A flat effort from Sistercharlie in the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2) kept it from being two, but at least we got to see the return of one turf queen this weekend. See who we’re talking about while reading our latest Three Stars of the Week:
1. Enable
The world’s greatest horse made history Saturday morning before most Americans were even awake, winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot for the third time. While the 2020 edition was just a three-horse race, those were three of Europe’s best turf horses, and Enable proved yet again why she is the Queen. Her year-end goal remains her second attempt at winning a record third Arc (G1), arguably the world’s toughest and most prestigious turf race.
2. Volatile
After beating up on lesser competition earlier this year, Volatile stepped up to the big leagues and defeated four graded stakes winners in Saturday’s Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga. Trainer Steve Asmussen added yet another Grade 1 tally from a major track to his resume when his sprinting superstar took the field gate to wire, defeating Whitmore, Mind Control, and Firenze Fire. It will be interesting to see how he fares against a bigger field that includes more early pace pressure.
3. United
The top turf horse in California showed why he was the 7/5 favorite in Sunday’s Eddie Read Stakes (G2) at Del Mar. It took this horse a while to figure things out, but since finishing a narrow second in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), he has looked nearly unbeatable. Expect him to continue to roll on the west coast turf as he builds toward a Breeders’ Cup return.
