Breeders' Cup

The morning after his thrilling win in a three-way photo on the wire in the GI California Crown Stakes, Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify) was bright and alert and is on a path to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday. "He's doing great. All is well." "We saw a lot of courage [Saturday]," Mandella said of the effort which not only earned his stable star an automatic berth in the Classic but also garnered a reported 102 Beyer figure, as according to Daily Racing Form's Brad Free. "He...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has moved Sunday's featured GII Miss Grillo Stakes [eighth race], a 1 1/16-mile turf test for 2-year-old fillies at Belmont at the Big A, due to significant rainfall and is now scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 6, the track said in a release early Sunday morning. The Miss Grillo offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar. The graded race, which will be offered as an extra and redrawn, will join a...

Three Technique (Mr Speaker) earned a berth in the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile when he took home the GIII Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday evening. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' at third asking as a 2019 juvenile and picking up a graded stakes score last year, Three Technique participated in two prior editions of the Ack Ack under the Twin Spires and finished in third place both times. The Jason Cook trainee is also no stranger to the Breeders' Cup since he...

One of two runners in the field for trainer Chad Brown, it was 4-5 favorite Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) who stayed perfect and punched his ticket into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with a win in Saturday's GII Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct. Shipped to the United States after breaking his maiden at Saint-Cloud and selling privately to the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss & Michael Caruso in early June, he joined up with Brown in time to impress with a narrow win in the...

Making just his third start in this country, Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke) backed up his big-figure victory at Colonial Downs earlier this summer with an impressive performance in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GIII Vosburgh Stakes at the Big A. Favored at 8-5 here, he traveled nicely in second through an opening quarter in :23.13, took over approaching the quarter pole and punched home with authority to defeat Scotland (Good Magic) by 4 1/4 lengths. Mufasa, an eight-time winner from 10 starts in his native Chile, including last year's G3...

"Zurdo" Estrada earned his nickname back when he was a kid in Mexico running up and down the soccer field. He would always kick the ball with his left foot so everyone called him Zurdo, the term word for left-handed. The nickname stuck and even still today, it's what everyone knows him as on the Santa Anita backside. Estrada began working as a hot walker at Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo, California in 1989. He instantly fell in love with the sport and after a few short months, made...

Leading 3-year-old sprinter Book'em Danno (Bucchero), a latest third in a cracking renewal of the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 24, is likely to make his next start in the seven-furlong GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 19, according to Jay Briscione of the Atlantic Six Racing partnership. Briscione confirmed that the partners and trainer Derek Ryan have ruled out an appearance at the Breeders' Cup. The New Jersey-bred has had a pair of works at Monmouth Park since the Jerkens, a best-of-108 half-mile in :46.60 on...

Fosnic Racing's multiple group winner Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {Ire}) is eyeing another G3 Bengough Stakes win this autumn, trainer Mick Appleby revealed. The 5-year-old won that six-furlong race last October, before taking second in a Lingfield listed race in his 2024 debut. Successful in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint in February, the entire was unplaced in the G1 Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock in September, but displayed a return to form when third in the G3 World Trophy Stakes on Sept. 21. He has also been penciled in to contest...

After Next (Not This Time) romped in Saturday's GIII Greenwood Cup at Parx, trainer Doug Cowans said Sunday he will consider both the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and the GI Breeders' Cup Turf for the marathon specialist's next start. "We're going to get the horse home," Cowans said. "He's on his way back right now from Philadelphia to Kentucky. We will let him get back to his routine and get through the first breeze, which will take place 15 to 17 days from now. From there, we'll see how the...

If the first half of the Flat season is for graduation ceremonies, this is the bit where Masters and PhDs are handed out. To see Ryan Moore sit so beautifully on City Of Troy - and this year's best horse race round Southwell so fluidly - was to feel a surge of anticipation greater than before his seasonal reappearance for the 2,000 Guineas.  We all love spring and the history-laden game of labelling three-year-olds 'Classic' winners. But sorry, late summer and autumn is when we really get ready to rumble....

For many lifelong racetrackers, it's a natural ascent to start out as a hot walker, move up to becoming a groom and perhaps eventually, work your way towards exercise riding. That wasn't the case for Edgar Revolorio, groom of GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Highland Falls (Curlin). Revolorio grew up around horses in his native Guatemala and when he moved to Texas to work with Quarter Horses, he started out there as an exercise rider. As he gained experience on the racetrack and learned more about the art of grooming,...

'TDN Rising Star' and GI Travers Stakes winner Fierceness (City of Light), owned by Repole Stables, has stayed in the top spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings for the fourth consecutive week, in front of fellow 3-year-olds City of Troy (Justify) and Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) after the eighth week of voting. Fierceness, trained by Todd Pletcher, rose to the top ranking following his dramatic Travers Stakes win at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24. Last year's GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old male...