The return of Rich Strike plus 12 Breeders’ Cup events highlight huge horse racing weekend

Lexington Herald-Leader

September 30, 2022 at 5:00 a.m.·4 min read

The start of the Keeneland Fall Meet is less than a week away, and that can only mean the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Lexington are not far behind.

As the calendar flips to October this weekend, we’ll witness an outbreak of 12 horse races around the globe over the next two days whose winners will earn automatic berths here in November.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series resumes, with seven “win-and-you’re-in” events in the United States and five overseas. Those victors will be part of the 39th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 4-5. The Fall Meet at Keeneland takes place Oct. 7-29.

This weekend also features the return of 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike to Churchill Downs for the first time since his stunning victory as an 80-1 long shot on May 7.

Saturday’s $500,000, Grade 2 Lukas Classic is not directly linked to the Breeders’ Cup but because it’s taking place right down the road in Louisville and could conceivably send a contender to Lexington, let’s start there.

Rich Strike, who has not hit the board in his two starts since the Run for the Roses, is the 6-1 fourth choice in a field of six 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles in the Lukas Classic, which is named in honor of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Hot Rod Charlie, who ran third in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic and second in this year’s Dubai World Cup, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Lukas.

Art Collector, winner of the 2020 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and a winner of 10 of his 19 career races including his two most recent outings, is second choice at 2-1. Happy Saver, runner-up in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga in August, checks in at 5-2.

Rich Strike, who has run sixth in the Belmont Stakes and fourth in the Travers since his shocking Kentucky Derby win, rounds out the field along with King Fury (15-1) and Chess Chief (20-1).

Churchill Downs is also the site of one of this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series events. Trainer Bill Mott’s Speaker’s Corner is the even-money morning-line favorite for the $300,000, Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes on Saturday. The winner earns an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

Aqueduct Racetrack in New York is the site of three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races this weekend.

On Saturday, trainer Brad Cox’s Verifying is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the $500,000, Grade 1 Champagne Stakes for 2-year-olds, a primer for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4. The Juvenile will provide an early look at the top contenders for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

Also Saturday, Aqueduct hosts the $200,000, Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes, whose winner moves on to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 4. Irish-bred Be Your Best is the 6-5 favorite in a field of six.

On Sunday, Aqueduct has the $200,000, Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes, a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and the $400,000, Grade 1 Frizette Stakes, a win-and-you’re-in event for the Juvenile Fillies.

Santa Anita also gets in on the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series with a pair of weekend races. Bob Baffert’s Country Grammer is the 8-5 favorite in a field of eight going 1 1/8 miles in the $300,000, Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Saturday. The winner earns a berth in the signature event of the Breeders’ Cup, the $6 million Classic on Nov. 5.

On Sunday, Santa Anita hosts the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Taking a look overseas, Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, is the site of this weekend’s other five Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races, all of which take place Sunday. Their winners will deliver contestants to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, the Juvenile Turf, the Turf and the Turf Sprint.

Saturday on TV

4:39 p.m.: Miss Grillo Stakes (NBC-18)

4:55 p.m.: Ack Ack Stakes (NBC-18)

5:26 p.m.: Lukas Classic (NBC-18)

5:45 p.m.: Champagne Stakes (NBC-18)

7:08 p.m.: Awesome Again Stakes (FanDuel TV)

