Ten things to watch for this weekend (October 19-21)

Oct 18, 2018 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

1.       CHAMPIONS DAY AT ROYAL ASCOT

Four Group-1 events will headline a massive day of racing at Ascot on Saturday. Champions Day will play host to prestigious races such as the Champion Stakes (Eng-G1), Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-G1), Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (Eng-G1) and Champions Sprint (Eng-G1) as well as the Champions Long Distance Cup (Eng-G2).

2.       BIG FIELD ASSEMBLES FOR JAPANESE ST LEGER

Kyoto Racecourse will host another huge event on the Japanese Racing calendar this weekend with Sunday’s Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) taking the spotlight. The Group-1 test will be run at 3,000 meters and 20 horses are possible for the lucrative turf marathon.

3.       RAVEN RUN TOPS KEENELAND SATURDAY

A huge field of 16 is entered to contest the feature at Keeneland on Saturday, the $250,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2). The seven-furlong dirt affair for sophomore fillies attracted some good ones. Dual Grade 1 vixen Moonshine Memories, Soaring Softly (G3) queen Nootka Sound, three-time stakes heroine Shamrock Rose and trainer Chad Brown’s Alter Moon are just a few of the contenders in a loaded field.

4.       BELMONT THE HOST FOR EMPIRE SHOWCASE DAY

An octet of stakes races will take center stage at Belmont Park on Saturday for New York-bred horses. Empire Showcase Day continues to grow in popularity and the lucrative day has combined stakes purse money of $1.75 million. The $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap at nine furlongs on the main oval is the topper.

5.       OKLAHOMA CLASSICS DAY AT REMINGTON

Over $1 million in purse money is on the line for Oklahoma-bred runners Friday night during Oklahoma Classics Day at Remington Park. The big evening of racing is topped by the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup, where Shotgun Kowboy will aim for this third victory in the marquee event.

6.       MARYLAND MILLIONS

Maryland-bred Thoroughbreds will get their moment in the sun on Saturday at Laurel Park. A total of 11 black-type events will be held, with the $150,000 Maryland Millions Classic as the most lucrative test.

7.       DOWAGER STARS ON KEENELAND SUNDAY CARD

Fillies and mares will run 12 furlongs on the Keeneland turf in Sunday’s $125,000 Dowager Stakes (G3). Neil Drysdale’s Vexatious will be tough to deny with her best performance. The Giant’s Causeway filly won a turf stakes at Del Mar two prior and exits much tougher when facing the boys and finishing seventh in Woodbine’s Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (Can-G1).

8.       GREY TOPS THE WEEKEND ACTION AT WOODBINE

Juveniles will travel 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic main surface at Woodbine in Sunday’s Grey Stakes (Can-G3). The race often attracts some of the top two-year-old runners on the grounds, and it also has a big impact in determining championship honors at the end of the season. Sharp debut victor Solidify is but one entered in the eight-strong field.

9.       TURF SPRINTERS VIE AT SANTA ANITA

Six California-bred hopefuls will dash five panels on the lawn in the Saturday topper at Santa Anita Park in the $100,000 California Flag Handicap. Richard’s Boy was assigned the 127-pound highweight for the event, and the Peter Miller trainee will make just his second start since a trip to Dubai in the spring. The gelding comes in off of a fine nose second in the Green Flash Handicap to stablemate Stormy Liberal, who nipped him by a head in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).

10.   MY BEST BET OF THE WEEKEND

The 2ND race at Woodbine on Saturday is for two-year-olds going six furlongs on the all-weather oval. First-time starter Awesome Wok N Roll (#1) (5-2) draws the rail for trainer Mark Casse. The $650,000 son of Awesome Again is half-brother to Essence Hit Man, who was Canada’s champion male sprinter at four and five. The April foal shows some fine morning drills leading up to his debut, and I am expecting a big showing from the chestnut.