LEXINGTON, Ky. – A second dirt mile is carded for Friday as Keeneland uses another road test toward the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile a week later. The 1 1/16-mile circumference of the main track makes for an unusual layout, with the one-mile races starting behind the regular finish wire and ending at the earlier secondary wire, or what is otherwise the sixteenth pole.

Keeneland

Track: Fast

Weather: Clear

Temp.: 54

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A couple of hours before the pre-entries for the 13 Breeders’ Cup races were announced, RUNHAPPY announced himself as one of the horses to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, putting on a sensational display of speed over a glib Keeneland main track on Wednesday.

Runhappy was one of only two Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants to work at Keeneland on Wednesday, along with CONQUEST DADDYO, who will compete in the Juvenile Turf.

The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies lost a main player last week in Alcibiades Stakes winner Gomo and picked up several longshots when pre-entries were taken Monday.

A dozen 2-year-old fillies were pre-entered in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies, but only 10 are likely to start. Frizette Stakes runner-up Nemoralia, trained by Newmarket-based Jeremy Noseda, and Thrilled, trained by Todd Pletcher, were cross-entered, with the Juvenile Fillies Turf being their first preference. Both fillies are in the body of the Juvenile Fillies Turf field.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – And speaking of the Breeders’ Cup …

Sunset Glow and Osaila, both with big Breeders’ Cup efforts on their past performances, are among an oversubscribed group of 3-year-old fillies set to go postward Saturday in the last of 16 stakes at the Keeneland fall meet, the Grade 3 Valley View Stakes.

Obviously, Undrafted, Ageless, and Lady Shipman were among 19 horses pre-entered in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but the lineup for the Oct. 31 race could undergo changes before the 5 1/2-furlong dash is run at Keeneland. Final entries for the race, which will be limited to 14 starters and two also-eligibles, will be taken Monday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After a failed attempt at winning a Grade 1, Hot Stones is back with New York-breds at Belmont Park on Saturday, when she heads a field of 10 entered in the $250,000 Empire Distaff at 1 1/16 miles.

The last time she faced New York breds, Hot Stones won the Saratoga Dew Stakes by 9 1/4 lengths at Saratoga. She ran in the Grade 1 Beldame, finishing last, 13 lengths behind the winner, Wedding Toast.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The gang will not all be there in the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for New York-breds on Saturday at Belmont Park.

King Kreesa, who won this race in 2013, has been turned out for the year after finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, trainer David Donk said. He is expected back in 2016.

That will leave familiar foes Kharafa and Lubash to duke it out in the Mohawk. Kharafa beat Lubash by 1 1/4 lengths in this race last year and most recently beat him again in the Ashley T. Cole here Sept. 29.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Saratoga Snacks will try to win the Empire Classic for the second time in three years when he heads a field of nine entered for Saturday’s running at Belmont Park. The $300,000 Empire Classic is the richest of eight stakes – all for New York-breds – on an 11-race card known as Empire Showcase Day.

Purses total $1.75 million for the eight stakes. First post will be 12:25 p.m. Eastern, 30 minutes earlier than usual.

Since Maram won the inaugural running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2008, two European-based horses have won the one-mile race. Flotilla was the first in 2012, and Chriselliam won it in 2013.

Flotilla paid $24.80, and Chriselliam returned $15.80 on a $2 wager. Actually, the only favorite to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf was Lady Eli, who was nothing less than sensational last year. She paid $6.80.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The defections of defending champion Work All Week and Rock Fall paved the way for the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Sprint to oversubscribe, with 21 horses pre-entered for the event, all but guaranteeing a full field when the gates open for the always-frenetic, six-furlong dash on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Keeneland.