LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Graham Motion went an excellent 5-2-2 with his 13 turf runners at the Keeneland meet that ended Oct. 29, and Motion has four more grass horses for the Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and Saturday at Keeneland.
G Laurie starts in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, which Motion won in 2019 with Sharing; Nagirroc will run in the Juvenile Turf; and, on Saturday, Motion has two starters, Highland Chief and Bye Bye Melvin, for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who has not ridden since January, said Sunday that he is planning a comeback at the Del Mar autumn meeting that begins on Nov. 11.
Desormeaux paid a visit to Santa Anita on Sunday morning, and said he is eager to resume a career disrupted by personal and legal issues this year.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - While Nest is the 3-year-old filly getting most of the attention heading into Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Society is another 3-year-old that handicappers will have to consider in the race.
Society, dominant winner of the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing on Sept. 24, wrapped up preparations for her first start against older females in the Distaff by working a half-mile in 49.78 seconds Sunday morning at Keeneland, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch’s watch.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - On a busy morning of Breeders' Cup works for trainer Steve Asmussen, he also sent Extra Anejo, an impressive debut winner at the Keeneland fall meet, to the track for his first breeze since that victory.
Extra Anejo, an Into Mischief colt who was a $1.35 million Keeneland September yearling purchase last year by Winchell Thoroughbreds, was a 9 1/2-length debut winner going seven furlongs on Oct. 13. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92, which places him among the upper tier of juveniles this year.
Remington Park in Oklahoma City canceled Saturday night’s nine races shortly before first post after the jockey colony elected not to ride, according to a press release from the track. The riders made the decision following an inspection of the track surface.
The region has been hit with a good deal of rain, and Remington was scheduled to be off the turf for the second night in a row Saturday. The track’s Clever Trevor Stakes was run in the slop on Friday night.
The rescheduling of the lost nine races has not yet been determined, according to the press release.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – All-sources wagering at the 17-day Keeneland fall meet that ended Saturday was nearly $209 million, shattering the track record set last fall.
Handle at the 2022 meet was $208,907,655, up 15.4 percent over last fall, when the record of $181 million was set during a 17-day meet. Ontrack handle was more than $15.3 million, up slightly from last fall. Those figures do not include ontrack simulcasting.
National Treasure will be re-equipped with blinkers when he again takes on stablemate Cave Rock in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile next Friday at Keeneland.
National Treasure wore blinkers when he won his debut, but trainer Bob Baffert took them off when he ran against Cave Rock in the Grade 1 American Pharoah. In that race, National Treasure wound up chasing Cave Rock all the way around the track, finishing second to Cave Rock.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A week after working together, Breeders’ Cup Distaff co-favorites and stablemates Nest and Malathaat had different partners Saturday at Keeneland as they put in their final breezes for next Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Malathaat, last year’s 3-year-old filly champion and recent Grade 1 Spinster winner, worked a half-mile in 49.61 seconds, per Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch, in company with the 3-year-old maiden colt Old Point.
Pedro Terrero, one of the leading riders in Northern California, is sidelined indefinitely after sustaining facial injuries in a spill at Golden Gate Fields on Oct. 23.
Terrero suffered a broken nose and cheekbone and lost teeth in the incident when Coolcross stepped on the rider’s face, according to his agent, Jay Robinson.
Coolcross clipped heels with a rival on the first turn on Oct. 23, unseating Terrero. The rider did not sustain any brain damage in the spill, but is scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday, Robinson said.
