ARCADIA, Calif. - What a pleasant problem to have.

California-based jockey Umberto Rispoli has a decision to make soon regarding the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Rispoli is the regular rider of Formidable Man, the winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 30, and Johannes, who was second in the 2024 BC Mile and won the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Michael McCarthy, who trains Formidable Man, and Tim Yakteen, who trains Johannes, both said on Sunday that they expect Rispoli to ride Johannes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert went to his deep roster of 3-year-olds to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita with the lightly raced Nevada Beach.

In doing so, Baffert found an unexpected candidate for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

Nevada Beach won his first start in a graded stakes in the $300,500 Goodwood at 1 1/8 miles in his fourth appearance. He has never been tried at 1 1/4 miles, but that was not a concern for Baffert on Sunday morning.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - While Rebel’s Romance, winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic will be prepared for a bid at a third Breeders’ Cup Turf victory, Far Bridge, who finished fourth in the Hirsch, is likely to skip the Breeders’ Cup. 

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In any other year, it would likely be an easy decision on which Breeders’ Cup race to run Locked. 

But this year, one in which the Breeders’ Cup Classic field looks as deep as ever - arguably the deepest ever - the connections of Locked will bide their time before deciding whether to point him toward the $7 million Classic or the $1 million Dirt Mile. Both races are on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. 

Trainer Derek Ryan has confirmed that he will bypass the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with division leader Book’em Danno and plans instead to send his star to the farm and point toward a 2026 campaign. 

Book’em Danno steadily ascended the ranks of the sprint division during an 11-week stretch at Saratoga between June 7 and Aug. 23, during which he won the Grade 3 True North, Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and Grade 1 Forego. The Forego was a Win and You’re In qualifier for the BC Sprint.  

The board of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on Thursday rejected a request from jockey Paco Lopez for a stay of a six-month suspension while he appeals the penalty, according to Lopez’s attorney.

The rejection, which was confirmed by a HISA official on Thursday night, will almost certainly mean that Lopez will be unable to ride this weekend at Santa Anita Park, where he was named on four mounts on the Saturday card, including First Mission, the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes. The suspension went into effect Tuesday.

Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna will be ridden by reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat in her next start, the Grade 1 Spinster on Oct. 5 at Keeneland. Meanwhile, her classic-winning stablemate, Mystik Dan, is still awaiting a rider assignment for this weekend's Grade 2 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs. 

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has suspended jockey Paco Lopez for six months after ruling that Lopez violated the terms of his conditional reinstatement when he was recently penalized for a whip violation during his ride in the Forego Stakes on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.

Larry Gilligan, a former jockey who rode throughout the United States and later worked as an exercise rider and a racing official at Del Mar and Santa Anita, died on Saturday, according to his friends.

Gilligan turned 88 on Sept. 14. He had been ill with cancer, his friends said. Gilligan was at his home in Big Pine, Calif., at the time of his death.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Straight No Chaser, the 2024 champion sprinter, is on schedule for a two-race fall campaign beginning with Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship before he is retired to stud at WinStar Farm in Kentucky.

The $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Straight No Chaser won those races in 2024 to clinch his title. On Sunday, trainer Dan Blacker said Straight No Chaser is on schedule for the same races.