http://www.drf.com/feeds/xml/news-categories/breeders%27-cup en http://www.drf.com/news/steven-crist-lasix-ban-and-breeders-cup-cutback-cause-and-effect When the Breeders’ Cup board of directors met Friday, its two most significant agenda items were whether to proceed with a planned ban on Lasix in all 15 of its races this year – and whether it would in fact present all 15 races this year. Were these separate or related issues? Columnists Breeders' Cup Steven Crist: Lasix ban and Breeders' Cup cutback: Cause and effect? 1361805496 Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:07:39 +0000 By Steven Crist 284931 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Steven Crist </div> </div> </div> <p>When the <a href="http://www.drf.com/news/breeders-cup-board-reconsidering-its-lasix-ban-may-drop-juvenile-sprint">Breeders’ Cup board of directors met Friday</a>, its two most significant agenda items were whether to proceed with a planned ban on Lasix in all 15 of its races this year – and whether it would in fact present all 15 races this year. Were these separate or related issues?</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/steven-crist-lasix-ban-and-breeders-cup-cutback-cause-and-effect" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint, won by Hightail (center), attracted just five starters. Tom Keyser http://www.drf.com/news/crist-horse-year-paradox-not-really Since the Eclipse Awards began in 1972, all 40 Horse of the Year honorees also have been named the champion of their divisions. This at first seems entirely logical: How can you be the best of the best if you’re not the best of your own division? This year, though, it may be just as logical to make an exception. Columnists Breeders' Cup Fort Larned Little Mike Wise Dan Crist: A Horse of the Year paradox? Not really 1352908078 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:44:25 +0000 By Steven Crist 267751 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Steven Crist </div> </div> </div> <p>Since the Eclipse Awards began in 1972, all 40 Horse of the Year honorees also have been named the champion of their divisions, from Secretariat (2-year-old champ of 1972) to Havre de Grace (champion older female in 2011). This at first seems entirely logical: How can you be the best of the best if you’re not the best of your own division? The second-ranked beagle can’t be Best in Show at Westminster.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/crist-horse-year-paradox-not-really" target="_blank">read more</a></p> A case could be made that Little Mike (above) deserves the turf championship while Wise Dan deserves to be Horse of the Year. Tom Keyser http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-fort-larned-puts-whithams-back-racings-spotlight News travels fast in the western Kansas town of Leoti (pop. 1,563), so when Janis Whitham heard that Thursday, Nov. 8, was going to be hailed as Fort Larned Day in honor of her Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, she stopped by City Hall to check it out. Columnists Breeders' Cup Bayakoa Classic Fort Larned Hovdey: Fort Larned puts Whithams back in racing's spotlight 1352563900 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:45:13 +0000 By Jay Hovdey 267573 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-text field-field-byline"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Jay Hovdey </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Jay Hovdey </div> </div> </div> <p>News travels fast in the western Kansas town of Leoti (pop. 1,563), so when Janis Whitham heard that Thursday, Nov. 8, was going to be hailed as Fort Larned Day in honor of her Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, she stopped by City Hall to check it out with the mayor, Lori Elder-Christensen.</p> <p>“I was at the post office earlier,” Whitham noted, “and somebody said, ‘Congratulations on that race! I saw the sign in your yard, and I was up at the bank, where there’s pictures and everything.’ ”</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-fort-larned-puts-whithams-back-racings-spotlight" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fort Larned (above) won the Breeders' Cup Classic for owner Janis Whitham, who also owned two-time champion Bayakoa. Susie Raisher http://www.drf.com/news/beyer-no-contest-race-horse-year After a year full of disappointments, the 2012 racing season came to a climax in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Saturday, with Game On Dude and Wise Dan trying to prove - in separate races - that they deserved the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year. Columnists Breeders' Cup Classic Game On Dude Wise Dan Beyer: No contest in race for Horse of the Year 1352388132 a:5:{s:15:"field_race_date";s:19:"2012-11-03T00:00:00";s:16:"field_track_name";s:16:"Santa Anita Park";s:16:"field_track_code";s:2:"SA";s:17:"field_race_number";s:2:"12";s:13:"field_session";s:1:"D";} Sun, 04 Nov 2012 13:49:03 +0000 By Andrew Beyer 267319 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Andrew Beyer </div> </div> </div> <p> After a year full of disappointments, the 2012 racing season came to a climax in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Saturday, with Game On Dude and Wise Dan trying to prove - in separate races - that they deserved the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.</p> <p>The day produced an unequivocal championship performance and what ought to be a clear-cut winner of racing's highest honor. Wise Dan is the champ. He excelled on the day that Game On Dude flopped.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/beyer-no-contest-race-horse-year" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wise Dan, ridden by John Velazquez, wins the Mile in 1:31.78, the fastest time in Santa Anita and Breeders' Cup history. Tom Keyser http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-can-point-entry-bring-elusive-horse-year-title-mcgaughey There is no known roster of “best trainers without a Horse of the Year,” but there’s little doubt Claude R McGaughey III, the man they call Shug, would be high on anyone’s list. Columnists Breeders' Cup Point of Entry Turf Hovdey: Can Point of Entry bring elusive Horse of the Year title to McGaughey? 1351977345 a:5:{s:15:"field_race_date";s:19:"2012-11-03T00:00:00";s:16:"field_track_name";s:16:"Santa Anita Park";s:16:"field_track_code";s:2:"SA";s:17:"field_race_number";s:1:"9";s:13:"field_session";s:1:"D";} Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:26:07 +0000 By Jay Hovdey 267118 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Jay Hovdey </div> </div> </div> <p align="left">The Breeders’ Cup should decide which horse is Horse of the Year, otherwise what’s it good for?