Keeneland

10.48 Coolmore Turf Mile

(Grade 1)

Keeneland’s feature this evening is the Coolmore Turf Mile and William Haggas and Cieren Fallon have a good chance of a US Grade 1 success with Lake Forest.

The five-year-old gelding has good form this season, winning the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and turning out the following day in the Sussex Stakes where he met some trouble in running to finish seventh to Bow Echo. Last time out, his second in the Group 1 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes to Notable Speech over seven furlongs was another good effort.

Title Role won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby for the Crisfords and was then third in the half a furlong longer Saratoga Derby. He now runs for the Brendan Walsh stable but John Velazquez is on board again and could go close if getting first run over this shorter distance.

The Irish-bred Zulu Kingdom, by Ten Sovereigns and trained by Chad Brown, won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes back in April. He had two defeats since and was third last time in the Fourstardave Stakes where Rhetorical was behind him in fourth. Rhetorical made all and won the Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs in May.

SELECTION: TITLE ROLE

Next best: Lake Forest

The Grade 1 First Lady (9.44pm) over a mile has only one European raider, the Francis Graffard-trained Mandanaba. She brings a decent level of form, second in a German Group 2 last time and also runner-up in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Saratoga (Segesta third).

Lush Lips is another by Ten Sovereigns and Tyler Gaffalione rides for Brendan Walsh. She won her Grade 1 here last autumn in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes and added two more graded wins this season.

Juddmonte’s Segesta had been most consistent, landing two Grade 1 wins. In the Jenny Wiley Stakes she dead-heated with Expensive Queen, and she had won the Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar last year. She was only fifth last time in a Grade 2 to rival here, And One More Time, but encountered a bit of trouble in running.

The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (9.44pm), a Grade 1 for two-year-olds has a small field with Phone Booth travelling from the west coast with the best form from Del Mar to take on a group of largely maiden winners.

Woodbine

10.30 Canadian International (Grade 1) 1m 4f

Woodbine has Irish interest with Dermot Weld sending Purview in search of a first win at top level when he takes on six rivals in the 12-furlong Grade 1.

Chris Hayes partners the four-year-old and he has two British-trained rivals in Charlie Appleby’s Arabian Crown (Jamie Spencer) and Charlie Johnston’s Ancient Egypt (David Egan).

Purview had been on an upward curve winning twice at the Curragh but could only manage third to Arabian Crown and Sons And Lovers in the Group 3 Tote Kilternan Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend. His Curragh return over a mile and a half in May had been impressive and he had Hotazhell behind next time. Arabian Crown was impressive at Leopardstown, winning by two and a quarter lengths but the balance of his form doesn’t give him any great advantage.

Ancient Eygpt didn’t get the best of runs in the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes when only fourth at Saratoga last time, but his run when second to Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris puts him well in the mix.

The best from the US, Tawny Port, had a Melbourne Cup entry but stays at home. Second in this last year, he had two good wins this season in the Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs and Saratoga’s Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Stakes.

SELECTION: PURVIEW

Next best: Ancient Egypt

Belmont Park

Belmont stages two big juvenile contests and the Champagne Stakes favourite U. S. S. Valor, trained by Shug McGaughey, created a big impression when winning his maiden at Saratoga.

Team Valor International’s homebred son of War Of Will will again meet the highly regarded Gaudreau who won the maiden where U. S. S. Valor was only third on his debut.

The fillies Grade 1 Frizette Stakes favourite Libby Lloyd trained by Chad Brown had a big reputation going into her debut where she won by 10 lengths at Saratoga.

Santa Anita

Santa Anita’s two juvenile features have small fields with the colts’ Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes dominated by Bob Baffert with four of the six runners. His Into Mischief colt Hughes has won his three outings and the Del Mar Futurity last time and is the short-priced favourite over Imperial Honor.

Baffert’s two fillies Holmby and Deluge dominate the fillies Oak Leaf Stakes with maiden winner Deluge shading the morning line favouritism.

Keeneland Sunday

Keeneland’s Sunday feature, the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes over nine furlongs, has a small but select field headed by dual Grade 1 winner Counting Stars. She won the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes in June at the Spa and the Coaching Club American Oaks. The three-year-old daughter of Honor A. P. captured those two top tests by a combined eight lengths for trainer Mark Casse but was only third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes last time. She is the only three-year-old in the field and main opposition is from Chad Brown’s impressive Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes winner Fully Subscribed.