Bob Baffert stars go 1-for-2 in top weekend races that may shape Breeders' Cup

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Adare Manor confirmed her star status with a Grade I win at Del Mar Saturday, but National Treasure misfired in his Group I race at Saratoga just hours earlier, leaving trainer Bob Baffert 1-for-2 in the weekend's top races.

Much of the rest of the weekend action was on the grass, despite some weather issues in New York. Ellis Park in Kentucky staged preliminary heats for next month's uber-rich stakes at Kentucky Downs.

Classic

Arthur's Ride, making his first stakes start, led almost all the way to a 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Whitney at Saratoga. Crupi was second and Post Time completed the all-long shot trifecta as the odds-on favorite, National Treasure, trailed in sixth, beaten by 10 1/2 lengths.

"If he is good come November, hopefully we will be lucky enough to run in the Breeders' Cup," winning trainer Bill Mott said. The race was a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

At Mountaineer, Hit Show rallied through the stretch to win Sunday's $200,000 Grade III West Virginia Governor's Stakes by 1/2 length over Heroic Move.

Distaff

Adare Manor reeled in pacesetting Scylla and blew by that rival in the final sixteenth of Saturday's $400,000 Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, and then ran on to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Scylla, who traveled from Kentucky for the race, held second by 2 lengths over Flying Connection.

Adare Manor now has won eight of her last 10 starts, including last year's Clement Hirsch and this spring's Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. She was seventh in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff and earned a "Win and You're In" spot for this year's renewal.

Turf

Saturday's $600,000 Grade I Saratoga Derby was black-flagged after heavy overnight rains soaked the Spa's turf. The race was rescheduled for Saturday.

In Ellis Park's previews: Cameo Performance won the $250,000 preview for the $2.5 million Nashville Derby and Highway Robber edged Siege of Boston in the $300,000 preview for the Turf Cup.

Stay Hot came from last of five and won Sunday's $100,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar by 1 1/2 lengths over King of Gosford. Stay Hot, a Summer Front ridgling, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm going in 1:40.98 with Antonio Fresu up for trainer Peter Eurton.

Filly & Mare Turf

Cinderella's Dream has turned into a dream indeed for Godolphin. The Shamardal filly ran her record to six wins from seven starts with an easy victory in Friday's $600,000 Grade II Saratoga Oaks Invitational.

Jockey William Buick calmly let Cinderealla's Dream idle behind her four rivals until the field had straightened for home and then pushed the button and won by 1 1/2 lengths.

Trainer Charlie Appleby said the options include the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine on Sept. 14 or the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 12 "and then take a view of the Breeders' Cup."

Waves of Mischief won Sunday's $400,000 Grade III Pucker Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Ellis Park by a head.

Turf Mile

Neat got the best of a three-horse photo at the finish of Friday's $500,000 Grade II National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga.

With Junior Alvarado in the irons, the Constitution colt rallied five-wide at the top of the straight and snatched the win from Lagynos by a neck. Buttercream Babe was another neck back in third as the 1 mile on firm turf went in 1:36.38.

Neat got his sixth win from nine starts, backing up a last-race victory in the Grade III Manila Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Ellis Park previews: Walkathon outfinished Dana's Beauty by a head with a late move in Sunday's $250,000 Ladies Turf Mile preview and Tut's Revenge took Saturday's $250,000 Mint Millions Turf Mile preview.

Grand Mo the First took Saturday's $95,000 Bear's Den Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park by a neck and Majestic Venezuela won the companion Miss Gracie Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Turf Sprint

Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Troy Stakes at Saratoga was pushed back to next Saturday in hopes of a less-soggy turf course.

Saturday's $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes came off the Saratoga turf and the favorite, Film Star, entered for "main track only" drew off to win by 4 lengths. At Woodbine, Loon Cry won Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Sweet Briar Too for fillies and mares.

The 3-year-olds

Dragoon Guards, a Juddmonte homebred colt by Arrogate, led the way in Sunday's $500,000 Grade III West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Racetrack and cruised home first by 2 3/4 lengths.

Mindframe, second in both the Belmont Stakes and the Haskell, will miss most of the rest of 2024 with bone bruise.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Ways and Means was on or near the lead throughout Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Test Stakes at Saratoga, then took over again in the stretch run and won by 2 1/2 lengths.

"I'm really interested in working backwards from the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint," winning trainer Chad Brown said. "She's going to have to face older horses in that race but she showed today that she does good with good spacing between her races."

Juvenile Fillies

The Queen's M G backed up a 44-1 upset win in the Schuylerville Stakes with a 9-length score in Sunday' $200,000 Adirondack at Saratoga. The impressive win has trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. planning to stick around for the 7-furlong Spinaway at the end of the meeting.

"I thought today we would see if we had a legit horse or not," he said.

Juvenile Turf

Governor Sam, the odds-on favorite, dueled to the wire with long shot Jet Sweep Joe before nailing down the win by a neck in Saturday's $100,000 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Candycrumbs rallied from last of 10 to win Saturday's $150,000 Hickory Tree Stakes for Virginia-registered 2-year-olds at Colonial Downs.

Winfinity, a first-time starter, came from last of seven to take Saturday's $150,000 Keswick Stakes for eligible 2-year-old fillies at Colonial Downs.