Racing Roundtable: Road to the Kentucky Derby, Oaks, and Breeders' Cup [VIDEO]

On this week's Racing Roundtable, James Scully, Ashley Anderson, and guest Nick Tammaro review the winning juveniles on the kickoff to the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Plus, they look at Notable Speech's dominant performance at Woodbine ahead of the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

Churchill Downs hosted five stakes on opening weekend of the 14-day September meet, two of which were the initial points races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. In the fillies' event, two-year-old Florida-bred filly Taken by the Wind, trained by Kenny McPeek, pulled off the slight upset in the one-mile Pocahontas (G3) and secured 10 points on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.

In the boys' counterpart, Gun Runner son Spice Runner overcame greenness in the stretch and got up by a nose to defeat Comport in the one-mile Iroquois (G3). The Steve Asmussen pupil also scored 10 points on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Elsewhere, Woodbine hosted a trio of Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series races with bids to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), Fillies Turf (G1), and Mile (G1) on the line. The two-year-old races were taken by Nyquist colt Argos and Practical Joke daughter Corsia Veloce. The Woodbine Mile was won by last year's narrow Breeders' Cup Mile third-place finisher Notable Speech. The Godolphin homebred got away slowly but launched an explosive closing kick to drive away with a 1 3/4-length victory. Now headed back to the Breeders' Cup, Notable Speech will take on a strong European contingent in the one-mile turf test on Nov. 1 at Del Mar and look to avenge his close defeat last year at the same track.