Saturday, October 3 is one of the deepest afternoons of the fall. Keeneland runs the middle day of Fall Stars Weekend, Belmont Park stages its Breeders’ Cup Preview Day, and Delaware Park runs the Delaware Handicap card that last weekend’s nor’easter pushed back a week. That’s 15 stakes worth $6.4 million across three tracks, and seven of them hand out Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In berths.
It all happens within a few hours, too. Belmont goes first at 12:05pm ET, Delaware at 12:40pm and Keeneland at 1pm. The last 15 minutes are the best of the lot, with the Delaware Handicap at 5:37pm, the Pilgrim at 5:39pm and the Coolmore Turf Mile at 5:48pm ET.
| Post Time (ET) | Track | Race | Stakes | Grade | Purse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:50pm | Belmont Park | 6 | Matron | G3 | $200,000 |
| 3:22pm | Belmont Park | 7 | Miss Grillo | G2 | $250,000 |
| 3:25pm | Delaware Park | 6 | Battery Park | Stakes | $200,000 |
| 3:40pm | Keeneland | 6 | Woodford | G2 | $400,000 |
| 3:53pm | Belmont Park | 8 | Champagne | G1 | $500,000 |
| 3:58pm | Delaware Park | 7 | Rocky Run | Stakes | $150,000 |
| 4:12pm | Keeneland | 7 | Thoroughbred Club of America | G2 | $400,000 |
| 4:31pm | Belmont Park | 9 | Frizette | G1 | $500,000 |
| 4:31pm | Delaware Park | 8 | White Clay Creek | Stakes | $150,000 |
| 4:44pm | Keeneland | 8 | First Lady | G1 | $800,000 |
| 5:06pm | Belmont Park | 10 | Futurity | G3 | $200,000 |
| 5:16pm | Keeneland | 9 | Claiborne Breeders' Futurity | G1 | $650,000 |
| 5:37pm | Delaware Park | 10 | Delaware Handicap | G3 | $500,000 |
| 5:39pm | Belmont Park | 11 | Pilgrim | G2 | $250,000 |
| 5:48pm | Keeneland | 10 | Coolmore Turf Mile | G1 | $1,250,000 |
Table of Contents
Keeneland: Fall Stars Saturday Belmont Park: Breeders' Cup Preview Day Delaware Park: The Delaware Handicap Card Bet All Three Tracks on SaturdayKeeneland: Fall Stars Saturday
Keeneland’s Saturday card carries five stakes worth $3.5 million, including three Grade 1s. The Turf Mile, the Breeders’ Futurity and the Thoroughbred Club of America are all Win and You’re In races.
Coolmore Turf Mile (Grade 1)
Race 10, 5:48pm ET. $1.25 million, one mile on the turf, three year olds and up, with the winner going to the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Nine are entered.
Zulu Kingdom knows the way round. Chad Brown’s colt made all the running to win the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile here in April, a win that gave Brown the 3,000th of his career. He was third in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga last time. William Haggas ships Lake Forest over from England off a second in the Group 1 City of York Stakes, and Kupuna comes in off a win in the Bernard Baruch, with Pass the Hat second that day. Don’t forget the defending champion, either. Will Walden’s Rhetorical won this race last year and was fourth in the Fourstardave last time.
Our take: Zulu Kingdom on top. He’s the likely pacesetter over a course he’s already beaten Grade 1 company on. Lake Forest and Rhetorical are the ones to use in the exacta.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Last Start | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title Role (GB) | John Velazquez | Brendan Walsh | 3rd, Saratoga Derby (G1) | TBC |
| 2 | Brilliant Berti | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Cherie DeVaux | 3rd, Mint Millions (G3) | TBC |
| 3 | Rhetorical | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Will Walden | 4th, Fourstardave (G1) | TBC |
| 4 | Mercante | Umberto Rispoli | Brian Knippenberg | 6th, Green River Island | TBC |
| 5 | Pass the Hat | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 2nd, Bernard Baruch | TBC |
| 6 | Plensa | Axel Concepcion | George Arnold II | Won the Tapit Stakes | TBC |
| 7 | Lake Forest (GB) | Cieren Fallon | William Haggas | 2nd, City of York (G1) | TBC |
| 8 | Kupuna | Tyler Gaffalione | Norm Casse | Won the Bernard Baruch | TBC |
| 9 | Zulu Kingdom (IRE) | Jose Ortiz | Chad Brown | 3rd, Fourstardave (G1) | TBC |
First Lady (Grade 1)
Race 8, 4:44pm ET. $800,000, one mile on the turf, fillies and mares, with 11 in the field.
Mark Casse’s Classic Q heads the morning line after wins in the Grade 1 Just a Game and the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile this year. She was only third in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf last time, though, behind Brad Cox’s Bless the Broken, who’s here as well. Brendan Walsh runs Expensive Queen, who dead heated for the win in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley over this course in April. The filly she shared it with, Chad Brown’s Segesta, is in here too, and Casse also has And One More Time, winner of the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga.
