Del Mar

Three-time Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) will still race next at Del Mar's Breeders' Cup meeting in early November, as long as he remains well. The John and Thady Gosden trainee, who won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club last term, ran fourth in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot on Oct. 16. He kicked off his season with a victory in the $20-million Saudi Cup on dirt in February and added Meydan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic back on turf at the end of March. Third in...

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo (Declaration of War), who earned a berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf with a win in the Aug. 28 GI Sword Dancer S., remains on track for the 12-furlong test at Del Mar Nov. 5. Trainer Christophe Clement said a breeze next weekend will likely determine Gufo's Breeders' Cup status. The chestnut was third most recently in the Oct. 9 Saturday's GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. "We are training him to go to the Breeders' Cup at the moment," said Clement. "I will speak to...

When trainer George Leonard III began training horses in 1991, his stable was represented by two winners that earned a grand total of just over $5,000 combined. The conditioner's 15th winner of 2021, California Angel (California Chrome), earned a check better than 20 times that amount in Wednesday's GII JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S. at Keeneland, coming with a strong finishing kick over the top of rivals to give Leonard III his first stakes victory of any variety while securing a fees-paid berth into the field for the GI Breeders'...

Trainer Hideyuki Mori will send four Japanese-based American-bred horses under his care to the Breeders' Cup, according to the Daily Sports newspaper, including 2-year-old colt Jasper Great (Arrogate), who became the first Japanese winner for his late sire (by Unbridled's Song) with a victory over the past weekend. Mori has become an active buyer at American bloodstock sales and acquired Jasper Great for $200,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase. The half-brother to GISW Power Broker (Pulpit) and SW Fierce Boots (Tiznow) was sent off at debut odds of...

An indication of just how prickly an upcoming California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Medication, Safety, and Welfare Committee meeting discussion will likely be--one on potentially penalizing trainers for equine injuries and fatalities--can be evinced through a tweet the agency's spokesperson, Mike Marten, issued on Sept. 26. The digital missive goes: "Considerable interest in this Oct. 19 CHRB committee agenda item: 'Discussion regarding the advisability of penalizing trainers for injuries and fatalities for horses in their care.' Emphasis on the word 'discussion.' Very early in a complicated process." A "complicated process"...

G1 Dewhurst runner-up Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is being pointed to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in November. The Dr. Ali Ridha-owned bay has not been off the board in three runs. He won a novice at Doncaster on July 22, and was found to be below his best after a third in the G3 Acomb S. on Aug. 18. "He's come out of the race great," said trainer Hugo Palmer. "He ran an absolute blinder. He showed the world what we have always thought...

Popular star distaffer Letruska (Super Saver) took another step toward a potential Horse of the Year trophy Sunday at Keeneland, rolling to her fourth Grade I victory and sixth graded stakes win overall on the year as a heavy favorite in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. A dual Group 1 winner in Mexico for Fausto Gutierrez in 2019, Letruska stamped herself as a horse to watch with an impressive wire-to-wire score in last summer's GIII Shuvee S. at Saratoga and, after disappointing when finishing a well-beaten fourth in Belmont's GII...

Dual Group 1 runner-up Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has been confirmed for the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar in November. A winner of the G3 Brownstown S. on July 11 and G3 Fairy Bridge S. on Aug. 26, the Haras de Saint-Pair homebred was second in both the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 11 and the Oct. 3 G1 Prix de la Foret. Trainer Paddy Twomey said, "She came out of the race last weekend fantastic and she's in good form. She's going...

Jump Sucker Stable's Slipstream backed up a sharp maiden victory earlier in the meet with a score in the GIII Futurity S. Sunday at Belmont, a Win and You're In qualifier for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Debuting locally over six furlongs on grass, the $170,000 Keeneland September purchase ran an even fifth after hitting the gate at the start, then faced more early trouble in a Saratoga off-the-turfer July 30 before finishing a distant third. Cruising to a 5 1/4-length graduation going seven panels here Sept. 18,...

A spot in the starting gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will be on the line in Sunday's GIII Futurity S. at Belmont Park. The Wesley Ward-trained duo of unbeaten Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) and Poppy Flower (Lea), both scratched out of Saturday's loaded GIII Matron S., are the top two choices on the morning-line while taking on the boys here. Keeneland debut winner Chi Town Lady switched to turf following some time on the shelf to add Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 18. Poppy Flower, in...

Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) is headed for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in early November. A winner of the G3 Lacken S. from four starts this spring, the Gary Devlin-owned colt returned in August with a third in the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. He was only a half-length second in the G1 Flying Five S. at The Curragh on Sept. 12, prior to his G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines heroics. Trainer Ado McGuinness said, "We had a...

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) has exited Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in good order after running second to Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), and her connections are still considering at run at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November. The Dermot Weld trainee opened her campaign with a 6 1/2-length win in the G3 Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown on Aug. 5 and was second to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Irish Champion S. there on Sept....