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Test Score Punches Ticket To Breeders’ Cup In Del Mar H.

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As a 2-year-old back in 2024, Amerman Racing homebred Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) made the trans-continental journey on Breeders’ Cup weekend and charged home to just miss in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the championship Friday undercard.

Now four, this year’s GI Pegasus World Cup Turf hero earned the right to take on some of the world’s heaviest hitters in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf on championship Saturday after surging home to narrowly best Atitlan (The Factor) in Saturday’s GII Del Mar Handicap. Favored Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), attempting to win the 11-furlong feature for a remarkable fifth time in succession, endured a checkered passage and did well to be fourth.

First to break the line for Juan Hernandez, Test Score was grabbed hold of and took up a position just ahead of midfield as a pair of longshots matched motors up front. Content to ride the rails through the middle furlongs and into the last of the three turns, Test Score was given his cue with a bit more than a quarter mile to travel, but had some traffic of his own to negotiate in upper stretch. Pulled across the heels of Mondego (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who was roused to the lead at the furlong grounds, Test Score kicked it in when it mattered most and found the line a short neck to the good of Atitlan.

“He’s a little horse that will not give up. He’ll fight,” said Alice Clapham, assistant to trainer Graham Motion. “He’s a true racehorse. I was a little worried around the bend when he had a lot of horses around him because when he gets going you don’t want him to get stopped;  but once he got clear and changed his lead he just kept going.”

Test Score was a three-time winner at three in 2025, taking out the GI Belmont Derby and the GII Twilight Derby up at Santa Anita ahead of a close third as the odds-on favorite in the GI Hollywood Derby at the seaside last November.

The bay led home a Motion 1-2 in the Pegasus Jan. 24, defeating One Stripe (SAf) (One World {SAf}), but he never picked up his feet when beating just one home in the GI Turf Classic at Churchill May 2. A bounce-back second to Deterministic (Liam’s Map) and just ahead of One Stripe in the GI Manhattan Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga, Test Score was exiting an even sixth to Burhnam Square (Liam’s Map) in the GI Arlington Million at Colonial Aug. 1.

Pedigree Notes:

Test Score is one of 60 worldwide graded/group winners for his expat sire, whose son Willy D’s upset Friday’s GII Charles Town Classic.

Test Score is one of three winners from as many to face the starter out of a daughter of Miss Chapin, whose eight to salute include the Amermans’ GI Just A Game Stakes victress Coffee Clique (Medaglia d’Oro), MGSW Admission Office (Point of Entry) and MGSP Royal Fury (Langfuhr).

Joy of Learning’s youngest produce include the 2-year-old colt Military Academy (War of Will), a yearling filly by Liam’s Map and a Not This Time colt foaled Apr. 27. The mare visited Constitution this past breeding season.

Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR H. PRESENTED BY THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $303,000, Del Mar, 8-29, 3yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:14.76, fm.
1–TEST SCORE, 124, c, 4, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Joy of Learning, by Kitten’s Joy
2nd Dam: Miss Chapin, by Royal Academy
3rd Dam: Society Dream (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
O-Amerman Racing, LLC; B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-H Graham Motion; J-Juan J Hernandez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 17-6-4-3, $2,405,025. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Atitlan, 122, h, 5, The Factor–Armanda (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger). O-John M B O’Connor; B-Anastasie Astrid Christiansen-Croy (KY); T-Richard E Mandella. $60,000.
3–Atomic Age, 117, g, 4, Justify–American West, by Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($120,000 3yo ’25 KEENOV). O-James E Downey; B-White Birch Farm Inc (KY); T-Philip D’Amato. $36,000.
Margins: NK, HF, HD. Odds: 2.60, 4.10, 24.40.
Also Ran: Gold Phoenix (Ire), Mondego (GB), Nitti (Ire), Maaz (Fr), Flashiest, Santa Barbarian, Packs a Wahlop, Old Pal.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Test Score Punches Ticket To Breeders’ Cup In Del Mar H. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

DraftKings Travers Day Attracts More Than $60M In Wagering

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Edited Press Release

Saturday’s 14-race DraftKings Travers Day card at Saratoga Race Course, highlighted by Leading Change’s victory in the 157th running of the $1.25-million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes, generated all-sources wagering handle of $60,863,320.

This year’s DraftKings Travers Day handle figure is the second highest in history, behind only the 2024 all-time record of $63,023,405.

Paid attendance on Saturday was 47,659 with on-track handle of $11,197,855.

The DraftKings Travers was the centerpiece of a card featuring five Grade I events including the $500,000 Personal Ensign, the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the $500,000 Resorts World Casino Ballerina and the $500,000 Forego.

The summer meet will conclude with Fan Appreciation Week featuring special offers on tickets, hospitality, food and beverages starting Wednesday, Sept. 2, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. Saturday-Monday of Labor Day Weekend will feature a special first post time of 12:05 p.m.

The post DraftKings Travers Day Attracts More Than $60M In Wagering appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.