Valley View, Twilight Derby on tap; Dortmund returns to action

A pair of fillies that placed in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) are among an overflow field in Saturday's $150,000 Valley View (G3), a 1 1/16-mile grass fixture for three-year-olds which highlights the official closing day of Keeneland's fall meeting.

Beginning Sunday, Keeneland will be dark four days before racing returns for a three-day meet, highlighted by the Breeders' Cup on October 30-31.

Sunset Glow and Osaila finished second and third, respectively, in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita, but have had differing levels of success at three. Sunset Glow has not won since taking last year's Del Mar Debutante (G1), placing in four of five starts this term. Osaila has won twice in five outings, including a Group 3 at Newmarket and a handicap at Royal Ascot, but was only fifth on her return to the U.S. in last month's Sands Point (G2) at Belmont.

Making her U.S. debut in the Valley View is Calypso Beat, Group 3-placed in England, Ireland, and France during her 10-race career. She will race with blinkers and Lasix added for trainer Kevin Ryan.

Mother Goose (G1) and Fantasy (G3) winner Include Betty will try the turf for a second time. Exiting a tough half-length score in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, the deep-closer was a distant fifth in the Florida Oaks (G3) last March in her only other grass try.

The contentious field also includes Lake George (G2) heroine Mrs McDougal; Ontario Colleen (G3) winner Don't Leave Me; Regret (G3) vixen Prado's Sweet Ride; multiple stakes winners Tiger Ride and Stormy Regatta; local Grade 3 scorer Rainha Da Bateria; and last-out Saratoga allowance winner Gap Year.

The stakes-winning Cara Marie, a potential pace player, might fare well on firmer ground than she's encountered in her last two outings.

At Santa Anita on Saturday, Del Mar Derby (G2) winner Om will be a solid favorite to beat nine rivals in the $200,000 Twilight Derby (G3) over 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Also in the mix are Del Mar Derby runner-up Royal Albert Hall and multiple stakes winner Soul Driver.

Of more interest will be the $70,000 Big Bear, a one-mile feature for three-year-olds and up that marks the return to action of Dortmund. The Bob Baffert-trained Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner was subsequently third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and fourth in the Preakness (G1) to stablemate and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Dortmund will face five others here in what for him is an ostensible prep for the November 27 Clark H. (G1) at Churchill Downs.

(Include Betty photo: NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)