Golden Horn worked seven furlongs on Wednesday at Newmarket in England and remains on course to start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, trainer John Gosden said Thursday.
Golden Horn will be the first horse to have won the English Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same year and to start in the Breeders’ Cup, and his credentials are so strong that overseas betting has him as an odds-on favorite for the BC Turf.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Kathleen O’Connell said Irad Ortiz Jr. will replace regular rider Eduardo Nunez aboard Lady Shipman in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2015: Pre-entered horses, odds, comments, and videos
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Led by an “outstanding” move from Dirt Mile favorite Liam’s Map, trainer Todd Pletcher worked five of his Breeders’ Cup pre-entries on Thursday at Keeneland.
Liam’s Map, with jockey Javier Castellano aboard, worked a solo five furlongs immediately following the maintenance break in 1:01.16 on Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch’s watch, galloping out strongly in 1:13.68 for six furlongs.
Beholder walked the shed row under tack Wednesday and was to return to the track the following morning, as trainer Richard Mandella reiterated that the champion's elevated temperature after arriving in Kentucky was due to shipping stress.
Beholder, who had additional blood work done and lung scans taken Wednesday, was able to walk the shed row during the afternoon under exercise rider Janeen Painter. She will return to the track to gallop Thursday as she begins final preparations for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Breeders’ Cup Turf will be run this year in its traditional spot preceding the Classic, the Breeders’ Cup announced on Wednesday, nine days before the two-day event is scheduled to kick off at Keeneland in Lexington on Oct. 30.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A second dirt mile is carded for Friday as Keeneland uses another road test toward the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile a week later. The 1 1/16-mile circumference of the main track makes for an unusual layout, with the one-mile races starting behind the regular finish wire and ending at the earlier secondary wire, or what is otherwise the sixteenth pole.
Keeneland
Track: Fast
Weather: Clear
Temp.: 54
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A couple of hours before the pre-entries for the 13 Breeders’ Cup races were announced, RUNHAPPY announced himself as one of the horses to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, putting on a sensational display of speed over a glib Keeneland main track on Wednesday.
Runhappy was one of only two Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants to work at Keeneland on Wednesday, along with CONQUEST DADDYO, who will compete in the Juvenile Turf.
The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies lost a main player last week in Alcibiades Stakes winner Gomo and picked up several longshots when pre-entries were taken Monday.
A dozen 2-year-old fillies were pre-entered in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies, but only 10 are likely to start. Frizette Stakes runner-up Nemoralia, trained by Newmarket-based Jeremy Noseda, and Thrilled, trained by Todd Pletcher, were cross-entered, with the Juvenile Fillies Turf being their first preference. Both fillies are in the body of the Juvenile Fillies Turf field.
Sixteen horses, split half and half between North Americans and Europeans and including 2014 Mile winner Karakontie, were pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile. That’s two more than are eligible to run in a race capped at 14 starters, but Bawina, in the main body of the field, has first preference in the Filly and Mare Turf, and if she goes there, it would allow War Envoy into the Mile. The second also-eligible horse, Recepta, also has first preference in the Filly and Mare Turf.
Obviously, Undrafted, Ageless, and Lady Shipman were among 19 horses pre-entered in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but the lineup for the Oct. 31 race could undergo changes before the 5 1/2-furlong dash is run at Keeneland. Final entries for the race, which will be limited to 14 starters and two also-eligibles, will be taken Monday.
