Mon, 10/28/2024 - 14:10

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

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.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 14:05

Breeders' Cup Classic: McPeek keeping his fingers crossed with Rattle N Roll

By David Grening

Rattle N Roll wins Pimlico Special May 19 2023

Barbara D. Livingston

Rattle N Roll wins last year's Pimlico Special, one of his three Grade 3 victories in 2023.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In Thorpedo Anna, trainer Kenny McPeek will have one of the biggest favorites on the card in the $2 million Distaff.

In Rattle N Roll, McPeek would have one of the longer shots on the board in the $7 million Classic. If he gets to run.

McPeek entered Rattle N Roll in the Classic, but as of Monday morning he was relegated to the also-eligible list. He would need one scratch to get into the field.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 14:00

Breeders' Cup: Domestic Product going in Dirt Mile rather than Sprint

By David Grening

Domestic Product beats Prince of Monaco in H. Allen Jerkens at SAR Aug 24 2024

Barbara D. Livingston

Domestic Product (outside) gets up to win the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens going seven furlongs at Saratoga this summer. He will stretch out in the Dirt Mile.

DEL MAR, Calif. – After giving some thought to running Domestic Product in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the connections of the Grade 1-winning 3-year-old ultimately opted to enter their horse in the $1 million Dirt Mile.

Chad Brown, who trains Domestic Product for Seth Klarman, believes the six furlongs of the Sprint would likely be too short for Domestic Product, especially over a track that favors speed types, whereas his horse would be coming from well off the pace.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 14:00

Breeders' Cup: Dr. Venkman withdrawn from consideration

By David Grening

Benoit photo

Dr. Venkman was being considered for the BC Sprint or Dirt Mile, but trainer Mark Glatt felt the Ghostzapper gelding was not at this best.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Dr. Venkman, who was pre-entered in both the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was not entered Monday for either race, trainer Mark Glatt said.

Glatt said the horse had “a little hiccup” about a month ago and, despite having several recent workouts, the trainer didn’t feel he was where he needs to be to compete in a Breeders’ Cup race.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 13:30

Breeders' Cup: Davis getting an opportunity with pair of contenders

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Dylan Davis will be aboard Quickick in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Abientot in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Dylan Davis followed his sensational summer with a fabulous fall and now finds himself at the Breeders’ Cup for the third time in his career with what he feels are two strong contenders on Friday’s card at Del Mar.

Davis, 29, will ride Quickick for trainer Tom Amoss in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies and Abientot for Mark Casse in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf. They will be the third and fourth career Breeders’ Cup mounts for Davis who finished ninth aboard Carson’s Run in last year’s Juvenile Turf and 12th aboard Second of July in the 2020 Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Mon, 10/28/2024 - 12:10

First Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool opens Wednesday

By Matt Hegarty

East Avenue wins Breeders' Futurity at KEE Oct 5 2024

Coady Media

East Avenue, winner of the Breeders' Futurity, is the morning-line favorite among the 38 individual horses listed for the first Derby Future Wager pool.

Churchill Downs will open its first 2025 Kentucky Derby future wager pool this Wednesday with 38 individual 2-year-olds on offer as well as two field bets.

This is the third year that Churchill has offered a Derby future wager leading up to the Breeders’ Cup. The results of the five Breeders’ Cup races restricted to 2-year-olds held on Friday will significantly impact the betting odds for this year’s crop of juveniles, and the Derby future wager will close at 6 p.m. Eastern on Friday, just prior to post time of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Sun, 10/27/2024 - 18:04

Shirreffs has fond memories of Zenyatta's BC Classic win 15 years ago

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

Trainer John Shirreffs's stable got a boost when Atitlan won the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The 15-year anniversary of Zenyatta’s epic win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita is on Nov. 7.

“Where did that go?” trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday morning. “Fast.”

Zenyatta’s come-from-behind win remains a unique aspect of Breeders’ Cup history, the first and only mare to win the BC Classic.

Shirreffs watched the race from the rail, positioned up the stretch from the finish line. He had a great view of Zenyatta’s rally on the outside under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

“She was making a big move,” he remembered.

Sun, 10/27/2024 - 16:01

Fierceness to stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud after racing career

By Nicole Russo

Barbara D. Livingston

Fierceness won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Eclipse Award champion juvenile Fierceness, among the favorites for this Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic in a quest for more championship honors, will stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced Sunday.

The stud deal gives the international stallion operation more investment in this year’s Classic, and also gives Ashford another champion campaigned by Mike Repole.

Sun, 10/27/2024 - 15:44

Breeders' Cup: Trainer Bill Mott remains positive after solid workouts by his team

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Arthur's Ride, with Neil Poznansky up, works a half-mile at Del Mar on Sunday.

DEL MAR, Calif. - A beautiful Southern California morning when four of his top horses put in solid workouts in preparation for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup was enough to put Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in a positive mood. This in spite of a two-month stretch during which his horses have gone 2 for 78 between Aqueduct and Keeneland.

At those two meets, Mott has had 17 second-place finishes, seven in stakes, punctuated by a nose defeat with 3-5 favorite Sterling Silver in Sunday’s Empire Distaff at Aqueduct.

Sun, 10/27/2024 - 15:07

Breeders' Cup Clocker: Busy day at Del Mar, with 19 possible starters working

By Mike Welsch

Barbara D. Livingston

Ushba Tesoro works for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Sunday.

Del Mar
Sunday, Oct. 27
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Turf: Firm
Temperature: 56

DEL MAR, Calif. – Sunday was the busiest morning by far at Del Mar, host site for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup, since the track opened for training earlier this week, and fortunately the weather cooperated. The dense fog that covered the area when training opened at 5:30 a.m. disappeared almost as rapidly as it came in, with clear skies prevailing for the remainder of the morning.

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