Skippylongstocking, Rattle N Roll back in weekend horse racing

· UPI

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Old warriors Skippylongstocking and Rattle N Roll will share the spotlight with lots of Kentucky Derby hopefuls in a tasty pre-Christmas weekend of horse racing.

On the international front, the action heats up in Dubai, with some of Godolphin's big guns primed to start their Carnival campaigns, while the month-long parade of Japan's top 2-year-olds rolls on.

The Road to the Roses

Saturday's $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds and $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile are the final qualifying races for 2-year-olds looking for a stall in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. By the time the series resumes, all the contenders will be 3.

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Very Connected brings five "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points into the Gun Runner, thanks to a fourth-place finish in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club and a third in the Grade III Street Sense.

He faces seven rivals including Liberty National, his stablemate in the Kenny McPeek barn. Liberty National is one of six in the field coming off a maiden win. Only Ohio-bred Crown the Buckeye has two wins, both in stakes.

The Springboard Mile attracted promising 2-year-olds from New York, Kentucky and Arapahoe Park in Colorado to take on the local crowd.

Spice Runner, a Gun Runner colt trained by Steve Asmussen, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite despite having been beaten by a cumulative 27 3/4 lengths in his last two starts.

What? Well, those were the Grade I Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in October and the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29. Before that, he won the Grade III Iroquois, also beneath the Twin Spires.

In Japan, Godolphin homebred Pyromancer grabbed the top rung on the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard with a pace-stalking win in Wednesday's Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse.

The Pyro colt held on gamely through the final strides to earn 20 points. Two more races up the ante on points awards, so the series remains wide open. The eventual winner will be offered a spot in the Run for the Roses and Pyromancers' connections expressed cautious interest.

The Path to the Oaks

Hit Parade and Miss Call top the morning-line for Saturday's $100,000 Untapable at Fair Grounds.

Hit Parade, a Gary & Mary West homebred daughter of Street Sense, comes off two straight wins at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox. Miss Call, by Silver State, has been consistently competitive in five starts but with only one win to show for it.

Classic

Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream Park provides a choice, not an echo (Google it).

On one extreme, there's 6-year-old Skippylongstocking with more than $3.6 million in earnings, but coming off awful efforts in the Grade I Whitney at Saratoga and the Grade II Charles Town Classic.

On the other, 3-year-old Poster, winner of last year's Grade II Remsen who then bailed out early of this year's Triple Crown preps and wasn't seen again until winning a nice allowance affair on the Churchill Downs grass Nov. 9. Check the other five for any hint of upset there.

Saturday's $100,000 Tenacious at Fair Grounds drew eight to tackle 1 1/16 miles. The last-place finisher from the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Just a Touch, is the morning-line pick as he returns from a five-months break after finishing second in the Grade III Monmouth Cup. He's closely followed by Not This Boy and Komorebino Omoide.

He's had his picture taken at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia, Fairmount Park in Illinois and points in between, all while earning more than $3.5 million, and now Rattle N Roll makes his Arkansas debut in Saturday's $150,000 Tinsel at Oaklawn Park.

The main opposition in the 7-horse field seems to be Willy D's, who finished second in the Grade II Charles Town Classic two starts back.

Sunday's $250,000 Prairie Bayou is a 1-mile test on the Turfway Park all-weather course with a full field and one also-eligible. Encino, Quatrocento and Dresden Row are tightly bunched atop the morning line.

Post Time and Not This Boy feature in Saturday's $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso at Laurel Park.

Distaff

Sunday's $250,000 My Charmer at 1 mile on the Turfway Park all-weather has Caitlinhergrtness as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in a field of 11.

Saturday's $125,000 Florence, 1 1/4 miles on the Turfway Park all-weather, got a field of 12. The oddsmaker likes Duvet Day, Arya Stark and Speed Shopper.

Lute Warm and Complexity Jane, both trained by Brittany Russell, are the morning-line favorites in a field of 11 for Saturday's $100,000 Carousel at Laurel Park

Sprint

Howard Wolowitz and Roll On Big Joe are the morning-line favorites in an oversubscribed roster for Sunday's $250,000 Holiday Cheer at Turfway Park.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Sunday's $250,000 Holiday Inaugural at Turfway Park has an overflow field. Pondering and Ellen Jay get the morning-line nod as handicappers mull over the surface preferences of the diverse field.

Mystic Lake, a front-running sort, and Nic's Style, a closer, top the morning line for Saturday's $125,000 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park. Having said that, Mystic Lake won last year's Sugar Swirl from just off the pace.

Hillerito tops a well-matched field of six for Sunday's $150,000 Poinsettia at Oaklawn Park. Why not, with a record of six wins and two seconds from eight starts, including a victory in the Dream Supreme Stakes at Churchill Downs in her last start?

Turf

Wolfie's Dynaghost and Cugino rule the morning line in a field of 10 set for Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park. Last year's winner, Major Dude, is in here, too, and has a nice record at the oceanfront oval.

Filly & Mare Turf

One thing sure about Saturday's $150,000 Suwannee River at Gulfstream Park: It drew a diverse field with runners bred in South Africa, Germany, Ireland, New York and Kentucky. There's no obvious favorite and few toss-outs.

Turf Sprint

Reef Runner, a 4-year-old gelding by The Big Beast, is the morning-line favorite for Saturday's $125,000 5-furlongs Janus Stakes at Gulfstream Park, facing some much older and more experienced rivals. Also of interest, 3-year-old Litigation, winner of four of his last five starts.

Around the world, around the clock

Dubai

It's "Festive Friday" at Meydan Racecoursem with the Group 2 Al Maktoum Mile and the Group 2 Al Rashidiya at 1,800 meters on the turf heading the program.

The Al Rashidiya has seven entries, but is dominated by three from Godolphin -- Opera Ballo, Nations Pride and First Conquest. Imperial Emperor headlines a field of 13 for the Al Maktoum Mile.

Japan

Sunday's Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity at Hanshin Racecourse is a 1-mile event for potential star milers later in their careers. Candidates for the 2026 classics are more likely to emerge from the Grade 1 Hopeful stakes at 2,000 meters next Saturday.

The Futurity has three colts who remain undefeated after two starts, with little to choose among them. It should be a good race indeed.