Breeders' Cup

Saturday's prestigious GI Whitney S. at Saratoga has drawn top-class runners from around the world for what is sure to be a memorable renewal. MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) ships in from the West Coast for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Winner of the GI Pennsylvania Derby and GI Malibu S. last term, the bay came up just a half-length short of the late Breeders' Cup winner Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) in the GII San Pasqual S. Feb. 2 and was just a nose shy of...

When Dennis' Moment (Tiznow) romped to a 19 1/4-length maiden victory at Ellis Park Saturday, the performance drew obvious comparisons to another Albaugh Family Stables runner who graduated impressively at the Henderson oval three years ago. Not This Time (Giant's Causeway) carried the operation's blue and white silks to a 10-length maiden score in August of 2016. He went on to add an 8 3/4-length win in the GIII Iroquois S. and came up just a neck short of champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) when second in the GI...

Marcus Stables' Stillwater Cove (Quality Road) has made her bones as a sprinter thus far in her young career, but the Wesley Ward trainee ships across the country and stretches out as a lukewarm morning-line favorite in a wide-open renewal of Saturday's GII San Clemente S. at Del Mar. A first-out victress last spring at Keeneland, the bay faded to 13th in Royal Ascot's G3 Albany S., then returned to the States to post a 10-1 upset of the Bolton Landing S. last August at Saratoga. Tenth against males in...

Hronis Racing's Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags), undefeated in two starts to that point, had his coming out party with a 6 3/4-length romp in the GII San Diego H. on opening weekend last summer at Del Mar. He will attempt to repeat that feat as a heavy favorite in Saturday's renewal of the seaside oval's annual prep for the GI Pacific Classic. Debuting in October of 2017 with a sharp off-the-pace success, the chestnut proved both his talent and versatility when annexing a Santa Anita optional claimer in front-running fashion...

Maximum Security (New Year's Day) faces a speed-laden field of six foes as he looks to bounce back in Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. at Monmouth Park, which carries a "Win and You're In" berth to this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The saga the Gary and Mary West homebred has been embroiled in is well documented--a controversial DQ from first to 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby led to plenty of debate, and litigation, and the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby winner skipped the next two legs of the...

It its 34-year history and over hundreds of races, the Breeders' Cup has provided many a thrill and many a great race. But virtually everyone agrees that one race stands alone, that the 1988 Distaff, won by Personal Ensign, was the greatest Breeders' Cup race ever run. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that race and on this week's Thoroughbred Daily News podcast, brought to you by Taylor Made, we'll look back at this great race with trainer Shug McGaughey and jockey Randy Romero.

Stuart S. Janney homebred Ironicus (Distorted Humor) is the third horse this week to be removed from Breeders' Cup consideration due to injury. The gray fractured his cannon bone and will be forced to miss the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, in which he was likely to be one of the top choices. "He has a small fracture of his cannon bone," trainer Shug McGaughey told the TDN via phone Thursday. "They will put a screw in it tomorrow and he will be fine. He was training until last Sunday and...

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's The Big Beast (Yes It's True) and Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) are both injured and out of contention for the Breeders' Cup, according to trainer Anthony Dutrow. "TDN Rising Star" The Big Beast has what Dutrow calls a minor injury and will be forced to miss an expected start in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Last term's GI King's Bishop S. hero will return to the races next year with the focus being the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. and GI Forego S. at Saratoga,...

Churchill Downs has released the stakes schedule for its September meet, which will include the renamed $175,000 Lukas Classic--named in honor of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up, designed to be a prep for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, was introduced in 2013 and was previously named the Homecoming Classic. "Along with the enormity of the numbers of his total victories, the stakes races he has won and earnings by his stable's horses throughout his Hall of Fame career, D. Wayne...