It was 10 years ago that a zippy gray mare became the first horse ever to win back-to-back editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, at Santa Anita, no less. A decade later, the popular gray Caravel is headed to Santa Anita to attempt to add her name to the list of doubles, and will be one of several shades of gray in this starting gate.

Since the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint was added to the program in 2008, the two-time winners of the race are the mare Mizdirection in 2012 and 2013, and Stormy Liberal, who earned a divisional Eclipse Award, in 2017 and 2018.

Formal research studies suggest the COVID-19 pandemic warped people’s sense of time. Take the Summer Stakes, for instance. The race was run at Woodbine on Sept. 16, not long ago at all, but it feels like the winner, Carson’s Run, has been forgotten.

While Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf prep races subsequently have been run in New York, Kentucky, and California, Carson’s Run has quietly gone about his business at Saratoga, his daily training overseen by Miguel Clement, the son of and assistant to trainer Christophe Clement.

The Irish-bred colt Piz Badile has raced in Britain, France, and Ireland since his career began in the summer of 2021. Plans for the fall and winter call for a true world tour for the two-time minor stakes winner, beginning with the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Trainer Donnacha O’Brien, the 25-year-old son of the famous trainer Aidan O’Brien, is hopeful that Piz Badile can race in the Middle East in early 2024, with races in Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia under consideration.

“We are hoping to go traveling with him,” Donnacha O’Brien said.

The complexion of both Breeders’ Cup sprint divisions changed drastically last week when the star filly Echo Zulu was injured during a morning workout at Santa Anita.

Echo Zulu, expected to be pre-entered in both the Sprint and Filly and Mare Sprint, was breezing in company with stablemate Gunite when she suffered sesamoid fractures. She underwent surgery, is currently resting in California, and the hope is that she will become a broodmare once healthy.

It was a year ago that Forte won a hard-fought stretch battle with Loggins to narrowly win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, then came back four weeks later to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and be crowned 2-year-old champion.

The connections of Locked – which includes Forte’s trainer, Todd Pletcher – hope the same hard-fought victory their horse earned in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland yields the same result in next month’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

Key developments are taking place at Keeneland as the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint picture comes into focus. Two major candidates emerged from a prep race on opening weekend of the front-loaded fall meet, while the reigning Turf Sprint winner and another Breeders’ Cup heroine are preparing for a matchup this coming weekend.

Arzak debuts on Daily Racing Form’s list of Turf Sprint contenders this week after rolling to a two-length victory in the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes last Saturday, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

While defending champion Elite Power and the sensational filly Echo Zulu, if she goes, are the clear-cut leaders of the Eastern delegation to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, there is little to choose among the well-matched West Coast contingent that features The Chosen Vron, Anarchist, and Dr. Schivel. That trio finished heads apart, in that order, when they last met in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby this summer at Del Mar.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s a nice problem to have. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and one of his longtime owners, the ebullient Mike Repole, have so many promising 2-year-old colts that they’ve had to get creative to give each a path toward the Breeders’ Cup.

On Saturday, Fierceness will run in the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct, Locked in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, and Be You in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita. On Sunday, Noted gets his shot to move forward in the Grade 2, $350,000 Bourbon Stakes on the Keeneland turf.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Randomized looks very much to have things her own way on the front end when she meets just three rivals in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame Stakes at Aqueduct.

Randomized, trained by Chad Brown for Seth Klarman, upset Wet Paint in the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga, taking control of the race from the outset under Joel Rosario and cruising to a four-length victory.

It was the second straight victory and third from five starts overall for the 3-year-old daughter of Nyquist. She is 3 for 3 when able to get the early lead, 0 for 2 when she isn’t.