Gezora was 13th in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Oct. 5, a loss trainer Francis-Henri Graffard is eager to forget.

“She found herself really far back, which was impossible in the Arc,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Best known for winning the Group 1 French Oaks in June, Gezora’s season is not over. She is scheduled to race outside of Europe for the first time in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Tawny Port thrives on activity. That was evident in a five-week period from late August to early October, when Tawny Port finished second in three rich stakes at Kentucky Downs and Woodbine.

The efforts have convinced Peachtree Stable and trainer Miguel Clement to plan a start for Tawny Port in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

“The last five weeks, he’s run three terrific races,” Clement said on Wednesday. “It gives us confidence.”

Twice in the last five years, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint has gone to a horse coming from Europe, with Glass Slippers breaking through for the international set in 2020 at Keeneland, and Starlust upsetting the race last year at Del Mar. The international contingent coming to Del Mar for this year’s renewal will become clearer after this weekend, with who runs – or doesn’t run – on British Champions Day Saturday playing a role.

Straight No Chaser will attempt to become just the fourth horse to register back-to-back victories in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. If successful, he will join an exclusive list that includes Midnight Lute (2007-08), Roy H (2017-18), and most recently Elite Power, who captured the Sprint in 2022 and 2023.

Keeneland hosted a 2-year-old turf route stakes, the Bourbon, on Oct. 5. Final Score won it, Turf Star finished second, and Gordon Pass closed for third. The connections of all three colts hope to move on to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

The complexion of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint changed this week when trainer Aidan O’Brien revealed that he is more likely to keep the accomplished filly True Love sprinting rather than stretching her out to a mile in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on the same day.

“We’re probably leaning toward the Sprint,” O’Brien told Daily Racing Form’s Steve Andersen in a rundown of his Breeders’ Cup roster, while emphasizing that race decisions have yet to be finalized.

Recent history favors the undefeated Final Accord, who will race at a mile for the first time in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31.

In the 17 runnings of the race, two winners have been tried at a mile for the first time and won the Juvenile Fillies Turf – Meditate at Keeneland in 2022 and Lake Victoria at Del Mar last year. They were trained by Aidan O’Brien of Ireland.

Nitrogen has been racing and winning all year, but only in the past two weeks has her standing changed dramatically for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Nitrogen went from a double-digit longshot to likely second favorite.

A better-than-looked runner-up finish by Nitrogen in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes on Oct. 5 and two major defections from the Distaff have elevated Nitrogen to 4-1 on the Daily Racing Form’s early odds line. Seismic Beauty is the 8-5 favorite.

It doesn’t appear Ted Noffey will have many challengers in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but he will encounter at least one familiar foe as Blackout Time, second to Ted Noffey in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 4, will take him on again in the Juvenile, trainer Kenny McPeek said Tuesday.