Breeders Cup Challenge Series Winners in August

The month of August is pretty busy for the Breeders Cup Challenge Series with nine horses punching their tickets to Keeneland already. 

Winners of the Sword Dancer Stakes and Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on August 27 and 28, respectively, plus the Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar also get an invite. That makes 12 “win and you’re in” races for the Breeders Cup World Championships this month ahead of this year’s edition on November 4-5.

How Does the Breeders Cup Challenge Series Work?

It’s easy to understand. If horses win one of the Breeders Cup Challenge Series races, then they receive an invite to the World Championships. A different racetrack across America hosts those every year.

The Series runs from December to October, but a break in March and April as focuses switches to the Kentucky Derby betting and trials, with win and you’re in events for the many Breeders Cup races happening worldwide. Now, let’s take a look at the horses to have won Breeders Cup Challenge Series races in the US and Europe in August already…

Life Is Good (Whitney Stakes)

Last year’s Breeders Cup Dirt Mile winner from the front, Life Is Good put in another all-the-way victory in the 1m 1f Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on August 6. This four-year-old Into Mischief colt now has three Grade I wins since joining Todd Pletcher’s barn.

Life Is Good ran out an unchallenged winner of the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on his first start of the year. Everybody had him favorite for the Dubai World Cup after that.

He didn’t fire in the Middle East when weakening at the business end of the race. Life Is Good has stamina doubts for the Breeders Cup Classic, the race he qualified for with victory in the Whitney. That hasn’t stopped BetOnline going +500 (5-1) about him lasting home that final furlong in Keeneland.

Blue Stripe (Clement L. Hirsch Stakes)

Argentina-bred mare Blue Stripe adds intrigue to the Breeders Cup Distaff picture following a career best win since moving hemispheres. Her victory in Del Mar’s Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes for the Marcelo Polanco barn showed she could do it at the highest level in North America.

Blue Stripe may be better than ever aged five. Although only seventh in the Distaff last year, she turned the tables on Shedaresthedevil on August 7. That’s a clear sign of improvement and all roads now lead to Keeneland after her Breeders Cup Challenge Series success.

Casa Creed (Fourstardave Handicap)

William Mott had tried for four years to get a Grade 1 win over a mile into Casa Creed. His persistence paid off when the six-year-old son of the speedy Jimmy Creed took the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga on August 13. Casa Creed now has entry to the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile.

After twice making the show in the Fourstardave, third time proved lucky for this horse. As with Life Is Good, stamina doubts exist. Casa Creed’s record over a mile is 2-13. He’ll be up against specialists at the distance come the World Championships.

Casa Creed also has automatic entry into the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint, courtesy of his earlier win in the Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park on June 11. That looks his more likely target in the fall at this stage.

Dalika (Beverly D. Stakes)

It’s still strange to think that the Beverly D. Stakes is now at Churchill Downs rather than former home Arlington Park in Chicago. The winner of the first edition of this Grade I contest for fillies and mares in Kentucky was the outsider of five on horse racing betting sites, Dalika.

This breakthrough success for Albert Stall Jr’s six-year-old was a surprise against an international field. Dalika had Prix de l’Opera heroine Rougir, who used to be trained and France needed much softer conditions, and transatlantic Irish raider Lily Pond both well-beaten.

A stamina laden pedigree suggests she’ll be even better over further. It remains to be seen if this breakthrough Grade I win was a fluke or not. Dalika’s victory in one of the Breeders Cup Challenge Series events gives her automatic entry into the Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf.

Inspiral (Prix Jacques La Marois)

British trainer John Gosden is no stranger to success stateside. One of his top three-year-old fillies, Inspiral, could be bound for the World Championships in the fall. She put a disappointing defeat in the Falmouth Stakes at local track Newmarket behind when bouncing back in France.

Inspiral’s August 14 win in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois during one of the many Deauville summertime meets comes with an invitation to the Breeders Cup Mile. Her owner-breeders Cheveley Park Stud want to keep her at that distance based on her European entries.

Baaeed (Juddmonte International)

Undefeated Shadwell Estates colt Baaeed won his first try beyond a mile with real authority in the Juddmonte International during the Ebor Festival at York. He’s now a perfect 10-10 on the track. Winning that 1m 2f Group 1 race in the North of England comes with entry to the Breeders Cup Classic.

Baaeed’s trainer William Haggas hasn’t even mentioned coming stateside before the horse retires to stud. With the Irish Champion Stakes, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and British Champion Stakes all targets this fall, it seems unlikely we’ll see the four-year-old Sea The Stars colt at Keeneland.

Alpinista (Yorkshire Oaks)

Sir Mark Prescott is one of England’s most underrated trainers. Alpinista proved too good for a classy field of fillies and mares in the Yorkshire Oaks. This was her first Group 1 win in the UK after four other top level victories at 1m 4f in France and Germany.

That distance is much further than Alpinista will go if she crosses the Atlantic and takes up an invite to the Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf. As with Baaeed, it looks unlikely that she will come despite success in a Breeders Cup Challenge Series race.

Highfield Princess (Nunthorpe Stakes)

Of the three big race winners from York, Highfield Princess looks the most likely to come stateside and take part in the World Championships. A highly versatile mare who has victories over different distances, John Quinn’s five-year-old took a second rapid fire Group 1.

Not content with a raid on France in the Prix Maurice de Gheest over 1,300m, Highfield Princess defied a 12-day turnaround and drop back to five furlongs for the Nunthorpe Stakes. A mare who is simply thriving with racing, she could now end her campaign in the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint.

Blackbeard (Prix Morny)

Irish master trainer Aidan O’Brien has been a big supporter of two-year-old races at this meet. Blackbeard could make a raid on the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint after taking the Prix Morny at Deauville on August 21.

O’Brien has a plan for his top youngsters. He will keep Blackbeard and Little Big Bear apart with them racing in different events in Ireland and England. Pencilled in for Blackbeard next is the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 24.