LEXINGTON, Ky. – Untapable, the winner of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and one of the favorites for its 32nd running Friday at Keeneland, has been scratched from the $2 million race after spiking a temperature, trainer Steve Asmussen announced Tuesday.
A determination on whether Untapable, 4, will be retired will be made in due course by owner and breeder Ron Winchell, said Asmussen.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The presence of the brilliantly fast Liam’s Map makes Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile a difficult race to win for any of his 10 rivals.
Steve Asmussen, the trainer of one of those opponents, Tapiture, felt that his horse’s chances improved somewhat at Monday’s post-position draw. Tapiture, last year’s Dirt Mile runner-up, drew post 9 in the 11-horse field, but Asmussen was happy to see the bulk of the speed draw right alongside each other. Bradester, Liam’s Map, and Mr. Z drew posts 2, 3, and 4 in the Dirt Mile.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The stage is set for an international showdown Saturday in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland after a full field of 12, plus a pair of also-eligibles, was drawn Monday.
Five European-based runners, topped by likely favorite Legatissimo, are matched against seven U.S.-based horses in the body of the race, including a trio of Chad Brown-trained U.S. runners in Dacita, Stephanie’s Kitten, and Watsdachances.
The other four Americans joining the Brown trio are Hard Not to Like, Photo Call, Sentiero Italia, and Sharla Rae.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Karakontie drew post 11 on Monday for his repeat bid in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, but that draw, while less than ideal, hardly seems impossible considering that Karakontie won the 2014 Mile after breaking from post 14.
More problematic than the outside draw for Karakontie are the horses who will stand with him in the starting gate Saturday. From top to bottom, the 2015 Mile field looks tougher than last year’s, and there is a cracking contingent of overseas horses in town for the race.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nyquist does not enter Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with quite the fanfare usually bestowed upon an undefeated 2-year-old with a pair of Grade 1 victories on his résumé.
His bandwagon might have lost a few more members Monday when Nyquist drew post No. 13 for the Juvenile at Keeneland, where he will have to use speed to avoid getting hung out too wide entering the first turn.
In their showdown for a divisional title, unbeaten Grade 1 winners Songbird and Rachel’s Valentina will be asked to prove their supremacy not only against one another, but against eight rivals who got a break Monday at the post-position draw when the two favorites drew to the outside.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Led by Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race winners Catch a Glimpse and Harmonize, a field of 14, plus an also-eligible, were drawn Monday afternoon for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Friday.
The speedy Catch a Glimpse, a five-length winner of the Grade 2 Natalma at Woodbine on Sept. 12, drew well in post 4, with just a furlong run to the first of two turns in the one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The total all-sources live mutuel handle and daily average for the 2015 meet at Hastings Racecourse were both up by 14.7 percent compared to 2014.
The total for the 53 day meet was $29,760,483, compared to $25,935,397 in 2014, while the daily average of $561,519 compared favorably last year’s daily average of $489,347.
The live ontrack total handle was down slightly from $6,856,388 in 2014 to $6,707,777 this year.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Several prominent horses landed potentially tricky posts when 11 of the 13 Breeders’ Cup races to be run Friday and Saturday at Keeneland were drawn early Monday afternoon, including Karakontie, who will again have to overcome an outside draw if he is to repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and Nyquist, who will have to start from post 13 in a bid to remain undefeated in the Juvenile.
