Breeders' Cup

Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal), runner-up in the G1 Dubai World Cup last March, will contest the GI Breeders' Cup Mile rather than the 10-furlong GI Classic, according to the gelding's connections. "He just looked very effective over a mile and a mile-and-one at Meydan and he has a lot of speed," explained Ed Crisford. "I'm not saying he doesn't stay the 10 furlongs, it's just that we felt at Santa Anita a mile may play to his strengths more." An impressive winner going a mile in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge...

Surely there's not much that hasn't been said about the inimitable Gun Runner. A top 3-year-old--Grade I winner who placed in the Kentucky Derby, Travers, and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile--he was nearly perfect at four. After a runner-up finish behind Arrogate halfway across the world in the Dubai World Cup, he never lost again, reeling off a string of Grade I scores which included the Breeders' Cup Classic. He hasn't broken stride at stud either, currently and remarkably ranked second on the U.S. general sires list with only his third...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be present at Santa Anita Park this year for the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, set for Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is one of the official charities, and the official aftercare partner of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will have a booth set up during both days of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, where patrons are encouraged to stop by to learn more about accredited aftercare. Branded merchandise will be available in exchange for...

The Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team has conducted the first stage of an extensive assessment of the veterinary and treatment records associated with more than 200 potential contenders for the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, it was announced Tuesday. The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade I races and $31 million in purses and awards, will showcase the best Thoroughbreds from around the globe Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park. Working in conjunction with Dr. Jennifer Durenberger of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), Dr. Will Farmer...

The late owners Bob and Beverly Lewis, universally beloved in the industry and honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit in 1997, got their third and final Breeders' Cup win with Folklore, made all the more special as she was a homebred. Although they used a variety of trainers, all three of their of their Breeders' Cup wins were with D. Wayne Lukas. "We partnered with WinStar on Tiznow and Folklore was in his first crop," said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Farm, where Folklore was raised. "She was bred...

Coolmore's late super sire, Galileo, added his sixth Breeders' Cup winner with Tuesday just last year. He is a joint second by winners, but stands alone as the leading Breeders' Cup sire by money won with nearly $16 million in purses--more than $4.5 million more than his closest pursuer. Tuesday, who also captured the G1 Cazoo Oaks in 2022 and now holds the 1 3/16-mile course record at Keeneland after her Breeders' Cup win, was retired shortly after the race and bred to Into Mischief this spring. "She was such...

2-year-old champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), whose retirement was announced earlier this week, has arrived at Spendthrift Farm where he will take up stud duty in 2024. His introductory fee will be $50,000 S&N and he is available for inspection by appointment. "The first thing I think about Forte is just how much of an honor it is for us to bring a horse like him to Spendthrift. He's the fifth champion we've been fortunate enough to add to our stallion ranks since 2020, and that's a testament...

Godolphin homebred Proxy (Tapit) had his final serious drill Sunday for an expected start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The 5-year-old breezed 5 furlongs in 1:02 on the fast track with regular jockey Joel Rosario in the saddle. The plan was to go in company with Godolphin's unraced 2-year-old colt Surveyor (Medaglia d'Oro), but the duo was unexpectedly joined by workers from other trainers. Despite the surprise, trainer Mike Stidham, Godolphin Chief Operating Officer Dan Pride and Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan were all smiles watching from the Grandstand....

Cherie DeVaux had just left a job as an assistant with Chad Brown, where the assembly line churned out one graded winner after another. After nearly eight years with Brown, she was ready to go out on her own and cobbled together a small stable that made its debut in the spring of 2018. Her first starter was Take Charge Tina (Take Charge Indy), who finished a distant fifth in a Belmont allowance race on May 18, 2018. The year would get no better as she went winless in 18...

The GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 4 remains under consideration for Amo Racing's G1 QIPCO Champion S. winner  King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}). "He appears to have come out of the race physically in good shape, but he would have had a hard race yesterday and we can't ignore that. We just have to see how he is over the next week," said the colt's trainer Roger Varian.  "I know Kia is very keen on the Breeders' Cup anyway, in general, and if he could get a good...

Some horses never seem to set a foot wrong. Speightstown is one of those. From $2-million Keeneland July yearling to Breeders' Cup winner to champion to influential sire, he's not only done it all, but done it all extremely well. When WinStar's David Hanley was asked if he had a few words to say about the remarkable 25-year-old, he said with a laugh: "I've more than a few words. He's a wonderful horse. I've been very lucky and fortunate to be around him for the past 10 years. He's a...

With a patented Calvin Borel ride, Street Sense skimmed the rail and ricocheted off the turn with such momentum that perhaps even Borel was caught by surprise, as he glanced back several times before finally easing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner past the wire while 10 lengths clear. Much was made at the time of the 'Juvenile Jinx,' as no Juvenile winner had yet won the GI Kentucky Derby the following year. The charismatic Street Sense promptly put that myth to bed the next spring, then added the GI Travers...