Breeders' Cup
Breaking like shot out of a cannon, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) marked his return to Breeders' Cup competition following a win in 2020 to double up with a score in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Sent off what seemed to be a bit of an overlay, the 5-2 favorite was sure-footed at the start, streaking to the front and cutting out a brisk quarter in :21.71. With Lieutenant Dan (Grazen) in hot pursuit through an equally fast half in :43.34, last year's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner...
DEL MAR, CA - With all eyes on defending champion and 2-5 favorite Gamine (Into Mischief) and star 3-year-old Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot), it was Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) who came rolling over the top in the stretch to upend Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar. Last year's Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Gamine, looking to become only the second two-time winner of the race following Groupie Doll (Bowman's Band), went to the front, as expected, and was shadowed by GI Longines Test S. heroine...
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Breeders' Cup issued a collective statement Saturday regarding the incident at the gate prior to the start of Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, which results in the eventual winner, Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), ultimately being withdrawn from pari-mutuel pools and competing for purse money only. The statement, in its entirety, reads: "The CHRB, Del Mar, and Breeders' Cup officials reviewed the circumstances of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last night and again this morning. "The CHRB determined...
Express Train (Union Rags), slated to contest Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, was scratched the morning of the race because of swelling in his hind right hock. "He was schooling in the paddock three days ago and he got a little playful, jumping around and kicked himself," trainer John Shirreffs said. "He'll be fine with a little more time and we plan on running him next year." Also withdrawn Saturday morning, Lael Stable's Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) was forced to miss Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint....
Del Mar, CA--Friday's Breeders' Cup card was not short of drama, both the kind one welcomes-like when Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {Ire}) flew the barriers and held off a late charge by the plucky Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) to win the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint-and also the type one dreads. Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided team Europe with its first victory of the 2022 World Championships when roaring down the middle the stretch to take the card-closing GI Juvenile Turf by 1 1/2...
For Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, not to mention the betting public, the lead up to Friday evening's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf could not have been more of a roller coaster. Godolphin's two charges, rail-drawn Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GI Summer S. winner Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to his immediate outside, stepped into the gate the top two wagering choices. But the latter, who had already been acting up before loading, reared in the gate and was briefly cast, perhaps bothering Dakota Gold (Freud) to his outside...
DEL MAR, CA - Following the unfortunate vet scratch of speedy morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings), unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) had things his own way on the front end and ran to the money as the 7-5 favorite for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. Drawn widest of all in post 11, the $1.5-million OBS April topper shot out to the front beneath "Big Money" Mike Smith and cleared the field heading into the first...
In the 1997 Breeders' Cup not far away at old Hollywood Park, trainer Christophe Clement made a favorable impression with his first-ever starter at the championships, sending out Allen Paulson's Flag Down (Deputy Minister) to a sound third-place effort behind Chief Bearhart (Chief's Crown) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Thirty-nine starters had represented the stable in the 22 years since, each walked back to the barn a defeated animal. You couldn't have faulted the Frenchman if he'd begun to feel a bit like the late Bobby Frankel, who saddled...
DEL MAR, CA - During an interview in these pages earlier this week, Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen described returning to Del Mar--the site of Gun Runner's 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Classic victory--with a member of his first crop favored for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies as "dreaming." The dream run certainly continued for L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) Friday, capping a perfect four-for-four championship season with a powerhouse, 5 1/4-length, wire-to-wire performance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Juju's Map (Liam's Map),...
Grade I winner Hit the Road (More Than Ready) has been scratched from Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile due to a fever, trainer Dan Blacker announced via Twitter Friday. "Sad to report we have to scratch Hit The Road from Breeders' Cup Mile as he has a fever," Blacker tweeted. "So disappointed for his great group of owners. Unbelievably bad timing and bad luck. We will get him healthy, regroup and point for the next race." Winner of the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile and GIII Thunder Road S. earlier...
DEL MAR, CA -- Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings), the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, was scratched on the advice of the veterinarians at the Breeders' Cup, according to Bradley Weisbord of BSW Bloodstock, who serves as Jim Bakke's racing manager. "(Trainer) Chad (Brown) called me at 6:00 last night to say he had gutting news. He said, `They're not going to let him run.' I just said, `What's wrong?' and he said, `they said he's got a left shin.' For...
In Friday's TDN, Brian DiDonato provided a list of weanling siblings and dams of Breeders' Cup Friday contenders entered in the Keeneland November Sale. Today, Christie DeBernardis followed up with Saturday Breeders' Cup contenders, their dams and younger siblings who are set to sell at that marquee auction. As Brian said, there is no update like a Breeders' Cup update! Hip 103 - GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint contender Edgeway (Competitive Edge) will head straight from Del Mar to Lexington, where she will be offered in Book 1 of KEENOV....