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.
Dylan Davis followed his sensational summer with a fabulous fall and now finds himself at the Breeders’ Cup for the third time in his career with what he feels are two strong contenders on Friday’s card at Del Mar.
Davis, 29, will ride Quickick for trainer Tom Amoss in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies and Abientot for Mark Casse in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf. They will be the third and fourth career Breeders’ Cup mounts for Davis who finished ninth aboard Carson’s Run in last year’s Juvenile Turf and 12th aboard Second of July in the 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Churchill Downs will open its first 2025 Kentucky Derby future wager pool this Wednesday with 38 individual 2-year-olds on offer as well as two field bets.
This is the third year that Churchill has offered a Derby future wager leading up to the Breeders’ Cup. The results of the five Breeders’ Cup races restricted to 2-year-olds held on Friday will significantly impact the betting odds for this year’s crop of juveniles, and the Derby future wager will close at 6 p.m. Eastern on Friday, just prior to post time of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The 15-year anniversary of Zenyatta’s epic win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita is on Nov. 7.
“Where did that go?” trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday morning. “Fast.”
Zenyatta’s come-from-behind win remains a unique aspect of Breeders’ Cup history, the first and only mare to win the BC Classic.
Shirreffs watched the race from the rail, positioned up the stretch from the finish line. He had a great view of Zenyatta’s rally on the outside under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
“She was making a big move,” he remembered.
Eclipse Award champion juvenile Fierceness, among the favorites for this Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic in a quest for more championship honors, will stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced Sunday.
The stud deal gives the international stallion operation more investment in this year’s Classic, and also gives Ashford another champion campaigned by Mike Repole.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A beautiful Southern California morning when four of his top horses put in solid workouts in preparation for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup was enough to put Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in a positive mood. This in spite of a two-month stretch during which his horses have gone 2 for 78 between Aqueduct and Keeneland.
At those two meets, Mott has had 17 second-place finishes, seven in stakes, punctuated by a nose defeat with 3-5 favorite Sterling Silver in Sunday’s Empire Distaff at Aqueduct.
Del Mar
Sunday, Oct. 27
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Turf: Firm
Temperature: 56
DEL MAR, Calif. – Sunday was the busiest morning by far at Del Mar, host site for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup, since the track opened for training earlier this week, and fortunately the weather cooperated. The dense fog that covered the area when training opened at 5:30 a.m. disappeared almost as rapidly as it came in, with clear skies prevailing for the remainder of the morning.
Destino d’Oro, a game third by a head in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland earlier this month, will not be sent to California for Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.
“We decided not to enter,” trainer Brad Cox said on Sunday morning.
“She didn’t have the greatest week of training. We’ll give her the time she needs and look forward to 2025 with her.”
Jolly Samurai is scheduled to make his next start in the $300,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park after winning the first two local preps for the Dec. 13 race that offers points for the Kentucky Derby.
Jolly Samurai has won all three of his starts, all at Remington. He won a maiden special weight over 5 1/2 furlongs, the $75,000 Kip Deville over six furlongs, and the $75,000 Clever Trevor over seven furlongs in his most recent start Friday night. Jolly Samurai closed for a half-length win in the Clever Trevor.
Del Mar
Weather: Foggy
Track: Fast
Turf: Firm
Temp. 55
DEL MAR, Calif. – Fog was so dense Saturday morning at Del Mar that it prompted track management to make the rare call of suspending workouts from the time the track opened at 5:30 a.m. until after the renovation break more than two hours later. The poor visibility created an eerie atmosphere at Del Mar, host of this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
