Long before the NFL kicked off its schedule of games later that afternoon, a trio of Breeders’ Cup trainers called audibles of their own on a frigid Sunday morning at Keeneland.
Breeders' Cup Sprint favorite Private Zone was scheduled to work from the gate Sunday morning at host track Keeneland, but trainer Jorge Navarro called a late audible, instead working the gelding in a brisk 59 seconds from the pole on the watch of Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch.
Ron Winchell's homebred operation enjoyed a stellar 2014 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita as Kentucky Oaks heroine Untapable won the BC Distaff to secure a divisional championship and multiple graded stakes winner Tapiture finished second in the BC Dirt Mile to repeat winner Goldencents.
The first of seven pick threes on the Keeneland Sunday card could be the most appealing of them all from a betting perspective
Trainer Joe Hennessy saddles Ace of Hearts (#7, 15-1) in Sunday's eighth race at Gulfstream Park West, a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on turf. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Hennessy is winning at a 26 percent clip in maiden special weight races, for a return on investment of $7.10. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup will be released Wednesday. And from that point on for about 11 days, horseplayers across the country and, yes, around the globe, yours truly included, will be preoccupied to the point where they might not have the time or inclination for anything else.
Six Breeders Crown elimination races were contested at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday with Freaky Feet Pete, Foiled Again, Always B Miki, Artspeak, Divine Caroline and Solar Sister coming away with victories.
A switch to racing in Southern California, and a career debut on turf, proved to be easy transitions for Belle Hill in Saturday’s $101,250 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.
Absolutely Cool, whose best moments have come at Turf Paradise, including taking the Phoenix Gold Cup last winter, opened the 2015-2016 meet with a bang Saturday, rallying to capture the $35,000 Bienvenidos Stakes.
Lucky Lindy rallied strongly on the outside to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Hawthorne Derby by 2 1/4 lengths Saturday.
