Nevada Beach Defends His Goodwood Crown at Santa Anita

Storm in the East, Fireworks in the West: Your Breeders' Cup Prep Weekend

Mother Nature grabbed the reins first. A powerful nor'easter bearing down on Long Island forced NYRA to cancel Saturday and Sunday racing at the freshly reopened Belmont Park. The six graded stakes scheduled for the weekend, on a Saturday card that featured the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Vosburgh and Flower Bowl, will now be run Thursday, October 1. Delaware Park pushed its entire Delaware Handicap card to Saturday, October 3. The good news is that with the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland just five weeks away on October 30 and 31, the action simply moves west and south, and there is plenty of it.

The marquee event is Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita, a 1 1/8-mile Win and You're In for the Breeders' Cup Classic on opening weekend of the autumn meet. Defending champ Nevada Beach is the 7-5 morning line favorite from post 9 with Juan Hernandez aboard, and trainer Bob Baffert has already won this race nine times. The catch is that Nevada Beach hasn't raced since running 12th in the Saudi Cup in February. That opens the door for Original Sin (6-1), who closed for second behind Knightsbridge in the Pacific Classic. Brendan Walsh passed on Churchill's Lukas Classic to chase this Grade 1, and Kazushi Kimura picks up the ride. Saffie Joseph Jr. sends a speedy pair in Forged Steel, a Hollywood Gold Cup winner earlier this year, and Caldera, who has won three straight allowances and gets Paco Lopez. Both are 5-1. Don't overlook Mr. A. P., last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up and the lone 3-year-old in the field. Post time is 4:30 p.m. Pacific.

Santa Anita's opener runs deep beyond the headliner. The City of Hope Mile (G2) offers a Breeders' Cup ticket on the turf, and Detain looks ready to pounce after closing well in the Del Mar Mile despite a slow pace. Mondego returns to the Santa Anita lawn for the John Henry Turf Championship (G2), where he won both the Whittingham and San Marcos.

Over at Churchill Downs, closing weekend features the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) at 1 1/8 miles, trimmed to five runners after Original Sin and McAfee headed west. Chunk of Gold is the 2-1 favorite for Ethan West off a neck loss in the Iselin. The 2025 Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic (4-1) drops in from a fifth in the Whitney for Steve Asmussen, while multimillionaire Banishing (6-1) and Brad Cox's Dragoon Guard (9-2) bring graded credentials. The spoiler could be 8-1 This Is Uscar, who beat Chunk of Gold by 3 3/4 lengths in June and is chasing trainer Jordan Blair's first graded win. One race earlier, the Ack Ack (G3) pits 9-5 favorite Bishops Bay against Nu What's New, a perfect three for three at a mile on dirt. Earlier still, Plutarch makes his first start since winning the Robert B. Lewis in February when he runs for Baffert in the Bourbon Flight.

Sunday belongs to a champion. Super Corredora, last year's Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine, makes her first start since March in Santa Anita's Zenyatta Stakes (G2), a Win and You're In for the Distaff. She faces older rivals for the first time, with Joel Rosario riding her for the first time. Her opponents include Majestic Oops, who beat champion Nitrogen in the Azeri, and Baffert's unbeaten Rabeeba. Earlier on the card, Imagination defends his title in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) after finishing second in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint. He faces Listenupshance and Maximum Bourbon, who finished a nose apart in the Bing Crosby.

North of the border, Woodbine hosts Sunday's $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, the 1 1/2-mile turf finale of the Canadian Triple Crown. No sweep is on the line, since neither Plate winner Luster nor Prince of Wales winner Military Time is entered. Keep an eye on maiden Buium, who was beaten less than a length in the Prince of Wales. He is bred and built for this marathon and could finally break through for Kevin Attard and Emma-Jayne Wilson.

The storm may have stolen New York's weekend, but the road to Keeneland rolls on. Buckle up.