By virtue of a 1 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Grade 3 Vosburgh Stakes presented by Army Mule Sept. 27 at Belmont at the Big A, Patriot Spirit earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" berth into the $2 million Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

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Patriot Spirit won the Vosburgh by 1 1/2 lengths over runner-up Crazy Mason for 75-year-old trainer Michael Campbell.

"My goal is not to just have horses. I don't want a bunch of horses, I want the right horses" said Campbell, who currently trains a string of 10 runners. "I want horses that can run at big dances."

In giving Campbell the fourth graded stakes win of his long career, Patriot Spirit looked the part of a top contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, which will be contested at six furlongs – one furlong shorter than the Vosburgh.

"Well, if I could change it, I'd make (the Breeders' Cup Sprint) seven (furlongs), but I can't," Campbell said.

Patriot Spirit did post a 1:08.12 six-furlong split when winning the seven-furlong Reigh Count Stakes July 26 at Colonial Downs by four lengths in his last start. "Very, very few horses can run a (1:08) especially when you want to moderate their speed. He could have gone (1:07) that day," Campbell said.

Campbell opted to run Patriot Spirit in the Vosburgh because of the Breeders' Cup berth, as opposed to Saturday's Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs. He headed to New York supremely confident.

"I expected this effort. I don't want to sound like I'm pompous because I know it's difficult to win a horse race," Campbell said. "But on this occasion, in this spot, with this horse being that right, I didn't think he could get beat."

Campbell was right.

Patriot Spirit dueled with longshot Light the Way for the early lead. He spurted clear at the top of the stretch only to be challenged by Crazy Mason, who rallied from seventh in the field of eight to draw within a half-length in mid-stretch. In the final furlong, however, the 4-year-old Patriot Spirit pulled away again under jockey Javier Castellano and posted his initial graded stakes win in 1:21.84. He paid $7.22 as the second choice on the tote board.

Crazy Mason finished second by a half-length over beaten favorite Scotland in third. Light the Way faded to fifth.

Locked Wins Three-Horse Woodward Stakes

While he only beat two rivals, Locked did enough in winning the Grade 2 $261,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont at the Big A to earn a trip to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. The question is, for which race?

Locked. (Eclipse Sportswire)

That will be determined at a later date but a return to top form with a three-quarter-length victory Sept. 27 in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward was enough for the connections and trainer Todd Pletcher to discuss travel plans for either the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at a mile and a quarter or the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

"It earned him a trip to California," said owner Aron Wellman Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. "It puts him under consideration for the Breeders' Cup Classic for sure. He's proven to be brilliant at a mile and a quarter. But he is also a major winner at a mile."

Four of the seven original entrants in the Woodward scratched out of the race to run elsewhere, leaving a three-horse field. Phileas Fogg and Post Time were Locked's only competition.

Locked chased the leading 4-5 favorite Phileas Fogg about through fractions of :48.69 and 1:12.03. Phileas Fogg turned for home with a clear lead but jockey John Velazquez caught up on the outside aboard Locked and motored past Phileas Fogg in the final furlong to win in 1:48.11 for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track. Locked paid $4.46 to win.

Phileas Fogg took second by 3 1/2 lengths over Post Time. – Bob Ehalt

Rebel's Romance Rolls to Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Win

The extraordinary Rebel's Romance, a 7-year-old Godolphin homebred who keeps racking up frequent-flyer miles, earned his first-ever win in New York with a victory in the Grade 1 $485,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes on Sept 27 at Belmont at the Big A.

Rebel's Romance. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori, Rebel's Romance stalked the early pace set by Redistricting through an opening half mile in :49.26 over a course labeled as firm. As the five-horse field went by the stands for the first time, Rebel's Romance had already taken the lead and was never seriously challenged on his way to a 3 1/2-length margin of victory.

Redistricting stayed on for second, a neck ahead of Godolphin's El Cordobes in third. Far Bridge, last year's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic winner, finished fourth followed by Rebel Red in fifth.

Rebel's Romance will try to make history at Del Mar in the Nov. 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf by becoming the first three-time winner of the race. He accounted for wins in the 2022 and 2024 runnings of the Breeders' Cup Turf, first at Keeneland and last year at Del Mar.

Rebel's Romance was saddled by the trainer's assistant, Alex Merriman, who said that Rebel's Romance would return home to England and be trained there before heading to Southern California for the Breeders' Cup.

Rebel's Romance's earnings now stand at a remarkable $14,446,477 from a record of 20-0-2 in 29 starts. – Karen M. Johnson