Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Undefeated Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita Saturday morning in preparation for her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies under Mike Smith, who has been aboard the two-year-old daughter of Beholder for each of her two wins. In the work Tamara hooked up with some company, reportedly an unraced two-year-old colt, whom she outworked. "I was actually kind of hoping to gain some company," Smith told Zoe Cadman, "and it worked out great. If I hadn't, she's a pretty good work horse if...
Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup with Living Legends In the nearly 40-year history of the Breeders' Cup, only two sets of full-siblings have won Breeders' Cup races. It's difficult enough for a mare to produce one Breeders' Cup winner, but two individual Breeders' Cup winners? That's such a rarity only six mares have ever done it. And only two of those six have had lightning strike twice as they've produced two Breeders' Cup winners by the same sire. The first set, Juddmonte homebreds Banks Hill (GB) and Intercontinental...
Just F Y I (f, 2, Justify--Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}), up in time by a head sprinting on debut at a well-backed 7-2 at the Spa Aug. 26, provided a rolling Grade I double for owner George Krikorian and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott with a powerful performance in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Frizette S. at a rainy Aqueduct Racetrack. "[The track] was the big question and we didn't know," Mott said after saddling his first Frizette winner since Confessional in 1998. "You don't know...
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Candied (f, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}--Toni Tools, by Roaring Fever), a 3/4-length, come-from-behind debut winner sprinting at Saratoga Aug. 20, stayed perfect while stretching to two turns in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GI Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland. The 4-1 chance raced in between horses rounding the clubhouse turn in fifth. She advanced into fourth approaching the quarter pole, made a flashy, sweeping move at the top of the stretch, and, despite hanging on her left lead down the stretch, went on to defeat favored runaway GIII...
Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup with Living Legends Some moments last a lifetime. Breeders' Cup wins are like that. They affect everyone associated with the horse, from owners whose silks the horse sports in the race to breeders to consignors to grooms to farriers and so many others. They even touch those many years down the road, such as those who care for the winner more than a quarter century removed from that magical winner's circle and those signature purple and gold flowers. It is, without a doubt,...
Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief--Wonder Gal, Tiz Wonderful), the 2022 champion 2-year-old filly, has been retired after finishing eighth in the July 1 GIII Selene S. at Woodbine, reports Jon Green, the general manager of the owner, D.J. Stables. She will be sold this fall at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. After clinching an Eclipse Award with her win in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Wonder Wheel struggled this year, going 0-for-4. In the Selene, she was beaten 21 3/4 lengths. "Wonder Wheel has been battling a couple of minor...
All of the Friday Breeders' Cup winners came back in fine form, according to their respective trainers Saturday, topped by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (Violence). "He's happy and proud of himself this morning," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I thought he was more professional yesterday than he was when he won the [GI Claiborne] Breeders' Futurity here." Pletcher said Forte would get a little break--"not sure where"--and then look at a two-prep program from Pletcher's winter base at Palm Beach Downs in Florida leading up to the 2023 GI...
LEXINGTON, KY - D J Stable's Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) was masterfully handled from far back beneath Tyler Gaffalione and produced a devastating stretch run to secure a year-end divisional championship in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. Leave No Trace (Outwork) was three lengths back in second; Raging Sea (Curlin) finished third. "There was lots of doubt probably the entire race given the way she has run in the past," said winning trainer Mark Casse after registering his sixth Breeders' Cup victory. "She is just a really...
Sparkle Blue proved she was aptly named when she kicked home from the nine post to brilliantly take the GIII Rubicon Valley View S. in her first career graded victory ahead of a blanket charge for the minors. After capping her 2021 season a distant 10th in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Nov. 27 at Del Mar, her connections gave her some time away and brought their filly back July 2 in Delaware's Christiana S. sporting first-time blinkers. Gamely overcoming contact in the stretch, she held on to win by...
The Brad Cox stablemates Chop Chop (City of Light) and Verifying (Justify) worked five furlongs in company Friday morning at Churchill Downs as they prepare for next Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, respectively. The pair broke off and began their breeze at the 4 1/2-furlong pole and were clocked in fractions of :11.80, :23.40, :35.80 and :47.40 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 flat, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols. Joe Talamo was aboard Chop Chop, last seen finishing a desperately close second...
It was a little over six years ago when Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), seemingly from out of nowhere, took the racing world by storm. Producing heroics, often in jaw-dropping, record-breaking fashion, in the GI Travers S., GI Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and G1 Dubai World Cup in succession, the imposing gray quickly catapulted himself into the discussion of all-time greats. Though his racing career fizzled somewhat when he finished off the board in two of his final three starts after returning from Dubai, the...
Keeneland opens its highly anticipated fall meet Friday with a trio of graded stakes that each provide the winners with a spot in the gate for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held in Lexington the first weekend of November. The highlight of the day will be the GI Darley Alcibiades S., a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Ken McPeek and Brad Cox have taken turns the last few years, each winning two of the last four, and McPeek has the morning-line favorite in last-out GIII...