While their governor was being sworn in as president of the United States, Texas Thoroughbred owners and breeders were electing new officers and handing out awards at their annual get-together and dinner in Austin.
Neil Drysdale may or may not win the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr., I) with Fusaichi Pegasus, but he won the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) with War Chant, who remained unbeaten in his only two starts on grass
Gary Stevens just returned to racing a month ago, after a nine-month retirement, but he swept the early Daily Double at Churchill Downs on Breeders' Cup Day in two thrilling stretch drives.
Chilukki posted a game victory in track record time in the Churchill Downs Distaff, the first race on Saturday's Breeders' Cup Day card at Churchill Downs.
During his five-term presidency of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Jacques D. Wimpfheimer oversaw probably the single most important happening in the history of the organization -- the introduction of graded stakes races in North America. Wimpfheimer, 82, died Oct. 28 at his home in Stonington, Conn.
That collective gasp was the connections of the other Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) entrants when owners Aaron and Marie Jones decided to pony up the $400,000 to supplement Riboletta. The big check they wrote changed the whole complexion of the race.
Gather the world's best sprinters and what do you expect? Well, fast fractions naturally. Because every member of the field is capable of running so quickly, it makes the Breeders' Cup Sprint a difficult race to handicap.