BBC
Pakistan: Lightning and unusually heavy rain kill dozens
Authorities have also warned of landslides and flash floods in the coming days.
a minute ago
The Canadian Press
NHL roundup: Capitals blank Bruins 2-0 to keep playoff hopes alive
John Carlson scored another big goal, Charlie Lindgren stopped all 16 shots he faced, and the Washington Capitals moved another step closer to the playoffs by beating the Boston Bruins 2-0 on Monday night. Nic Dowd sealed it with an empty-netter with 11.7 seconds left, and now a win at Philadelphia on Tuesday night would put Washington back in the playoffs, regardless of other results around the NHL. The Capitals, if they make it, would be the second wild card in the Eastern Conference after the
4 minutes ago
BBC
Sydney church stabbing declared a 'terrorist attack'
A 16-year-old boy is under arrest after a bishop and several churchgoers were injured on Monday.
5 minutes ago
BBC
Sydney mall attack: Confronting pro-Kremlin troll on false claims Jewish student was killer
Simeon Boikov sparked a social media frenzy implicating an innocent 20-year-old in the shopping mall attack.
5 minutes ago
Reuters
UBS added capital needs of $15-25 billion are realistic, Swiss minister says
Estimates that Swiss bank UBS will require another $15 billion to $25 billion in capital under government proposals aimed at making the banking sector more robust are about right, Switzerland's finance minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "That's right, those orders of magnitude are plausible," Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. Keller-Sutter was speaking after the Swiss government last week set out proposals to tighten regulation for banks deemed "too big to fail", particularly UBS, which said the lender would face more stringent capital requirements in future.
5 minutes ago
Associated Press
Connor McDavid becomes 4th in NHL history with 100 assists as the Oilers rout the Sharks 9-2
Warren Foegele scored twice and Adam Henrique and Dylan Holloway each had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers beat the San Jose Sharks 9-2 Monday night. Connor McDavid had a goal and added his 100th assist of the season, becoming just the fourth player in NHL history to hit the milestone behind Wayne Gretzky (11 times), Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr.
6 minutes ago
Reuters
UPDATE 1-Hundreds of houses, plots flooded in Russia's Kurgan region
Water levels in rivers in swathes of Russia's Ural and southwestern Siberian regions continued to rise rapidly, officials said on Tuesday, flooding hundreds of houses, cutting off power and forcing urgent evacuations of residents. More than 300 houses and nearly 700 residential plots have been flooded in Russia's Kurgan region straddling the Tobol River near the border with Kazakhstan, Russia's emergency ministry said on Tuesday. "The water level in the Tobol River is rising rapidly," the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
6 minutes ago
Associated Press
Ex-test cricketer Slater in custody after facing an Australian court on domestic violence charges
Former Australian test cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in custody while awaiting trial on 19 charges relating to domestic violence, stalking and breaches of bail. The 54-year-old Slater was refused bail Tuesday when he appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court, about an hour north of Brisbane in Queensland state, charged with unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation. Slater made his debut for Australia in 1993 and played 73 test matches, scoring 5,312 runs at an average of almost 43.
7 minutes ago
Business Insider
The full list of major US companies slashing staff this year, from Tesla to Google and Apple
Companies have continued to cut jobs in 2024 after a wave of layoffs last year. Amazon, IBM, Google, UPS and Tesla are among those shedding staff.
7 minutes ago
The Canadian Press
Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger homer, power Mariners to a 9-3 win over the Reds
SEATTLE (AP) — Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger homered, and Seattle’s slumping offense produced a season high in runs as the Mariners beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-3 Monday night. The Mariners had their highest scoring game since August 26, 2023, when they scored 13 times against the Kansas City Royals. Seattle entered Monday’s game batting .204. George Kirby (2-2) returned to form for Seattle, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The 26-year-old right-han
7 minutes ago
Hypebeast
USA Basketball to Finalize 2024 Paris Olympics Roster With Major Powerhouses
With the 2024 Paris Olympics happening in the next few of months, Team USA is finalizing its...
8 minutes ago
Reuters
Microsoft to invest $1.5 billion in Emirati AI firm G42, New York Times reports
G42 had divested its investments in China and began the lengthy task of pulling out Chinese hardware amid U.S. concerns over its relationship with Chinese businesses. Under the partnership, G42 will use Microsoft's cloud services and accede to a security arrangement negotiated in detailed conversations with the U.S. government, the newspaper said. G42 will also be able to sell Microsoft services that use powerful AI chips, the report added.
8 minutes ago
Investor's Business Daily
Dow Jones Futures: Another Ugly Market Reversal; Nvidia Skids, Tesla Tumbles On 'Dark Day'
Mideast fears and surging yields triggered another ugly market reversal. Nvidia and Microsoft fell while Tesla dived.
9 minutes ago
The Canadian Press
Capitals shut out Bruins
John Carlson scored another big goal, Charlie Lindgren stopped all 16 shots he faced and the Washington Capitals moved another step closer to the playoffs by beating the Boston Bruins 2-0 on Monday night. Nic Dowd sealed it with an empty-netter with 11.7 seconds left, and now a win at Philadelphia on Tuesday night would put Washington back in the playoffs, regardless of other results around the NHL. The Capitals, if they make it, would be the second wild card in the Eastern Conference after the
9 minutes ago
The Canadian Press
Kirill Kaprizov helps Wild end Kings' eight-game home winning streak with 3-1 victory
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild beat Los Angeles 3-1 on Monday night, ending the Kings’ eight-game home winning streak. Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Wild, who had been outscored 13-3 in their previous two games against the Kings. Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves. Blake Lizotte scored and Cam Talbot allowed three goals on 29 shots as the Kings lost firm control of their path to third place in the Pacific Division. They are one p
9 minutes ago
Reuters
UPDATE 1-Microsoft to invest $1.5 bln in Emirati AI firm G42, New York Times reports
Microsoft plans to invest $1.5 billion in G42, an artificial intelligence firm in the United Arab Emirates, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. G42 had divested its investments in China and began the lengthy task of pulling out Chinese hardware amid U.S. concerns over its relationship with Chinese businesses. Under the partnership, G42 will use Microsoft's cloud services and accede to a security arrangement negotiated in detailed conversations with the U.S. government, the newspaper said.
10 minutes ago
Reuters
China's yuan bounces from 5-month low on state bank support, upbeat Q1 data
The volatile ride of the yuan in morning deals comes as the central bank set the guidance on the weaker side of the key 7.1 per dollar for the first time in over three weeks, with market participants interpreting it as a sign of loosening grip on the currency. Markets have been closely monitoring the daily yuan fixing in recent months for possible changes in foreign exchange policy and official stance. Prior to market opening, the PBOC set the midpoint rate , around which the yuan is allowed to trade in a 2% band, at a five-month low of 7.1028 per dollar, weaker than the previous fix of 7.0979.
11 minutes ago
Reuters
Morning Bid: Market mood stays sombre
UK labour and wage data will likely hog the spotlight as traders parse through the reports to gauge when the Bank of England will start its rate cutting cycle. The Federal Reserve on the other hand is likely to be in no rush to start its easing cycle after March retail sales came in higher than expected, the latest evidence of a resilient U.S. economy. Comments from Fed officials have also led traders to dial back their expectations with San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly the latest to suggest the Fed is in no hurry to cut rates.
13 minutes ago
The Guardian
Country diary: As close to immortality as British nature can get
Fortingall, Perthshire: Standing in front of this truly great yew tree – some say the oldest in the country – one wonders how to capture its totality
15 minutes ago
The Canadian Press
Cubs rookie Michael Busch homers in 5th consecutive game to equal club record
PHOENIX (AP) — Chicago Cubs rookie Michael Busch homered for the fifth straight game Monday night, matching a franchise record. Busch led off the second inning with his sixth home run of the season, a 419-foot drive to center field against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly. Four other Cubs players have gone deep in five consecutive games — including current third baseman Christopher Morel, who did it last year. The 26-year-old Busch was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a January
15 minutes ago

Saturday on TV

Latest Stories