The Sun Shines Bright On Weekend Graded Stakes

I don't mean to tease any New York racing connections when I say this, but the real standout when it comes to racing this weekend might be the beautiful Fall weather.

Graded-stakes action is happening at Keeneland and Woodbine on Saturday and both tracks should feature sunny skies and seasonal, if perhaps slightly below-average, temperatures. That leaves the racing to heat things up and Keeneland takes center stage with the GII Lexus Raven Run S. over seven furlongs for the 3-year-old fillies. A field of nine will line up led by the nearly undefeated Alva Starr (Lord Nelson). Her only two losses, if you can call them that, were both narrow second-place efforts when facing tough company at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs back in May. She's stepped up since, posting a 6 3/4-length win in Delaware's Dashing Beauty S. and topping that off with an 8 3/4-length romp in the GII Prioress S. at Saratoga Sept. 2. In her first work at Keeneland, she fired a best-of-18 bullet, going five furlongs in :58 Oct. 8 for trainer Brett Brinkman.

Situated just to the favorite's inside, Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief) went three-for-three to start her career before running second to Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. July 8. Third but well beaten behind Alva Starr as the odds-on favorite in the Prioress, the $500,000 KEESEP grad will look to turn the tables on that rival for Juddmonte and trainer Brad Cox.

Charles Town Oaks winner Vahva (Gun Runner) also brings a run of recent good form in for Cherie DeVaux. Third in that Victory Ride at Belmont, she posted a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure in that Charles Town win and her only two major defeats both came at the hands of MGISW winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) at the Fair Grounds earlier in the year. She's also one of only two fillies in the field (the other being Lady Radler {Kantharos}) with experience over the Keeneland oval.

North of the border, Woodbine plays host to the GIII Ontario Derby with thrilling Breeders' S. winner Touch'n Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) coming back off short rest. Fifth after a troubled trip in the King's Plate Aug. 20, the 3-year-old gelding just out-dueled talented filly Elysian Field (Hard Spun) on the grass to nab the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. Back on the Tapeta Saturday for his first try at 1 1/8 miles, he keeps leading rider Kazushi Kimura aboard.

Another Canadian Triple Crown race winner lines up just to inside with Prince of Wales S. victor Velocitor (Mor Spirit) turning back to the all-weather off that score in the slop at Fort Erie Sept. 12. And while the field won't have Elysian Field to contend with Saturday, they'll have another pair of fillies to test in GIII Selene S. winner Solo Album (Curlin), who faces the boys for the first time, and last-out Ontario Damsel S. heroine Forever Dixie (Quality Road), a respectable fourth in last year's GIII Grey S. against males, to the outside.

The racing returns to Kentucky Sunday with just a single graded-stakes race on the card: the GIII Rood and Riddle Dowager S. The marathon 1 1/2-mile turf contest for fillies and mares attracted the top two finishers of the GIII Ladies Marathon S. in Vergara (Noble Mission {GB}) and Transient (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). For the 5-year-old Transient, both of her prior starts over Sunday's distance were defeats to fellow entry Personal Best (Tapit) who also exits the Ladies Marathon from fourth. Only two of these fillies (the previously mentioned Vergara and Loved Reiko {Tapit}) have wins over this distance while there are several runners in the field trying the stretch out for the first time.