The field of automatic entries into the Breeders’ Cup, set for Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Race Track, grew over the weekend with two victories in its key “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.
There’s nothing like betting on the “horse for the course,” and Dr. Schivel proved once again to be just that at Del Mar, winning the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on Saturday.
The horse, trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by the meet’s top jockey Flavien Prat, scored at 2-1 odds. CZ Rocket was the favorite at 3-2 and finished third.
Dr. Schivel Undefeated at Del Mar
Dr. Schivel took the lead at the midstretch mark, then hung extra tough late to capture the race by a neck over Bob Baffert’s 16-1 longshot Eight Rings. The win, Dr. Schivel’s fourth in six career starts, punched a ticket into the BC Sprint for the 3-year-old.
Dr. Schivel has won four races in a row and has a 3-for-3 lifetime record at Del Mar, including two Grade 1 wins. Glatt now has 12 stakes wins at Del Mar.
“They went fast early, maybe not as fast as we thought,” Glatt said of Saturday’s win. “(Prat) rode him perfectly, gave him a good trip, and the outside post was a benefit. This is a real racehorse. He beat the olders today, and hopefully in November, he’ll be able to do it again.”
Shedaresthedevil Dominates Clement L. Hirsch Stakes
On Sunday at Del Mar, Shedaresthedevil won the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes and earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The Brad Cox-trained horse went off at 13-10 and returned $4.60 in her third lifetime Grade 1 win. Venetian Harbor placed second.
Shedaresthedevil broke smartly, sat just behind the speed, then went to the front when rider Florent Geroux gave her the signal on the far turn and left little doubt as to who the best horse was Sunday in the 1 1/16-mile feature race.
“I’d have to say she’s up there with the best mares I’ve ever ridden,” Geroux said. “And the fact that she showed she can run well on the track where the Breeders’ Cup will be held, that’s a good thing, too.”
The BC Distaff is Nov. 6 and will be run at 9 furlongs.
Next up on the Win and You’re In series is the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap. A spot in the BC Mile will be on the line Saturday at Saratoga. The field of eight includes Got Stormy, who became the only filly to ever win the Fourstardave in 2019 and was second the following year. She was 12-1 in the morning line on Saturday. Brad Cox-trained Set Piece is the ML favorite at 2-1.
