Churchill: Local influence felt at Breeders' Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nearly half of the Breeders' Cup events run here last weekend - 7 of 15 - were won by connections with longstanding ties to Churchill. Trainers Bill Mott and Steve Asmussen both sent out two winners, while trainers Dale Romans and Mike Maker both had one win apiece, as did owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Mott is the all-time leading trainer in wins and stakes in track history. Asmussen has won 10 training titles here, including each of the last five dating to the 2009 spring meet. Romans has won or shared eight Churchill training titles, while Maker, the 2008 fall-meet titlist here, has made Louisville his primary base since leaving his assistant's job with D. Wayne Lukas in 2004. And the Ramseys are by far the all-time leading owners in track history in wins and meet titles.

* Chamberlain Bridge, eighth as the defending champion in the BC Turf Sprint on Saturday, will remain in training for the foreseeable future, said trainer Bret Calhoun.

"He's had such a light campaign this year, and he bounced out of the race good," said Calhoun. "We'll definitely be looking for something for him in the next few weeks."

* Chief steward John Veitch said the disagreement with state veterinary officials that led owner Billy Hays and trainer Joe Woodard to scratch 15 horses from races at the Turfway Park fall meet in September was resolved through attorneys for both sides, with Hays ultimately ordered to pay a $250 fine for using offensive language with an official.

Hays and Woodard will not return this winter to Turfway, where they have been the perennial leading owner and trainer the last couple of years.

"We're going mainly to Gulfstream and Tampa, and we're also sending about 10 head to Turf Paradise," said Woodard.

* Veitch said John Velazquez has been held blameless in the disqualification of his mount, Congo, from an early allowance race on the Friday BC card. Congo finished first in a three-horse photo, but Velazquez's right arm and whip impeded the horse to his outside, Chilled, when they came together in deep stretch. Veitch said pressure from the horse to Congo's inside led to the incident that warranted the disqualification.

* Friday is college scholarship day, with 10 scholarships worth $1,000 apiece being raffled off after each of 10 races. Churchill and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association are co-sponsors of the event. A concert by Grammy-nominated performer David Nail will follow shortly after the last race and will go on until about 7 p.m.