LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer David Fawkes did his homework. Jockey Eibar Coa followed his instructions perfectly. And Big Drama did the rest.
Racing on the lead but well off the rail, Big Drama led throughout to register a 1 1/2-length victory over the 23-1 outsider Hamazing Destiny in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint. Smiling Tiger pressed the pace and outlasted the fast-closing Supreme Summit for third.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rough Sailing, who slipped and fell going into the first turn of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, had to be euthanized shortly after the race because of a broken shoulder, according to Hilary Pridham, assistant to trainer Mike Stidham. Pridham said three veterinarians had examined Rough Sailing when the horse was brought back to the barn housing Stidham’s horses on the Churchill backstretch, and all had determined through feeling the affected area that the shoulder had been badly fractured, and that there was no chance to save the horse.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Distinctive Dixie ran fresh and strong off a four-month layoff, powering away to a 1 1/2-length victory over Third Dawn in the Grade 2, $171,900 Chilukki Stakes, the top secondary feature on the Saturday Breeders’ Cup undercard at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Wally Dollase for the Bob and Beverly Lewis Trust, Distinctive Dixie returned $16.40 in her first start since finishing third in a small Indiana Downs stakes in early July.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – From stumbling at the start to avoiding a fallen horse into the first turn, little seemed to be going right for Pluck early in Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Until Pluck got into stride on the final turn, that is. Then his ability offset his poor fortune, and he closed from last to win going away.
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF (G2)
1- Pluck
2- Soldat
3- Willcox Inn
Pluck rallies from last in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Beginning with Friday’s opening-day card at Aqueduct, horseplayers in Connecticut were able to wager on the races from New York Racing Association tracks at Foxwoods Resort Casino as a result of a new marketing deal between the two companies.
Previously, the Mohegan Sun Casino, approximately 10 miles away from Foxwoods, had exclusive rights to NYRA’s signal. NYRA is currently negotiating a new deal with Mohegan Sun.
“Foxwoods had never before had our signal,” said NYRA’s president and CEO, Charles Hayward. “We weren’t going to give [Mohegan Sun] an exclusive anymore.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Stewards met with jockeys Javier Castellano and Calvin Borel late Saturday morning for their parts in a roughly-contested Breeders’ Cup Marathon on Friday at Churchill Downs, and a fight that ensued between the two jockeys in the winner’s circle after the race.
An official ruling on at least the running of the Marathon will be publicly released on Sunday, with Castellano likely to face repercussions for his Marathon ride on Prince Will I Am, who was disqualified from second and placed 10th for causing interference on the final turn.
Superior Storm became a millionaire at Delta Downs on Friday night, when she held off Harlie’s Dream by a neck to win the $100,000 Magnolia in her first start since July.
The race was one of two stakes on the program at the Vinton, La., track. In the co-feature, the $100,000 Gold Cup, 1-2 favorite Star Guitar was also bidding to become a millionaire. But he fell short of the milestone when he finished fourth to dominant winner Snug. The races Friday were restricted to Louisiana-breds, and will produce starters for the Louisiana Champions Day program at Fair Grounds on Dec. 11.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When no rain fell at Churchill Downs this week – same as it’s been all fall here – the chance to see Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce race in the Breeders’ Cup Turf evaporated. Many had speculated that the weeklong suggestions from the Workforce camp that the horse could be scratched were a ploy, but mid-morning Saturday the horse was declared out of the BC Turf by trainer Michael Stoute.
