GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

After a career of always showing up for a piece of the pie, it's finally Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) who's the talk of the town, and the statesman strolled home to the roar of an appreciative Oaklawn crowd to confidently win the GIII Essex Handicap. The seven-year-old entire has been exclusively in graded stakes company since early April 2022, when he ran third in the GII Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. He never left the ranks after that, and placed at the highest levels every year since--hitting the board in the 2022 GI...

It looked like a close contest on paper, and in the end, the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile turned into one of those events where it deserved no loser, but there had to be one. The juvenile champion of 2024, Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) set 'supersonic' splits early (as Larry Collmus called them at one point), and ran the race of his life, but it was stablemate Nysos (Nyquist) who ultimately played the spoiler as he nailed the photo to win the Dirt Mile in one of the closest finishes...

The connections of Johannes (Nyquist), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), and GI Goodwood Stakes runner-up Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) have confirmed their charges as Breeders' Cup bound in November after their stellar performances Saturday. One-two finishers Nevada Beach and Full Serrano were both doing well Sunday morning after the Goodwood, and barring any hiccups between now and the Breeders' Cup, will both be targeting respective Breeders' Cup races--the former having earned an automatic berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with his victory. A 3-year-old making just his fourth start,...

The connections of GIII Vosburgh Stakes winner Patriot Spirit (Constitution) are not quite ready to commit their 'Win and You're In' victor to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, though a trip to Del Mar is in the cards no matter what they decide. Trainer Michael Campbell has provided a good prognosis for this son of Constitution in the post-race follow-up Sunday morning, and admitted that he's got his eyes on the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as well when asked about using his guaranteed berth into the Sprint. "He's [come...

Drawn in the 10-hole for this next stop on his comeback tour, MGISW White Abarrio (Race Day) will tackle 11 others in Saturday's GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park all while keeping an eye on the GI Pegasus World Cup in January. The class of the field with the numbers and earnings to match in this seven-furlong contest, White Abarrio was given 3-5 morning line favoritism to work with despite likely being lower when the gates open. After his 10 1/4-length romp last out Nov. 22 against local optional...

G1 Dubai World Cup second Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal) will miss an intended start in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with a foot issues, according to trainers Simon and Ed Crisford. The 6-year-old sustained bruising on his right front leg. "Unfortunately Algiers won't be able to run in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile," the Crisfords' Gainsborough Thoroughbreds tweeted on X (formerly Twitter). "He is going to have to miss a few days training due to a minor foot issue. He will now be prepared for a winter in Dubai." The...

ARCADIA, CA -- Practical Move (Practical Joke--Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex), winner of this spring's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and 3-1 second choice for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, died after suffering an apparent cardiac event following a routine gallop early Tuesday morning at Santa Anita. His rider was uninjured. Practical Move collapsed suddenly while jogging back along the outer rail in the stretch and was immediately tended to by the onsite veterinary team as well as his trainer Tim Yakteen. A statement from Breeders' Cup read, "Breeders'...

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...

They could have entered him in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile or the Sprint, where he would have been a top choice in either spot, but the connections of Life Is Good (Into Mischief - Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor) opted to send their versatile 4-year-old to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. While there was no beating Flightline (Tapit) that day, Life Is Good threw it down with his undefeated competitor, forcing Flightline to chase him through blazing early fractions of :22.55 and :45.47. The Classic marked only his...

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter) will try to return to his winning ways Saturday in Belmont's GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H., a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar this fall. Riding a four-race unbeaten streak, including the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Mile in November and the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 23, the grey finished fourth most recently behind Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the Feb. 20 GI Saudi Cup. "We had to contend with...