Keeneland

The worktab at Churchill Downs Saturday morning was replete with many of racing's biggest names scheduled to make an upcoming start during next month's Breeders' Cup, including champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), GI Preakness S. heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Grade I-winner Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike). Targeting the Distaff, the 2018 3-year-old champion filly completed six furlongs in 1:12. Working in tandem with GSW and GISP Owendale (Into Mischief, 6f 1:13), the 5-year-old carved out eighth-mile splits of :12, :24.40, :36.20, :47.80 and 1:00, galloping out in front of her stablemate...

Keeneland track announcer Kurt Becker has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the final day of the track's fall meet Saturday, according to a statement from the track. Churchill Downs's Travis Stone will replace Becker in the booth Saturday. According to the Keeneland release, Becker is experiencing only mild symptoms and is resting at home. "We look forward to his speedy recovery and to welcoming him back for the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 6-7," the release says. Becker became the first (and only) announcer in...

The Breeders' Cup has unveiled #MyBreedersCup, a multi-pronged digital and social program designed to bring the best of the upcoming Breeders' Cup World Championships to fans around the world. Created in response to the recent decision to conduct the 2020 event without fans on-site due to COVID-19, the program provides fans with new opportunities to interact with the championship event remotely, from innovative digital viewing experiences to a virtual fashion contest and more. The 37th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships is scheduled to take place Friday, Nov. 6...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-MTH, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 2:09 p.m. ET Proxy (Tapit) is the latest foal out of versatile Panty Raid (Include), a highest-level winner on turf and synthetic and Grade II winner on the dirt. A $2.5-million Fasig-Tipton November buy in 2008, Panty Raid's 3-year-old daughter Micheline (Bernardini) broke her maiden in the course-and-distance Sorority S. last September. More recently, the fellow Godolphin homebred and Mike Stidham trainee took the Sept. 10 Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs before finishing a close second in Keeneland's GI...

Keeneland has announced four new additions to its Advisory Board of Directors: Gatewood Bell of Cromwell Bloodstock, Coolmore's Aisling Duignan, Juddmonte Farms' Garrett O'Rourke and Sarah S. Reeves of Stoll Keenon Ogden. Nick Nicholson, Keeneland President and CEO from 2000-12, and J. David Smith Jr. of Stoll Keenon Ogden are retiring from the Keeneland Board. All four new Directors began their service at the recent Advisory Board meeting. Reeves replaces Keeneland President-Elect Shannon Arvin as Secretary of the Board. "Gatewood, Aisling, Garrett and Sarah each provide the board with unique...

MGISW Tiz the Law (Constitution) continued his preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a six-furlong breeze in 1:13.20 over a fast track at Keeneland Friday. With regular rider Heather Smullen aboard, the NY-bred colt worked in fractions of :26, :49.60, 1:13.20 and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25.80. "I wanted to get him used to the track, and I think he gets over any track better than Churchill," trainer Barclay Tagg said in reference to Churchill Downs, where Tiz the Law suffered the only two losses of his...

Officials at Keeneland have announced that they will card just one turf race for each of the final three days of the fall meet Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A total of 2 ½ inches of rain fell in Lexington Monday and Tuesday and the forecast for the next 10 days remains changeable, with additional precipitation a possibility. On Friday and Saturday, race nine will be the afternoon's feature and will remain on the turf, weather permitting. Thursday's race six allowance will also stay on the grass. All other races originally...

Holding a typically strong hand of 2-year-olds heading into Future Stars Friday at the Breeders' Cup Nov. 6, trainer Wesley Ward joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Ward talked about Golden Pal, the exciting son of Uncle Mo and Lady Shipman who figures to go favored in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, multiple group stakes winner in Europe Campanelle (Ire) and why he's so willing to run his fillies against the boys. Telling the story...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 9th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 5:30 p.m. ET A number of juveniles with strong established form take on some well-bred newcomers in a salty Keeneland finale Thursday. Juddmonte homebred American Patrol (American Pharoah) will be sent out by Bill Mott, who trained his half-sister Emollient (Empire Maker) to local all-weather wins in the 2013 GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GI Juddmonte Spinster S. as well as a pair of highest-level victories going 10 panels on the grass. Emollient has already produced...

Saying he'd "like to briefly address the elephant in the room," Kentucky Horse Racing Commission chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz opened the board's Oct. 20 videoconference meeting by attempting to reassure the racing community that elected and appointed officials are working to find a solution to a Sept. 24 Supreme Court of Kentucky opinion that told a lower court to re-examine the legality of historical horse race (HHR) gaming. HHR handled $2.2 billion during the commonwealth's most recent fiscal year, and revenue from that form of gaming annually contributes tens of millions...

Venetian Harbor (Munnings) was hustled to the front by Manny Franco and made all the running, holding off Finite (Munnings) by a neck to lead home a one-two finish for her in-form, young sire in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland Saturday. The bay, favored at 8-5 while seeking her first win since a blowout victory in the GII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita back in February, led the field of eight through early fractions of :23.06 and :46.17, and was traveling nicely as they hit the...

7th-Keeneland, $69,943, Msw, 10-17, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:29.66, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. THINKING (f, 2, Nyquist--Critikal Reason {SP}, by Aptitude) was rated a 4-1 chance to improve off a debut sixth to next-out GIII Matron S. victrix Royal Approval (Tiznow) at Kentucky Downs Sept. 9 and made a successful transition to the main track to graduate at second asking Saturday at Keeneland. One of the first into stride from her high draw, Thinking raced in a share of third and three wide down the backstretch before and chased outside dueling...