DEL MAR, Calif. – In a span of 24 hours back in May, trainer Kenny McPeek won his first Kentucky Oaks and first Kentucky Derby. He also was the first trainer to win both races in the same year in 72 years.

“I’m still slapping myself every now and then going, ‘Huh, did we do that?’ ” McPeek said. “We’re really proud of it. Still, you got to get up the next day and keep rolling. All the work is exhausting; probably never worked so hard than I worked this year. It is a game that will humble you.”

Godolphin swept the opening weekend’s 2-year-old stakes at Keeneland, then swept opening day’s 2-year-old stakes at Churchill Downs. Could it sweep a pair of 2-year-old stakes on opening day of the Breeders’ Cup – and then some?

Godolphin’s colors will be carried by homebred juveniles Immersive, winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes, and East Avenue, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile, respectively.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In 2023 at Santa Anita, horses from overseas had their best Breeders’ Cup Friday, and at least partly owing to that barrage, 23 entered on Breeders’ Cup Friday this year.

Two-year-olds from Europe or Japan populate all five Friday races. If things broke really, really right, they could win them all.

A year ago, European horses swept the top three placings in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, went one-two in the Juvenile Turf, and had a close second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Nine possible top three placings filled by six overseas horses.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The last time jockey Rachel King rode in the United States she was winless in two races for amateur riders in Pennsylvania in 2011.

She returns for Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in much different circumstances.

King, 34, spent part of last winter riding in Japan, where she was closely allied with trainer Noriyuki Hori. The Hori-trained colt Satono Carnaval will be ridden for the first time by King in the BC Juvenile Turf.

In the stables at Del Mar on Monday, King described her brief stay in Japan as a “learning” experience.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Howard Wolowitz was only a maiden race winner when trainer Jose D’Angelo nominated the colt to the Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs in August.

The decision was met with skepticism.

“People thought: Are you crazy,” D’Angelo recalled Monday on the Del Mar backstretch. “I knew what I was doing.”

Howard Wolowitz won the $1.84 million Franklin-Simpson Stakes on Sept. 7 at 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds as the 3-1 favorite after a troubled fourth in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 11.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In Thorpedo Anna, trainer Kenny McPeek will have one of the biggest favorites on the card in the $2 million Distaff.

In Rattle N Roll, McPeek would have one of the longer shots on the board in the $7 million Classic. If he gets to run.

McPeek entered Rattle N Roll in the Classic, but as of Monday morning he was relegated to the also-eligible list. He would need one scratch to get into the field.

DEL MAR, Calif. – After giving some thought to running Domestic Product in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the connections of the Grade 1-winning 3-year-old ultimately opted to enter their horse in the $1 million Dirt Mile.

Chad Brown, who trains Domestic Product for Seth Klarman, believes the six furlongs of the Sprint would likely be too short for Domestic Product, especially over a track that favors speed types, whereas his horse would be coming from well off the pace.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Dr. Venkman, who was pre-entered in both the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was not entered Monday for either race, trainer Mark Glatt said.

Glatt said the horse had “a little hiccup” about a month ago and, despite having several recent workouts, the trainer didn’t feel he was where he needs to be to compete in a Breeders’ Cup race.