The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, a series of stakes races that provide the winners with guaranteed berths in one of the 15 races held during the organization’s year-end event, will be expanded from 68 races last year to 73 races this year, the Breeders’ Cup announced Thursday morning.

WHO’S HOT
There were no changes to the list of 20 horses on this week’s Derby Watch, but there was some adjustment to their rankings. The unbeaten Gemologist, who returned with a sharp allowance victory last week at Gulfstream Park, is now the fifth choice at 10-1 on the Kentucky Derby Future Book line of Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, after being 20-1 a week ago.

Longtime racing official Barbara Borden has been named a state steward and acting chief steward for the Kentucky circuit, effective April 1, and will begin serving at race meets at the Keeneland spring meet that begins April 6, it was announced late Tuesday by the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Dialed In, the 2011 Florida Derby winner, will undergo minor surgery to have a small chip removed from his right knee, trainer Nick Zito said on Monday.

Zito said the surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage, will require Dialed In to miss approximately 60 days of training. Dialed In, who is owned by Robert LaPenta, had a chip removed from the same knee by Bramlage following his fourth-place finish in the 2011 Preakness.

Bob Baffert is heading south by Southwest. Fresh off a victory by Secret Circle in the Rebel Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, Baffert will send Castaway to Sunland Park on Sunday for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.

Aikenite, winner of last year’s Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes and Grade 2 Commonwealth Stakes, has been retired. There are no stud plans yet for the 5-year-old Yes It’s True horse.

“After a winter break in Aiken, he went back into training, but complications with his ankle made a 2012 campaign unrealistic,” said Dogwood Stable president Cot Campbell.

Lucky Chappy will add to his gaudy number of frequent-flier miles when he starts in the Group 2, $2 million UAE Derby at 1 3/16 miles over the Tapeta surface at Meydan on March 31. An Irish-bred colt raced by the Animal Kingdom connections of Team Valor International and trainer Graham Motion, Lucky Chappy began his career in Italy, competed on both coasts in his four-race North American campaign, and, if all goes right in Dubai, will return to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May for a run in the Kentucky Derby.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Linda Rainey has been appointed as the coordinator of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, effective immediately, the organization announced Monday.

Rainey has an extensive background in event management, strategy, advertising and marketing and will be responsible for managing the financial direction of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as well as its day-to-day operations.

She has maintained a lifelong involvement with Standardbreds through her family and shows horses throughout southern Ontario.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington is auctioning one of Zenyatta’s halters on eBay to benefit victims of the March 2 tornadoes that killed 34, including 21 Kentuckians.

Bidding ends on Wednesday.

The eBay listing says the leather halter with a brass Zenyatta nameplate was “genuinely worn” by the 2010 Horse of the Year, and the winning bidder will receive the halter’s letter of authenticity, signed by Lane’s End Farm owner Will Farish. Zenyatta and her first foal, a Bernardini colt born March 8, board at Lane’s End near Versailles, Ky.

Breakdown focus should be trainers rather than tracks

After reading "Jockey Club to publish injury data for 15 tracks" (March 7), I feel the Jockey Club has dropped the ball with the statistics on horses breaking down in America.