The "NTRA Summer Racing Tour On CBS," presented by Long John Silver's, visits Belmont Park, Monmouth Park, and Arlington Park for live racing this Saturday from 5:00-6:00 p.m. (ET). On tap are races in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Distaff and Mile Divisions. Also scheduled is taped coverage of last week's Royal Meet at Ascot in England, which featured many of Europe's top runners competing in the Classic, Distaff, Turf, Sprint, and Mile Divisions on the International Road to the World Thoroughbred Championships.
Shaping up as the most intriguing race on Saturday's show is the Grade II, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap (Distaff Division) from Monmouth. Expected to square off in the 1 1/8-mile race for fillies & mares ages 3-and-up are Spain, the all-time leading money winner among American fillies and mares, and Summer Colony. The Wayne Lukas-trained Spain, in foal to noted sire Storm Cat, is coming off back-to-back stakes wins at Churchill Downs, while Summer Colony has won seven of her last eight races, including three straight stakes. Looking for the upset will be the Shug McGaughey-trained Atelier. McGaughey has won the Molly Pitcher four times.
A field of five or six 3-year-old fillies is expected in the Grade I, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes (distaff division), the 1 1/8-mile test that serves as the second jewel in the New York Triple Tiara for fillies. Among those listed as probable are Chamrousse, winner of the May 17 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico; the Carl Nafzger-trained Belterra; and the Allen Jerkens-trained Dust Me Off.
Arlington's famed turf course will be the staging ground for the Grade II, $175,000 Arlington Classic (Mile Division). At 1 1/16 miles, the race for three-year-olds is the first leg of the Mid-America Triple, which concludes with the American Derby and the Secretariat Stakes. The Tom Amoss-trained Jeremiah Jack, off a win last month at Churchill Downs, could be the betting favorite.
The Ascot recap will present six of the Royal Meet's top races, including the King's Stand Stakes (Sprint Division), the St. James Palace Stakes (Mile Division), the Queen Anne Stakes (Mile Division), the Prince of Wales Stakes (Classic/Turf Divisions), the Coronation Stakes (Distaff Division) and the King Edward VII Stakes (Classic/Turf Divisions).
In conjunction with Saturday's telecast, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) will once again offer a national pick three wager-the NTRA Summer Pick Three-that will coincide with each of the three live races shown on the program. Minimum wager for the NTRA Summer Pick Three wager will be $2.00, with $1.00 part wheels available. Monmouth Park will serve as the wagering hub for this Saturday's NTRA Summer Pick Three.
Hosting the NTRA Summer Racing Tour is Dave Johnson, joined by analysts Randy Moss and Caton Bredar and commentators Lesley Visser and Gary Seibel.