Our take: Expensive Queen. She’s already a Grade 1 winner over this course, and Classic Q is the one she has to beat.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Last Start | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pin Up Betty | Ben Curtis | Mike Maker | 9th, Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon (G3) | TBC |
| 2 | Lush Lips (GB) | Tyler Gaffalione | Brendan Walsh | 2nd, Ellis Park Turf | TBC |
| 3 | Mandanaba (FR) | Umberto Rispoli | Francis Henri Graffard | 2nd, Just a Game (G1) | TBC |
| 4 | Expensive Queen (IRE) | Luis Saez | Brendan Walsh | Won the Jenny Wiley (G1) | TBC |
| 5 | And One More Time | Javier Castellano | Mark Casse | Won the Ballston Spa (G2) | TBC |
| 6 | Deep Satin | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | 3rd, Ballston Spa (G2) | TBC |
| 7 | Love You Anyway | Axel Concepcion | George Arnold II | Won the Sunkissed | TBC |
| 8 | Segesta | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad Brown | 5th, Ballston Spa (G2) | TBC |
| 9 | Classic Q | John Velazquez | Mark Casse | 3rd, Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G2) | TBC |
| 10 | Bless the Broken | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Brad Cox | Won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G2) | TBC |
| 11 | Vina Arana (IRE) | Adam Beschizza | Jack Sisterson | 5th, Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint (G1) | TBC |
Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (Grade 1)
Race 9, 5:16pm ET. $650,000, 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, two year olds. The winner earns a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and the first five home collect Kentucky Derby points on a 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 scale. Six go to post.
Phone Booth is the only runner with Grade 1 experience. Doug O’Neill’s colt ran second in the Del Mar Futurity and ships in for Umberto Rispoli. The rest are last out maiden or allowance winners, led by Kenny McPeek’s Coach Pope, who broke his maiden by 12½ lengths at Churchill Downs on September 12. Todd Pletcher’s American History and Brad Cox’s Q B Rocket both won debuts at Saratoga.
Our take: Phone Booth. He’s the only one who has already faced graded company, and he held his own.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Last Start | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coach Pope | Jose Ortiz | Kenny McPeek | Maiden win, Churchill Downs | TBC |
| 2 | Q B Rocket | Junior Alvarado | Brad Cox | Maiden win, Saratoga | TBC |
| 3 | Phone Booth | Umberto Rispoli | Doug O'Neill | 2nd, Del Mar Futurity (G1) | TBC |
| 4 | Title Worthy | Gerardo Corrales | Dallas Stewart | Allowance win, Churchill Downs | TBC |
| 5 | Jaded | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Mark Casse | Maiden win, Kentucky Downs | TBC |
| 6 | American History | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | Maiden win, Saratoga | TBC |
Thoroughbred Club of America and Woodford (Grade 2)
The Thoroughbred Club of America (Race 7, 4:12pm ET, $400,000, 6½ furlongs on the dirt) sends its winner to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Praying won it last year and is back, while Echo Sound is a multiple graded stakes winner who ran fourth in the Grade 1 Ballerina last time.
The Woodford (Race 6, 3:40pm ET, $400,000, 5½ furlongs on the turf) is headlined by Nobals, the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, who has earned more than $1.9 million. Doncho arrives off a second in the Grade 2 Troy at Saratoga.
Belmont Park: Breeders’ Cup Preview Day
Belmont’s Saturday card has six stakes worth $1.9 million, and all six are for two year olds. The Champagne, Miss Grillo, Futurity and Pilgrim all carry Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In berths, according to NYRA’s calendar.
Champagne (Grade 1)
Race 8, 3:53pm ET. $500,000, one turn mile on the dirt, two year olds. The winner earns a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile berth and the top five get Kentucky Derby points on a 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 scale.
This is a rematch. Chad Brown’s Gaudreau won his debut at Saratoga on August 8, and Shug McGaughey’s U.S.S. Valor finished third that day. U.S.S. Valor then won by 13¼ lengths on September 5 and earned a 105 Beyer, the best of any two year old this year. Club Reign won his debut by six lengths at Saratoga, and Earth Song won by 11¼ lengths at Monmouth. Earth Song is also entered in Delaware’s Rocky Run on the same afternoon, so check which race he runs in.
