Maryland stakes winners among Breeders’ Cup entrants

War of Will won the Preakness Stakes and is pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Photo by Dottie Miller.

Led by Preakness (G1) hero War of Will and record-setting filly Covfefe, several stakes winners in Maryland this year were among 188 horses pre-entered for the 36th Breeders’ Cup Nov. 1 and 2 at Santa Anita Downs.

Pre-entries for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races were due Monday and announced Wednesday.

Gary Barber’s War of Will gave Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and jockey Tyler Gaffalione their first Triple Crown race victory in the May 18 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. The sophomore son of War Front was one of 11 horses pre-entered in the $6 million Classic (G1), along with Preakness third-place finisher Owendale, who went on to win both the Ohio (G3) and Oklahoma (G3) derbies.

LNJ Foxwoods’ Covfefe shattered Pimlico’s six-furlong track record winning the Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) by 8 ½ lengths in 1:07.70 May 17, and followed up two races later with an equally impressive triumph in the seven-furlong Test (G1) at Saratoga. The Brad Cox trainee was among 12 pre-entrants in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), also at seven-eighths.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable’s Sharing, bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm, was among 19 horses pre-entered in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), contested at one mile. Trained by Graham Motion, Sharing is coming off a popular 2 ½-length victory in the $200,000 Selima Stakes Sept. 21 at Laurel Park. Sharing’s dam, Shared Account, won the 2010 Filly & Mare Turf (G1) for Motion at odds of 46-1.

Motion, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., also pre-entered Mrs. Sippy in both the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf at 1 ¼ miles, where she has first preference, as well as the $4 million, 1 ½-mile Turf (G1). Mrs. Sippy won the Glens Falls (G2) Aug. 31 at Saratoga in her North American debut, and was second in the Flower Bowl (G1) Oct. 6.

Two Maryland stakes winners from this year find themselves on the also-eligible list for Breeders’ Cup races. Glen Hill Farm homebred Caribou Club, winner of the Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) Sept. 21 at Laurel, is the fifth alternate in the $2 million Mile (G1), which attracted 22 pre-entries.

Maxis Stable, Madaket Stable and Wonder Stables’ Miss J McKay, based at Laurel Park with trainer Cal Lynch, is the third also-eligible in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) going five furlongs, popular among horsemen with 26 pre-entrants. Miss J McKay was a five-length winner of the Anne Arundel County Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Sept. 28 at Laurel, and was supplemented for $100,000 by the owners to pre-enter.

Maryland connections to Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants also include Mitole, winner of the 2018 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico, in the $2 million Sprint (G1); Channel Cat, winner of the inaugural 2018 Bald Eagle Derby at Laurel, in the Turf; and 2019 Matron (G3) winner Alms, based at Fair Hill with trainer Mike Stidham, in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

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