The countdown to the Breeders' Cup World Championships continues this weekend on NBC, CNBC, and Peacock as Keeneland Race Course hosts NBC Sports' presentation of the final automatic qualifying races in the United States.
A pair of two-hour programs from the stately track in Lexington, Kentucky are the final shows for this year's "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In" on NBC, CNBC, and Peacock from North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar. The complete series viewing schedule can be accessed here.
The weekend coverage begins Saturday, Oct. 5, at 4:00 p.m. ET on NBC and streamed on Peacock and features the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (G1), led by Carl Spackler (IRE) and Running Bee. The Sunday, Oct. 6 show on CNBC and Peacock, also beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET, will be highlighted by defending Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner and 2023 champion older female Idiomatic in the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1).
Saturday's show will also include three additional Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races: the $600,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles; the $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 6 furlongs, and from Santa Anita Park, the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles.
Both programs will be hosted by Britney Eurton, who will be joined by analysts Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, with on-site coverage from Nick Luck and Matt Bernier.
Led by 4-year-old Carl Spackler, four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has entered three of the nine starters in the Coolmore Turf Mile, the winner of which will receive an automatic starting position into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).
Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds LLC, Carl Spackler earned an automatic berth into the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile when he captured the dominated the Aug. 11, 1-mile FanDuel Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course by 3 1/2 lengths over More Than Looks. The victory was his third in four starts this year.
Calumet Farm's 5-year-old Running Bee, also trained by Brown, has won three of six starts this year including the listed Bernard Baruch Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 1, the June 15 Monmouth Stakes (G3), and an allowance victory at Keeneland on April 6.
Eight-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher has won the last two editions of this race with Annapolis in 2022 and last year with Up to the Mark. On Saturday, he starts Joseph Allen LLC and CHC Inc.'s 4-year-old Talk of the Nation, who finished third as the 5-2 favorite last time out in the Sept. 7 Mint Million Stakes (G3) at Kentucky Downs.
From his Ballydoyle headquarters in Ireland, trainer Aidan O'Brien has sent over Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Mountain Bear (IRE), who finished second in last year's Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Santa Anita Park, and was recently third in the Sept. 14 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown.
In the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), JR Ranch, Ramiro Restrepo, High Step Racing and OGMA Investments, LLC's Ferocious looks to amend his half-length defeat as the odds-on favorite in the Sept. 2 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The winner will gain an automatic berth into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).
The winner of the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes gains an automatic starting position into the $1 million PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). WSS Racing's Brightwork won the Aug. 31 Prioress Stakes (G3) in her previous start at Saratoga for trainer John Ortiz. Miller Racing LLC's Spirit Wind, who won the July 24 Honorable Miss Stakes (G2) at Saratoga, and the third-place finisher, Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. and Jarret Prussin's Clearly Unhinged, trained by Steve Asmussen, have also been entered.
At Santa Anita, the second- through fourth-place finishers in the Sept. 8 Del Mar Futurity (G1)─McKinzie Street, Citizen Bull, and Getaway Car─are among the leading contenders in the American Pharoah Stakes, with the winner receiving a free berth into the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Getaway Car, winner of the Aug. 11 Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar, and Citizen Bull, are trained by Bob Baffert.
Idiomatic, trained by Brad Cox, looks to be a prohibitive favorite in the six-horse field for Sunday's 1 1/8-mile Spinster Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, which will be shown live on CNBC and streamed on Peacock. The race winner gains an automatic start into the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. A 5-year-old daughter of 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Curlin, Idiomatic has had a stellar career of 11 wins in 16 starts, including last year's triumph in the Spinster, and hard-fought win in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. This year, she has won two of four starts, including the Fasig-Tipton La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs and the Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth Park.
Her main challenge should come from Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables LLC's Honor D Lady. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Honor D Lady has two wins this year, taking the Feb. 17 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and a 5 1/2-length score in the July 7 Delaware Handicap (G2) at Delaware Park, going 1 3/16 miles.
Sunday's program will also include the $350,000 Bourbon Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, which gives the winner a free berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). A wide-open, overflow field of 15 has been entered, including three also eligibles. Two Godolphin-owned colts, Cavallo Bay (GB) and Siesta Key, could be prominent. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Cavallo Bay won two races in England before finishing third in the Aug. 29 With Anticipation Stakes (G3) at Saratoga, while Siesta Key is unbeaten in two starts, including a last-out victory in the Sept. 7 Kitten's Joy Stakes at Colonial Downs.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
