The American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita last weekend is seen as the key race for producing winners at the Breeders’ Cup in November. Horses coming out of this race have a strong track record of success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The favorite in this year’s American Pharoah Stakes is McKinzie Street, trained by Tim Yakteen. McKinzie Street showed promise in his second start, finishing a close second in the Del Mar Futurity. Yakteen is confident in the colt’s combination of speed and stamina.
Bob Baffert, who has won the American Pharoah Stakes 12 times, has three contenders in this year’s race. Other contenders include Mischief River, Show of Force, and Start Mo Up. The race is one of three major preps for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, along with the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct and the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Fans will be scouting for promising horses in these races to potentially bet on in the Breeders’ Cup.
Yakteen emphasizes that 2-year-olds progress at different rates, so potential may not be reflected in results. He highlights the excitement of watching young talent develop in the sport of horse racing. In McKinzie Street, he believes he has a top contender for Saturday’s race. Stay tuned to see which horses emerge as favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on November 1st. Follow horse racing correspondent Kevin Modesti on Twitter for more updates.
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