Defending Champion Inthemidstofbiz Faces Five Rivals in Thoroughbred Club of America

Trainer Cipriano Contrereas and Andrew Knapczyk’s Inthemidstofbiz will face five other fillies and mares as she goes for a repeat victory in the 41^st running of the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Saturday afternoon.

Run at 6 furlongs on the main track, the Thoroughbred Club of America is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

The Thoroughbred Club of America is scheduled as the seventh race on Saturday’s 11-race program with a 4:12 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Inthemidstofbiz, who has won one of two starts in 2021, comes into Saturday’s race off a fourth-place finish in the Satin and Lace (L) at Presque Isle Downs, the same race she used as a prep for her TCA victory last year. Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount and will exit post position three.

Only Excitable Lady in 1982 and 1983 has posted victories in the TCA in consecutive years.

Favoritism figures to be divided among multiple graded stakes winners Bell’s the One, Frank’s Rockette and Estilo Talentoso. Estilo Talentoso was runner-up in the Madison (G1) here in the spring.

Lothenbach Stables’ Bell’s the One has won two of five starts in 2021 highlighted by a triumph in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga in July. Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell’s the One finished second in the Open Mind at Churchill Downs in her most recent start.

Regular rider Corey Lanerie has the call Saturday and will exit post position six.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations’ Frank’s Rockette is a three-time graded stakes winner whose lone off-the-board finish in her 16-race career came against the males in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott, Frank’s Rockette enters Saturday’s race off a third-place finish in the Seeking the Pearl Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug. 23. Junior Alvarado has the mount from post position one.

Estilo Talentoso, owned by the partnership of Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing and BlackRidge Stables and trained by Juan Arriagada, also has been off the board only once in her 16-race career. That came in her most recent start against champion Gamine in the Ballerina (G1).

Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the first time in the Ballerina, has the mount Saturday and will leave post position four.

The field for the Thoroughbred Club of America, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Frank’s Rockette (Alvarado, 120 pounds), Club Car (Tyler Gaffalione, 120), Inthemidstofbiz (Esquivel, 120), Estlio Talentoso (Ortiz, 122), Miss Mosaic (Colby Hernandez, 120), Bell’s the One (Lanerie, 123).