Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A remarkable midweek race meeting at York in the north of England gives way this weekend back in North America to serious Breeders' Cup preps, including the leading edge of a late-year Japanese contingent in Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Classic
The best of the locals face some interesting challengers in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Pacific Classic at Del Mar, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Forged Steel, who won the Grade II Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May by 9 1/2 lengths, is back after finishing fifth in the Grade II Suburban in a trip to Saratoga. Four-year-old filly Om N Joy just missed in the Grade I Clement Hirsch in her last start.
Counting Stars, shown winning the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks, is the favorite in Saturday's Group 1 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga. Photo by Coglianese Photography, courtesy of NYRAMany eyes will be on Finger. The Japan-based Gun Runner colt has won four of his last five starts on Japanese dirt, including the Tokyo Derby in his last start, and gets his first trial for a potential start in the Breeders' Cup.
Hit Show, the 2025 Dubai World Cup winner, invades from Kentucky. Original Sin, who defeated that one two starts back in the Grade III Blame Stakes, journeys from Saratoga.
Kalpana wins Thursday's Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks at York's iconic Ebor meeting, earning a Breeders' Cup bid. Photo courtesy of Breeders' CupAlso training at the Spa for the Pacific Classic are Navajo Warrior, last seen in Iowa winning the Grade III Prairie Meadows Cornhusker, and Knightsbridge, who is the morning-line pick after winning the Grade III Monmouth Cup by 10 1/4 lengths in his last start.
If that marked a return to his best form, he might be unbeatable despite an outside draw. If not, the race is wide open.
Distaff
Counting Stars has atoned for her third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks with victories in the Grade I Acorn and Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks -- enough to make her the odds-on favorite in a six-filly field for Saturday's $600,000 Grade I Alabama at Saratoga.
Turf
Handicapping Sunday's $300,000 Grade II Caesar's Sportsbook Del Mar Derby depends on an assessment of Pavlovian's chances in his turf debut. Second in the Louisiana Derby, he finished last in the Kentucky Derby and has not hit the board in two subsequent starts. Most of the others exit last month's listed Oceanside Handicap including the winner, Proletariat.
Filly & mare turf
Irish import Kensington Lane won the Grade I Belmont Oaks in her first U.S. start, enough to make her the early favorite in Saturday's $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Oaks. The tough field has Tam Tam as a local favorite.
Segesta is a luke-warm favorite in a field of eight for Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Ballston Spa at Saratoga. The Ghostzapper mare looks to continue a purple patch for owner/breeder Juddmonte, winner of five Group 1 events in as many weeks in Europe.
Turf mile
There are a lot of familiar faces in Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Del Mar Mile along with Brazilian import Sinsel and recent European arrival Detain, making his third U.S. start. The latter races for Juddmonte.
Turf sprint
Motorious has won Del Mar's Green Flash three years in a row, then advanced to the Breeders' Cup, where his best result was a second place, a neck behind Starlust, in 2024. He's back for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II renewal, a "Win and You're In" for another shot at the Breeders' Cup.
Around the world, around the clock
England
The first two days of York's storied Ebor meeting provided plenty of thrills and, eventually, plenty of glory for Juddmonte's forces, with Item providing a big upset win in the featured Group 1 Juddmonte International and Kalpana gamely holding on in the final strides to win the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks a day later.
The outcome of Wednesday's feature is likely to be heard around the world before 2026 is done. Item, carrying the sponsor's silks, surged through the closing yards to spring the upset win by a head over Almaqam. Constitution River was third and the defending champion, Ombudsman, settled for fourth as the heavy favorite.
Item improved his own mark to five wins from six starts. The only loss was in the Derby and, despite that disappointment, the Andrew Balding trainee now has claims to top the division.
Almaqam's best effort to date was a win in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May. Constitution River, winner of the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby and the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse, saw a five-race win streak ended. Ombudsman entered as a four-time Group 1 winner.
About plans: Item earned a "Win and You're In" bid to the Breeders' Cup Classic, which would require surface switch. Aidan O'Brien said Constitution River could be headed to the Irish Champion Stakes.
Trainer John Gosden said rain on top of a watered course made the going too soft for Ombudsman and the experience will shape the rest of his season.
"We'll now see where we think we can get his ground. We'll be looking for faster ground, even if we have to wait for Breeders' Cup," Racing Post quoted Gosden as saying.
Item' victory was the fourth Group 1 in a span of just more than five weeks for Juddmonte, Balding and jockey Colin Keane. The fifth came just a day later as Kalpana took out the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks -- but just barely.
The race was muddled as a Coolmore "rabbit" got away to a ridiculous lead that still stood at 15 lengths or more with 2 furlongs to run. Keane had no choice but to light up Kalpana early to close that gap and seize the lead, which she did.
But that left her vulnerable to deep-closing longshot Sparan Nua. Kalpana, tiring, drifted a bit in the final yards, but gutted it out to win by a short head. Coolmore's main hope, Minnie Hauk, settled for third.
Kalpana, a 5-year-old mare by Study of Man, backed up her last-race victory in last month's Group 1 King George at Ascot and presented her connections with the choice of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in which she finished seventh last year, or the Group 1 British Champion Fillies and Mares at Ascot, which she won for a second straight year just 13 days after the Arc effort.
The Oaks also earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Wednesday's Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes for 3-year-olds mixed up the division standings nicely. Maltese Cross got home first, 2 lengths to the good of Pierre Bonnard, with Epsom Derby winner and Irish Derby second Christmas Day third.
Maltese Cross, a Sea the Stars colt, was second at Epsom, the only blemish in a campaign that includes the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.
In the third pattern race on the Wednesday program, Haffner, a Kentucky-bred Justify colt from the Coolmore connections, won the Group 3 Acomb Stakes for 2-year-olds, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Libertango landed Thursday's Group 2 Lowther Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by 1/2 length over the favorite, Star of State. The No Nay Never filly, trained by George Boughey, won for the third time in four starts and was second in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket in the other.
Sun Goddess survived abysmal traffic issues to win the £500,000 Harry's Half Million by Goffs, a race restricted to sale offerings. The Sioux Nation filly had won the Group 1 Phoenix in Ireland a race earlier and towered over 21 rivals, but was nearly eliminated when stopped cold halfway through the 6 furlongs.
Ryan Moore finally steered her to the stands side and she quickly took charge, circled rivals and won by 6 lengths.
Both Libertango and Sun Goddess now are hot items for the 2026 1,000 Guineas, but O'Brien said he might have an earlier goal for the Harry's Half Million winner.
"She could go to the Breeders' Cup if we wanted to," he said.
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