Mubtaahij takes Awesome Again on way to Classic

By WIZCAPPER
Updated: October 3, 2017

Mubtaahij closes out big weekend of Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” action with Awesome Again victory

Wearing blinkers for the first time in his 5 year career, the Irish bred Mubtaahij scored a decisive win in the G1 $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita.

Cutting back from the 1 1/4 miles distance of the Dubai World Cup in his previous start in March, and ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktou and trainer Bob Baffert, Mubtaahij outran seven other opponents to go the 1 1/8 miles distance in a final time of 1:51.32 over Santa Anita’s fast main track.

This is the final weekend of “Win and You’re In” opportunities for automatic entry into one of the Breeders’ Cup World Championship races.

Beginning with opening day at Keeneland on Friday, the G2 $250, 000 Phoenix Stakes for sprinters going 6 furlongs on the main track offers the winner a spot in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Nov. 4th at Del Mar. And the G1 $400,000 Alcibiades for 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the main track closes out the BC action on opening day with the winner receiving a guaranteed spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar on November 4th.

Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series action continues on Saturday and Sunday with 11 graded stakes races offering the winners of each a place in the starting gate for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on November 4 – 5, 2017.

DATE	RACE	TRACK	DIVISION
October 1	Sprinters Stakes	Nakayama	Turf Sprint
October 1	Total Prix Marcel Boussac	Chantilly	Juvenile Fillies Turf
October 1	Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere	Chantilly	Juvenile Turf
October 1	Longines Prix De L’Opera	Chantilly	Filly and Mare Turf
October 6	Stoll Keenan Ogden Phoenix Stakes	Keeneland	Sprint
October 6	Darley Alcibiades Stakes	Keeneland	Juvenile Fillies
October 7	First Lady Stakes	Keeneland	Filly and Mare Turf
October 7	Foxwoods Champagne Stakes	Belmont Park	Juvenile
October 7	Jockey Club Gold Cup	Belmont Park	Classic
October 7	Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes	Keeneland	Filly and Mare Sprint
October 7	Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity	Keeneland	Juvenile
October 7	Shadwell Turf Mile	Keeneland	Mile
October 7	Santa Anita Sprint Championship	Santa Anita	Sprint
October 8	Frizette Stakes	Belmont	Juvenile Fillies
October 8	Flower Bowl	Belmont Park	Filly and Mare Turf
October 8	Dixiana Stakes	Keeneland	Juvenile Turf
October 8	Spinster Stakes	Keeneland	Distaff
October 11	Jessamine Stakes	Keeneland	Juvenile Fillies Turf