Four Grade I races in two days at Oak Tree

Three Grade I races today and another Sunday make this one of the biggest opening weekends in the 39-year history of the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Scheduled today is the $500,000 Goodwood Stakes, to be run as the ninth race on the 10-race card, the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, the third, and the $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes, the seventh.

First post is 12:30 p.m.

The Goodwood is one of five “win and you’re in” races this weekend and one of the 25 that make up the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series. Another being run this weekend is Sunday’s $750,000 Jockey Gold Cup at Belmont Park, featuring Lawyer Ron and Curlin.

Winners of the challenge races automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup, to be held Oct. 26 and 27 at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park.

The Goodwood, a 1 1/8 -mile jaunt for 3-year-olds and up on the synthetic Cushion Track, probably will lose a little luster today, as trainer Doug O’Neill says he expects to scratch Lava Man and run him in the Grade II Oak Tree Mile on Oct. 7.

O’Neill said he would make an evaluation after that race and decide where to run Lava Man in the Breeders’ Cup, either a mile on the Monmouth dirt Oct. 26 or a mile on the turf the next day.

David Flores, who won five races the first two days of the Oak Tree meet, which opened Wednesday, will ride Awesome Gem in the Goodwood.

Heading the field for the Yellow Ribbon will be undefeated filly Noshiba’s Key. She will again be ridden by Joe Talamo.

A horse to keep on eye on in the Oak Leaf for 2-year-old fillies is Cry And Catch Me, who broke her maiden Aug. 26 at Del Mar.

The Grade I $250,000 Norfolk Stakes will be run Sunday.

The Cushion Track had its second casualty Friday when unraced Go Go Turko suffered a compound fracture of the left shin during morning workouts and was euthanized. Exercise rider Ruben Mejia was hospitalized because of a broken collarbone. Drill Down, a top 2-year-old, was euthanized Monday.

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larry.stewart@latimes.com