Grade 1 stakes in Southern California, Louisiana Champions Day in New Orleans, juvenile stakes in South Florida and a stakes-packed card at Laurel Park provide a sweet alternative to Christmas shopping as the first full week of December comes to a close. This week’s Saturday Special presented by Pin Oak Stud, home of Alternation, Broken Vow and Cowboy Cal, previews all that and more.
The day gets rolling early with the jumpers at Cheltenham, Navan and Doncster and continues well into the day. We even spill into Sunday with the Hong Kong International Races on tap from Sha Tin.
Here’s your primer for Saturday, December 10, and part of Sunday, December 11. Good luck and enjoy.
Cheltenham. Race 1. 7:05 a.m. December notes can pay off in March. The JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle kicks off a strong March-focused card. Defi Du Seuil goes 4/7 to win the opener.
Cheltenham. Race 2. 7:40. Old friend Whisper makes his first start for 268 days for Nicky Henderson. Stablemate Different Gravey casts a long shadow.
Navan. Race 4. 8:45. Briar Hill, Champion Bumper winner in 2013, takes on three rivals in the novice chase.
Cheltenham. Race 4. 8:50. Top chasers clash in the Grade 3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.
Doncaster. Race 6. 9:40. Four promising novice chasers clash – Bay Of Freedom, O O Seven, Potters Legend and Present Man won their most recent starts.
Cheltenham. Race 6. 10:00. The Stanjames.com International Hurdle. An international hurdle without American representation. Cheltenham stalwarts My Tent Or Yours and The New One top the market.
Doncaster. Race 7. 10:15. Paul Nicholls keeps his foot on the floor when the engine’s running. Juvenile hurdler Cliffs Of Dover seeks his fifth win in a row.
Camarero Race Track. Race 1. 12:15 p.m. Want to see the best 2-year-old filly in the country? Well, meet Too Much Tip, the daughter of Too Much Bling goes for her fourth win in her fourth start for Belka Stud. Somehow, she drops to an allowance race for her first start outside the stakes division.
Gulfstream Park. Race 2. 12:30. Early stakes action for second Saturday card of the season, the $75,000 House Party for 2-year-old fillies marks return of Bode’s Dream, winner of Astoria back in June at Belmont Park.
Aqueduct. Race 2. 12:49. Cerretalto, one of the last workers on the final day of training at the Oklahoma Training Track, makes debut for Jim Bond.
Gulfstream. Race 3. 1:00. Interesting timing of another 2-year-old fillies stakes, this the $75,000 Hut Hut going 1 mile, one race after another 6-furlong stakes
Fair Grounds. Race 1. 1:30. Louisiana Champions Day kicks off with a classic, the Louisiana Champions Day Classic for Quarter Horses going 440 yards.
Aqueduct. Race 4. 1:47. Second division of 2-year-old maiden is good spot for Union Rags to add another winner in the form of Distorted Union for trainer Brian Lynch.
Laurel Park. Race 6. 3:00. John Servis experimented with the grass for Old Line Gal last time; Stay Thirsty filly goes back to the main track for $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship.
Gulfstream. Race 7. 3:01. The $75,000 Pulpit going 1 mile on the grass. Another interesting choice, this one named for a Grade 1 winner on dirt who never raced on the turf. Big field though, 14 with one on the also-eligible list.
Fair Grounds. Race 5. 3:22. Enough with the Quarter Horses already. Here’s the $100,000 Louisiana Champion Day Turf. Sunbean won the Classic on the main track last year but switches to the grass for 2016.
Laurel. Race 7. 3:30. Rockin On Bye made good late run to finish second in Grade 3 De Francis Dash last time. He doesn’t meet anything like Ivan Fallunovalot in $75,000 Howard M. Bender Memorial for state-breds.
Gulfstream. Race 8. 3:32. Recruiting Ready exits three straight graded stakes and comes off a bit of a freshening for $75,000 Buffalo Man.
Aqueduct. Race 8. 3:43. Paulassilverlining, beaten only 2 lengths when third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, looms large in $125,000 Garland of Roses.
Fair Grounds. Race 6. 3:52. Short field of six for $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies. Al Stall Jr.’s meet is off to a fast start and he sends out Seaside Candy from the rail.
