LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bob Baffert enjoyed great success at the two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup held at Keeneland. It looks he could be ready for more when the 39th Breeders’ Cup returns to Keeneland on Friday and Saturday.

In 2015, Baffert brought only one starter, but that was American Pharoah, the Triple Crown winner who romped in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, capping off what was billed as a “Grand Slam” and Horse of the Year campaign.

KEENELAND
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 49
Track: Fast
Turf: Good

LEXINGTON, KY – With every Breeders’ Cup starter required to be on the grounds by 11 a.m. Tuesday, Keeneland was a beehive of activity throughout training hours Wednesday. One of the most popular spots was the starting gate, which hosted dozens of schoolers throughout the course of the morning, including the entire contingent from the barn of trainer Aidan O’Brien.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – American Apple used a well-timed late run to score a $97 upset in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes on Oct. 8 at Aqueduct. She and 28-year-old trainer Daniel Leitch are again considered longshots in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday at Keeneland.

California-born Leitch moved to Kentucky as a child with his mother, who worked as an exercise rider for, among others, trainer John Ward.

“I grew up on the track,” he said. “Any time I had off school, I’d go to the track and help her out.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mike Repole used to think partners were for dancing not horse ownership.

Content to go it alone for more than a decade, Repole changed his philosophy about five years ago and has now totally embraced the concept of racing partnerships. He readily rattles off the names of nearly a dozen entities with whom he owns horses – Coolmore, Eclipse, Lane’s End, St. Elias, WinStar, and West Point just to name some.

“I’m like the United Nations,” Repole said.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – New York-based runners Fingal’s Cave and Lachaise were not entered in the Breeders’ Cup, and the New York horse Dancing Buck did not ship to Kentucky after being relegated to the also-eligible list for the Turf Sprint.

Fingal’s Cave was going to make it into the body of the Filly and Mare Sprint from the preference list, but was found to have heat in a front leg on Monday after working at Belmont Park on Sunday, according to trainer David Donk. Fingal’s Cave, a New York-bred daughter of Carpe Diem, finished second in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Happy Saver, the horse who has come closer to Flightline than any horse has at the finish line, did not train Wednesday morning due to a quarter crack in his left hind foot, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher is hopeful that Happy Saver could still make Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Pletcher said. “We just need to stitch it up before we do anything.”

There will be turf racing at the Aqueduct fall meet, just less of it.

Owing to a wet fall and the fact 107 races have already been run over the Aqueduct turf courses the last seven weeks, the New York Racing Association will reduce the number of turf races it is scheduling during the first month of the Aqueduct fall meet that begins Friday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A dozen overseas juveniles are entered in the three Breeders’ Cup grass races Friday, and the morning line pegs a European shipper as favored in each of them. We had better take a thorough tour of the participants.

Juvenile Turf Sprint

KEENELAND
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 61 degrees
Track: Fast  
Turf: Firm  

LEXINGTON, KY. – The first sightings of the always powerful European contingent on hand for the Breeders’ Cup highlighted training hours Tuesday at Keeneland, with activity from the new arrivals coming over all three local strips – the main track, training track, and turf course, which was back in business after being closed due to wet conditions Monday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fields are full for all but one of the five Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds being run Friday at Keeneland. Only the BC Juvenile, with 10 entries, is short of maximum capacity.

Entries for both the Friday and Saturday Breeders’ Cup cards were drawn Monday afternoon at Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, with the 2-year-old races being particularly crowded. A total of 69 2-year-olds, including five also-eligibles, were entered in those five races.