Horse racing's heavyweight Journalism back in weekend action

July 18 (UPI) -- Top 3-year-olds return to action in weekend racing with the Grade I Haskell at Monmouth Park and fillies on parade in the Group 1 Irish Oaks, Group 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga and the Woodbine Oaks in Canada.

Del Mar swings into action, providing graded stakes action on both coasts on turf and dirt at a wide variety of distances. In short, a racing fan's dream, a handicapper's challenge and a bettor's opportunity.

We'd "bettor" get on with it.

The 3-year-olds

Saturday's $1 million Grade I Haskell at Monmouth is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic, but should odds-on favorite Journalism win the 1 1/8-mile heat, that would be irrelevant.

The Curlin colt is pretty much welcome at the big dance already after winning the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness and finishing second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

The other seven, though, could need a free pass to get into the Classic, and the most likely of them would seem to be Gosger. The Nyquist colt won the Grade III Lexington at the Keeneland spring meeting, skipped the Derby and finished second in Preakness in the dramatic finish that saw Journalism wipe out a 4-length lead in well under a furlong.

The other six in the Haskell field aren't bums. But they're not Journalism, either.

Sunday's $150,000 (Canadian) Plate Trial at Woodbine is the local prep for the King's Plate and is similarly restricted to Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

The Oaks Crowd

Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga has a field modest in size with six entries, but large in talent.

Immersive, the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Eclipse Award winner, was undefeated at 2 but finished second in the Monomoy Girl Stakes at Churchill Downs in her 2025 debut in June.

Take Charge Milady, the Monomoy Girl winner, tries for a repeat. La Cara won the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland and Grade I Acorn at Saratoga.

Sunday's $500,000 (Canadian) Woodbine Oaks is restricted to Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, but the limitation hasn't prevented some of the contestants from going on to graded glory, including 2022 winner Moira.

Twelve are set for this seemingly wide-open edition, including five to be saddled by the Mark Casse team. Casse already has four Oaks wins to his credit. Coincidentally, he got his 4,000th North American training win Thursday at Colonial Downs in Virginia.

Distaff

There's a lot of talent scattered around the nine entries for Saturday's $500,000 Grade III Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park. The eye goes to Dorth Vader, last-race winner of the Grade I Ogden Phipps in the slop at Saratoga, and Majestic Oops, who steps up on the heels of three straight wins. Step right up, pick a long shot and win a top-shelf prize in this one.

Sprint

Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga attracted some of the world's top dirt sprinters.

Book'em Danno and Mullikin exit a 1-2 finish in the Grade III True North. Nash, Baby Yoda and Full Moon Madness have been improving steadily. Nakatomi and Skelly return after filling the exacta spots in this race a year ago.

Friday's $100,000 Jersey Shore for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park has a field of six.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Scylla is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of nine for Sunday's $200,000 Grade II Honorable Miss at Saratoga. The 5-year-old Tapit mare hasn't won for more than a year, but has been competitive in top company. She was second in the Grade II Bed o' Roses Stakes in her last.

Turf

Saturday's $600,000 Grade II United Nations at Monmouth Park features the 1-2-3 finishers from last year's running -- Get Smokin, Grand Sonata and Tawny Port. Among the others, Redistricting, Rebel Red, Limited Liability and Vote No look capable of putting on a good show.

Filly & Mare Turf

Seven are set for Saturday's $300,000 Grade III WinStar Matchmaker at Monmouth Park and a case can be made for most of them.

Saturday's $200,000 Grade II San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar is a lively looking heat with nine 3-year-old fillies set to mix it up.

South African import Gimme a Nother looks to bounce back from a bad day in her last start while contesting Sunday's $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II Canadian Stakes at Woodbine. The Gimmethegreenlight mare finished second twice in graded stakes for trainer Graham Motion before reporting seventh in the Grade I New York Stakes at the Spa last month.

Turf Mile

Del Mar's traditional opener, the Oceanside Stakes, is a restricted 1 mile on the grass for 3-year-olds. Saturday's $100,000 Wickerr Stakes for 3-year-olds and up also has restrictions. Both bear watching, especially in a year when the Breeders' Cup World Championships return to Del Mar.

Turf Sprint

Isivunguvungu was on a bit of a roll in the United States after his import from South Africa, but then hit the wall when sent in April to Dubai, where he reported 10th in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint. He's back for Saturday's $100,000 Wolf Hill at Monmouth Park.

Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Caress for fillies and mares at Saratoga has the top five finishers from last month's Grade II Intercontinental over the course -- Pipsy, Future Is Now, Kairyu, Time to Dazzle and Pandora's Gift. A 4-year-old filly named Caress is a "main track only" entry.

Sunday's $175,000 (Canadian) Grade II bet365 Connaught Cup at Woodbine has a field of 10 to go 7 furlongs.

Around the world, around the clock

Ireland

Coolmore and trainer Aidan O'Brien send out four of the seven confirmed runners for Saturday's Group 1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh.

Among them is the prohibitive favorite, Epsom Oaks winner Minnie Hauk, not surprisingly jockey Ryan Moore's choice to ride. The Frankel filly has won three of four starts, including the Cheshire Oaks in her 3-year-old debut.

Her only loss was a second in her career bow, when Wemighttakedlongway got the jump on a big field, set an easy pace and held on late.

Wemighttakedlongway, trained by Joseph Patrick O'Brien, was fourth at Epsom and fourth again in the Pretty Polly over the Curragh sod June 28.

Al Riffa and Shackleton figure in a nine-horse field for the Group 2 Michael John Kennedy Curragh Cup at 1 3/4 miles.

Al Riffa, a 5-year-old by Wootton Bassett, was second to Rebel's Romance in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting in his most recent start.

Shackleton gets a different test after he reported eighth in the Irish Derby in his last outing. It's another family feud as Joseph Patrick O'Brien handles Al Riffa and dad Aidan trains Shackleton.

Only four were left in for the Gain Railway Stakes for 2-year-olds with the elder O'Brien in charge of the solid antepost favorite, True Love. The No Nay Never filly got her first win in her third start, the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, vanquishing 22 rivals in that one.