ARCADIA, Calif. - Well-known in Europe, Irish jockey Seamus Heffernan introduced himself to American racing fans on Saturday aboard Highland Reel in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Heffernan was impossible to ignore, essentially stealing the race at 1 1/2 miles on the pacesetter Highland Reel, who led by as many as seven lengths and won by 1 3/4 lengths over the New York star Flintshire.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Obviously, winner of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, will race as a 9-year-old in 2017 with the goal of a sixth consecutive appearance in a Breeders’ Cup race at Del Mar next fall.
Obviously was beaten in four straight runnings of the BC Mile from 2012-15 and raced in the Turf Sprint for the first time this year. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Obviously led throughout the about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course to win by a nose over Om.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said Sunday no plans have been finalized for Obviously’s next start.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Three of trainer Bob Baffert’s mainstays – Drefong, Dortmund, and Hoppertunity – will remain in training next year.
Drefong, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Saturday, could race once more this year, in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on opening day of Santa Anita’s main winter meeting Dec. 26, Baffert said.
Hoppertunity finished fourth on Saturday in the Classic behind stablemate Arrogate. Baffert said his main goal for the early part of 2017 is the Dubai World Cup, in which Hoppertunity finished third behind California Chrome this year.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Parting will be such sweet sorrow for trainer Richard Mandella when he sends Beholder off to Kentucky, where she will begin her new life as a broodmare. Mandella admitted Sunday morning that he was “dragging his feet” on arranging a flight to take Beholder to Kentucky.
“She’ll probably be here another week or so,” he said.
Beholder won the Distaff on Friday in a memorable duel with Songbird. Both will win Eclipse Awards in their respective divisions. The victory was the third in a Breeders’ Cup race for Beholder.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Songbird, who suffered the first loss of her career when beaten a nose by Beholder in a thrilling Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Friday, will head to Kentucky this week for a brief freshening at WinStar Farm before resuming her campaign next year at age 4, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Sunday morning at Santa Anita.
This is the same itinerary Hollendorfer used last year with Songbird after she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Southern Miss and Metaboss are recovering from injuries that forced them out of the Breeders’ Cup.
Miss Southern Miss, who missed Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf because of a sore shin, will undergo X-rays next week to determine how long she will be sidelined. Trainer Keith Desormeaux said Miss Southern Miss likely will miss 30 to 45 days of training.
Owned by Pete Cantrell, Miss Southern Miss won the Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 10.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There are two Grade 1 races at the Del Mar fall meeting, which runs from next Friday through Dec. 4. Both are $300,000 races on turf – the Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on Dec. 3 and the Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile Dec. 4.
The first graded stakes of the meeting is the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs on Nov. 19. Mastery, a stylish maiden-race winner for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita in October, is among the candidates for the $100,000 race.
ARCADIA, Calif. – With an 18-race losing streak behind him, Imperative will be sent to Del Mar this fall in search of his first graded stakes win since April 2014.
On Thursday, Imperative closed from last in a field of eight to win the $89,835 Big Bear Stakes at a mile on the main track at Santa Anita.
“I was so happy to see him back in the winner’s circle,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “He’s had some good races and some bad races. He lost a heartbreaker earlier this year.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Acapulco, a winner at Royal Ascot in 2015, will make her American graded-stakes debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.
She has not raced since May, a layoff that was far from the intention of trainer Wesley Ward. In June, Acapulco was diagnosed with a foot injury that prevented her from starting at the Royal Ascot meeting in England.
“It ruined her whole summer,” Ward said.
KEY CONTENDERS
Found, by Galileo
◗ A 4-year-old filly, Found seems to thrive on activity. The BC Turf will be her 10th start of the year. Last year, she had eight starts, ending with a win in the BC Turf at Keeneland.
◗ Ryan Moore rides Found, who is most effective racing from off the pace. The BC Turf will be her eighth consecutive appearance in a Grade 1 or Group 1 race.
Flintshire, by Dansili
Last 3 Beyers: 99-112-105
