LEXINGTON, Ky. – As the sun rose at Keeneland on Sunday morning, prominent contender Epicenter turned in his penultimate and most serious work toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic as heavy favorite Flightline began his journey to Kentucky for that race.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After several weeks of indecision, trainer Eric Reed announced Sunday that Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will indeed run in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Reed said he and Rick Dawson, whose RED TR-Racing owns Rich Strike, have decided to roll the dice when trying heavily favored Flightline and other top horses in the $6 million race at Keeneland. The alternate option was to wait for the Grade 1 Clark on Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs, where Rich Strike won the Derby on May 7.

A former security guard for the New York Racing Association was one of two people found guilty of stealing more than $280,000 from Aqueduct Racetrack in March 2020, with Lafayette Morrison helping pull the inside job due to his knowledge of operations at the track, according to a press release issued from the U.S. attorney’s office of the Eastern District of New York.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Damon’s Mound, whose two high-profile victories from three starts include the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in August, will not run in the six-furlong Bowman Mill on the closing-day card of the Keeneland fall meet next Saturday (Oct. 29) as had been tentatively planned by trainer Michelle Lovell.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Da Hoss won the 1996 and 1998 editions of the Breeders' Cup Mile with just one start in between. Animal Kingdom was second to Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the 2012 Mile with just one start in the previous 18 months. And now, Domestic Spending will try to add his name to the list of those turning in strong efforts in the Mile off a long layoff. 

ARCADIA, Calif. – Flightline will ship to Keeneland for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in peak form after a typically outstanding workout Saturday at Santa Anita.

“Sensational is the norm for him,” trainer John Sadler said after Flightline worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 and galloped out super under exercise rider Juan Leyva.

Nearly every month in recent years, California trainer Howard Zucker had a runner at Del Mar or Santa Anita.

Nearly every day in recent decades, Zucker was at work behind the scenes to help California racing’s backstretch community and its retired racehorses.

Zucker died on Thursday after complications from a recent heart operation, his friends said. He was 74.

Born in New York, Zucker began training in 1974 and moved to California in 1982.

Bill Mott worked five of his prospective eight Breeders’ Cup candidates at Saratoga on Friday, led by Classic contender Olympiad, who went five furlongs over the Oklahoma dirt track in 1:00.88 in company with Dirt Mile starter Cody’s Wish.

Track clockers caught that team going three furlongs in 37.40 seconds and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.80 and seven furlongs in 1:27.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Mott said by phone Friday. “They joined up at the head of the lane and finished together.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a tantalizing look ahead to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, stablemates Malathaat and Nest, the early favorites for the Nov. 5 race at Keeneland, breezed in company over the host track Friday morning. 

Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch caught the two going their half-mile in 48.52 seconds in what will be the penultimate work for both for their upcoming first meeting in the afternoon. 

Hall of Fame racehorse Lava Man will retire from his second career as a pony horse for trainer Doug O’Neill following the Breeders’ Cup, and will take up residence at the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement facility in Kentucky.

California-bred gelding Lava Man, 21, will have his final assignment as a “coach,” as he is fondly referred to, when ponying O’Neill trainee Hot Rod Charlie for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. He will then remain in Kentucky to reside at Old Friends in Georgetown, about 20 minutes from Keeneland.