Horse Racing Results: Saratoga, Ascot, Del Mar, July 25-26

*Sunday stakes horse racing results will be added after the conclusion of Sunday horse racing.

Midsummer racing is heating up! Between Del Mar’s marquee West Coast stakes, Saratoga’s grueling stakes schedule at The Spa, and world-class turf battles across the pond at Ascot, the top-tier divisions are beginning to take definitive shape. Below, we review the official horse racing results  from the latest stakes action at all three tracks for Saturday and Sunday horse racing.

INDEX

Ascot Racecourse

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (G1)

Winner: Kalpana  | Jockey: Colin Keane  | Trainer: Andrew Balding

Juddmonte’s homebred Kalpana was second to Calandagan in last year’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (G1), but the classy mare turned the tables in Saturday’s renewal of the prestigious Ascot feature. 

Kalpana was coming off a tough beat as the favorite in the Hardwicke (G2), the course-and-distance prep at Royal Ascot, where she was mugged on the line by Giavellotto. But Balding was convinced that the five-year-old mare was physically stronger than ever going into her King George bid, and she proved him right to return $15 stateside.

Juddmonte’s retained jockey, Colin Keane, delivered a pitch-perfect ride. Drafting behind the Ballydoyle pace relay, led by Action, Kalpana sat in midpack while Calandagan and well-fancied Japanese shipper Masquerade Ball were anchored at the rear.

On the turn for home, Action was inhaled by stablemates Minnie Hauk and Lambourn, but Kalpana was moving ominously well in their wake. Keane shifted outside, exploiting a seam between the Ballydoyle vanguard and Benvenuto Cellini, who was looming into contention. Widest of all, defending champion Calandagan began to unleash his rally.

Kalpana, in the middle of the five-way scrum, outkicked them all to drive clear. Although Calandagan soldiered on gallantly, he could not catch Kalpana in their rematch. 

Maintaining a 1 1/2-length margin at the wire, Kalpana negotiated 1 1/2 miles on good-to-firm ground in 2:27.72. 

RELATED: Kalpana turns tables on Calandagan in King George VI & Queen Elizabeth

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Princess Margaret (G3)

Winner: Moonrise  | Jockey: Oisin Murphy  | Trainer: Andrew Balding

A Breeders’ Cup Challenge race on King George Day, the Princess Margaret, likewise witnessed a minor upset courtesy of Moonrise ($11.50).

The six-furlong affair served up a clash of formlines from the Royal meeting. Moonrise, who was a close second to King of Cloughan in the course-and-distance Windsor Castle S., prevailed over rivals exiting the Albany (G3) and Queen Mary (G2) in their own division. 

With Oisin Murphy aboard, Moonrise traveled keenly from a stalking position on the far side. The Churchill filly picked up with about a furlong to go and just lasted from the fast-finishing Dee’s Funny Girl. Moonrise kept her neck in front in a final time of 1:14.18.

RELATED: Kalpana turns tables on Calandagan in King George VI & Queen Elizabeth

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Saratoga

Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2)

Winner: Built | Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Trainer: Wayne Catalano

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built made it look easy in Saturday’s $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2) at Saratoga, dominating the stretch drive in the six-furlong test for older sprinters. Favored at 6-5, Built tracked the pace in second before overtaking pacesetter Damon’s Mound, and he finished up in 1:09.14.

Wayne Catalano trains the four-year-old son of Hard Spun and Irad Ortiz Jr., who won both graded stakes on the program and six races total, rode the bay colt, who scored by 2 1/2 lengths.

RELATED: Built too tough in Vanderbilt

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Shuvee (G2)

Winner: Fully Subscribed | Jockey:  | Trainer: 

When Scottish Lassie opened up in midstretch of Friday’s $250,000 Shuvee (G2), the 1.44-1 favorite appeared well on her way to victory at Saratoga. But Klaravich Stables’ Fully Subscribed was fully engaged in pursuit, and the Chad Brown filly got up in time by a half-length. 

In the process, Fully Subscribed raised her candidacy for the Aug. 29 Personal Ensign (G1) over this same track and trip, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).

Sent off as the slight second choice at 1.72-1, Fully Subscribed was back in the win column for the first time this season. The daughter of Tiz the Law had settled for runner-up honors in the May 1 La Troienne (G1) at Churchill Downs, where she was rebuffed by Shred the Gnar, and again in the June 5 Ogden Phipps (G1) at the Spa, where she was no match for the imperious Nitrogen. 

For much of the way, Scottish Lassie was sitting pretty tracking Snowyte through steady fractions. The 12.94-1 Snowyte clocked :23.72, :47.98, and 1:11.75 before Scottish Lassie swept past her at the top of the lane. Snowyte, who had finished second to Scottish Lassie in the 2024 Frizette (G1), stayed on in hopes of replaying that exacta.

But Fully Subscribed was just beginning to rev up under urging from Flavien Prat. Nestled a few lengths off the pace on the inside, the chestnut gained traction once switched to the outside. She took aim on the favorite and steadily reeled her in, completing the circuit in 1:49.46.

RELATED: Fully Subscribed reels in Scottish Lassie in Shuvee

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Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)

Winner: Counting Stars | Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Trainer: Mark Casse

It’s increasingly looking like Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will have the nation’s leading three-year-old filly in his barn for the second consecutive year. Following up on Nitrogen’s championship last season, Counting Stars took a serious step toward clinching division honors this term with an authoritative win in the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on Saturday.

For Counting Stars, the Coaching Club American Oaks was her second victory at the top level this summer at Saratoga. She captured the nine-furlong Acorn (G1) on June 5 by 3 3/4 lengths and looked just as dazzling in the latter stages of Saturday’s Oaks.

“I'm very lucky because I get to compare her to another one that I have who is not bad. She reminds me a lot of Nitrogen. She does things that normal horses don't do,” Casse said.

Favored at around even-money, Counting Stars led the entire trip. Always a Runner, who beat Counting Stars into third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) before finishing second in the Acorn, took two runs at the favorite. She challenged Counting Stars at the start before backing off entering the first turn and then took a more serious one around the far turn.

When Counting Stars left a path open along the rail approaching the quarter pole, Always a Runner took it. The two battled for more than a furlong, brushing lightly, but Counting Stars found another gear outside of Always a Runner and dispensed with that rival easily in deep stretch. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Counting Stars drew off to win by a commanding 4 1/4 lengths.

RELATED: Counting Stars much the best in CCA Oaks

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Del Mar

Bing Crosby (G1)

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

The Doug O’Neill-trained Listenupshance held off Maximum Bourbon in Saturday’s $401,500 Bing Crosby (G1), but the Breeders’ Cup Challenge race was marred by the breakdown of favored Cornucopian on the far turn at Del Mar. At last report, Cornucopian was being evaluated by veterinarians.

Under the “Win & You’re In” provision, Listenupshance secured his fees-paid spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He could try to go one better than sire Shancelot, who was second to champion Mitole in the 2019 Sprint.

RECAP: Listenupshance holds on, Cornucopian injured in Bing Crosby 

Sunday Horse Racing Results Coming Soon!

Watch this space Sunday evening for the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga and Eddie Read (G2) at Del Mar.