Horse Racing Results: Churchill Downs, Santa Anita, and Belmont

Forged Steel wins the Goodwood at Santa Anita

Forged Steel wins the Goodwood (G1) at Santa Anita (Photo by Benoit Photo)

Belmont Park may have been closed Saturday and Sunday, but there was definitely no shortage of stakes races for the weekend. With races like the Beldame on Friday at Belmont, and multiple stakes races at Santa Anita and Churchill Downs, there was a lot of action to cover. Check out all the horse racing results below!

INDEX

Goodwood
John Henry Turf Championship
John C. Harris - Santa Anita - Little Opal

City of Hope Mile
Eddie D.
Ack Ack

Lukas Classic
Beldame

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Santa Anita

Goodwood

Winner: Forged Steel | Jockey: Edwin Gonzalez | Trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Unplaced twice since his breakthrough in the May 25 Hollywood Gold Cup (G2), Forged Steel relished a return to Santa Anita to spring a $27.60 upset of Saturday’s Goodwood (G1). The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee made the decisive move on the far turn and held sway over stablemate Caldera in this “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Forged Steel was not an individual interest in this weekend’s Pool 2 of the Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager. Prospective backers can use the mutuel field of “All other starters” until betting closes Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

Defending Goodwood champion Nevada Beach, the 6-5 favorite, churned on for third off the layoff. The Bob Baffert pupil, who is available as an individual Pool 2 interest, ran as if he could move forward off this tightener.

Forged Steel was let go at 12.80-1 following double-digit losses in the Suburban H. (G2) at Saratoga and the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. Joseph’s other entrant, the streaking Caldera, attracted more betting interest as the 5-2 second choice.

Caldera’s popularity is likely explicable by his wide ownership interest through Myracehorse, but he had shown talent briefly on the Road to the Kentucky Derby for the late Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. Since joining Joseph this term, Caldera was a perfect 3-for-3 in allowance company and poised for a class hike.

Forged Steel got the jump on his in-form stablemate here. Breaking alertly with Edwin Gonzalez, the Vekoma colt let the aggressive Taif go forward on the rail, but kept close watch in second. Taif carved out splits of :22.97 and :47.32 before calling it a day.

John Henry Turf Championship

Winner: Atitlan | Jockey: Umberto Rispoli | Trainer: Richard Mandella

Also on Goodwood Day, John M. B. O’Connor’s Atitlan lorded it over his rivals in the $201,500 John Henry Turf Championship (G2). The 9-10 favorite was peaking third off the layoff for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, after a warm-up fourth in the July 19 Wickerr S. and a near-miss in the Del Mar H. (G2).

Previously in the care of the late John Shirreffs, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, Atitlan had been nurtured in trademark fashion into an elite performer. Mandella credited his colleague for his handiwork.

“He has been a piece of cake. John Shirreffs did the groundwork and created a good horse,” Mandella pointed out. “I just got to polish the apple, that is all.”

The John Henry was a piece of cake for Atitlan. Under confident handling by Umberto Rispoli, who earlier guided Sorrento Sky to a popular victory in the Eddie D (G2), the son of The Factor bided his time off the contentious pace. When the stalking Flashiest made his bid for glory on the final turn, Atitlan covered his move and shot 2 1/4 lengths clear.

Atitlan’s time of 1:58.35 for 1 1/4 miles on the firm course reflects the fast fractions courtesy of Balladeer, who blitzed in :22.58, :46.40, and 1:10.93.

John C. Harris

Winner: Little Opal | Jockey: Emisael Jaramillo | Trainer: Doug O'Neil

Donald R. Dizney’s homebred Little Opal rounded out the stakes action by remaining unbeaten in the $102,000 John C. Harris (G3) on the downhill turf.

Trained by Doug O’Neill and piloted by Emisael Jaramillo, the 6-5 favorite went wire to wire in a gutsy 1 1/4-length decision. Little Opal might have had a whiff of vulnerability turning into the stretch, but she found plenty to remain in command at the end of about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.76.

City of Hope

Winner: Cabo Spirit | Jockey: Mike Smith | Trainer: George Papaproudromou

Cabo Spirit earned a belated first win of the season Saturday in his conventional style – on the lead – in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile (G2) at Santa Anita.

Although the longest shot at 7-1 in the field of five, the veteran of 45 starts pulled out all the stops to deny El Potente by a head under the ageless Mike Smith.

Maintaining a steady lead of around a length through seven furlongs, Cabo Spirit saw that advantage diminish inside the final furlong as he began drifting out into the middle of the course, leaving a wide open space for 2-1 favorite El Potente to rally up the rail. Although not exactly looking his rival in the eye, Cabo Spirit understood the task at hand and ultimately repelled his fellow seven-year-old.

Zipping a mile over the firm turf in 1:33.06, Cabo Spirit returned $16.40. He is owned by Kretz Racing and is trained by George Papaprodomou. El Potente finished 3 1/4 lengths ahead of King of Gosford, who edged Irish Aces for third by a head. Detain was the trailer.

Eddie D. Stakes

Winner: Sorrento Sky | Jockey: Umberto Rispoli | Trainer: Philip DAmato

Later in the card, Sorrento Sky mowed down his rivals to land the $201,000 Eddie D. (G2) by one length as the 2-1 favorite.

Now 2-for-3 since being gelded in the spring, Sorrento Sky has evolved into the circuit’s leading turf sprinter. In his previous start, Sorrento Sky captured the Green Flash H. (G2) over five furlongs at Del Mar by one length as a 7-1 chance.

