Fri, 11/01/2024 - 19:55

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile: Baffert lands record victory with gate-to-wire score by Citizen Bull

Barbara D. Livingston

Citizen Bull scored an upset victory over stablemate Gaming in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

DEL MAR, Calif. – After a three-year banishment from the Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert will be permitted to run horses in the world’s most famous horse race in 2025.

It’s six months away, sure, but it already looks like Baffert has a horse or two for Kentucky Derby 151.

Taking advantage of a stumbling start for the favorite, East Avenue, Citizen Bull was able to make the lead under Martin Garcia, then get away with pedestrian fractions to beat his Baffert-trained stablemate Gaming by 1 1/2 lengths in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

Fri, 11/01/2024 - 17:52

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Magnum Force powers home to upset victory

By Marcus Hersh

Julie Wright

Magnum Force paid $27 for his upset victory in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The problem for 2-year-old Europeans who come for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint arises about a quarter mile into the race – namely, the turn. Short European sprints, particularly at the higher levels, typically are run down a straightaway. But the challenge the turn presents for most overseas shippers proved an asset for Magnum Force, who parlayed an excellent ride from Colin Keane into victory in the $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday at Del Mar.

Fri, 11/01/2024 - 17:20

Breeders' Cup Mile: Scratch of Diego Velazquez leaves field of 10

By Marcus Hersh

Barbara D. Livingston

The Breeders' Cup Mile will now have a field of 10, with the scratch of Diego Velazquez.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Aidan O’Brien on Friday afternoon scratched Diego Velazquez from Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, the second overseas entrant taken out of the race late this week.

The French filly Ramatuelle was scratched early Friday after a PET scan revealed an incidence of “bone remodeling.” No specific reason was provided for Diego Velazquez’ scratch, O’Brien merely saying the colt’s training session Friday morning had displeased him.

Fri, 11/01/2024 - 10:36

Breeders' Cup: Ramatuelle scratched from Mile

By Marcus Hersh

Julie Wright

Winner of the Prix de la Foret, Ramatuelle would have been one of the shorter-priced horses in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The 3-year-old filly Ramatuelle was scratched late Thursday night from the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

A release from part-owner Arthur Hoyeau distributed on social media stated that the filly had been diagnosed through a PET scan with bone remodeling in one of her legs. The injury isn’t acutely serious nor career-threatening but necessitated a scratch from a race toward which she’d been aimed for months by trainer Christopher Head.

Thu, 10/31/2024 - 11:30

McPeek has best shot for first Breeders' Cup win with Thorpedo Anna

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Trainer Kenny McPeek will try to win his first Breeders' Cup race with heavily-favored Thorpedo Anna in the Distaff Saturday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In a span of 24 hours back in May, trainer Kenny McPeek won his first Kentucky Oaks and first Kentucky Derby. He also was the first trainer to win both races in the same year in 72 years.

“I’m still slapping myself every now and then going, ‘Huh, did we do that?’ ” McPeek said. “We’re really proud of it. Still, you got to get up the next day and keep rolling. All the work is exhausting; probably never worked so hard than I worked this year. It is a game that will humble you.”

Wed, 10/30/2024 - 21:01

WATCH: Andrew Beyer, Steven Crist, and Brad Free share their 2024 Breeders' Cup picks and analysis

By DRF Staff

Steven Crist, Andrew Beyer, and Brad Free discuss the 2024 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

Wed, 10/30/2024 - 11:50

Godolphin blue will be everywhere Breeders' Cup weekend

By Nicole Russo

Godolphin swept the opening weekend’s 2-year-old stakes at Keeneland, then swept opening day’s 2-year-old stakes at Churchill Downs. Could it sweep a pair of 2-year-old stakes on opening day of the Breeders’ Cup – and then some?

Godolphin’s colors will be carried by homebred juveniles Immersive, winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes, and East Avenue, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile, respectively.

Tue, 10/29/2024 - 11:10

Breeders' Cup Friday: Discount the overseas shippers at your peril

By Marcus Hersh

Barbara D. Livingston

Japan-based Ecoro Sieg is a leading contender in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In 2023 at Santa Anita, horses from overseas had their best Breeders’ Cup Friday, and at least partly owing to that barrage, 23 entered on Breeders’ Cup Friday this year.

Two-year-olds from Europe or Japan populate all five Friday races. If things broke really, really right, they could win them all.

A year ago, European horses swept the top three placings in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, went one-two in the Juvenile Turf, and had a close second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Nine possible top three placings filled by six overseas horses.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 14:15

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Jockey King makes long trip from Australia

By Steve Andersen

Hong Kong Jockey Club

Rachel King will ride Satono Carnaval in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The last time jockey Rachel King rode in the United States she was winless in two races for amateur riders in Pennsylvania in 2011.

She returns for Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in much different circumstances.

King, 34, spent part of last winter riding in Japan, where she was closely allied with trainer Noriyuki Hori. The Hori-trained colt Satono Carnaval will be ridden for the first time by King in the BC Juvenile Turf.

In the stables at Del Mar on Monday, King described her brief stay in Japan as a “learning” experience.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 14:10

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: D'Angelo hoping for a big bang from Howard Wolowitz

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

Howard Wolowitz was just a maiden winner when he won the Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs, the race that catapulted him into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Howard Wolowitz was only a maiden race winner when trainer Jose D’Angelo nominated the colt to the Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs in August.

The decision was met with skepticism.

“People thought: Are you crazy,” D’Angelo recalled Monday on the Del Mar backstretch. “I knew what I was doing.”

Howard Wolowitz won the $1.84 million Franklin-Simpson Stakes on Sept. 7 at 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds as the 3-1 favorite after a troubled fourth in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 11.

Subscribe to Headlines