Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" program visits Ireland this weekend

Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Next week marks halfway to St. Patrick's Day, so it's appropriate the weekend's horse racing includes five Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races in Ireland.

Woodbine hosts three more races, all on turf, offering free entry to the Nov. 1-2 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Churchill Downs hands over that state's baton to Kentucky Downs, while Del Mar closes up and starts preparations for its big show.

Speaking of shows, let's get this one on the road.

Distaff

A very competitive field of eight is set for Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Locust Grove at Churchill Downs. The eight last raced at six different tracks. Pigalle, a 4-year-old Blame filly, moved up a rung on the class ladder with a win in the Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park in her last start.

An overflow field of 14 plus one entered for Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Ontario Matron on the Woodbine all-weather. Mark Casse and Kevin Attard have the morning-line favorites in Solo Album and Fashionably Fab, respectively. However, there are plenty of options for the 1 1/16 miles.

Classic

Real Men Violin is a narrow morning-line favorite in a lineup of 11 for Saturday's $250,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. He was 11th in the Grade II Louisiana Derby, second in the Illinois Derby, third in the Texas Derby, fifth in the Grade III Indiana Derby and third in the St. Louis Derby, and the Kenny McPeek-trained son of Mendelssohn still seeks his first victory against winners.

Sprint

Saturday's $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill Downs has a couple of standouts in Skelly, second in the Grade I A.G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga in his last, and Closethegamesugar, who traveled to California to finish second in the Grade I Bing Crosby at Del Mar on July 27.

We also note the presence of 8-year-old Manny Wah, making his 46th career start, and 7-year-old Necker Island, starting for the 43rd time. Both remain competitive.

Patches O'Houlihan tops a field of seven in for Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Vigil at Woodbine. The Robert Tiller charge has won eight of his last nine starts.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Six turned out for Saturday's $300,000 Open Mind Stakes at Churchill Downs, with only Unsung Melody sporting a last-race win. Zeitlos has the turf-to-dirt angle going and is 3-for-5 on the Churchill Downs main track.

Turf Mile

Godolphin's Naval Power and Mark Casse's Filo Di Arianna top a field of eight for Saturday's $1 million (Canadian) Grade I Woodbine Mile, a "Win and You're In" for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile.

Filly & Mare Turf

There are only six set for Saturday's $750,000 (Canadian) Grade I E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, but it would be tough to find a better field. Pick among the likes of Grade II Saratoga Oaks winner Cinderella's Dream; Canadian heroine and 2022 Queen's Plate winner Moira; four-time Group 1 winner Blue Rose Cen; and last year's winner, Fev Rover.

Saturday's $350,000 Grade III Jockey Club Oaks at Aqueduct drew a wide-open field of 11.

Already in the books: Kathynmarissa raced in mid-pack in Wednesday's $1.6 million Dueling Grounds Oaks, swung out four-wide under jockey Frankie Dettori and drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

Dettori also had the winner, Limited Liability, in the other feature on closing day, the $500,000 Nashville Gold Cup at Kentucky Downs at 2 1/16 miles. The Kitten's Joy gelding made all the going and kept right on going to win by 8 1/4 lengths.

Juvenile

Saturday's $300,000, Grade III Iroquois at Churchill Downs is the first race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. While the points are minor, it's at least a glimpse of the future.

Juvenile Turf

An overflow field is on hand for Saturday's $500,000 (Canadian) Grade I bet365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. It seems pretty wide open but the oddsmaker gives a narrow edge to Al Qudra, a Godolphin colt by No Nay Never who comes from a win at Ascot in England.

Juvenile Fillies

Kimchi Cat returns to Churchill Downs to contest Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Pocahontas Stakes after winning twice at Saratoga, including the Bolton Landing.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

Thirteen fillies are entered for Saturday's $500,000 (Canadian) Grade I Johnny Walker Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, a "Win and You're In" for the John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Around the world, around the clock

England

The Coolmore duo of Illinois and Grosvenor Square, along with pacesetting stablemate Jan Brueghel, loom large in a field of seven for Saturday's Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster. Ill., one of the last of the Galileo, who was beaten only by stablemate Los Angeles in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur at York in their last start.

Ireland

Leopardstown hosts three Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races Saturday.

The Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, has the Coolmore quartet of Los Angeles, Auguste Rodin, Luxembourg and Hans Anderson facing the likes of Ghostwriter and Economics.

Only four were left in for the Group 2 Champions Juvenile, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. It's pretty much anyone's race. Ryan Moore rides Delacroix for Aidan O'Brien , so he's the narrow favorite.

The Group 1 Matron, a "Win and You're In" for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, features Porta Fortuna, winner of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Falmouth at Newmarket in her last two starts.

On Sunday, the Curragh takes over with four more important stakes, including two Breeders' Cup qualifiers.

Kyprios looks for his fifth win in as many starts in Sunday's Irish St Leger. Another conditioned by Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle team, the 6-year-old son of Galileo has all but risen from the dead to become the latest in a string of all-conquering stayers who have enlivened recent years.

The Group 1 Flying Five, a "Win and You're In for the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, has a big field going 5 furlongs with the top two from the Group 1 Nunthorpe, Bradsell and Believing, as the standouts.

The post parade for the Group 1 Moyglare Stud for 2-year-old fillies is going to look like one of those impressive Coolmore morning trackwork lineups at the Breeders' Cup or other big international meetings. O'Brien trains six of the eight left in the "Win and You're In" for the John Deere Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The elder O'Brien has "only" three of the eight still in the Group 1 National for 1-year-olds. But one of those, Henri Matisse , is the antepost favorite, while putting his 3-for-3 record on the line.

Australia

Mr Brightside, Pride of Jenni and Via Sistina top the 13 entries for Saturday's Group 1 Crown Makybe Diva Stakes, a 1-mile test at Flemington.

Mr Brightside comes out of a second-place showing in the Group Memsie at Caulfield. Pride of Jenni was fifth in that heat after her winter break but was a powerhouse last season. Via Sistina won the Group 1 Winx Stakes on Aug. 24.