Perennial leading sire Medaglia d’Oro’s best shot for a Breeders’ Cup victory appeared to be Juvenile favorite East Avenue, but the Grade 1-winning colt stumbled badly at the start of the race and was never involved. The sire did chalk up a few longshot placings, with Nitrogen finishing third in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Pleasant finishing third in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

But Medaglia d’Oro wasn’t completely shut out at the Breeders’ Cup. As his legacy continues to grow, two of his sons were represented by Breeders’ Cup winners.

DEL MAR, Calif. – There were no Breeders’ Cup trophies for trainer Phil D’Amato at Del Mar last weekend, only a haul of $1 million in earnings. From eight starters, the best D’Amato’s team could do was finish second in three races.

D’Amato, a perennial leading trainer in Southern California, watched Vodka With a Twist (Juvenile Fillies), Iron Man Cal (Juvenile Turf), and Motorious (Turf Sprint) finish second. Gold Phoenix was fourth in the Turf for the second consecutive year.

Following the 41st edition of the Breeders’ Cup last weekend at Del Mar, there is now a logjam atop the event’s list of all-time leading sires, with some of the world’s standouts represented. Five-time reigning North American leading sire Into Mischief, the late, great shuttle sire More Than Ready, and European standout Dubawi each had a win on the weekend and are now tied with another leading American sire, Curlin, with eight career wins each at the event.

The first time the Breeders’ Cup was held at Del Mar, Gun Runner won the 2017 Classic – one of four Grade 1 wins in a Horse of the Year campaign. This year, as the Breeders’ Cup returned to Del Mar, Sierra Leone, a son of recently minted Hall of Famer Gun Runner, made his own case for championship honors with a victory in the Classic.

Immersive won the third Grade 1 stakes of her nascent career in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and is virtually assured the 2-year-old filly Eclipse Award title. The filly became the second winner of this race for her sire, Nyquist, who is on an upward trajectory into the nation’s elite sires.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Anything goes during the waning weeks of the marathon Woodbine meet, when conventional handicapping methods can be ignored.

Many horses will run back on short rest, sometimes successfully. Some longtime maidens will finally break through, in part to attrition. Many horses will drop sharply in class, not always effectively, and others in sharp form will jump up and win, even some from Fort Erie.

The $150,000 Discovery for 3-year-olds on Sunday at Belmont at Aqueduct is Batten Down’s race to lose. He seems to have an edge over his eight rivals in just about every applicable handicapping category.

The Discovery, which will be run over 1 1/8 miles, is one of three stakes on the card. It’s drawn a competitive field, with Sir Barton winner Corporate Power making his first start since the Travers and four-time stakes winner Copper Tax returning to the races after having last run in June.

Smile Po could roll out some new tactics Sunday when she starts as the probable favorite in a first-level allowance for 2-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile race on Tapeta goes as the 10th on an 11-race card that has a first post of noon Eastern.

Sea King, the 5-year-old British-bred gelding, had a mighty introduction to Australian racing when he won the Group 3 Bendigo Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Bendigo Racecourse on Wednesday.

Sea King stalked the pace, challenged for the lead with three furlongs remaining, and pulled clear late. A similar trip may put Sea King in the winner’s circle of the famous Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Monday evening.

DEL MAR, Calif. – By late Sunday afternoon, there may be a buzz surrounding the 3-year-old filly Mizzyaan, who starts in an allowance race at a mile on turf at Del Mar.

Mizzyaan won a maiden race at a mile on turf by 3 1/4 lengths on Oct. 5 at Santa Anita in her third start in the United States, by far her best effort. She closed from eighth of 11 to take a commanding lead in the final furlong.

A similar performance could lead to a stakes appearance at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that begins Dec. 26.