Belmont Park features a trio of “Win & You’re In” stakes races on Sunday for the November 2-3 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs. The $400,000 Frizette (G1) $500,000 Flower Bowl (G1), automatic qualifiers for the Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Filly & Mare Turf (G1), headline the action.
Contest at a one-turn mile, the Frizette also serves as a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier and offers points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers. Covfefe, a spectacular 9 ¼-length debut winner at Churchill Downs on September 16, is set to make her stakes bow in the eight-horse field.
A $250,000 yearling purchase, Covfefe led wire-to-wire in her lone appearance and the Into Mischief filly promises to show speed with Javier Castellano taking over the reins. She registered a field-best 98 BRIS Speed rating and shows a recent five-furlong bullet drill for Brad Cox. Covfefe is cozily drawn in post 6.
Sue’s Fortune brings top credentials following her half-length score in the August 11 Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga. A runaway wire-to-wire winner in her first start, the New York-bred daughter of Jump Start Jeremiah Englehart displayed nice versatility rallying from off the pace in the Adirondack but will need to improve upon a 76 Speed rating. Irad Ortiz Jr. picks up the mount.
Jaywalk exits a win in the August 22 White Clay Creek at Delaware Park and Joel Rosario will be up for John Servis. Cassies Dreamer and Nonna Madeline, third and fifth in the September 1 Spinaway (G1), also merit consideration.
Winner of the New York (G2) and Hillsborough (G2) earlier this season, Fourstar Crook just missed earning her first Grade 1 tally when posting a fast-closing second in the August 11 Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington. The six-year-old New York-bred mare has the opportunity to clear the hurdle in the Flower Bowl.
Conditioned by Chad Brown, Fourstar Crook figures to be a short-priced favorite among seven runners in the 1 ¼-mile inner turf test. Her main rivals include Sheepshead Bay (G2) heroine Holy Helena, third most recently as the favorite in the Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine; Glens Falls (G2) winner Lady Montdore; and Tricky Escape, who stretched her win streak to three when taking lucrative Ramsey Farm at Kentucky Downs on September 13.
The $150,000 Futurity has been moved to six furlongs on turf and will award an automatic berth to the inaugural running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Twelve have been entered including Joyful Heart and Swamp Rat, who finished third and fourth respectively in August 29 With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga.
Dragic, a convincing maiden winner at Kentucky Downs in his last outing, is one of two in the field for Wesley Ward along with the filly Dragic, who followed a fourth in the August 5 Sorrento (G2) at Del Mar with a respectable third versus males in the September 1 Kentucky Downs Juvenile.
