Breeders' Cup

DEL MAR, CA--It's fair to say that former turf writer Fausto Gutierrez does not fit the mold of a typical trainer at the Breeders' Cup World Championships. While the background in media sets the outgoing 54-year-old Gutierrez apart, he is a veteran horseman with loads of experience and massive success in Mexico. His first starter in the Breeders' Cup is Letruska (Super Saver), the 5-year-old mare who is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line in the $2-million Distaff. Gutierrez has developed the Kentucky-bred for St George Stable LLC, owned...

All 14 Breeders' Cup races will be shown on Racing TV on Nov. 5 and 6. A full multi-media user experience will be available for the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar, with live coverage beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday and 5:45 p.m. on Saturday. The Racing TV coverage will be hosted by Tom Stanley, Angus McNae and George Baker, while Nick Luck and Rishi Persad's on-course interviews will be relayed via the NBC and 'Players' Show' feeds from Del Mar. Sky 426, Virgin 536 (Britain) and 411...

DEL MAR, CA - With no sign of the sun under a dense cloud cover at daybreak, champion Essential Quality (Tapit) set the stage for this weekend's 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships jogging the wrong way along the outer rail on a cool and comfortable Tuesday morning at Del Mar. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner is the second choice on the morning-line at 3-1 for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic trailing only his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Knicks Go (Paynter) at 5-2. More on the latter gray in a...

When Knicks Go (Paynter) arrived in Brad Cox's barn late in 2019 the trainer didn't know what to expect. The Maryland-bred had won the 2019 GI Breeders' Futurity and was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in his next start. But his recent form for trainer Ben Colebrook had not been good. He had lost 10 straight and finished in the money only three times during that span. There was even talk of retiring him. Some two years later, Knicks Go is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the GI...

Del Mar, CA--The celebration from trainer Ado McGuinness, his family and stable team reverberated far and wide across ParisLongchamp-and, quite possibly, beyond--on Oct. 3 when Gary Devlin's A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) hit the line a short-head winner of the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye. And rightfully: after 21 years training racehorses, McGuinness had won his first Group 1. "To win your first Group 1 and to win it on one of the biggest days in Europe was very special for everybody involved," McGuinness said. "[Jockey] Ronan [Whelan]...

When Larry Rivelli picked up the telephone, he did so from his Del Mar hotel room, watching a race replay of a horse claimed out of his yard. "I'm a little OCD," he said, in explanation of his unusual leisure-time viewing, before turning the spotlight onto a latest obsession, One Timer (Trappe Shot), his leading contender for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. "It's all I do. I'll watch a race of One Timer. Then I'm watching a breeze. Then I'm watching the video of his last breeze," he...

Any farm, really any farm--right up to the most iconic Bluegrass nurseries--would have been proud to have two juveniles as accomplished as Rattle N Roll (Connect) and Electric Ride (Daredevil) heading towards the Breeders' Cup. And for both to have meanwhile dropped out, in wildly contrasting circumstances, would only have reiterated the odds to be overcome by even the most lavishly resourced operations. Rattle N Roll, winner of the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, can regroup next year after a minor foot issue ruled him out of the GI TVG Breeders'...

G2 Queen Mary S. winner Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) has been ruled out of Friday's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint after spiking a temperature after arriving in California, owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners announced via Twitter on Monday. Previously trained in Ireland by Gavin Cromwell, Quick Suzy will remain in California with trainer Paddy Gallagher. Quick Suzy was purchased privately by Eclipse after breaking her maiden at The Curragh on May 3, and she finished second in their colours in the G3 Fillies Sprint S. before winning the Queen...

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) was found to have an elevated temperature Monday and will not be able to compete in the GI Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile for trainer Todd Pletcher. It is the third consecutive year where issues have kept him from running in the Breeders' Cup. "He spiked a temperature and his blood count is not right," Pletcher said. "We had no choice but to start him on some treatment and not enter. He wasn't acting himself this...

Del Mar, CA--Friday's Breeders' Cup card has been branded as 'Future Stars Friday', and that tag rings true for not only the juveniles vying for divisional championships, but also for a handful of ascendent British-based trainers who have their first runners at the meeting. James Ferguson, who recently joined the Group 1 ranks, sends out Mise En Scene (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf, while fellow Newmarket conditioner George Boughey saddles Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) in the same race and Thunder Love (GB) (Profitable {Ire}) in the...

When pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup were announced last week it was no surprise that Chad Brown's contingent was dominated by turf horses. He has 11 entered for grass races and just three for dirt races. Since he went out on his own in 2007, Brown has established himself as the sport's best grass trainer and grass racing has always been his focus. Entering Sunday's races, he had won 1,316 turf races for a winning rate of 25% and 63.5% of his career wins had come on the grass. Brown...

Three of trainer Brad Cox's Breeders' Cup hopefuls turned in their final works ahead of championship weekend Sunday at Churchill Downs, a day later than originally planned due to rain in the Louisville area Saturday. Aiming for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Essential Quality (Tapit) went five furlongs in a bullet :59.40 (1/22) and Knicks Go (Paynter) covered the same distance in 1:01.20 (9/22). GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff contender Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) went her five furlongs in 1:00.80 (2/22). "It was a great morning and all three horses put in...