2020 Champagne Stakes Preview and Predictions

The Triple Crown racing season is in the books with Swiss Skydiver winning last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. Horse bettors can now turn their attention to the next few weekends of racing in preparation for this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on Nov. 6-7.

Belmont Park takes center stage this Saturday with a pair of top betting races. The first is the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The featured race of the day sets the stage for an early look at a few contenders for next year’s Kentucky Derby with the running of the Champagne Stakes.

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2020 Jockey Club Gold Cup Preview – Belmont Park

This Grade 1 stakes race on Saturday is open to Thoroughbreds three and older. It will be contested on the dirt track at Belmont covering 1¼ miles in total distance.

The field for this race has yet to be finalized. Horse Racing Nation has seven probable entries on its list. At the top of that list is trainer William Mott’s Tacitus. This four-year old Kentucky-bred colt carries a HRN rating of 7.78 which would be the highest in the projected field.

The son of Tapit finished second behind Global Campaign in this year’s Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 5. This followed a victory at Belmont on July 4 in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap. He covered that 1¼-mile run on dirt in 1:59.51.

You could also add Mystic Guide to your betting list for this race. Trained by Michael Stidham, this three-year old colt won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on Sept. 5 at Saratoga. The winning time in that 1 1/8- mile run on dirt was 1:49.00.

Mystic Guide has finished in the money in five previous races over the course of his young career. This includes a third-place finish in this year’s Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Saratoga on July 16.

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2020 Champagne Stakes Preview – Belmont Park

The featured race at Belmont on Saturday’s card is a one mile run on dirt. This Grade 1 event is opened to two-year old Thoroughbreds. The Champagne is a key prep race for the Breeders Cup Juvenile as a “Win and You’re In” qualifier.

One of the top contenders expected to run is Jackie’s Warrior. Trained by Steve Asmussen, this two-year old Kentucky-bred colt got every bettor’s attention by winning the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 7. He covered the seven furlongs in 1:21.29.

With Maclean’s Music as his sire, he is a perfect three-for-three in his juvenile campaign. Jackie’s Warrior also won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special at six furlongs on Aug. 7. The other victory was in a Maiden Special Weight race at Churchill Downs.

Asmussen’s other probable entry in this race is Midnight Bourbon. This Kentucky-bred two-year old placed second in this year’s Grade 2 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill on Derby Day. This was his third-straight finish in the money in three events.

If you are looking for a third probable entry to work into a few exotic bets, add Reinvestment Risk to the list. Trained by Chad Brown, the son of Upstart finished second to Jackie’s Warrior in the Hopeful.

This followed an earlier victory in a MSW race at Saratoga on Aug. 1 at a distance of six furlongs.