Ben’s Cat came out of his nose defeat in the Maryland Million Sprint “very well,” according to trainer King Leatherbury, and will be pointed to the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Handicap at Penn National on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 25.

Ben’s Cat, 9, has won the Fabulous Strike, a six-furlong main-track race, the last three years.

Ben’s Cat looked like he was headed to victory at the top of the stretch of the Sprint but couldn’t get by Jack’s in the Deck after a long stretch duel.

Lady Sabelia, the winner of the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie last February at Laurel Park, will return from a layoff of more than five months in the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Belmont Park on Sunday.

Maryland-based trainer Robin Graham has had Lady Sabelia ready for some time and entered her in the Oct. 3 Roamin Rachel Stakes at Parx. Lady Sabelia skipped that $150,000 race, however, when a horse at Parx tested positive for the equine herpesvirus the day before the race, resulting in a backstretch quarantine.

Mark Casse is knocking on the trunk of the tree outside his barn at Keeneland. Knocking on the wooden sawhorse with red saddle towels draped over it at the end of the shed row. Knocking on anything he can find, really.

Fletcher and Carolyn Gray have tasted Breeders’ Cup success from afar, as the breeders of 2008 Juvenile Fillies winner and champion Stardom Bound. This year, however, they could be in the thick of things in the winner’s circle. Their homebred I’m a Chatterbox has gone from auction failure to carrying the Grays’ colors as one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

"It's like watching one of your kids go to the Olympics," Carolyn Gray said.

Few owners at this Breeders’ Cup have risen farther or faster than the LNJ Foxwoods operation of Larry and Nanci Roth and their daughter Jaime.

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.

Golden Gate Fields showed slight gains in handle for both for its live races and from all sources for the 19-day summer meeting, which ran from Aug. 21-Oct. 4 with a two-week break for the San Joaquin Fair meet at Stockton.

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.