Horse Racing News by Brisnet

Ostensibly a prep for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso Handicap.

Point of Entry can solidify his present status as the nation's leading long-distance turf performer with a victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational.

After an unsuccessful Triple Crown campaign, Optimizer looks to have found his home back on the turf. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt captured his first graded stakes win in record fashion on Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes.

J. Paul Reddam's Handsome Mike parlayed a front-running trip into a two-length upset in Saturday's Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, winning as the 19-1 longest shot at Parx Racing.

Last year's unbeaten champion two-year-old filly My Miss Aurelia outdueled pro tem divisional leader Questing by a head in Saturday's $971,200 Cotillion Stakes at Parx, in a climactic finish to the first Grade 1 event ever staged in Pennsylvania.

Saturday's Grade 2 $200,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park serves as a dynamite prep for this year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on November 2.

Rahystrada will return to Kentucky Downs in good form Saturday, dead-heating for third in the Grade 1 Arlington Million most recently, and figures to be a strong favorite as he goes for a second straight victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Kentucky Turf Cup.

The Irish classic winner will have an opportunity to make amends when she faces six other three-year-old fillies in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Garden City over nine furlongs on the inner turf at Belmont Park.

Groupie Doll entered Saturday's Grade 2, $400,600 Presque Isle Downs Master off a more than four-month break, having last been seen taking the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 5.

Robert V. LaPenta's Easter Gift ran away with the Grade 3, $350,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx by 4 1/2 lengths on Monday. Sent off as the 9-2 fourth choice, the Nick Zito trainee overtook Traffic Light in midstretch and drew off in the slop.