Horse Racing
The Week In Review, by Bill Finley The Breeders' Cup announced Saturday that it had begun a review process to determine whether or not trainer Bob Baffert will be allowed to compete in this year's championship event. The outcome of that review is pending. "The Breeders' Cup Board has commenced a review process as to whether Bob Baffert will be permitted to participate in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships," read a statement from the Breeders' Cup. "The process will include an opportunity for Mr. Baffert to present his case...
A pair of Belmont-based Grade I winners turned in works over the last few days and will be trained up to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6, their trainers confirmed Sept. 19. Shadwell Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) breezed an easy four furlongs over the Belmont training track Sept. 18 in :49.49, her first breeze since winning the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Aug. 19. She will not have another start prior to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar Nov. 6. "It...
Lloyd Madison Farms IV LLC's homebred filly Sconsin (Include) is on track for a second straight appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint following her tough, half-length defeat of Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) in Saturday's Open Mind S. on the Downs After Dark program at Churchill. A pace-compromised fourth, just a half-length behind Bell's the One, in last year's Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland, Sconsin was winning for the second time in six starts this term, having taken the course-and-distance GIII Winning Colors S. by 3...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-MTH, $55K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, post time: 1:40 p.m. ET CUSTOMER LIST (FR) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), purchased by Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock for €250,000 at last year's Arqana August Sale (walking video) on behalf of Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stable, is out of a winning daughter of MGSW & GISP Innuendo (Ire) (Caerleon), the dam of MGSW & GISP Criticism (GB) (Machiavellian) and granddam of SW & GSP Magical Touch (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Also responsible for SW Peacoat (GB) (Doyen {Ire}), Innuendo is out...
Three years ago, the Godolphin-owned and Charlie Appleby-conditioned La Pelosa (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) used placings in the Listed Star S. and in the G3 Sweet Solera S. as a stepping-stones to victory in the GI Natalma S. at Woodbine. Connections will be hoping that lightning strikes twice Sunday with Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who has charted precisely the same course into the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf at Del Mar Nov.5. Whereas La Pelosa finished third in the Star S....
8th-Arlington, $30,000, Msw, 9-17, 2yo, 5fT, :57.57, fm, 2 lengths. ELEGANT JOY (f, 2, Kitten's Joy--True Elegance, by Distorted Humor) tuned up for this debut with a strong four-furlong spin from the gate in :48 flat Sept. 8 and was off right at her morning line of 8-1. In the vanguard early, Elegant Joy held the rail chasing from third into the turn, was pulled out three deep at the head of the stretch and kicked on nicely to post a professional two-length victory over the fast-finishing Onyourmarkgetsetgo (Makors Finale)....
Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has had the misfortune of running into some of the best the 3-year-old filly turf division has to offer in her two most recent appearances, but looks to be the one that have to beat in Saturday's $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Belmont Park. A 500,000gns purchase by Mike Ryan at Tattersalls October-Book 1 in 2019, Higher Truth won back-to-back races over 10 furlongs of this turf course during the spring/summer meeting, then just failed to reel in the fast-finishing Santa Barbara (Ire)...
Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), still lightly raced as a 7-year-old, is pegged as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Pattison Canadian International S. going a full circuit of the E. P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine. And if his current form is anything to go by, they might all be running for second prize money. The bay gelding, Group 3-placed in France in 2019, closed an abbreviated 6-year-old campaign with a victory in the Listed Godolphin S. at Newmarket and resumed witha five-length tally in the Listed...
Saturday's GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Fanduel Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar in six weeks' time, and a legitimate case can be made for at least half of the 10 runners set to face the starter. Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), promoted to third in this event in 2019, is the proven Grade I runner in the field, having scored three times at the highest level. The Peter Brant colorbearer made the most of his seasonal debut, belying...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-KD, $135K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, post time: 1:20 p.m. ET CARIOQUINHA (Gun Runner), listed as a $475,000 Keeneland November weanling, is the latest to make the races for her dam Pure Clan (Pure Prize), a three-time Grade I winner on turf who was purchased by Torrealba Holdings for $4.5 million in foal to Bernardini at KEENOV in 2012. Undefeated at two and also a three-time GSW on the main track, Pure Clan is the dam of two winners from three to start, including Three...
Two-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill got fined $2,000 for a pair of methocarbamol positives at Santa Anita Park in May and June, one in a race and the other in a workout. According to a Sept. 6 ruling published within the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) weekly stewards' report for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the two cases were combined into one because "O'Neill was not aware of the first medication positive [May 30] when the second complaint [June 3] was served by CHRB enforcement." Methocarbamol is a Class...
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 Chukyo Racecourse: Saturday, September 11, 2021 9th-CKO, ¥28,600,000 ($261k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m SEREIN (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Tiz Miz Sue, by Tiznow), third in the 2020 G3 UAE Oaks, most recently returned from a January layoff to finish a respectable fifth...