Weekend Horse Racing Action at Belmont Park and Keeneland
by Patricia Woo | Oct 19 2009
As the preps for the
Breeders' Cup wind down, it's time for horse bettors to take advantage of some of the other stakes races happening this weekend. On Saturday, Oct. 24 at
Belmont Park, New York-breds will be in the spotlight, and the biggest race of the day will be the Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up. And over at Keeneland, 3-year-old fillies will take center stage in the $300,000 Gr. 2 Lexus Raven Run. Betting on the
Breeders' Cup isn't the only game in town - check out these stakes races for even more horse wagering excitement.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, New York-breds will take to the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, for the 34th running of the $250,000
Empire Classic Handicap. Some of the nominees for this 1 1/8-mile race are already very familiar with each other. Take Future Prospect, Dr. DFC and Naughty New Yorker: These three have already tangled twice before. In the $78,000 Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28, the Michael Maker-trained Future Prospect prevailed over Naughty New Yorker and Dr. DFC, winning by a neck. This 5-year-old son of Freud then claimed victory once more over these two by 3 ¾ lengths in the $65,000 Jazzing Around Stakes at Belmont on Sept. 26. Undocumented, a trainee of Naipaul Chatterpaul, could also make an appearance; this 5-year-old claimed second place in the Jazzing Around Stakes with a late bid and has been looking for his first win since June.
Over at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Hooh Why is among the potential starters for the 11th running of the 7-furlong Lexus Raven Run, a Gr. 3 $300,000 sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Hooh Why is best known for upsetting last year's
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Stardom Bound in the $400,000 Gr. 1 Ashland Stakes in April. Since then, however, this Kenneth Hoffman-trained daughter of Cloud Hopping has not been able to consistently duplicate that performance. Her ungraded $150,000 La Lorgnette Stakes win in May has been her only victory in five attempts since the Ashland Stakes. “[Hooh Why] has had a long campaign,” Hoffman said on Oct. 17. “She won the La Lorgnette, but then she stubbed her toe a couple of times.”
Among Hooh Why's potential rivals for the Raven Run include Flashing, Pretty Prolific and Sky Haven. The Godolphin-owned Flashing wowed in her first grade 1 win, the $300,000 Test Stakes at Saratoga in August, while Pretty Prolific made up ground to claim the runner-up spot. And the Sky Mesa filly Sky Haven came in second behind champion filly Indian Blessing in her last outing, the $150,000 Gr. 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park on Sept. 29.
Don't miss out on these great horse wagering opportunities! Bet on
horse racing at the Bodog Racebook!
