Wed, 10/26/2011 - 13:51

Breeders' Cup: No exclusions expected for Ladies' Classic

Although 15 horses were pre-entered on Wednesday in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, the final field drawn Monday for the Nov. 4 race at Churchill Downs figures to be considerably smaller, since several runners are likely to go in other races.

Of the 15 horses, six were also pre-entered in other races, including Havre de Grace, who is expected to face males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5. Havre de Grace, though, will be allowed to enter both races, since they are run on different days.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 13:47

Woodbine: Vibrant Worship looks ready for route

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — A competitive field of nine 2-year-old fillies will line up in Friday’s second race at Woodbine, and Vibrant Worship is a candidate to handle the move to a mile and 70 yards in the first-level allowance.

Vibrant Worship, trained by Malcolm Pierce for Live Oak Plantation, went off at 20-1 in her debut Sept. 4. After trailing on the backstretch, she came charging down the center of the track to win the five-furlong maiden special by daylight.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 13:04

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint expected to have field of nine

Tom Keyser
Hunt Crossing was withdrawn from the Juvenile Sprint on Wednesday due to a knee injury.

When the six-furlong Juvenile Sprint was added to the Breeders’ Cup schedule this year – swelling the number of races to 15 – it was expected to serve as an alternative race to its other 2-year-old races, all of which are contested around two turns.

Lightly raced and speed-oriented juveniles were essentially the target market, and when pre-entries were announced Wednesday for the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, that was just what the race attracted.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:58

Mountaineer will race 210 days in 2012

Mountaineer Racetrack’s 2012 live racing schedule will closely resemble its 2011 timetable, with a 210-day meet running from March 2 to Dec. 21.

In a release Wednesday, the West Virginia track announced it will race Fridays through Tuesdays, with 10-race cards from opening day through August, followed by nine-race programs September through December for a total of 2,019 races.

First post time will remain at 7 p.m. Eastern, with the exception of a 2 p.m. start for the West Virginia Derby program on Aug. 4.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:56

Breeders' Cup: Dullahan to decide on Juvenle, Juvenile Turf after work

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Dullahan has been pre-entered in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Wednesday’s 16 pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile drew few surprises, save one: Dullahan, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity winner who was pre-entered in both the Juvenile and Juvenile Turf, had his first preference announced as the Juvenile Turf.

Although his connections had stated he was under consideration for both races, Dale Romans, trainer of Dullahan, seemed to be favoring the Juvenile in comments made over past couple weeks.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:52

Breeders' Cup: Trappe Shot added to Sprint pre-entries

Barbara D. Livingston
Trappe Shot was inadvertently left off the Breeders’ Cup Sprint pre-entry list.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - And then there were twelve.

There were only 11 names on the list when pre-entries for the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint were released late Wednesday morning, but that list grew to an even dozen less than two hours later after it was discovered that Trappe Shot’s name was omitted from the potential field due to a clerical error made by the Breeders’ Cup.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:41

Santa Anita: Seven furlongs ideal distance for Miss Silver Brook

ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Silver Brook makes her third start following a layoff in Friday’s second race at Santa Anita, and the conditions of the $51,000, second-level allowance race have trainer Mike Mitchell in a confident state of mind.

Miss Silver Brook has drawn the outside post in a field of five. The race is run over seven furlongs.

“I love the seven-eighths,” Mitchell said. “I love the company. The dirt races for that condition can be easier than the turf races.”

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:37

Breeders' Cup: Distance suits Switch in Filly and Mare Sprint

Tom Keyser
Switch should appreciate the move back to seven furlongs in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Switch was among the earlier arrivals at Churchill Downs, having shipped here shortly after running third as an odds-on favorite in the six-furlong Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Oct. 8 at Keeneland. Trainer John Sadler has been here to personally oversee the filly’s progress as she tries to improve on her runner-up finish in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:20

Breeders' Cup: Ben's Cat, Unzip Me not entered for Turf Sprint

Barbara D. Livingston
Ben's Cat was not pre-entered for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

A total of 14 horses pre-entered the Turf Sprint, including eight geldings and three fillies or mares. Conspicuous by their absence were the gelding Ben’s Cat, who earned a fees-paid berth by winning the Turf Monster; and the mare Unzip Me, a rallying third in last year’s Turf Sprint.

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 11:00

Breeders' Cup workout updates from DRF's on-track reporters for Oct. 26

Twitter updates from DRF's Mike Welsch in Kentucky and David Grening in New York for morning Breeders' Cup workouts on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Check back later today for Mike Welsch's full Clocker Report and video analysis of today's training and works at Churchill Downs. Welsch has been in Lexington and Louisville since Saturday, check here for the rest of his Breeders' Cup clocker reports and a list of Breeders' Cup workouts by key contenders: