America’s Best Racing editor Patrick Reed presents four takeaways from an active weekend in horse racing highlighted by “Win and You’re In” preps at Santa Anita Park, a champion’s tuneup for the Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park, and the reigning Horse of the Year’s return to training.

Forged Steel much the best in the Goodwood. (BENOIT photo)

Best in the West?: Forged Steel made a Southern California splash in late May when he shipped in and won the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes at Santa Anita by 9 ½ lengths for Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The 4-year-old Vekoma colt had never shown that level of talent in his prior races during 2024 and 2025, several of which were on turf, and after two subsequent poor efforts this summer in a stakes race at Saratoga and then in the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar, it was understandable to write off his Gold Cup win as a fluke.

After his score at odds of 12.80-1 in Saturday’s Goodwood Stakes, Santa Anita’s “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, Forged Steel earned back some respect. The question is, “how much?” He definitely defeated a stronger field in the Goodwood than he did in the Gold Cup, but even so, the runner-up was his stablemate Caldera, another horse with a modest résumé shipping in from the East, while the defending Goodwood winner and race favorite Nevada Beach ran third off of a layoff of more than seven months. Truth be told, the older male division among West Coast-based horses is significantly depleted after Nysos’ and Journalism’s retirements. If Forged Steel does start in the Oct. 31 Classic at Keeneland, he projects as a possible pace factor and a huge longshot on the tote board.   

Bill Mott (Skip Dickstein/BloodHorse)

Back on Schedule: The biggest Breeders’ Cup Classic news over the weekend happened Friday when reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty posted his first timed workout in almost a month. The 4-year-old breezed four furlongs in :49.40 at Saratoga before a nor’easter blanketed the region, forcing Belmont Park’s cancellation downstate Saturday and Sunday. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott told David Grening of Daily Racing Form that Sovereignty has recovered from an abscess in his hind left foot that caused him to miss a planned start vs. Japanese superstar Forever Young in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes Sept. 18 at Belmont.

With Sovereignty on track for a start Oct. 31 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the race is now back at maximum star power if all of the probables show up at Keeneland. Whitney Stakes winner Sovereignty, Jockey Club Gold Cup champ Forever Young, Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Golden Tempo, and Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline victor Magnitude make up a fab four indeed, and it will be interesting to see if Sovereignty’s plans persuade Mott to direct his other stable star, Pacific Classic Stakes winner Knightsbridge, to target the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile instead of the Classic.

A Super Return: After a break of more than 6 ½ months, Super Corredora brought back memories of her impressive win in last year’s NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies by taking control of the pace from the outset and cruising to a 2 ¾-length win in the Zenyatta Stakes Presented by FanDuel Sunday at Santa Anita. Trainer John Sadler was patient in bringing the daughter of Gun Runner back to competition after she started her 3-year-old season with a fourth-place finish and then a distant sixth-place finish in a pair of Santa Anita stakes during the winter/spring meet.

Super Corredora defeated a solid field of fillies and mares in the Zenyatta under first-time rider Joel Rosario and earned a “Win and You’re In” bid to the Oct. 31 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland. If she makes the trip, which is under consideration based on a report in Daily Racing Form, the Distaff will be her first start outside of California.

Nitrogen rolls. (Chelsea Durand/NYRA)

In Her Element: The Beldame Stakes Friday afternoon at Belmont Park was not a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Longines Distaff, but it did serve as a perfect tuneup race for the probable Distaff favorite, champion Nitrogen. The D. J. Stable-owned filly turned back a mild challenge from longshot Donor Advised and cruised to a 2 ¾-length victory under Jose Ortiz, an effort summed up by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse as “what we were looking for.”

Nitrogen, who was voted champion 3-year-old filly of 2025 based on a campaign that included a runner-up effort in the Distaff at Del Mar, earned her third graded stakes win of 2026. Even better news for her large and ardent fan base: plans are for her to be kept in training next year at age 5, according to comments from Casse in Daily Racing Form.