Breeders' Cup
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. The 3-year-old fillies' Classics concluded with last Sunday's running of the G1 Shuka Sho and the colts' division finishes up this weekend with the running of the G1 Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger over a...
This is one of those programs, temperate and patient, that nourish the very marrow of our industry. It has never comprised more than around 10 mares, whose foals are brought into the world not just to make a fast buck but actually to go out there and run. Whitham Thoroughbreds is run by an octogenarian widow and her son: they devise matings to draw out speed into a second turn; they're not scared of using a turf stallion from time to time; and they work with horsemen who operate on...
The Green Group Guest of the Week on the latest edition of the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland, commentator Nick Luck, who works both sides of the Atlantic, was asked what are the best storylines out of Europe when it comes to this year's Breeders' Cup. With a deep and talented group of shippers coming to Keeneland, there was no shortage of answers, starting with the story of Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). "I think Highfield Princess is right up there as one of the great...
It was a little over six years ago when Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), seemingly from out of nowhere, took the racing world by storm. Producing heroics, often in jaw-dropping, record-breaking fashion, in the GI Travers S., GI Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and G1 Dubai World Cup in succession, the imposing gray quickly catapulted himself into the discussion of all-time greats. Though his racing career fizzled somewhat when he finished off the board in two of his final three starts after returning from Dubai, the...
Charlie Appleby is readying a strong team for the Breeders' Cup, headed by globetrotting millionaire Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), while Jane Chapple-Hyam has given the green light for dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) to make the trip to Keeneland next month. Appleby boasts a tremendous record at the meeting, winning six Breeders' Cup races from just 11 attempts and he has some proven travellers bidding to enhance that record this year. Leading the charge is last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Modern...
Nurlan Bizakov's homebred Group 1 winner Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}), successful by a neck in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere earlier in the month, will not travel for the Breeders' Cup meeting at Keeneland, and instead enjoy the winter off. Trained by Andre Fabre, the colt also won the G3 Prix du Bois in June. "He's done for the year, we decided he did not need to run again," said Fabre. "I don't see him having any problem in staying a mile next season, he would have had no problem...
A few weeks before Bell's the One (Majesticperfection - Street Mate, by Street Cry {Ire}) made her career debut, her trainer Neil Pessin set aside a few dollars to place a wager on the promising juvenile. But in the days leading up to the race, he started to rethink the idea. Every morning as Bell's the One went out to gallop, the juvenile would stop in the middle of the track, somewhere around the sixteenth pole, and refuse to move. Pessin would have to take to the track, red-faced with...
The Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) will host its first event Breeders' Cup on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Keeneland Race Course as a follow-up to the Horse Racing Women's Summit at Santa Anita Park in September. HRWS Meet Up at the Breeders' Cup will be highlighted by an address from Keeneland President & CEO, Shannon Arvin, a panel featuring women of the Breeders' Cup organization, and networking opportunities. Tickets to the event will include access to 'Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup Presented by WinStar Farm and Keeneland' on Tuesday Nov....
Hollie Doyle will maintain the partnership with The Platinum Queen (Ire) as the pair bid to follow up on their brilliant Prix de l'Abbaye success with victory at the Breeders' Cup. Oisin Orr, who joined The Platinum Queen's trainer Richard Fahey earlier this year, does most of the work with the speedster. However, Orr was unable to do the weight about the daughter of Cotai Glory (GB) in France. With the Middleham Park Racing-owned youngster set to carry just 8st 7lb in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland, the Irishman...
Through the conclusion of racing at Keeneland Sunday Oct. 15, more than $1.1 million has been returned to bettors since the introduction of penny breakage--rounding pari-mutuel winnings to the penny and not the dime--less than two months ago, according to a blog post from the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF). TIF was a vocal supporter and champion of the penny breakage provision, the first of its kind in North America as part of broader legislation designed to standardize pari-mutuel taxation. "The total is even higher than $1.1 million, that is just...
With Constitution leading the way at $110,000, WinStar Farm has released the 2023 stud fees for its stallion roster. Constitution, the sire of eight individual runners who have earned 100+ Beyers in 2022, has been represented this year by GIII Peter Pan S. winner 'TDN Rising Star' We the People, GIII Distaff H. winner Glass Ceiling, GIII Greenwood Cup S. winner Ridin With Biden and GIII San Juan Capistrano S. winner Breakpoint (Chi). He was also responsible for a pair of seven-figure yearlings at the Keeneland September sale. Constitution stood...
The Breeders' Cup is always a bit more interesting when underdog horses from smaller circuits are in the mix, and both Slammed (Marking) and Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) have the potential to bring outsized attention to their respective breeding programs in New Mexico and Iowa when they run in the Nov. 4 and 5 championships. In the entire history of the Breeders' Cup dating to 1984--out of a pool of 4,344 horses--those two states have accounted for just one state-bred starter each. Slammed will represent New Mexico, and you could...