GODOLPHIN and Charlie Appleby go in search of success in North America this weekend with runners in Grade 1s at Aqueduct, Keeneland and Woodbine over the next two days.

Rebel’s Romance and William Buick line up, a week later than intended, in the re-scheduled Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct, where three-year-old Measured Time runs in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes.

Master Of The Seas, fresh from his Woodbine Grade 1 win three weeks ago, heads to Keeneland for the Coolmore Turf Mile with James Doyle in the saddle while William Buick heads to Woodbine tomorrow for With The Moonlight in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor and German Group 1 winner Nations Pride in the Grade 1 Canadian International.

Aqueduct Saturday

The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (6.40pm) has a stronger field than some of the recent turf contests.

Rebel’s Romance, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, will be hoping for better luck than on his last US trip when he clipped heels and lost Richard Mullen before the home turn in the Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga, his first run since the Sheema Classic in March.

Chad Brown relies on Irish-bred Stone Age (Irad Ortiz). The former Aidan O’Brien colt could only finish fifth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga last month behind Bolshoi Ballet. Soldier Rising, on his first run for Brown has been off the track since February in Doha.

Bill Mott should provide the main danger in the filly War Like Goddess, third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last season when Stone Age was second.

She has been a little disappointing with one Grade 3 win from three outings but she could well come back to form here, she won this last season beating some of today’s rivals. On his best form, Rebel’s Romance should have the beating of her.

Measured Time, an unbeaten son of Frankel, steps up in class in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes, a race Appleby has won in the last two years with Yibir and Nations Pride. Mark Casse’s Webslinger led into the final strides of the Saratoga Derby but was denied by Program Trading and looks the danger.

Aqueduct also attracts the best of the east coast juveniles going for the ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup ticket in the two Grade 1s. Todd Pletcher and Repole Stables provide both favourites. In the Champagne Stakes, Fierceness, an over 11-length winner of a Saratoga maiden on a sloppy track.

Brad Cox (Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes runner-up Timberlake) and Chad Brown (General Partner, a Saratoga maiden winner), provide the main opposition.

In the Frizette Stakes for fillies, Todd Pletcher runs favourite Life Talk, a daughter of Gun Runner who won her maiden at Saratoga.

Keeneland Saturday

Keeneland’s card has three Grade 1 and Joseph O’Brien is represented in the one mile Grade 1 First Lady by Jumbly the mount of John Valezquez.

Chad Brown’s British-bred Dubawi mare In Italian sets a clear standard, the $2 million earning mare has never been out of the first three in her 12 starts.

She comes off two Grade 1 wins this season but met defeat last time in the Grade 1 Diana where she lost by a nose to the reopposing Whitebeam, a Juddmonte daughter of Caravaggio.

With The Moonlight has been absent since disappointing in the Grade 2 Dahlia Stakes behind Via Sistina in May and was three lengths behind In Italian in a Keeneland Grade 1 the previous month.

Master Of The Seas heads the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile (10.45pm) and he was very impressive in the end in Woodbine.

This is a tougher contest and Todd Pletcher’s Up To The Mark comes off two Grade 1 wins. The Not This Time colt won the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes over 10 furlongs last time and is a strong contender.

The Juddmonte gelding Set Piece steps back in distance from his Arlington Million win. Amo Racing’s Indestructible, the Craven Stakes winner, has his first run stateside since moving from Karl Burke to Jorge Delgado.

All eyes will be on Locked, another Pletcher two-year-old in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity over a mile and half a furlong. The son of Gun Runner clocked a very fast time in winning his Saratoga maiden.

Earlier on the card, Adam West and Sean Kirrane test the US sprinting waters with Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream in the five and a half furlong Grade 2 Woodford Presented by FanDuel (9.50pm)

Santa Anita Saturday

The top west coast juveniles are in action but it is the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive Stakes over 10 furlongs on the turf (12.41am) that offers the most intriguing race.

Anisette, a daughter of Awtaad, is a perfect three-for-three since coming to the US to be trained by Leonard Powell.

After winning a mile allowance race at Santa Anita in May, Anisette took the mile Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes in July and nine-furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August, both at Del Mar, showing an impressive turn of foot from the back of the field.

She faces her sternest opposition in the five-year-old Closing Remarks.

Carla Gaines’ filly won two Grade 2s on her last two with Umberto Rispoli partnering both fillies – but he stays with Anisette this time.

Bob Baffert has won the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes a record 11 times, including with that Triple Crown winner. With a few strings to his bow, he has chosen to run Muth who was the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March two-year-old sale topper at $2 million.

The Zedan Racing Stables’ Good Magic colt won his debut by over eight lengths before he finished second to stablemate Prince Of Monaco in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes.

Todd Pletcher tests the west coast water by sending Be You, a son of Curlin for Repole Stable. Second on his debut at Saratoga, Be You ran fourth in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at the same track after enduring a troubled passage, and how he fares will be interesting ahead of the Breeders’ Cup.

The fillies’ juvenile contest, the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes, has a more open look with Baffert (Dua) and Pletcher (Scalable) again among the favourites along with the Peter Eurton-trained Laurent, a maiden winner and second in the Grade 1 Debutante here, which is probably the best level of form.

Woodbine Sunday

WITH The Moonlight lines up in the E.P. Taylor (9.31pm) at Woodbine, where German Group 1 winner Nations Pride runs in the Grade 1 Canadian International, and is joined by the Roger Varian-trained Royal Ascot winner Royal Champion (James Doyle).

The E.P. Taylor is a high-class race. Canadian Horse of the Year and winner of the King’s Plate last season, Moria, heads the market with Fev Rover, a Grade 1 winner this year, Aspen Grove, a Grade 1 winner for Fozzy Stack at Belmont earlier in the summer now has Oisin Murphy on board again for the Jack Siserton stable. Moyglare Stud’s Amazing Grace and Chad Brown’s graded winner Consumer Spending are all capable of being involved in the finish.

Nations Pride is one of the few Appleby-trained Grade 1 winners this season and sets the standard in the Grade 1 Canadian International (10.39pm). Appleby said this week: “He has shown huge versatility in Europe, North America and Dubai. He has a great constitution and is very relaxed.” Chad Brown’s Adhamo, winner of the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth in July is the main danger, and though Mark Casse’s Palazzi made it three in a row in the local trial, Nations Pride should have too much class. Buick also rides Dhabab for Ed Vaughan in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes.

Keeneland Sunday

The Sunday feature is the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes (10.16pm) which features a re-match between top four-year-old Nest filly and the horse who beat her in the slop at Saratoga in the Personal Ensign, Juddmonte’s Idiomatic. That Brad Cox-trained daughter of Curlin has been one of the most progressive of the season, winning her last three but the better conditions should see Nest get her revenge and win her fourth Grade 1.