Southeast: Pleasant Passion

Helen and Joe Barbazon hit the heights with Presious Passion.

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Court Vision Wins GP Turf Handicap After DQ

Take the Points crossed the wire first in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (gr. IT) Feb. 6, but the 4-year-old colt was disqualified for interference, giving the win to odds-on choice Court Vision.

Court Vision, Take the Points Meet on Turf

Court Vision and Take the Points, both two-time grade I winners on grass, will clash Feb. 6 when making their seasonal debuts in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (gr. IT).

Cloudy's Knight Shines in W.L. McKnight

Already having had the best season of racing as a 9-year-old, Cloudy's Knight put an exclamation point on 2009 with a 1 1/4-length victory Dec. 26 in the Calder's W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT).

Presious Passion After McKnight Threepeat

Veteran campaigners Presious Passion and Cloudy's Knight, a pair of grade I winners who starred in last month's Breeders' Cup races, meet in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder.

And They're Off: 2009 Offy Awards (Video)

Steve and Lenny present the 2009 Offy Awards. Categories include: best criminal mastermind, best cowboy hat, best performance in a losing effort, and much, much more.

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Haskin's Breeders' Cup Wrap: Final Thoughts

All the comments made about Quality Road being a rogue or crazy are way off base. Dr. Larry Bramlage called him a juvenile delinquent following his meltdown prior to the Breeders' Cup Classic. A juvenile, yes, in many ways, but being scared out of your wits does not make you a delinquent.

Conduit Makes It Another Double in BC Turf

Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) when he rallied from dead last to overtake pacestting Presious Passion in deep stretch to capture the $3 million event at Santa Anita Nov. 7.

Super Filly Goldikova Makes It Two in BC Mile

Sensational filly Goldikova defended her TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) title in scintillating fashion Nov. 7 at Santa Anita Park, as she stormed down the lane under Olivier Peslier and caught longshot Courageous Cat inside the sixteenth-pole before going on to a half-length win.

Forget the Favorites, Gimme Some Prices

If there is one thing you can always count on in the Breeders' Cup it's that it will have it's share of longshot winners and mid-price overlays who get lost in the handicapping frenzy that is so much a part of the event.

Two Previous Winners Return in Turf

Conduit and Red Rocks, the respective 2008 and 2006 winners of the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), are among the eight horses entered in the $3-million, 1 1/2 mile turf test.

Euros Have Big Edge in Breeders' Cup Turf

Though three of the Euros top distance horses -- Mastercraftsman, Rip Van Winkle, and Twice Over -- are being pointed to either the Classic (gr. I) or Dirt Mile (gr. I), they still hold the upper hand on the Americans for the Nov. 7 Turf.

Goldikova Seeks Repeat in Mile

Goldikova looks to become the fourth horse to repeat in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT).

Banrock Wins as Belmont Fall Meet Concludes

Banrock and You Go West Girl tallied victories in a pair of $150,000 turf stakes for New York-bred horses on closing day of Belmont Park's fall meet Oct. 25. Ramon Dominguez and Todd Pletcher win individual titles.

Countdown to the Cup: Early Angles

As we all know there is always an angle or two we can latch on to in the Breeders' Cup. The trick is finding them among the morass of stakes horses that line up for the 14 races. There probably are more chances of landing a longshot on a synthetic surface, because, in all honesty, does anyone really know how to handicap these races?

Marsh Side Defends in Canadian International

Marsh Side returns to defend his title in the $2-million Pattison Canadian International (Can-I) over the Woodbine turf course Oct. 17 against a field that includes German group I winner Jukebox Jury.

Presious Passion Parades in Clement Hirsch

Trainer Mary Hartmann came west looking for firm turf for her star Presious Passion and found what she was looking for. The 6-year-old son of Royal Anthem hooked a paceless field and strolled gate to wire for a 2 1/2-length victory in Oak Tree's $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Oct. 11.

Court Vision Edges Karelian in Turf Mile

Battling with pacesetter Karelian through the stretch, Court Vision poked his nose in front just before the wire to win a thriller in the $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) Oct. 10 at Keeneland. It was the first win in six tries this season for the 4-year-old son of Gulch, who will now go on to the Breeders' Cup.

Presious Passion Tries a Different Hirsch

After heavy rains at Belmont Park forced her to make Presious Passion a late scratch from the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, trainer Mary Hartmann knew exactly what she had to do. She shipped her multiple grade I-winning 6-year-old cross-country to California where she knew she would find the kind of firm footing her star appreciates for a different Hirsch at Santa Anita Park.

Court Vision Reappears in Turf Mile

Court Vision, scratched from the Oct. 3 Kelso Handicap (gr. III) after it was taken off turf, reappears at Keeneland for the $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) Oct. 10. The 4-year-old colt will look to use the race as a springboard for next month's Breeders' Cup.

Le Grand Cru Wins Off-The-Turf Kelso Handicap

Le Grand Cru took advantage of a short field and a savvy ride by Jose Lezcano, rolling to a 1 1/2-length win in the off-the-turf $250,000 Kelso Handicap (gr. III) Oct. 4 at Belmont Park.

Kelso: Court Vision Looks for Return to Form

Cutting back to one mile for the first time in nearly two years, IEAH Stables' and Resolute Group Stables' Court Vision looks to turn a disappointing season around in the $250,000 Kelso Handicap (gr. IIT) Oct. 4 at Belmont Park.

Gio Ponti Tries For Fifth Straight Grade I

Christophe Clement has had many talented stakes winners during his years as one of the nation's leading turf conditioners, but the French-born trainer now admits Gio Ponti may be at the top of that list. On Oct. 3, the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat seeks his fifth consecutive grade I grass victory when he lines up for the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.

Better Talk Now Retired Due to Injury

Better Talk Now, winner of the 2004 John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), has been retired from racing due to an injury sustained in the suspensory ligament of his left hind leg.

Free Fighter Outfights Brass Hat at Arlington

Free Fighter, with James Graham aboard, outfought 9-10 favorite Brass Hat through a long stretch battle to produce a half-length victory in the $125,000 Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park Sept. 7.

Brass Hat, Silverfoot to Battle at Arlington

Old-timers Brass Hat, Silverfoot, and Rumor Has It figure to fight it out in the $125,000 Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 12 furlongs on Labor Day at Arlington Park Sept. 7.

Telling Pulls 33-1 Shocker in Sword Dancer

A day of upsets at Saratoga was punctuated by the most shocking surprise of all in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT), as the 33-1 longshot Telling took over approaching the top of the stretch and held off Better Talk Now for his first stakes win.

THS: Sword Dancer Invitational (Video)

Jason, Tom, and, Tim Holland from twinspires preview the Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) at Saratoga on August 15.

Sword Dancer: Grand Couturier Eyes 3 in a Row

Marc Keller's Grand Couturier has only won three of the 14 stakes he has attempted in this country, but the 6-year-old horse sure knows how to pick his spots. All three of the scores have been in grade I races, including two in the prestigious Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Saratoga.

Pair of Veterans Seek Another Sword Dancer

With two previous winners of the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap (gr. IT) slated to contest this year's running at Saratoga Aug. 15, it's safe to say the day will not be lacking in excitement.