Breeders' Cup

Between winning the COVID-delayed Kentucky Derby in September and giving thousands of microshare owners cause to celebrate, Authentic was a major talking point the fall of 2020. His first foals, yearlings of 2023, include 10 who fetched $700,000 or more at recent Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton sales. "Authentic is a very special horse to us here at Spendthrift," said the farm's general manager, Ned Toffey. "He is a horse that we initially pursued the breeding interest in, but very quickly we found ourselves taking it a step farther and buying him...

The first of back-to-back GI Breeders' Cup Classic winners retired to Spendthrift, Vino Rosso currently leads the U.S. freshman sire list and has had four individuals place in Grade I races in the last five weeks, including three on Oct. 7. "Since he is a son of Curlin, we were fortunate enough to acquire the breeding rights to him in his 4-year-old year, and that's when he really began to take off," said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift. "He won the Wood Memorial, so he was good early in...

Blue Rose Farm's Arcangelo (Arrogate) continued preparations for the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a five-furlong drill in 1:00.00 (3/33) at Santa Anita Sunday. Trainer Jena Antonucci, in from New York to watch the work, clocked Arcangelo's final furlong in under :12. He galloped out an extra two furlongs, which Antonucci clocked in ":13 and change" for each furlong. "It was a serious work. A pretty work," Antonucci said immediately after the drill. "I wanted sub-12 seconds the final furlong, which he gave me. I think I'm pretty...

The R.A.C.E. Fund, a 501 C 3 non-profit organization established in 2004 and TAA accredited, will begin auctioning the private racing memorabilia of Christopher Hoff on eBay beginning Oct. 25. "As a Thoroughbred racing photographer, I had the opportunity to witness the performance of such equine athletes as Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Personal Ensign, Private Terms and many others," Hoff said. "However, I also saw the fate of the 'discarded' horses who were deemed unprofitable for their owners. These beautiful horses are too often forgotten and I am thrilled that my...

It's not often one is surprised when a 1-2 favorite wins, but Liam's Map had such a tumultuous trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after a history of front-running scores that he had every right to lose. "I like the way he did it," said Javier Castellano, who also had won the GI Woodward with the horse the month before. "He had missed the break. [Todd] Pletcher told me, 'Make sure he breaks good and get a good position,' but when the gate opened, he missed the break....

Trainer Chad Brown breezed several Breeders' Cup prospects Saturday at Belmont Park, including Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart), who registered his first move since capturing the GII Woodward S. October 1 at Belmont at the Big A. Under overcast skies and temperatures in the 50s, Zandon, who is targeting the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, went a half-mile in 48.87 seconds over the Belmont main track. "He went great, he worked super," Brown said. "His energy level is good coming out of the Woodward. He's doing well and it was just what...

Horses aren't supposed to be able to do what Ghostzapper did. The Hall of Famer was so dazzling that the 128 Beyer Speed Figure he registered in the GIII Philip H. Iselin H.--still the highest figure in the history of American racing at a route--isn't even remembered as one of his top races. Some people might count his GI Vosburgh sprinting at three against older horses as one of his best, others might prefer his GI Woodward battle over eventual Horse of the Year Saint Liam, and still others might...

Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup with Living Legends In the nearly 40-year history of the Breeders' Cup, only two sets of full-siblings have won Breeders' Cup races. It's difficult enough for a mare to produce one Breeders' Cup winner, but two individual Breeders' Cup winners? That's such a rarity only six mares have ever done it. And only two of those six have had lightning strike twice as they've produced two Breeders' Cup winners by the same sire. The first set, Juddmonte homebreds Banks Hill (GB) and Intercontinental...

Eric Gustavson, who with his wife Tamara Hughes Gustavson own Spendthrift Farm, has been named to Keeneland's Advisory Board of Directors, the association said in a press release Thursday. Gustavson has played a pivotal role in restoring Spendthrift Farm's position as one of the world's premier Thoroughbred breeding operations. He is also a member of The Jockey Club and Breeders' Cup Board of Directors. "We welcome Eric Gustavson to the Keeneland Board, where his business skill and marketing acumen will be instrumental as we meet the opportunities and challenges of...

If ever there was a horse whose CV matches his pedigree, it is Mendelssohn. He topped the Keeneland September sale on a bid of $3 million from Coolmore in 2016, the year before he captured the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. And that pedigree? When he won the Breeders' Cup, he pushed his dam, the reigning Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady, into rare territory: she became what was then one of five mares to produce two Breeders' Cup winners. The year prior, her multiple champion daughter Beholder had captured...

Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup with Living Legends It wasn't so long ago that the magnificent sire Gone West held court at Mill Ridge Farm near Lexington. From 22 crops, all while at Mill Ridge, he netted a mouth-watering 9% black-type winners from starters, including Breeders' Cup winners Da Hoss (twice), Johar, and Speightstown, all back in the days when the Breeders' Cup was still a single day and there were far fewer races. The son of Mr. Prospector passed away in 2009, but his influence on the...

Group 1 winner Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Onshore {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}), who is bound for the Breeders' Cup next month, will stand at Haras d'Etreham in 2024, the French stud announced on Tuesday. Bred by Diamond Creek Farm in Ireland, the Fabrice Chappet runner was a debut winner at Chantilly in September of his 2-year-old year and won the G2 Prix Greffulhe in his second start at three. Fifth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, he claimed the Grand Prix de Paris last July and the colt...