May 23-25 - MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Let's Go To The Races - May 23-25
Note: This blog is non-commercial and was developed for my own personal use to organize my racing viewing activity.  Your comments as to its usefulness to you are welcomed & would be appreciated.  Thanks!



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Time Ordered List and Entries - printable format


UPI Weekend Racing Preview 

Plenty of top racing action around the globe this Memorial Day weekend.  Some nice turf faces in the U.S. at a variety of distances, including the Grade 1 Gamely at Santa Anita, plus some important races in France, England, Japan and Australia  including some of the winnersas from World Cup night in Dubai resume their campaigns.

France - Sunday's Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp will see CIRRUS DES AIGLES, fresh from a win in the G1 Prix Ganay inhis 9 yr old debut off what has been termed a brilliant ride by Christophe Soumillon.  Among his competition in this small field of 5 will be Solow, trying for his 6th straight win, including his G1 Dubai Turf on World Cup night at Meydan.  If they perform well here, Cirrus will be headed to the Coronation Cup at Epsom, and Solow will point to the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.

Ireland -Aiden O'Brien usually has his hand filled with talented prospects for the three year old events, however, this spring has brought some disappointments, with several of his sophomores failing in their three year old debuts.  However, in Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas, at the Curragh, GLENEAGLES has carried the day in a not-so-easy triumph, with the trainer declaring Gleneagles his best miler ever.  Gleneagles best miler he's had - O'Brien

 O'Brien has a stronger hand in Sunday's 1,000 Guineas over the same course, with a five-filly team headed by FOUND. Also Sunday is the Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup at just over 1 1/4 miles.

Japan - Sunday's Group 1 Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks, is the second leg of the filly Triple Crown and will determine whether Let's Go Donki's victory in the first leg, the Oka Sho, or 1,000 Guineas, was a pace-dictated fluke or the emergence of a potential star.

In the U.S.   The races range from 4 1/2 furlongs out to 1 1/2 miles, from Charles Town to Santa Anita and from Gulfstream Park to Woodbine.

The longer races include Sunday's $200,000, Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita, at 1 1/12 miles. Divine Oath, the winner of the 2014 American Derby at Arlington, shipped in for this by Todd Pletcher. Ashleyluvssugar comes off a win in the Grade II San Luis Rey. Ganesh makes his third U.S. start, up from South America. Going Somewhere, a Brazilian-bred, makes his first start after arriving from France.

Saturday's $100,000, Grade III Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs is another 1 1/2-miles affair that drew a very contentious field of nine. The morning line has five of them -- Calvados, Majestic Harbor, Xtra Luck, Golden Soul and Patrioticandproud -- clustered between 7-2 and 5-1. The Florida stay-behinds have Monday's $60,000 Raymond Earl Stakes at the same distance at Gulfstream Park.

Turf milers are on tap in Saturday's $200,000 (Canadian), Grade II Nassau Stakes at Woodbine. Deceptive Vision, Stellar Path and Overheard are among the fancied.

The fillies and mares are not forgotten, with the weekend's sole American Grade I, the $300,000 Gamely Stakes at 9 furlongs at Santa Anita. Monmouth Park on Sunday has the $75,000 Miss Liberty at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares.

Looking ahead to the big races in the International Festival of Racing at Arlington Park August 15. The Aug. 15 extravaganza features the 33rd running of the Grade I Arlington Million and includes two other Grade I events on the lawn -- the $750,000 Beverly D. for fillies and mares and the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds. The $400,000 American St. Leger, run as a Grade III for the first time this year, also is on the card, along with the Grade III Pucker Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Read more

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ALERT FOR SUNDAY SILENCE FANS: VERY RARE TO FIND TWO ENTRIES IN A RACE IN THE U.S. BY TWO DIFFERENT SONS OF SUNDAY SILENCE. The GRADE 1 GAMELY S for fillies and mares at Santa Anita, 7:00 p.m. EDT, Race 8: THREE HEARTS 6-1 (Hat Trick by Sunday Silence) Gary Stevens; FANTICOLA 6-1 (Silent Name by Sunday Silence), Joe Talamo. Go Sunday!   The two faves are Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun) Victor Espinoza at 7-2; and Danza Cavallo at 4-1; also Moulin de Mougin (Curlin) Mike Smith, at 8-1; Others include a 30-1 and a 12-1 longshot.

NOTE: The CARD below will have the replay once a race has completed.

 

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FEATURED RACES

Time Ordered List and Entries - printable format
Race Index

SATURDAY

4:18 ET  Louisville H G3  CD   $100,000  3+  1 1/2 mi T R8  CARD
4:30 ET  Spring Fever S  SA   $150,000  4+ f/m S  6f  R3  CARD
4:45 ET  Nassau S G2  WO   $200,000  3+ f/m  1 mi T   R8  CARD

4:57 ET  Paradise Creek S  Bel   $100,000  3yo  7f T R8  CARD
6:00 ET  Fran's Valentine S  SA   $125,000  4+ f/m S  1 mi T R6  CARD
6:30 ET  Melair S  SA   $200,000  3yo f S  1 1/16 mi  R7  CARD
7:00 ET  Snow Chief S  SA   $200,000  3yo S  1 1/8 mi T R8  CARD
7:30 ET  Tiznow S  SA   $150,000  4+ S  1 mi  R9  CARD

SUNDAY

4:30 ET  Charles Whittingham S G2  SA   $200,000  3+  1 1/2 mi T $100/May 14  R3  CARD
4:45 ET  Selene S  G3 WO   $150,000  3yo f  1 1/16 mi AW $150/May 6  R8  CARD
 
2:40 a.m. ET  Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) G1  JRA   $1,757,000 a 3yo f  1 1/2 mi T CARD

 

 

MONDAY - MEMORIAL DAY

1:51 ET  Mount Vernon S  Bel   $125,000  3+ f/m S  1 mi T R2  CARD
2:22 ET  Commentator S  Bel   $200,000  3+ S  1 mi   R3  CARD
3:24 ET  Mike Lee S Bel   $125,000  3yo S  7f  R5  CARD
4:26 ET  Bouwerie S  Bel   $125,000  3yo f S  7f  R7  CARD
4:30 ET  Los Angeles S G3  SA   $100,000  3+  6f  R3  CARD
4:57 ET  Kingston S  Bel   $125,000  3+ S  1 mi T R8  CARD
5:20 ET  Winning Colors S G3  CD   $100,000  3+ f/m  6f   R10  CARD
5:28 ET  Critical Eye  Bel   $200,000  3+ f/m S  1 mi   R9  CARD
6:19 ET  Lone Star Park H G3 LS   $200,000  3+  1 1/16 mi  R9  CARD
7:00 ET  Gamely S G1  SA   $300,000  3+ f/m  1 1/8 mi T  R8  CARD
7:15 ET  All American G3  GG   $100,000  3+  1 mi AW R8  CARD

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