ELMONT, N.Y. - Saturday's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships were exactly that, with European-owned horses winning four of the eight races and narrowly missing a fifth when Sakhee was beaten a nose by Tiznow in the Classic.
Godolphin Stable led the Europe's domination of this year's Breeders' Cup, winning the Juvenile Fillies with Tempera and the Turf with Fantastic Light before narrowly missing an unprecedented hat trick with Sakhee.
Fresh off a dominating meet at Keeneland, where he won the trainers' title with 13 wins, trainer Dale Romans hopes his luck continues during the 24-day meet at Churchill Downs, which began Sunday. Romans saddles Dancing Missile in Tuesday's feature, a $50,700 three-other-than allowance contested at six furlongs.
Trainer Cole Norman broke Frank Brothers's 1987 record for wins in a season at Louisiana Downs Saturday, with Miss Romeo ($3.40) winning the second race. It was Norman's 100th winner at the 89-day meet in Bossier City, La., which runs through Nov. 11.
Brothers set the record during a 125-day season in 1987 when he won 99 races from 369 starters. Through the second race Saturday, Norman had started 295 horses this meet at Louisiana Downs.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It is almost not an exaggeration to call Miner's Gamble unbeatable in turf sprints. Miner's Gamble won the $54,750 Taylor's Special Handicap at Arlington by a neck, running his unbeaten streak in one-turn grass races to four.
A 5-year-old Prospector's Gamble gelding owned by Alan Drey, Miner's Gamble beat his stablemate, Bold Pilot, by a neck, completing a sweep of the top two places for trainer Dennis Ebert. It was another half-length back to Final Row, the 2-1 favorite. The entry paid $7 to win.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Feathers rallied along the inside in the stretch under Mickey Walls to overhaul El Prado Essence for a convincing win the $115,000 Ontario Fashion Handicap at Woodbine.
Feathers raced about five lengths off the early lead in the six-furlong dash for fillies and mares. She began to mount her a rally on the turn, and was angled to the rail for the final furlong en route to one-length score in a time of 1:11.11.
LEXINGTON, KY - Connected wore down odds-on favorite Broken Vow in the final yards to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Fayette Stakes on Saturday, closing day of the Keeneland fall meet.
Connected, ridden by Marlon St Julien, overtook Broken Vow inside the sixteenth pole of the 1 1/8-mile race, prevailing by a half-length. It was 2 3/4 lengths back to Super Derby winner Outofthebox in third.
for the Breeders' Cup charts in pdf format.*
for the Breeders' Cup charts in html format.
* Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has yet to gain recognition for his work with 2-year-olds. That should soon change.
Since the start of the Saratoga meeting, Mott has won 13 2-year-old races in New York with 11 runners, including Listen Here, who won Friday's Grade 3 Nashua Stakes. Mott will go for a sweep of the weekend's Grade 3 events for 2-year-olds when he sends out Saintly Action in Sunday's $100,000 Tempted Stakes at Belmont Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It must be that time. Time for the clocks to change and for early nightfall. Time for the move from Keeneland to Churchill Downs. Time for 3-year-olds to be considered virtual equals with their elders.
And time for 3-year-old Illusioned, who will be the highweight and likely favorite in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap when Churchill opens its 24-day fall meet Sunday, to start winning again.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A 2-year-old champion could be crowned at Woodbine when unbeaten Rare Friends clashes with El Soprano in Sunday's $250,000 Coronation Futurity, the country's richest race for Canadian-bred juveniles.
Rare Friends has won all four of his starts on the front end for trainer Bob Tiller. Perhaps his best effort was two starts ago in the seven-furlong Simcoe Stakes, in which he shrugged off an early challenge before cruising to an easy 2 3/4-length triumph in 1:24.