Breeders' Cup Classic

MGISW Locked (Gun Runner--Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon) will miss his intended start in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic due to an untimely illness. The 4-year-old has been retired from racing and will stand at Gainesway for the 2026 breeding season, according to a press release on Friday morning from the farm. A son of multiple leading sire Gun Runner, Locked is the second foal from Luna Rosa, who is resposible for a yearling colt by Early Voting--a $525,000 Keeneland September buy for Bradley Thoroughbreds. Locked's dam handed the...

Brook Smith doesn't own many horses, but when he gets involved with one, things always seem to go right. The latest example is Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic and a top contender for this year's $7-million race. Along with the same ownership group that is dominated by Coolmore, Smith also owns a piece of the fast 2-year-old Schwarzenegger (Not This Time), who is pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. To talk about such things as his Breeders' Cup horses,...

A total of 207 pre-entries from around the globe--including some 58 from overseas-based gallopers--was announced Wednesday afternoon for the 14 races comprising the 42nd running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is the richest of the weekend's contests at $7 million and has attracted 11 pre-entries, headed by Godolphin's dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who will look to make the...

The reigning GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) breezed a half-mile in :49.08 (10/44) on Saturday over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga in preparation for his title defense in the $7-million centerpiece on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trained by Chad Brown, the dark bay worked to the inside of the maiden Duration (Mitole) after the first renovation break on the track rated fast. "He worked super," said Brown. "He has been very consistent with the way he's been...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In his opening remarks during this year's Kentucky Derby post-race news conference, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott paid tribute to the entire team behind the brilliant Sovereignty (Into Mischief). "I'm so proud of everybody that had anything to do with getting this horse to this point and it takes a lot of people," Mott said. "It takes a family, and it takes a community to get him ready, really." Neil Poznansky, the regular morning work partner for the nation's top 3-year-old, has been with Mott...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Leading Horse of the Year candidate Sovereignty (Into Mischief) continued his preparations for the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a strong gallop on a brisk Saturday morning at Saratoga. "He'll breeze tomorrow, then hopefully one more time before he leaves," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said back by his barn during the break. "We've been on schedule. We mapped out a little, potential schedule for him and it's gone pretty well so far. He's been doing great." With the rising sun, morning mist and...

Making his first start since finishing a disappointing third as the heavy favorite in the G1 Dubai World Cup back on Apr. 5, Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) made a victorious return to action in Wednesday's Listed Nippon TV Hai (1800m) at Funabashi Racecourse, setting him up for a second consecutive appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in a bit more than four weeks' time. He was third to his close relation 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the 2024 renewal....

Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's lightly raced 3-year-old Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), last seen capturing the Los Alamitos Derby June 28, fired fresh off the bench to punch his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with an 8-1 upset victory for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert against older horses in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Goodwood S. at Santa Anita. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile upsetter Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) was second as the 1-2 favorite. Privman (Justify) was third. Fourth beneath Mike...

Baoma Corp.'s 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) breezed a half-mile in :48 flat (10/32) Monday morning at Santa Anita, his first move since being scratched from an expected appearance in the GI Pacific Classic on Aug. 30. According to a text from trainer Bob Baffert to TDN's Sue Finley, the colt's Breeders' Cup target remains a bit up in the air. "He breezed today, pointing to [Dirt] Mile," he texted. "I could change my mind between now and then. The [Dirt] Mile probably more realistic right now. Was hoping to...

Just how deep is Sunday's running of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in a little more than two months' time? Well, six of the eight remaining horses--GII Charles Town Classic winner Banishing (Ghostzapper) will be scratched--have recorded at least one Beyer Speed Figure of 104 or higher this year and three of the entrants are already Grade I winners this term. It is the very definition of a hot race. The field is led by...

Brad Cox is native son of Louisville, Kentucky and proud of it. He also never goes anywhere without his trademark blue and white Brad Cox baseball cap. Career dreams? Of course he has them. One of these days, he might even take a vacation. Brad sat down with the TDN's Tim Wilkin to talk about that and a whole lot more. Here is the final installment of the Saratoga Q&A TDN: You grew up two blocks from Churchill Downs, correct? Brad Cox: That is correct. TDN: And you got a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Earlier this week, owner Mike Repole took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to ask for help. He wanted to know what he should do with the two of the best older horses in the country, both, coincidentally, that he owns. Mindframe (Constitution) and Fierceness (City of Light). What to do with them next weekend? The options are simple enough. The $1 million GI Pacific Classic is being run at Del Mar in California next Saturday. The $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup is being...