ARCADIA, Calif. – Two Grade 1 wins on the same day would be a career-defining afternoon for most trainers.

For Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, two Grade 1 wins on Saturday’s program at Santa Anita made for his best day of 2017 – but brought him only halfway to a personal milestone. On Saturday, Paradise Woods won the Zenyatta Stakes, while Avenge won the Rodeo Drive Stakes.

Remarkably, Mandella’s best day came in 2003, when he won four Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup races on the same program at Santa Anita, led by Pleasantly Perfect in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Highland Sky convinced his connections to take a shot in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup with a solid five-furlong workout in 1:01.16 on Sunday over Belmont Park’s main track.

The Gold Cup will represent the first start on dirt for Highland Sky, a 4-year-old son of Sky Mesa who has made the first 12 starts of his career on dirt.

Though El Deal was beaten a length by Takaful in Saturday’s Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes, he is still likely to run in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4, trainer Jorge Navarro said Sunday.

“We’re 80 percent right now that we’re going,” Navarro said. “I do think he belongs there with the speed he’s got. Hopefully, the speed will carry him.”

Beach Patrol’s five-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic may elevate him from fringe player to major contender in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

In his first try at the distance, Beach Patrol showed he could handle 1 1/2 miles, the same distances as the BC Turf.  His previous biggest victories had come at the 1 1/4 mile distance in both the Grade 1 Arlington Million in August and Grade 1 Secretariat last year.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is headed back to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and that has to make his colleagues with horses pointed to that race at least a little bit nervous.

Mott has won the Distaff five times - including three straight runnings from 2010-12 - and has finished second in it twice from 13 starters. After missing the race the last two years, Mott will be sending Elate to Southern California for this year’s $2 million Distaff to be run Nov. 3 at Del Mar.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Keen Ice, the probable favorite for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Destin, one of his major threats in the race, worked four furlongs in 48.50 seconds in company Saturday morning over the Belmont Park training track.

Keen Ice, under Jose Ortiz, worked inside of Destin, under Hector Ramos, with the two going their opening quarter in 23.61 seconds and their final quarter in 24.89. The two galloped out five-eighths in 1:01.54, then Keen Ice began to edge away through six furlongs in 1:14.78 and seven furlongs in 1:29.18.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Marc-Andre Blouin passed away Sept. 27 at his home in Brantford, Ontario, after a long battle with cancer. He was 55.

Blouin was well known in the horse industry as Equine Technical Services manager for Agribrands Purina of Canada. 

Blouin won 19 races with 396 career starters, for earnings of approximately $900,000. He used unconventional training methods, which included running horses with no shoes and no medication.

Arrangements for a celebration of his life will be announced soon, according to a Facebook post by wife Belinda.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Eric Guillot, who spent the summer in steamy south Florida, has shipped up two promising juveniles, at least one of whom will run in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park.

Stronger, a son of Bodemeister who won a one-mile maiden race in his second start at Gulfstream Park, is definite for the Champagne. Master Manipulator, a son of Tale of the Cat who had a brutal trip when second in a one-mile race Sept. 17 at Gulfstream, could run in the Champagne or a seven-furlong maiden race the same day.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Barring unsatisfactory workouts over the weekend, Diversify and Highland Sky are expected to join the field for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Diversify, an 11 1/2-length winner of the Evan Shipman Stakes against New York-breds at Saratoga, could very well be the speed of the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup. He was expected to work Saturday morning.

“I’m probably going to take a shot,” trainer Rick Violette said. “Aside from Destin, there doesn’t look to be other speed, and we’re probably quicker than him.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Thirty-four horses are nominated to the 80th running of the Canadian International on Oct. 15. The Grade 1 event received a purse reduction the year, going from $1 million to $800,000.

Last year’s winner, Erupt, is expected to return to Woodbine for the 12-furlong turf race. The 5-year-old formerly French runner has changed trainers since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on Aug. 26, going from Francis-Henri Graffard to Graham Motion.