The Suburban and Belmont Derby also shown live on “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In Series - Presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing” 90-minute program
NEW YORK (July 7, 2016) – Catch a Glimpse, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, leads the field of 13 3-year-old fillies for an automatic berth into this year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the $1 million Belmont Oaks (G1) at Belmont Park on the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – Presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing” live broadcast this Saturday, July 9 on NBC at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Belmont Oaks, run at 1 ¼ miles on the turf, will be the third of nine telecasts under the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In Series” banner of automatic qualifying races leading into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Nov.4-5, which will be televised live on NBCSN and NBC.
NBC’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series on Saturday features host Laffit Pincay III, analysts Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Fame jockey and five-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, analyst/handicapper Eddie Olczyk, reporter Donna Brothers, and Daily Racing Form handicapper Matt Bernier.
The Belmont Oaks is part of an outstanding Stars and Stripes Festival stakes card at Belmont Park, which will also include live NBC coverage of the Suburban Handicap (G2) for 3-year-olds and up, for horses being pointed to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the 1 ¼ mile, $1.25 million Belmont Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds, targeted to the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. The 1 ¼ mile Suburban is led by the 5-year-old Effinex, who finished second in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic to American Pharoah.
In the Belmont Oaks, the 2-1 favorite Catch a Glimpse, owned by Gary Barber, Michael Ambler and Windways Farm, and trained by Mark Casse, breaks from post 12 under jockey Florent Geroux. Catch a Glimpse is currently on a seven-race winning streak dating back to August 22 of last year. The chestnut filly has won six consecutive graded stakes races, most recently a wire-to-wire score in the Penn Mile (G3) at Penn National against males on June 4. She won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland by 1 ¾ lengths, which launched her to the 2015 Sovereign Award as Canada’s Horse of the Year.
A formidable challenger to Catch a Glimpse could come from 3-1 second choice Ballydoyle from Ireland, and owners Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John. Magnier. Ballydoyle, ridden by Colm O’Donoghue, won last year’s Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) at Longchamp and was second in the QIPCO English 1000 Guineas at Newmaket in May.
Phillips Racing’s Time and Motion has won three consecutive races since finishing fifth to Catch A Glimpse in last year’s Juvenile Fillies Turf. Trained by Jimmy Toner, who saddled the Soaring Softly, the first Breeders’ Cu Filly & Mare Turf winner in 1999, Time and Motion, ridden by John Velazquez, captured the 1 1/8 mile Wonder Again Stakes last out at Belmont Park on June 5.
Land Over Sea comes from the same owner/trainer/jockey connections of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist in Paul Reddam, Doug O’Neill and rider Mario Gutierrez. Land Over Sea won the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and was second in the Kentucky Oaks earlier this year, but will be making just her first start on turf since breaking her maiden in a 1 mile race at Del Mar last July.
About Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships. The Breeders’ Cup also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The 2016 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 13 (grade I) races and purses totalling $28 million, will be held Nov. 4-5 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, InstaGram and YouTube
About NBC Sports Group
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 10 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, Royal & Ancient, Churchill Downs, NYRA, Breeders’ Cup, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.
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