It is all very well bullying inferior opponents, but the Sept. 13 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes (G1) at the Curragh will prove what Make A Challenge is made of now that he takes on sprinters of the highest caliber.

Neither the competition nor the weather could slow Regal Glory in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T) Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs. Facing six foes over a yielding course, the 4-year-old Animal Kingdom filly ran down Mitchell Road.

Sam-Son Farm’s homebred Rideforthecause stepped up to graded action for the first time in the Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) Sept. 12 at Woodbine and rolled to a four-length victory at 22-1 odds.

What the Sept. 13 Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (G1) lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. The presence of last year’s winner, last year’s Irish Derby winner, and this year’s Ebor winner makes it a fascinating affair.

Fierce Impact became the first horse, in successive seasons, to claim Melbourne’s spring group 1 mile treble when he won the Sept. 12 incident-packed PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (G1) at Flemington. 

Keeneland, set to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 6-7, will again be home to the championship event in 2022. Fans will be excluded from the 2020 edition due to COVID-19, it was announced Sept. 12.

The yearlings of 2020 are the first of what will only be three crops by the late son of Unbridled’s Song, who was euthanized in June following a spinal cord injury.

After dealing with COVID-19 related logistics, Keeneland will hold its September Yearling Sale Sept. 13-25, as scheduled.

After dealing with COVID-19 related logistics, Keeneland will hold its September Yearling Sale Sept. 13-25, as scheduled.

Tom Marquand’s uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time paid off spectacularly Sept. 12 with Pertemps St. Leger (G1) success at Doncaster on Galileo Chrome, a horse he was not even riding a day beforehand.

Johnny Murtagh might have taken time to get motoring as a trainer but he crowned a superlative season with a breakthrough success at group 1 level Sept. 12 when Champers Elysees won the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes (G1).

Star mare Magical, so often the bridesmaid against the mighty Enable, had another big day in the spotlight Sept. 12 when defeating Ghaiyyath in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown—a race she won in fine style 12 months ago.

Internationally successfully race mare Con Te Partiro—a stakes winner in the U.S., Britain, and Australia—is being pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Nov. 7 at Keeneland before selling at Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale Nov. 9.

Throughout the year, the NTRA and BloodHorse provide a guide to the best stakes races in North America on select Saturdays. Races are listed in chronological order (all times ET). 

For a long-distance female grass horse, stakes races are few and far between, particularly the half-million-dollar variety. But one such test looms at Kentucky Downs Sept. 12 with the TVG Stakes, a 1 5/16-mile turf race headed by Mrs. Sippy.

The final day Sept. 11 of Arqana’s rearranged Select Yearling Sale was made up of part two of the catalog, with a handful of lots realizing three-figure sales on a day traditionally viewed as a chance for home trainers and agents to stock up.

The feel good story of the 2020 flat season has been the emergence of group 2 winner Pyledriver, whose likeable trainer William Muir seeks the biggest success of his career after 30 years with a license.

A rematch of top females is on tap Sept. 12 in the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown.

Speaking during a meeting of the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council Sept. 11, representatives of the regenerative medicine company ReCellerate pitched the council for a clinical trial of the company’s Equiflow stem cell-derived treatment.