ARCADIA, Calif. – Pee Wee Reese returned to racing after a layoff of nearly six months to win Friday’s Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita, a victory that could lead to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint here on Nov. 2.

Pee Wee Reese, a 6-year-old gelding, must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program at a cost of $100,000, an investment owner and breeder Nick Alexander may consider, trainer Phil D’Amato said. Alexander would have to pay an additional $30,000 in pre-entry and entry fees for the $1 million BC Turf Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. – No matter how you spell it, John Velazquez is the all-time leader for graded stakes wins in North America.

The Hall of Fame jockey reached that mark on Friday at Santa Anita, when he urged heavily favored Bast to a hard-fought neck victory over Comical in the Grade 1, $300,351 Chandelier Stakes, which gives Bast a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies here five weeks hence.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s top contenders

The five-time stakes winners Danon Smash and Tower of London can win the first Grade 1 race of their career in what looks to be a competitive running of the $2.2 million Sprinters’ Stakes at six furlongs on turf at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s top contenders

Daahyeh earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 1 with a half-length win over stablemate Stylistique in Friday’s Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket, England.

The first two finishers are trained by Roger Varian, who said the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf is strong possibility for Daahyeh, who has won 3 of 5 starts.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mitole, the multiple Grade 1 winner, breezed a half-mile in 50.13 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track. It was his first work since he won the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga on Aug. 24.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Mitole is to make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2. He is expected to ship to Southern California on Monday along with stablemate Midnight Bisou, a Breeders’ Cup Distaff contender who was to have had her final prep in Saturday’s Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Secret Spice has returned home to Santa Anita, where she has a score to settle with Ollie’s Candy.

The top two older females in California meet Sunday in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes, a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s top contenders

Mr. Money, second by a neck in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx last Saturday, resumed training this week at Churchill and likely will make his next start in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, said trainer Bret Calhoun.

“It was a pretty brutal beat,” said Calhoun, “but the colt came back good and we’re happy with him. We’ll watch how he trains and keep the Dirt Mile as our first option.”

Calhoun said that another option for Mr. Money is to wait until the Grade 1 Clark here Nov. 29.

ELMONT, N.Y. – There may be only five horses in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, but four of them are capable of winning this race, which could play a pivotal role in determining two divisional champions.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Given the degree of difficulty of her last race and the fact her campaign began in January, it would have been no surprise had Midnight Bisou simply been trained up to next month’s Breeders’ Cup.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Acclimate earned a fees-paid berth to the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf with a win in the Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 17. His performance in the Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday at Santa Anita will determine how much respect he merits against an international field in the BC Turf.