Under Umberto Rispoli, Sorrento Sky finished about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.30 and paid $6.20. Sumter finished second by a neck over the filly Amorita. Seven ran.

A five-year-old by Prince of Lir, Sorrento Sky races for a wide-ranging partnership that includes the Benowitz Family Trust. Phil D’Amato was the winning trainer.

Churchill Downs

Ack Ack

Winner: Bishops Bay | Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione | Trainer: Brad Cox

KAS Stables’ Bishops Bay made his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) a winning one in Saturday’s $399,000 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs, repelling the late-charging Coal Battle by a head.

Winner of last fall’s Cigar Mile (G2), Bishops Bay recorded his sixth graded stakes victory and pushed his earnings past $2.85 million. Tyler Gaffalione, who won six races on the program, picked up the mount aboard the son of Uncle Mo and Brad Cox trains.

Bishops Bay, who was exiting a win in the Philip H. Iselin (G3) at Monmouth Park on Aug. 15, left the Ack Ack starting gate as 2.84-1 third choice among seven runners.

After showing the way during the opening stages, Bishops Bay conceded the advantage to Macho Music. He tracked an up-close second until being given his cue on the far turn, powering into the stretch with a clear lead, but Coal Battle came rallying into the frame and drew even in deep stretch. However, Bishops Bay kept finding more, finishing the one-turn mile in 1:34.51.

Lukas Classic

Winner: Dragoon Guard | Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione | Trainer: Brad Cox

One race after the Ack Ack, Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Dragoon Guard provided Cox a sweep of the graded stakes on Saturday’s program, drawing off to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $498,000 Lukas Classic (G2). Gaffalione was up on the gray five-year-old horse.

Dragoon Guard reeled off four consecutive wins in 2024, including the Indiana Derby (G3) and West Virginia Derby (G3), but the Lukas Classic marked his first win since the latter. The son of Arrogate stalked an up-close third along the backstretch and made his move to the lead on the far turn, entering the stretch with a widening advantage, and Dragoon Guard went on to complete 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.35.

Santa Anita - Sunday

Zenyatta

Winner: Super Corredora | Jockey: Joel Rosario | Trainer: John Sadler

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) champion, Super Corredora, didn’t look anything like herself in two starts early this season. But the John Sadler filly was back to her front-running best in Sunday’s $201,000 Zenyatta (G2) at Santa Anita, where she booked her spot in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).

Super Corredora certainly had the pedigree to train on from two to three, as a daughter of Gun Runner and close relative of his $2.1 million-earner Gunite. Yet after tiring to fourth in the Feb. 8 Las Virgenes S., and backpedaling to a remote sixth in the March 8 Santa Ysabel (G3), the jury was out on whether she would recover her Eclipse Award-winning form.

The Zenyatta turned out to be an open-and-shut case for Super Corredora, despite facing elders and the progressive Rabeeba off the layoff. Overlooked as the 7.80-1 fifth choice in a seven-horse field, Super Corredora established a clear lead for the first time since the 2025 Breeders’ Cup. New rider Joel Rosario helped her along through fractions of :23.12, :46.44, and 1:10.40, and she kicked away to a 2 3/4-length victory.

Santa Anita Sprint Championship

Winner: Listenupshance | Jockey: Emisael Jaramillo | Trainer: Doug O'Neill

Early speed was also decisive in the other Breeders’ Cup Challenge race on the card, the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2), as Listenupshance went wire to wire in a scratch-reduced field to pick up a superfluous Sprint (G1) ticket. The Doug O’Neill trainee already had one in his pocket from the Bing Crosby (G1) last time out at Del Mar. The same rival who almost caught him that day, Maximum Bourbon, was runner-up again here.

After the vet scratches of reigning titleholder Imagination and the speedy Ahrens, Listenupshance had only two rivals left to beat in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Bettors preferred Maximum Bourbon to reverse the Bing Crosby form, sending him off as the 7-10 favorite and Listenupshance as the 6-5 second choice.

When Listenupshance was caught flat-footed at the start, Maximum Bourbon tried to take advantage by cutting across to the rail. But Listenupshance revved up quickly to regain position and take charge through an opening quarter in :21.98. From that point on, Maximum Bourbon was playing catch-up without quite getting there.

COMBO RECAP: Super Corredora back in winning groove in BC WAYI Zenyatta

Belmont Park - Friday

Beldame

Winner: Nitrogen | Jockey: Jose Ortiz | Trainer: Mark Casse

Far and away the class of the field as the 1-20 favorite, Nitrogen sailed through her Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) tune-up in Friday’s $242,500 Beldame (G2) at Belmont Park.

The dual champion filly blew her rivals away the day before a powerful nor’easter was forecast to hit the region, prompting the cancellation of racing for Saturday and Sunday. Belmont’s six graded stakes originally scheduled for this weekend are postponed to next Thursday, Oct. 1.

Nitrogen seized command early and never looked back, although Donor Advised tried to make a race of it on two separate occasions. The stakes debutante attempted to go with Nitrogen in the opening strides before deferring, and she raised her game again turning for home, but the favorite was just too good.

Under good handling by Jose Ortiz, Nitrogen dictated fractions of :23.89, :46.51, and 1:10.44. The Mark Casse star drifted out as she drew off, yet she was not in any serious danger from the hard-trying Donor Advised. Crossing the wire comfortably 2 3/4 lengths clear, Nitrogen finished 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.36.

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