Sun, 10/14/2012 - 15:35

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Turbulent Descent earns a bullet without urging

Barbara D. Livingston
Turbulent Descent wins the Ballerina under John Velazquez, earning a fee-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

ELMONT, N.Y. - A “lively breeze” by the multiple Grade 1 winner Turbulent Descent highlighted a busy work tab Sunday morning at Belmont Park that included several horses potentially pointing to Breeders’ Cup races.

 Turbulent Descent, working in company with Ciao Bella, worked four furlongs in 47.12 seconds over the Belmont training track. It was the fastest of 67 breezes timed at the distance.

[BREEDERS' CUP 2012: DRF top 10 lists, video replays, latest news]

Sun, 10/14/2012 - 12:34

Breeders' Cup Classic: Flat Out's feet prevent him from workout

Tom Keyser
Flat Out (left) will be heading into the Classic off a win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Flat Out, the two-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and one of the favorites for next month’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, is dealing with foot issues again that prompted trainer Bill Mott to postpone a workout scheduled for Sunday morning.

At this point, Mott does not believe the issue will force Flat Out to miss the Classic, a race in which he finished fifth as the 7-2 favorite last year.

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 17:56

Keeneland: Dayatthespa leads start to finish in Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Javier Castellano guides Dayatthespa to a front-running score in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With Javier Castellano doling out her speed in precise increments, Dayatthespa led past every pole to register her fifth straight win and give trainer Chad Brown another major grass victory Saturday in the 29th running of the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, the sixth and final Grade 1 race of the Keeneland fall meet.

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 15:32

Belmont: Mott, Ritvo horses head workers with Breeders’ Cup on the agenda

ELMONT, N.Y. – With temperatures in the mid-to-upper 30’s here early Saturday morning, one could forgive some horsemen if they were doing a little California dreaming.

Trainers Bill Mott and Kathy Ritvo, in particular, had Santa Anita on their minds as they prepared their horses for upcoming Breeders’ Cup races Saturday morning at Belmont Park.

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 14:11

Newmarket: Reckless Abandon, Dawn Approach win Group 1 stakes

Undefeated favorites won both Group 1 races for 2-year-olds Saturday at Newmarket in England, but Reckless Abandon’s victory in the Middle Park Stakes required far more grit than it took for Dawn Approach to win the Dewhurst Stakes.

Well backed Moohaajim appeared to be slightly in front of Reckless Abandon perhaps 50 yards before the finish of the six-furlong race, and he was clearly in front again not far past the finishing post, but at the wire it was Reckless Abandon by a neck, winning for the fifth time without a defeat.

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 14:00

Churchill Downs: Little Mike and Shackleford get in pre-flight Breeders' Cup works

Four-Footed Fotos
Arlington Million winner Little Mike isn't Hay Jude's only successful foal. Another, Little Nick, has earned nearly $500,000.

Two of the handful of Breeders’ Cup prospects that Dale Romans is scheduled to put on a California-bound airplane Monday morning had serious workouts Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, leaving their trainer satisfied that they are heading into their races in excellent shape.

[BREEDERS' CUP 2012: DRF top 10 lists, video replays, latest news]

Fri, 10/12/2012 - 14:29

Woodbine: Big Band Sound shortens up in Nearctic

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Big Band Sound will cut back to six furlongs Sunday at Woodbine in the $500,000 Nearctic, one of three excellent supporting stakes on the Canadian International card. As part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the winner of the Grade 1 Nearctic receives a fees-paid berth into the Grade 1 BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

[BREEDERS' CUP 2012: DRF top 10 lists, video replays, latest news]

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 18:02

Keeneland: Moonwalk upsets in Jessamine at 36-1

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Moonwalk (second from right), with Corey Lanerie riding, wins the Jessamine in a blanket finish.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - As if Dale Romans didn't have enough starters for the upcoming Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, he now has another in Moonwalk, who earned an expenses-paid berth into the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf after the filly pulled a 36-1 stunner Thursday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland.

Always near the front with Corey Lanerie aboard, Moonwalk dug in late to prevail in a blanket finish in the Jessamine, a 1 1/16-mile turf race with a Win and You're In designation.

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 17:10

Belmont Park: A healthy Jersey Town works for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Jersey Town is healthy now after being plagued with foot problems.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jersey Town, upset winner of the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap here Sept. 29, began preparations for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile by working a half-mile in 50.52 seconds Thursday morning over Belmont Park’s main track.

With exercise rider Simon Harris in the irons, Jersey Town went his first quarter in 25.83 and his second quarter in 24.69.

“That’s all I wanted,” said trainer Barclay Tagg, who watched the breeze atop his stable pony positioned at the wire. “He came out of the race really good, better than he went into it.”

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 16:59

Newmarket: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint berth awaits Middle Park winner

Two-year-olds – principally the undefeated Dawn Approach – are in the spotlight Saturday at Newmarket in England.

Dawn Approach, 5 for 5 to start his career, takes on just five rivals in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs. The Group 1 Middle Park, a six-furlong dash, drew a field of 10, with Reckless Abandon the likely favorite.