Laurel. Race 8. 4:00. The stakes don’t stop. Here’s the $100,000 Willa On The Move for older females going 6 furlongs. Hot City Girl, off since winning the Union Avenue against New York-breds, ships down from Belmont and looks very tough.
Gulfstream. Race 9. 4:03. Never too early to start thinking about the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth or Florida Derby. Perhaps some clues will emerge from the $75,000 Smooth Air.
Fair Grounds. Race 7. 4:21. Time for the 2-year-olds, the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie serves up a field of eight. Naughty Little Nun broke her maiden three back at Indiana Grand for Bernie Flint then tried back-to-back stakes.
Laurel. Race 9. 4:30. The first three from the Maryland Million Nursery – Greatbullsoffire, Dancing With Maude and Maryland’s Best – are back for $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity. So is O Dionysus, winner of the Christopher Elser Memorial last time at Parx.
Gulfstream. Race 10. 4:34. The $75,000 Wait A While for 2-year-old fillies on the grass.
Tampa Bay Downs. Race 10. 4:55. Graham Motion sends out two – first-timers Cannavaro and Joy Waltz – for 1-mile maiden race on the grass.
Turf Paradise. Race 6. 5:17. Three Arizona-bred-or-sold stakes offered on the card, highlighted by Yo Y Me’s raid in the Futurity.
Fair Grounds. Race 9. 5:21. Defending champ Sunbean, mentioned in Race 5, is cross-entered in $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic. If he runs here it’s a good rematch with Mobile Bay, who chased him two back at Delta Downs.
Camarero. Race 11. 5:45. The Grade 1 Copa Confraternidad highlights a three-stakes card. The eight-horse has combined to win 111 races, led by 25-time winner Arquitecto.
Fair Grounds. Race 10. 5:51. Dallas Stewart was high on Saint’s Fan during his Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour last summer, calling him a “big playboy.” Tale Of Ekati colt lived up to billing breaking his maiden in Nov. 4 debut and steps up for $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile.
Los Alamitos. Race 6. 5:58. The Cash Call Futurity. Who’s strong? Who else, Bob Baffert. Mastery is ½, Show Me Da Lute is 7/2.
Fair Grounds. Race 11. 6:21. Don’t put down your program yet, it’s the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint going 6 furlongs on the main track.
Fair Grounds. Race 12. 6:51. What are the chances this race, the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint, goes off before 7 p.m. on the East Coast?
Los Alamitos. Race 8. 6:58. American Girl ran hard for a long way in the Breeders’ Cup, she’ll get a better trip and another stakes win in the Starlet.
Turfway Park. Race 5. 8:11. Two-year-old fillies by the likes of Smart Strike, Tiznow, Blame, Scat Daddy, Medaglia d’Oro and Lemon Drop Kid compete for a $18,500 purse.
Turfway Park. Race 7. 9:09. Two-year-old fillies by the likes of Union Rags, Shackleford, Street Cry, Kitten’s Joy and Broken Vow compete for a $18,500 purse.
Charles Town Races. Race 7. 9:49. The $50,000 Eleanor Casey Memorial for West Virginia-bred 2-year-old fillies. Lady Bearoness is 2-for-2 and takes jump into stakes competition for the first time.
Los Alamitos. Race 8. 12:16 a.m. (Sunday). Still going strong? You’ve got 440 yards still to go. The Invitational Stakes offers $600,000. Heza Dasha Fire has won 13 of 16 and $1.8 million so far.
Sha Tin. Race 4. 1:00 a.m. (Sunday). Have another drink or brew the coffee, the Hong Kong International races start here. Highland Reel, fresh off an upset score in the Breeders’ Cup Turf takes on Big Orange and 12 others in the Longines Hong Kong Vase.
Sha Tin. Race 5. 1:40 a.m. (Sunday). The only American representative, Pure Sensation, aims at the Longines Hong Kong Sprint, although, his status is questionable because of a sore hoof.
Sha Tin. Race 7. 2:50 a.m. (Sunday). Beauty Only represents the locals, Neorealism hails from Japan and Cougar Mountain is still traveling the world for Ireland. They rumble in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile.
Sha Tin. Race 8. 3:30 a.m. (Sunday). What the hell, stay up all night. The Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup should put the night to bed or kick the morning off right. Maurice, a Japanase star, goes for win number 13. Have you seen him? Get out a pencil and a pad and start sketching, he’s a stunner.
