The British sprinter Bradsell earned a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar with a win in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York Racecourse on Aug. 23 in England.
The victory has left Bradsell as a strong favorite to further enhance his record in a field of 18 in Sunday’s Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland. Should Bradsell lose, the winner of the Flying Five will receive a berth to the BC Turf Sprint, which will be run Nov. 2.
Only one trainer reached the winner’s circle in the six time trials on Aug. 25 for Sunday’s $285,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity at Los Alamitos.
Bottle It Up, Fear N Fridays, Midnight Mood, Party Time Tom, Up to Party, and Ultimate Battle won the third through eighth races that evening. All were saddled by Monty Arrossa, and all won. They are six of the 10 finalists in Sunday’s field at 350 yards.
“I’ve never had a night like that,” Arrossa said upon reflection earlier this week. “It was once-in-a-lifetime.”
Three races into his career, the unbeaten colt Look de Vega is at the center of European flat racing.
The winner of the French Derby in June, Look de Vega will start for the first time in three months as a strong favorite in Sunday’s Group 2 Prix Niel for 3-year-olds at 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.
Look de Vega will be tried at the distance for the first time. He is the future-book favorite at 7-2 to win the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at the same distance against older horses on Oct. 6 at Longchamp.
It’s a quiet Sunday at Los Alamitos, where an ordinary card – all sprints – is highlighted by three specific races.
A maiden race for 2-year-old California-bred fillies is race 3; a low-level claiming race for nonwinners of two is race 5 with a “best bet” standout; and a California-bred allowance conspicuously short on speed goes as race 7. The pace scenario benefits Known Idea, beaten favorite in three straight.
Si That Tiger heads a full field in the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity as the curtain falls on the 2024 Emerald Downs racing season. An overflow cast of 15 2-year-olds were originally entered, of which 12 drew posts for the traditional closing-day fixture, now run over one mile and 70 yards.
Each of the starters will be attempting to race around two turns for the first time. Trainer Blaine Wright will saddle a pair in the Gottstein Futurity, including probable favorite Si That Tiger along with recent maiden winner Checkered Flag.
Hong Kong superstar Golden Sixty has been retired after a remarkable career of 26 wins in 31 starts from the spring of 2019 until April of this year.
The Horse of the Year in Hong Kong three consecutive years, for the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 seasons, Golden Sixty was fourth in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in April in his final start.
Golden Sixty’s retirement was announced by owner Stanley Chan on Friday.
Itsallgoodman has never been beaten running against Alberta-breds, and he will be returning to those ranks for the first time this year during the $350,000 Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic series Saturday at Century Mile.
Itsallgoodman, who is the reigning champion Alberta-bred, goes in the $50,000 Beaufort. It’s one of seven divisional stakes on the closing-day card. Each is restricted to horses bred in Alberta, Canada. First post is 3:45 p.m. Mountain.
Andrea will be a strong favorite Saturday when she gets her first distance test in the $95,000 Hallandale Beach, a mile race for 2-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park. The field of 10 includes Whatintheliteral, winner of the Astoria in June at Saratoga.
But most of the focus will be on Andrea, who has a distinct Beyer Speed Figure edge. The 74 she earned in her 6 1/2-length debut win last out is 14 to 63 points higher than each of the last-race Beyers put up by her competition. Andrea will be stretching out from 5 1/2 furlongs.
Trainer Kenny McPeek will double up in the Super Derby on Saturday when he sends out Real Men Violin and Django in the richest race of the meet at Louisiana Downs.
The horses will start as leading contenders in the $250,000 stakes being run at 1 1/8 miles. It drew 11 and anchors a nine-race card that has an early first post of 3:05 p.m. Central.
