LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland has become known for front-loading its race meets. In the spring, many of the early stakes are preps for Kentucky Derby weekend; in the fall, they’re for the Breeders’ Cup.

But when the 2017 fall meet ends Saturday, one of the better races of the entire 17-day stand will take place in the form of the Grade 2, $200,000 Fayette Stakes. Neolithic and Honorable Duty figure to vie for favoritism in a 1 1/8-mile race also expected to attract the standout 3-year-old McCraken in his debut against older horses.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gun Runner and Arrogate, the top two contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Del Mar, turned in sharp workouts Monday morning at Santa Anita that indicated both are coming into their Horse of the Year showdown in top form.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Joe Talamo is booked on three mounts on Thursday’s eight-race program at Santa Anita after missing three days of racing last weekend while recovering from a minor injury suffered in a two-horse spill Oct. 19.

Talamo bruised his leg when he was unseated from his mount in a turf race. He did not ride from Friday through Sunday last weekend.

Talamo is booked Thursday to ride Minister’s Glory in the third race, Holy Whirl Wind in the sixth race, and Croatian in the eighth.

ARCADIA, Calif. – In the span of 35 minutes Sunday, Edwards Going Left and Artistic Diva salvaged trainer John Sadler’s autumn meeting at Santa Anita.

Going into Sunday’s program, Sadler had one win from 28 starters, with six second-place finishes and a third. In Sunday’s second race, Edwards Going Left won an optional claimer against open company at 6 1/2 furlongs. In the third race, Artistic Diva won her stakes debut in the Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita has requested the option to run seven-race programs at its discretion on weekdays during a 102-day meeting from Dec. 26 to June 24, 2018, according to documents filed with the California Horse Racing Board.

The track’s operating license application for the season is scheduled for a hearing at the racing board’s monthly meeting Thursday at Santa Anita.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kitten’s Boy won his debut around two turns Oct. 14 at Woodbine and could make his next start in the $225,000 Coronation Futurity over 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta on Nov. 5, trainer Malcolm Pierce said.

Owner-breeder Sam-Son Farm has nominated three horses to the Coronation Futurity, including Kitten’s Boy, maiden It’s Fate, and Cup and Saucer Stakes runner-up Strike Me Down, who is currently based with trainer Graham Motion at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Two-time Canadian older male champion Are You Kidding Me will miss the rest of the season with an injury, trainer Roger Attfield said.

Attfield said the 7-year-old gelding developed quarter-crack issues following his runner-up finish to Melmich in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup Stakes on Aug. 13. Unfortunately, quarter cracks are nothing new to Are You Kidding Me. A similar issue forced him to miss time following a start in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last November.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Tiz a Slam has competed at four different racetracks in 2017 and may hit the road again following his first win of the season in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby on Oct. 15 at Woodbine.

There are no remaining stakes at Woodbine restricted to 3-year-olds, so trainer Roger Attfield may send Tiz a Slam to Churchill Downs for the Grade 3, $100,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 11. Another option could see Tiz a Slam face older horses at Woodbine in the Grade 2, $175,000 Autumn Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta on Nov. 12.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Sometime this week, there will be an empty stall in barn 89 at Santa Anita.

Royal F J, the 10-year-old gelding who has had a near-constant presence in trainer Jack Carava’s stable since 2009, will be shipped to a local farm to begin retirement.

Last Thursday, Royal F J finished seventh in a $6,250 claimer, beaten 9 1/2 lengths in his 102nd start. By the next morning, Carava decided that Royal F J would not race again.

“I think he was an old smart dude and he was saying not today,” Carava said,

ARCADIA, Calif. - B Squared and Richard’s Boy, the first two finishers of the $100,690 California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita on Saturday, will be pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

Whether B Squared and Richard’s Boy gain berths in the field remains to be determined. The BC Turf Sprint will have a maximum field of 14, but could have a greater number of pre-entries, possibly 18 to 20.