Mubtaahij takes Awesome Again on way to Classic
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 |
