Breeders' Cup

C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer's champion female sprinter Soul of an Angel (Atreides) is being pointed towards the Apr. 5 GI Madison Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Sunday. The 6-year-old mare had been on the alternate list for the Feb. 22 G1 Saudi Cup and, had she kept that engagement, would have shipped to Riyadh on a Tuesday flight. "She's not going for sure," Joseph said of the overseas trip. "That's official. She's going to go to the Madison. We're going to give...

Hosted by the Keeneland Association, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) annual training and networking conference is marked for Sunday, Mar. 2 through Wednesday, Mar. 5. Central to ORI's mission is the pursuit of integrity and education for its members. By sharing best practices, interactions among investigators creates lasting relationships between jurisdictions. Representatives from every state racing entity will be in attendance, as well as regulators from national and international entities. With sponsors such as the AQHA, Breeders' Cup, NYRA, Parx Racing, PENN Gaming, The Stronach Group and Woodbine, this...

As relief for all the talk of impending track closures, take a look inside my crystal ball for a glimpse of what racing could look like in New York, Maryland and Florida three years from now... Imagine the year is 2028. A newly reconstructed Belmont Park, thanks to a massive $455 million capital infusion, has secured the future of racing in New York for another half-century. The last time Belmont underwent wholesale reconstruction was in 1968, when Nelson Rockefeller was governor. Belmont's new grandstand, designed by stadium architect Populous in...

I was feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness May 7, 1984. It was my first day at Daily Racing Form, hired to report on the breeding industry, farm news, and horse sales. At the time, the paper's Midwest offices were located at Keeneland, in fact on the ground floor of the clubhouse in what were some of the original stalls when the track first opened in 1936. I was not long removed from having earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Kentucky, where I was a rare...

This could only happen to Brad Cox. He trained the best 2-year-old filly in the country last year as Eclipse Award winner Immersive (Nyquist) whipped everything she faced, including eight challengers in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Earlier this year, she looked like the runaway leader among the fillies eyeing the GI Kentucky Oaks, but came down with a minor injury and will not be ready in time for the Oaks. For most other trainers that would have been a severe setback, losing out on a chance they may...

Multiple Grade I winner Dr. Schivel (Violence--Lil Nugget, by Mining for Money) was represented by his first foal when Jocosity (Distorted Humor) produced a colt at Drion Thoroughbreds Monday. The foal was bred by Sarah Hinkle, Drion Thoroughbreds, and Alistair Roden. "He has good bone, scope, and size," Roden said of the colt. "We're definitely breeding a few more mares this year to Dr. Schivel." The colt is the second foal out of the 6-year-old Jocosity, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Pay for Peace (Silent Name {Jpn}). Campaigned...

We're learning more every day about the relationship between horses and mankind and how people struggling with such things as PTSD so often thrive and recover when working closely with horses. But can it work the other way? Can a human have such a positive and calming effect on a horse that a bond and relationship develops that makes the horse prosper? In the case of GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and his groom Eduardo (Lalo) Diaz, it looks like that might be the case....

Multiple graded winner Fulsome (Into Mischief--Flourish, by Distorted Humor) was represented by his first Kentucky-bred foal when Addadore (Star Guitar) produced a filly Jan. 23. The foal was bred by Todd and Angie Lewis's Westbrook Stables and foaled in Nicholasville. "This filly hit the ground running; stood in 34 minutes," said Todd Lewis. "Plenty of bone and a good top line." Westbrook Stables bred Soul of an Angel (Atreides), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, who was honored with the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter...

Robert Slack, celebrating his 78th birthday last Tuesday, had a ready answer when asked about his goals for his Kentucky-based Stoneriggs Farm. "Live long enough to watch it prosper," he said with a chuckle. "I wish I had gotten into it 10 years earlier, but I wasn't able to at that stage." Stoneriggs Farm has been in operation in Paris, Kentucky for just four years, but Slack is already well on his way to realizing that goal, not just in the sales ring, but also on the racetrack where the...

With the news of the passing of industry titan James E. "Ted" Bassett III, tributes from the Thoroughbred industry recount the enormous impact Bassett had in shaping the sport for generations to come. Elected president of the Breeders' Cup four years after the inaugural running in 1984, Bassett spearheaded the organization's growth and making the World Championships into the global affair it's known as, today. "Mr. Bassett served the Breeders' Cup, Keeneland, and a multitude of Thoroughbred racing industry organizations with magnificent honor and distinction, and his legacy will continue...

MGSW Blueskiesnrainbows (English Channel) at the age of 16-year-old passed away due to complications from colic last week, Marcinda Mitchell, DVM from Sunlight Farm and Bad Boy Racing said in a Thursday press release. Blueskiesnrainbows was campaigned by Bad Boy Racing (Kelly Mitchell) and Whizway Farms (Stan Whisenant). During his racing career he was conditioned by Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and Jerry Hollendorfer. According to Equibase, Blueskiesnrainbows made 28 starts, got his picture snapped seven times and took home $672,552 in earnings. His wins on dirt at Southern California...

The winner of GIII Vosburgh Stakes during the Belmont At The Big A meet last fall and recent victor in the GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke) was reportedly sold privately for an undisclosed amount by Carlos Saavedra and Stud Vendaval, Inc. to Dubai-based RRR Racing, according to a tweet on X by Agentes305. The post goes on to say the 6-year-old will travel to the Middle East after completing quarantine in the U.S., which was confirmed by current trainer Ignacio Correas. Mufasa began his...