Our take: U.S.S. Valor. Gaudreau beat him first time out, but the figure he ran next time is the best in the division.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Last Start | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnny Hockey | Katie Davis | Antonio Arriaga | Win, Monmouth Park | TBC |
| 2 | Raku | Paco Lopez | Kelly Breen | 2nd, Sapling | TBC |
| 3 | Gaudreau | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | Maiden win, Saratoga | TBC |
| 4 | Club Reign | Edgard Zayas | Whit Beckman | Maiden win, Saratoga | TBC |
| 5 | U.S.S. Valor | Manny Franco | Shug McGaughey | Maiden win, Saratoga | TBC |
| 6 | Earth Song | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Jorge Delgado | Maiden win, Monmouth Park | TBC |
Frizette (Grade 1)
Race 9, 4:31pm ET. $500,000, one turn mile on the dirt, two year old fillies. The Frizette isn’t a Win and You’re In race. It’s part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen, so the winner gets a $30,000 credit toward Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies entry fees. It also awards Kentucky Oaks points on a 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 scale.
Libby Lloyd is the one everyone’s talking about. Chad Brown’s Into Mischief filly won her Saratoga debut by 10 lengths on August 15, and this is only her second start. Brown won the Frizette in 2017.
Our take: Libby Lloyd, on the strength of that debut.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revenge of the Sis | Edgard Zayas | George Weaver | TBC |
| 2 | She's a Twelve | Dylan Davis | Kelly Breen | TBC |
| 3 | Girls Wear Pearls | Jose Morelos | Jena Antonucci | TBC |
| 4 | Libby Lloyd | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | TBC |
| 5 | Dotsy | Kendrick Carmouche | John Grabowski | TBC |
| 6 | Rum Twist | Paco Lopez | Mark Hennig | TBC |
| 7 | Velora | Manny Franco | Linda Rice | TBC |
The Rest of the Belmont Card
Four more stakes fill out the afternoon. The Matron (Race 6, 2:50pm ET) and the Futurity (Race 10, 5:06pm ET) are six furlong sprints on the inner turf, and the Miss Grillo (Race 7, 3:22pm ET) and the Pilgrim (Race 11, 5:39pm ET) go 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Riley Mott’s Quibbler is entered in the Miss Grillo, but she’s also in Friday’s Jessamine at Keeneland. The Pilgrim draws 12, including Dover Street, who ships in from England for Richard Hannon.
Delaware Park: The Delaware Handicap Card
Delaware Park was due to run this card on September 26 before the nor’easter hit. The racing office moved the whole card to Saturday as originally drawn, with no redraw, so the morning lines from the original draw still stand. It has four stakes worth $1 million, all on the main track.
Delaware Handicap (Grade 3)
Race 10, 5:37pm ET. $500,000, 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, fillies and mares. The 89th running drew 11, the biggest field since 2005.
Eunomia is the 3/1 morning line favorite. Saffie Joseph Jr.’s filly won the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar on August 1 at 12/1, and this will be her sixth different track in six starts. Regaled, at 7/2, is the defending champion. She won this race by 6¼ lengths last year and then ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She hasn’t won in 2026 but ran second in both the Grade 2 Azeri and the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis, and trainer Whit Beckman says she likes an off track. Brad Cox runs Margie’s Intention, the 2025 Black Eyed Susan winner, and Chasten, both at 8/1.
Our take: Eunomia on a fast track. If it comes up wet, we’d flip to Regaled.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angel Bella | Martin Chuan | Whit Beckman | 20/1 |
| 2 | Kinzie Queen | Jose Batista | Greg Compton | 20/1 |
| 3 | Low Country Magic | Julio Hernandez | Horacio De Paz | 12/1 |
| 4 | Regaled | Joseph Ramos | Whit Beckman | 7/2 |
| 5 | Eunomia | Micah Husbands | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 3/1 |
| 6 | Margie's Intention | Samuel Marin | Brad Cox | 8/1 |
| 7 | Chasten | Luis Rivera Jr. | Brad Cox | 8/1 |
| 8 | Nerazurri | Axel Concepcion | Mark Casse | 6/1 |
| 9 | Social Fortress | Cipriano Gil | Gregg Sacco | 15/1 |
| 10 | Take Charge Omaha | Mario Gutierrez | Matt Sims | 10/1 |
| 11 | Miss Authentic | Jareth Loveberry | Eddie Kenneally | 10/1 |
Battery Park, Rocky Run and White Clay Creek
The Battery Park ($200,000, 1 1/8 miles, Race 6 at 3:25pm ET) has Barbadian Runner at 3/2 and Bill Mott’s Bendoog at 9/5. The Rocky Run and the White Clay Creek ($150,000 each, one mile, Races 7 and 8) are for two year olds. Westbound Cat is the 5/2 favorite in the Rocky Run, and Girvy Girl heads the White Clay Creek at 7/2 for Saffie Joseph Jr.
Bet All Three Tracks on Saturday
Three tracks, 15 stakes and seven Breeders’ Cup berths make this the kind of Saturday that’s worth clearing the afternoon for. Start with the Belmont juveniles, work through the Keeneland Grade 1s and finish with the Delaware Handicap and the Turf Mile inside the last quarter of an hour.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Image by Jeff Kubina, licensed under CC by 2.0.
