8 Breeders' Cup spots on line in Canada, Ireland weekend horse racing

1 of 3 | Delacroix, shown winning the Ballysax Stakes, is the favorite in Saturday's Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Healy Racing Photo, focusonracing.com, courtesy of Breeders' Cup

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The leaves are starting to turn color and the racing scene is well into early fall mode this weekend as Woodbine, Aqueduct and Churchill Downs jump right into the void left by the finish of Del Mar's and Kentucky Downs' popular late-summer runs.

California 2-year-olds had center ring in their division last weekend. Twin juvenile spotlights this time around illuminate Kentucky and Woodbine, on both dirt and turf.

Eight Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" spots are available, six in Ireland and two in Canada. The Irish races fold into Irish Champions weekend at Leopardstown and The Curragh. This is a place to start the final countdown to the Breeders' Cup Turf Races at Del Mar.

The big guns are out in Australia, too.

Get your pencils and scorecards ready ...

Turf Mile

Saturday's $1 million (Canadian) Grade I Rogers Woodbine Mile is a "Win and You're In" for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile.

The talented field includes Godolphin's Notable Speech, who has been a puzzle for trainer Charlie Appleby since he won the 2,000 Guineas and Group 1 Sussex Stakes in 2024.

He does exit a promising runner-up finish in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, and Appleby has completed the cross-border Mile-Mile double twice in the past three years.

Last year's Woodbine Mile winner, Win for the Money, returns with My Boy Prince as part of a potent duo for trainer Mark Casse. One Stripe arrives from South Africa on the heels of last year's mini-invasion with a record of six wins from nine starts back home. The wins include the Group 1 Cape Guineas and the Group 1 King's Plate. Beware.

Filly & Mare Turf

Already in the books: Fionn, with Flavien Prat up, came flying late to capture Wednesday's $2 million Grade III Dueling Grounds Oaks as Kentucky Downs completed its all-too-brief, but very lucrative, run.

The Twirling Candy filly, trained by Brad Cox, made it three straight wins following on the Grade III Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs and the Grade I Belmont Oaks.

Also in the division: Seven are entered for Saturday's $100,000 All Along at Laurel Park. There are no tigers. There is one still a maiden.

Turf Sprint

There are three competitive heats with big fields on Saturday in this division: the $150,000 Floral Park for fillies and mares at Aqueduct and the $100,000 Laurel Dash and $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash for fillies and mares at Laurel Park.

Distaff

Royal Spa and Alpine Princess fairly leap off the past-performances page in Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove at Churchill Downs, even though neither has done much winning of late.

Royal Spa's claim to an 8-5 morning line might be her record under the Twin Spires -- three wins and two seconds from seven trips. Alpine Princess was a flat third in the Groupie Doll at Ellis Park in her latest go.

Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Ontario Matron at Woodbine features Caitlinhergrtness, the 2024 King's Plate winner. Her recent record shows she's much better on the all-weather, where this is run, than the turf, where she's been racing off and on.

Sprint

Saturday's $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill Downs offers a really solid field for a race that's not even graded. In the mix is the 2024 Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up, Bentornato, who makes his first start since that close call.

Simcoe won the Grade III Bold Venture Stakes over the Woodbine all-weather course in his last start and rules as 2-1 favorite for Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Branded Cities Vigil Stakes.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Positano Sunset returns from a four-months respite as the 2-1 favorite in Saturday's $300,000 Open Mind for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.

Juvenile

Comport enters Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Iroquois at Churchill Downs off a win in the Ellis Park Juvenile after a second in the Bashford Manor under the Twin Spires. That inspires a little confidence in a largely untested field of 10 and the Collected colt, trained by Eddie Kenneally, is the 6-5 morning line pick.

Juvenile Turf

Saturday's $500,000 (Canadian) Grade I bet365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, has another of Appleby's Godolphin horses atop the morning line -- Wild Desert, a Too Darn Hot colt.

Juvenile Fillies

Dazzling Dame looks like a favorite by default in Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Pocahontas at Churchill Downs. The Girvin filly, trained by Brittany Russell, is 2-for-2 with a win in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth in her last.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

Saturday's $500,000 (Canadian) Grade I Johnny Walker Natalma Stakes at Woodbine is a "Win and You're In" for the John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Godolphin's Dance to the Music came along with Notable Speech and Wild Desert and is the 2-1 favorite. The Chad Brown-trained Deep Learning and developing Dyna are worth a long look.

Around the world, around the clock:

Ireland

Leopardstown starts the ball rolling Saturday with the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf; the Group 1 Matron, a "Win and You're In" for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; and the Group 2 Champions Juvenile, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien desperately wanted Delacroix to have a rubber match with Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes but that won't happen, as John Gosden has that one pointed toward a late-season campaign elsewhere.

Delacroix is a son of Dubawi out of the late champion American mare Tepin and a high-stakes hope for the future of Coolmore's breeding operation. Absent Ombudsman, he is the solid favorite in the 1 1/4-mile race.

The favorite roles in the Matron are taken up by Wathnan Racing's Fallen Angel and Coolmore's January, the 1-2 finishers in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Aug. 3. Don't overlook Cerene, winner of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and second in the Group 1 Nassau in her most recent.

The Champions is an O'Brien family affair. Father Aiden has two of the five, Benvenuto Cellini and Monreal, and they are the favorites. Son Joseph Patrick O'Brien saddles Hardy Warrior and Nil Bua Gan Dua. Son Donnacha Aidan O'Brien sends out A Boy Named Susie. "Nil bua gan dua" apparently translates from Irish to something like "no pain, no gain."

On Sunday, the action moves to The Curragh with the Group 1 Irish St Leger, the Group 1 Bar One Flying Five Stakes, a "Win and You're In" for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes for 2-year-olds and the Moyglare Stud Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

England

On Saturday at Doncaster, it's the last of the English Classics, the Group 1 St Leger; the Group 2 Champagne for 2-year-olds; and the Group 2 Park Stakes at 7 furlongs.

Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien have the favorites in the St Leger in Goodwood Cup winner Scandinavia and dual Derby winner Lambourne. Undefeated Acomb Stakes winner Gewan and an impressive recent novice winner by Frankel, Oxygon, top the Champagne odds. Good luck figuring out the Park Stakes.

Sweet William, after chasing home some of the best stayers in the land recently, is a solid favorite in Friday's Group 2 Doncaster Cup, and 11 2-year-olds are set to fly down the straight in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.

Australia

Some of the island continent's brightest lights shine in Saturday's Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes going 1,600 meters at Flemington. Think Via Sistina, Mr Brightside, Antino, Tom Kitten and others.