Atitlan will miss Breeders’ Cup Turf

Atitlan, winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita, will not start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, trainer Richard Mandella said earlier this week.

“He came out of the race a little bit jarred up,” Mandella said. “It’s no big deal. We’re going easy.

“We’ll probably point for the Hollywood Turf Cup.”

The Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles will be run Nov. 27 at Del Mar.

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Owned by John O’Connor, Atitlan has won 5 of 15 starts and earned $648,000. In recent months, Atitlan has emerged as one of the leading turf marathon runners in California, having also finished second by a neck in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 29.

The John Henry Turf Championship was Atitlan’s fourth stakes win. A 5-year-old horse by The Factor, Atitlan won the Grade 2 Twilight Derby in 2024 and consecutive starts in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes and Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes in spring 2025.

At the time, Atitlan was trained by John Shirreffs, who died in February. Mandella began training Atitlan earlier this year.

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