</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-can-point-entry-bring-elusive-horse-year-title-mcgaughey" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Trainer Shug McGaughey saddles Point of Entry before his victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Barbara D. Livingston http://www.drf.com/news/crist-closer-look-breeders-cup-lasix-ban Whether you are an advocate or an opponent of permitting the raceday use of furosemide (Salix) on racehorses, there is no denying that racing has a problem when the first year of a Salix ban at the Breeders' Cup produces a 50 percent decline in entries for the nation's two richest 2-year-old races. Columnists Breeders' Cup Juvenile Crist: A closer look at the Breeders' Cup Lasix ban 1351968814 Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:32:28 +0000 By Steven Crist 266663 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Steven Crist </div> </div> </div> <p>Whether you are an advocate or an opponent of permitting the raceday use of furosemide (Salix) on racehorses, there is no denying that racing has a problem when the first year of a Salix ban at the Breeders’ Cup produces a 50 percent decline in entries for nation’s richest 2-year-old races. You also have to wonder what will happen a year from now when Salix, formerly called Lasix, is scheduled to be prohibited from all 15, rather than just five, of the Breeders’ Cup races.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/crist-closer-look-breeders-cup-lasix-ban" target="_blank">read more</a></p> http://www.drf.com/news/beyer-day-one-lasix-ban-distraction-no-conclusion On a day when Royal Delta delivered a brilliant performance to defeat an all-star field in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, one of the prime topics of conversation at Santa Anita was not about horses. It was about the drug Lasix. Columnists Breeders' Cup Beyer: Day one of Lasix ban - distraction but no conclusion 1351908045 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 02:00:41 +0000 By Andrew Beyer 267179 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Andrew Beyer </div> </div> </div> <p>On a day when Royal Delta delivered a brilliant performance to defeat an all-star field in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, one of the prime topics of conversation at Santa Anita was not about horses. It was about the drug Lasix.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/beyer-day-one-lasix-ban-distraction-no-conclusion" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Beholder wins the Juvenile Fillies under Garrett Gomez. She won her previous race by 11 lengths with Lasix, the diuretic that was banned from 2-year-old Breeders' Cup races this year. Jenny Burgos http://www.drf.com/news/beyer-distance-game-dude%E2%80%99s-biggest-challenge When Game On Dude runs in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday, he can probably lock up the Horse of the Year title with a victory. Yet the nation’s richest and most significant race won’t necessarily be the dramatic high point in two days of racing at Santa Anita. Columnists Breeders' Cup Classic Flat Out Game On Dude Wise Dan Beyer: Distance is Game On Dude’s biggest challenge 1351884133 a:5:{s:15:"field_race_date";s:19:"2012-11-03T00:00:00";s:16:"field_track_name";s:16:"Santa Anita Park";s:16:"field_track_code";s:2:"SA";s:17:"field_race_number";s:2:"12";s:13:"field_session";s:1:"D";} Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:07:45 +0000 By Andrew Beyer 267095 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Andrew Beyer </div> </div> </div> <p>When Game On Dude runs in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday, he can probably lock up the Horse of the Year title with a victory. Yet the nation’s richest and most significant race won’t necessarily be the dramatic high point in two days of racing at Santa Anita.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/beyer-distance-game-dude%E2%80%99s-biggest-challenge" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Flat Out, who is a specialist at 1 1/4 miles, might have an edge over favored Game On Dude in the Classic. Barbara D. Livingston http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-cup-wins-don%E2%80%99t-come-easily-%E2%80%93-except-mandella Allen Jerkens stood at the mile chute gap on the Churchill Downs backstretch and stared at the merciless autumn sky. He wore the expression of a man who’d just run over his own dog. Columnists Breeders' Cup Cambiocorsa Jimmy Creed Moulin de Mougin Rumor Hovdey: Cup wins don’t come easily – except for Mandella 1351876861 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:20:59 +0000 By Jay Hovdey 267069 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Jay Hovdey </div> </div> </div> <p>Allen Jerkens stood at the mile chute gap on the Churchill Downs backstretch and stared at the merciless autumn sky. He wore the expression of a man who’d just run over his own dog.</p> <p>“I don’t know what the hell I’ve got to do to win one of these,” Jerkens said.</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-cup-wins-don%E2%80%99t-come-easily-%E2%80%93-except-mandella" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Trainer Richard Mandella, who won four Breeders' Cup races in 2003, has four horses running in this year's championships. Coady Photography/Keeneland http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-breeders-cup-favorite-memories-you-had-be-there Having witnessed all but one Breeders’ Cup in person since its debut in 1984, I can only hope that this year’s 29th running will add fresh tales to these vivid recollections. Columnists Breeders' Cup Zenyatta Hovdey: Breeders' Cup favorite memories - you had to be there 1351391802 Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:26:34 +0000 By Jay Hovdey 266636 at http://www.drf.com <div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-article-columnist"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Jay Hovdey </div> </div> </div> <p>There is a very good chance some very memorable moments will emerge from the two days of Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita next Friday and Saturday. You can’t stuff so much money and talent into 15 races and expect otherwise. Having witnessed all but one Breeders’ Cup in person since its debut in 1984 (I passed on Monmouth in 2007 to deal with wildfire evacuation warnings back home), I can only hope that this year’s 29th running will add fresh tales to these vivid recollections:</p><p><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/hovdey-breeders-cup-favorite-memories-you-had-be-there" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Zenyatta, winning the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic, came back a year later and ran well again to just miss. Barbara D. Livingston