Personally, these are difficult times for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, whose father died last week at the age of 93.

Professionally, these are good times for O’Connell, who confirmed this week that not only will her talented 2-year-old colt Well Defined run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride him. Smith is the all-time winningest jockey in Breeders’ Cup history, with 26 wins and $35.8 million in purse money won.

“I’m trying to look for good news on top of all the bad news I’ve had,” O’Connell said Tuesday.

Arklow, the winner of the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 8, may take an unconventional path to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

Trainer Brad Cox said on Wednesday that he plans to start Arklow in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 18. The $100,000 Sycamore Stakes is run at 1 1/2 miles on turf, the same distance as the BC Turf.

Cox said there may be sufficient time between the Sycamore and BC Turf for Arklow to start in both races.

Wow Cat scored a breakthrough 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes last Saturday at Belmont Park. With that automatic qualifier in her pocket, the Chilean champion is poised to add some intrigue to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff as she heads to Kentucky by way of New York.

“It’s taken some time to acclimatize,” said Peter Brant, who owns Wow Cat with Stud Vendaval. “She’s been here six months, and we’ve found that’s when they usually start doing better.”

Promises Fulfilled earned his free berth into the Breeders’ Cup the hard way last Friday at Keeneland, with a gutsy head decision over Whitmore in the Grade 2 Phoenix. Which Breeders’ Cup race he runs in, however, is a decision trainer Dale Romans and owner Robert Baron may not make for several weeks.

Kentucky-based trainer Ken McPeek acknowledges that his 8 percent win rate with first-time starters is not great.

“I don’t make it a huge priority,” McPeek said. “I tend to progress horses along. I like to see them improve race to race.”

So, when a McPeek 2-year-old did the unexpected and won her debut by nearly three lengths this past spring at Churchill Downs, there was a chance she was special. Four months and four starts later, Restless Rider has emerged as a leading contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Results of the two final prep races and another round of serious workouts have brought greater clarity to what the field will look like when the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint is run Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

Golden Mischief became a serious player by winning the Thoroughbred Club of America on Saturday at Keeneland, while the connections of Skye Diamonds are still mulling whether to pre-enter the California-bred standout after she captured the L.A. Woman on Sunday at Santa Anita.

In arguably the most unpredictable division in racing, the leading contenders for the 5 1/2-furlong Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs have been remarkably consistent in their final prep races.

Last Saturday, favorites won both the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational and the Woodford at Keeneland. A week earlier, the top two betting choices in the Eddie D at Santa Anita finished first and second, separated by a head.

Todd Pletcher will take two swings at a second win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

Churchill was the site of Pletcher’s only previous success in the race, with Pluck in 2010, and this year Pletcher has Opry and Current for the one-mile race around Churchill’s tight grass course.

Last Saturday evening, Lily’s Candle was purchased for approximately $448,500 by Martin Schwartz at the Arqana Arc sale in Paris. By early Sunday afternoon, Lily’s Candle was a Group 1 stakes winner with a free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

“This is my favorite time of the year,” Schwartz wrote in a text message Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Last Sunday, a day after Its Gonna Hurt won the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-old turf sprinters at Santa Anita, trainer Brian Koriner received a friendly email from Breeders’ Cup officials.

The message reminded Koriner that Its Gonna Hurt had earned a fees-paid berth to the $1 million BC Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

“We’ll go,” Koriner said. “It’s stupid not to go. You’re being treated like a VIP. How do you not show up for a minute?”