Sept. 2, 2020 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the second of nine weekly news releases focusing on the horses and races leading to the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. For more information, please visit 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. Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law gallops Wednesday morning under exercise rider Heather Smullen at Churchill Downs. @Coady Photography 9 . 2 . 2 0 PAGE 1 Tiz the Law, Fellow 3-Year-Olds Look to Parlay Derby Glory into Classic Success A Kentucky Derby delayed by more than four months didn’t deter 17 3-year-olds from tackling 3-5 morning line favorite TIZ THE LAW in Saturday’s Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. While a win the 1 ¼-mile Derby clearly ensures immortal status in the pantheons of the sport, 3-year-olds in general have a long and storied history of success in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, and will surely look to add to the leger Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The Derby is the obvious highlight of an abbreviated five-day Churchill meet that also offers Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) and a showdown between superstar 3-year-old fillies Swiss Skydiver and Gamine, along with the “Win and You’re In” Iroquois (G3), which will award an automatic starting berth into the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), and Thursday’s “Win and You’re In” Pocahontas (G3), which will offer an automatic starting berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law, who drew post 17, is the most likely 3-year-old to join a dozen others who have won the Classic in their sophomore season, with just American Pharoah (2015), Unbridled (1990) and Sunday Silence (1989) winning the Derby as well. The New York-bred son of Constitution has been dominant in a 4-for-4 campaign this year for trainer Barclay Tagg, including easy Grade 1 wins in the Belmont in June — the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown, Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in April, and Runhappy Travers at Saratoga Aug. 8. Tiz the Law, who is 6-for-7 lifetime, shipped to Louisville Tuesday morning and Derby success will send him to Pimlico as a heavy favorite to win the Triple Crown in the Oct. 3 “Win and You’re In”’ Preakness Stakes (G1). The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans in Baltimore is a newly-minted automatic qualifier for the Classic, which Sackatoga’s managing partner Jack Knowlton has long said is the year-end goal. A Kentucky Derby in September figures to cater to the late-developing types, and C R K Stable’s HONOR A. P. (5-1, breaking from post 16) fits the bill and may be California’s best hope, as the son of Honor Code won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in June for trainer John Shirreffs. Both Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing’s AUTHENTIC (8-1, post 18), who earned a berth into the Classic when he won Monmouth Park’s “Win and You’re In” Haskell (G1) July 18, and Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm’s THOUSAND WORDS (15-1, post 10), who upset Honor A. P. in Del Mar’s Aug. 1 Shared Belief, will look to give trainer Bob Baffert a record-tying sixth Derby win. The remainder of the field for the Kentucky Derby, from the rail out (with the 1-post and 20- post being left open without a full field entered): FINNICK THE FIERCE (50-1), MAX PLAYER (30-1), ENFORCEABLE (30-1), 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner STORM THE COURT (50- 1), MAJOR FED (50-1), KING GUILLERMO (20-1), MONEY MOVES (30-1), SOUTH BEND (50- 1), MR. BIG NEWS (50-1), NECKER ISLAND (50-1), SOLE VOLANTE (30-1), ATTACHMENT RATE (50-1), WINNING IMPRESSION (50-1), and NY TRAFFIC (20-1). 9 . 2 . 2 0 PAGE 2 Swiss Skydiver taking the “Win and You’re In” Alabama at Saratoga Photo by Eclipse Sportswire Gamine, Swiss Skydiver in Epic Oaks Clash with Potential Preakness Implications In what is arguably one of the most anticipated matchups of the season, GAMINE and SWISS SKYDIVER square off in Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1), in a race that could springboard the winner to the Preakness. Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Oaks drew a field of nine, though all eyes will be on the two heavy favorites who have won their last six graded stakes against their own generation by a combined 39 lengths. Michael Lund Petersen’s Gamine is the even-money morning line favorite for trainer Bob Baffert off freakish one-turn Grade 1 wins in Belmont Park’s June 20 Acorn by 18 ¾ lengths and Saratoga’s Aug. 8 Longines Test by 7 lengths. The daughter of Into Mischief has finished first in all four starts, though she was more workmanlike in her lone two-turn start, which was a neck victory in an optional-claimer at Oaklawn Park over fellow Oaks rival SPEECH in May (Gamine was subsequently disqualified due to testing positive to excessive amounts of the legal medication lidocaine). Baffert mentioned the Preakness as a possibility should Gamine show the same brilliance at two turns as she has at one. Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver owns a homecourt edge and is much more proven at two turns for trainer Kenny McPeek. The daughter of Daredevil has won four straight graded stakes 9 . 2 . 2 0 PAGE 3 against 3-year-old fillies, including Saratoga’s Aug. 15 Alabama (G1) at 1 ¼ miles, in which she earned a “Win and You’re In” berth for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Swiss Skydiver’s lone loss in her last five starts was a strong and clear second to Art Collector in Keeneland’s Blue Grass (G2) in July. Swiss Skydiver is 5-for-9 and McPeek toyed at running her in the Derby, but instead opted for the Oaks, with the Preakness as a potential next start, should she run well. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Madaket Stables, and Heider Family Stables’ Speech gave Gamine all she could handle at Oaklawn then was second to Swiss Skydiver in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) in June before easily winning the Ashland (G1) in fast time at Keeneland Aug. 8 for trainer Mike McCarthy. Graded stakes winners DONNA VELOCE, HOPEFUL GROWTH, and SHEDARESTHEDEVIL are also entered for the Kentucky Oaks, as are longshots BAYERNESS, DREAM MARIE, and TEMPERS RISING. Breeders’ Cup Winners Monomoy Girl, Sharing Top Oaks Undercard The stars will be out in full force on the Oaks undercard, as 2018 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner MONOMOY GIRL continues her comeback, while 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner SHARING returns to the U.S. after a trip to Royal Ascot. Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, the Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables’ Monomoy Girl will start as a heavy favorite in the 1 1/16-mile La Troienne (G1) as she continues her comeback for trainer Brad Cox after missing all of 2019 due to a bout of colic and a minor hamstring injury. The 5-year-old daughter of 2012 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Tapizar streaked to a 3-year-old filly championship in a 2018 campaign that counted five Grade 1 wins, which included the Oaks and culminated with the Longines Distaff at Churchill. Monomoy Girl, who is 11-for-13 lifetime, is 2-for-2 this year, including the Ruffian (G2) July 11 at Belmont Park. Calumet Farm’s VEXATIOUS is in career-best form and earned a Distaff berth when she upset divisional leader Midnight Bisou in Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Personal Ensign (G1) Aug. 1 for trainer Jack Sisterson, and looms to be the main danger, while HOROLOGIST enters off a fast win in the Molly Pitcher (G2) July 18 at Monmouth Park for trainer Bill Mott. Earlier on the card in the $500,000 Edgewood (G2) at 1 mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable’s Sharing, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year at Santa Anita for trainer Graham Motion, makes her return after running a strong second in the Coronation (G1) June 20 at Royal Ascot. The 3-year-old daughter of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Speightstown won the Tepin over the course and distance in her only other start this year in May and is 4-for-6 lifetime. Juvenile Berths on the Line in Pocahontas, Iroquois The “Win and You’re In” action gets underway Thursday at Churchill when the $200,000 Pocahontas (G3) will award this year’s first automatic starting berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Run at 1-mile, the Pocahontas drew a robust field of 12 lightly raced 2-year- old fillies looking to show they can stretch out. 9 . 2 . 2 0 PAGE 4 Louis Wright’s INJECT figures to be a handful off her dominant 6-length debut win Aug. 15 at Ellis Park for trainer Stanley Hough. The daughter of Frosted cost $390,000 as a yearling and hinted that may be a bargain when she chased the pace before easily pulling clear, though she’ll be stretching out from 5 furlongs and meeting plenty of other speed.