The streaking filly Nest spent her fledgling years at Ashview Farm, a family operation that has soared to a place among the leading breeding and sales operations this year.

Ashview is owned by Wayne Lyster III and his wife, Margaret “Muffy” Lyster, and is co-managed by their sons W. Gray Lyster IV and Bryan Lyster, with help from their daughter Meredith. The family farm bred – in partnership with Richard Santulli’s Colts Neck Stables – raised, and sold Mo Donegal and Nest, who finished one-two in the Belmont Stakes in June.

KEENELAND
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 61 degrees
Track: Fast  
Turf: Firm  

LEXINGTON, KY. – The first sightings of the always powerful European contingent on hand for the Breeders’ Cup highlighted training hours Tuesday at Keeneland, with activity from the new arrivals coming over all three local strips – the main track, training track, and turf course, which was back in business after being closed due to wet conditions Monday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fields are full for all but one of the five Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds being run Friday at Keeneland. Only the BC Juvenile, with 10 entries, is short of maximum capacity.

Entries for both the Friday and Saturday Breeders’ Cup cards were drawn Monday afternoon at Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, with the 2-year-old races being particularly crowded. A total of 69 2-year-olds, including five also-eligibles, were entered in those five races.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Flightline drew post 4 and was installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight entered Monday for Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.

Flightline, to be ridden by Flavien Prat, drew outside of Life Is Good, who drew post 2 and was made the 6-1 third choice on the line of Nick Tammaro, who makes the morning line for Keeneland. Tammaro made Epicenter, the Travers winner, the 5-1 second choice. Epicenter drew post 6.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 34 horses that shipped Saturday to Kentucky from England, France, and Ireland didn’t clear the United States Department of Agriculture quarantine in time to train Monday but are expected to take to the track Tuesday morning.  

Most of the action is expected to take place on Keeneland’s synthetic training track, which is located just down a hill from the clubhouse turn on the main track and just up the hill from the international quarantine barn on the west side of the group of barns being used this week to house Breeders’ Cup runners.  

KEENELAND
Monday, Oct. 31
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 62
Track: Muddy/good

LEXINGTON, KY. – The weather and the racetrack were a major part of the story Monday at Keeneland with Sunday rain leaving the main track muddy and sealed when opening for business at 6 a.m. before being back-raked and upgraded to good following the one and only renovation break.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Smooth Like Strait’s stall was bedded down Monday morning, his Breeders’ Cup name plate affixed above it. The webbing was clipped shut. The stall stood empty.

Smooth Like Strait had galloped Monday morning at Churchill Downs, trainer Michael McCarthy said. He was due to arrive at Keeneland on Monday afternoon, one of the last Breeders’ Cup horses to get here.

Usually, only one horse arrives before Smooth Like Strait.

More than three decades ago, Julio Garcia and Wesley Ward were both leading apprentice jockeys. Ward, who won the Eclipse Award for leading apprentice in 1984, was based on the East Coast, and Garcia rode in Southern California.

After their race-riding days, both settled into a niche in Kentucky. Ward has made a reputation for conditioning precocious and globe-trotting runners; Garcia is his head work rider and plays an integral role in the horses’ development.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s rare, but not unprecedented, for half or full siblings to contest races at the same Breeders’ Cup. This year, however, it’s an exceptionally unique circumstance, as two sets of half-siblings will share the weekend.

Lost Ark (Juvenile) and American Rockette (Juvenile Fillies) will be in action on the Nov. 4 card. One day later, their respective older half-siblings will take the track in Nest (Distaff) and Frank’s Rockette (Filly and Mare Sprint).

LEXINGTON, Ky. – California-based trainer Jeff Mullins combed his memory banks, trying to recall the second- and third-place finishers he’d sent out in Breeders’ Cup races.

“There was a filly second on the dirt at Belmont. Alex Solis rode her.” Mullins said, then paused. “I can’t think of her name. I’m not sure that these races are that memorable unless you win.”