Motorious (GB)

Breeders' Cup pre-entrants Explora (Blame), Kopion (Omaha Beach), Straight No Chaser (Speightster), Goal Oriented (Not This Time) and Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) all had their final works Sunday at Santa Anita. Kopion, trained by Richard Mandella, covered three furlongs in :33.20 with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard. The 4-year-old was pre-entered in both the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint going seven furlongs and six-furlong GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, however, Mandella confirmed Kopion would be entered in the Sprint where she will be joined by Mandella-trained stablemate...

Less than two weeks before the Breeders' Cup, a quartet of hopefuls--highlighted by GISW Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca)--turned in six-furlongs works Sunday at Santa Anita. With jockey Juan Hernandez aboard, Sweet Azteca was clocked officially in a swift 1:10.80. Trainer Richard Baltas timed the drill in 1:11.20. Also working six furlongs on the main track Sunday, all for trainer Bob Baffert, wereTDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard Nysos (Nyquist) (1:11.60), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach) (1:11.80) and last year's juvenile champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) (1:12.60). Nysos and Citizen Bull are...

Who do you like? TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack makes his picks for Breeders' Cup Saturday at Del Mar. Race 4: GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint--#10 Scylla (10-1) Scylla ran a very good second going two turns in Del Mar's GI Clement L. Hirsch, then returned to Bill Mott's Saratoga base and cut back to this distance with another solid second-place finish in the GI Ballerina just three weeks later. She's been freshened since, is drawn nicely on the outside and is more than capable of running...

Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile, upset winner of the GII California Crown John Henry Turf Championship Sept. 28 at Santa Anita, returned to the work tab Sunday with an easy four-furlong move on the main track in :51.40. Trainer George Papaprodromou said he was happy with the work and reaffirmed Cabo Spirit is pointed to the $5-million Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar. In the 1 1/4-mile John Henry, Cabo Spirit was able to set a modest pace under Abel Cedillo was never headed en route to a...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Idea Generation in the Flower Bowl Stakes, as Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown earned meet titles at Saratoga on Labor Day.   Dubawi Longshot Pillar To Post In The Flower Bowl Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown enjoyed a Saratoga double on Aug. 31, and Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) brought up the second half of that milestone when taking the GII Flower...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of the Classic-placed Lindy at Kentucky Downs, formerly the "Dueling Grounds", in Southern Kentucky.   Le Havre Filly Wins in Kentucky The French Classic-placed Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) won a Kentucky Downs affair for Everest Racing and trainer Brendan Walsh on Thursday (video). Part of the Ecurie La Vallee Martigny Earl breeding programme, Lindy was knocked down to Ghislain Bozo's Meridian International for €90,000...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at the success of European-based sires in North America, on a semi-weekly basis. This column (Feb. 26-Mar. 5) is highlighted by the victory of Gold Phoenix in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita on Saturday, Mar. 4. One of several Europeans to cause a stir Stateside on Saturday, Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) became the first top-level winner for his sire with a neck victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. (video). Offered by co-breeder/owner...