will look to use the Awesome Again as a springboard to the Classic, a race he was a disappointing 12th in last year at Churchill Downs. The biggest threat could come from Hronis Racing’s HIGHER POWER, who already earned a berth into the Classic when he won Del Mar’s Aug. 17 “Win and You’re In” TVG Pacific Classic (G1) for trainer John Sadler. The 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro was a relative unknown entering Del Mar’s signature race but won off by 5 ¼ lengths in a breakthrough effort to move his lifetime mark to 5-for-13. Higher Power added blinkers three starts ago and is 3-2-1-0 since the equipment change and has a dangerous blend of speed and stamina. DRAFT PICK, a distant second in the Pacific Classic, and multiple graded stakes winner SEEKING THE SOUL, a disappointing seventh behind Higher Power, are the confirmed starters in the “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again. Saturday will also include the “Win and You’re In” Rodeo Drive, which will award an automatic starting berth into the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and the 1 ¼-mile race will be led by All Schlaich Stables, Gatto Racing, George Todaro’s, and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s win machine and defending champion VASILIKA. The 5-year-old daughter of Skipshot has won 13-of-16 since being claimed for $40,000 in February 2018, including eight graded stakes. Vasilika is 18-for-34 lifetime and won the local Gamely (G1) in May. Slam Dunk Racing or Medallion Racing’s BEAU RECALL (IRE) has been in top form all year for trainer Brad Cox, as the 5-year-old daughter of Sire Prancealot (IRE) won the Distaff Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs in May and the Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar Aug. 3. Juddmonte Farm’s homebred JULIET FOXTROT (GB) and Ken Baca’s TOINETTE, who ran second and third, respectively, in the Mabee, are expected to try Vasilika again. The former, a 4-year-old daughter of Dansili (GB) won the Modesty (G3) at Arlington Park in July for Cox, while the latter, a 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, won the local Autumn Miss (G3) last October for trainer Neil Drysdale. MEAL TICKET, PANTSONFIRE (IRE), and PAVED could also see action in the “Win and You’re In” Rodeo Drive. Eight Rings Tops American Pharoah Stakes Photo by Eclipse Sportswire Baffert Holds All the Aces in Friday’s Juveniles Qualifiers Friday the $300,000 American Pharoah and $300,000 Chandelier, “Win and You’re In” races for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, respectively, will offer 2-year-olds a chance at a track and distance two-turn run in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup, and it’s no surprise to see trainer Bob Baffert hold a heavy hand in both races, as he figures to start two solid favorites. The 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah gives SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stable’s EIGHT RINGS a chance to make amends after he tossed his jockey soon after the start of the Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 2. The son of Empire Maker was 1-2 in the race off a 6 ¼-length debut win at Del Mar in Aug. but ducked in soon after the start and threw his jockey. Eight Rings has worked twice since, and the betting public is expected to be in a very forgiving mood. There are some stern challengers, however, as Agnew Schneider’s COLLUSION ILLUSION is 2-for-2 for trainer Mark Glatt, including Del Mar’s Aug. 10 Best Pal (G2), and the son of Twirling Candy has a two- turn pedigree, while Rockingham Ranch’s NUCKY won the Futurity at 35-1 for trainer Peter Miller and the former $50,000 claimer and son of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper will get a chance to prove that upset was no fluke and add to his 2-for-5 career record. SHOPLIFTED, second in Saratoga’s Sept. 2 Hopeful (G1) for trainer Steve Asmussen, ships in, while AMERICAN THEOREM won on debut Aug. 31 for trainer George Papaprodromou and EXPRESS TRAIN broke his maiden in his second start at Del Mar by 14 ¼ lengths going two turns Aug. 28 for trainer John Shirreffs. DEFENSE WINS, FORE LEFT, and STORM THE COURT are also entered in the “Win and You’re In” American Pharoah. Baffert will start an even more imposing favorite in the American Pharoah’s sister race, the Chandelier, as Baoma Corp’s BAST could be a low as 1-5 off her scintillating maiden win in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) Aug. 31. The daughter of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo was second on debut at Del Mar 20 days prior to the Debutante but picked the right day to break through, and has a pedigree that suggests added ground and a second turn will be well within her wheelhouse. Bast was purchased for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale and a win in the Chandelier would clearly stamp her as the one to beat in the Juvenile Fillies. Bast’s imposing presence kept entries light, with just five willing to oppose her, led by KMN Racing’s BEEN STUDYING HER, a California-bred daughter of Fast Anna who is 2-for-2 for trainer Doug O’Neill, including the restricted Generous Portion at Del Mar Aug. 28. BUYER’S REMORSE, COMICAL, K P DREAMING, and LEUCOTHEA are also entered for the “Win and You’re In” Chandelier. Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile “Win and You’re In” Zenyatta (G2), with a berth into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on the line, is expected to lure the top four finishers out of another Distaff “Win and You’re In,” Del Mar’s July 28 Clement L. Hirsch (G1). Paul and Karen Eggert’s homebred OLLIE’S CANDY posted a mild surprise for trainer John Sadler and the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride (ARG) seems like the “now” horse, as the Hirsch was her first dirt start since she won the Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita in June 2018. Overall Ollie’s Candy is 4-for-8 lifetime and a win would stamp her as the West Coast’s best threat to divisional leader Midnight Bisou. SECRET SPICE, LA FORCE, and PARADISE WOODS, 2-3-4 in the Hirsch, respectively, are all expected back and have their merits.