Three participants in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships â€" Diamondrella, Lethal Heat, and Magical Fantasy -- were scheduled to be offered at the Nov. 10 Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale in Lexington as of Nov. 9. Grade I winner Diamondrella finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; grade II winner Lethal Heat was seventh in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I); and grade I winner Magical Fantasy finished fifth in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT).
Lethal Heat has attracted attention more for trainer Barry Abrams' assertion that he wanted to run her in two Breeders' Cup races on consecutive days than for her ability. But Madeline Auerbach, who bred and owns the filly in partnership, says that Lethal Heat is fit, happy, and ready to run a big race in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I).
Rachel Alexandra isn't coming and Zenyatta is leaning to the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). However, anyone who believes that doesn't leave much for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) needs to think again.
Barry Abrams plans an unprecedented first when the Oak Tree Racing Association hosts the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita on Nov. 6 and 7.
As professional as ever, undefeated Zenyatta equaled Personal Ensign's 13-race winning streak to begin her career, sweeping past the pacesetters in upper stretch to capture Oak Tree's $300,000 Lady's Secret Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita in characteristic fashion Oct. 10.
Undefeated Zenyatta attempts to equal Personal Ensign's streak of 13 consecutive wins when she goes to the post in Oak Tree's $300,000 Lady's Secret Stakes (gr. I) as the heavy favorite Oct. 10 at Santa Anita.
Bold Chieftain became the first two-time winner of the 20-year-old California Cup Classic and went over $1 million in career earnings in a bittersweet victory at Oak Tree's Santa Anita meeting Oct. 3. Grazen, the 4-5 favorite, led the $196,000 race by one length in the final furlong but pulled up in distress and was removed from the course by van.
Even-money morning-line favorite Grazen drew post position 3 for the $200,000 California Cup Classic presented by City National Bank at the draw breakfast Sept. 30.
She finished second in last year's Palomar Handicap (gr. IIT), but Gotta Have Her would not be denied this time around, rallying in the stretch to edge pacesetter Lethal Heat by a neck in the $200,000 feature on closing day of Del Mar's 2009 meet Sept. 9.
The 4-year-old fillies Allicansayis Wow and Lethal Heat, second and third respectively against males in the Del Mar Mile Handicap (gr. IIT) late last month, are back with their own sex in a contentious renewal of the Palomar Handicap (gr. IIT) on closing day at Del Mar Sept. 9.
After a couple of close tries earlier this year, trainer Ben Cecil warned that Ferneley would win a big race before all was said and done. That day came Aug. 29 when the Irish-bred 5-year-old swept past his tiring rivals to score a 1 1/2-length win in the $238,000 Del Mar Mile (gr. IIT).
Tuscan Evening has taken tremendous strides in going from a maiden to a graded stakes winner in just one season, but the 4-year-old filly will now get her stiffest test yet when she faces a solid field of fillies and mares that includes multiple grade I winner Magical Fantasy in the $350,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IT).
Unbeaten Zenyatta remained perfect in 12 starts, but she had her closest call yet in Del Mar's Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 9. Forced to circle the field six wide on the turn behind a slow pace, the giant mare just managed to get up by a head over Anabaa's Creation.
She's beaten most of them before, but undefeated Zenyatta won't be lonely in the starting gate when she defends her title in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar on Aug. 9.
The undefeated champion Zenyatta sent a clear message to any of her prospective foes in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I) on Aug. 9 with a scintillating five-furlong breeze in 1 minute flat on Del Mar's main track Aug 2.
Dual graded stakes winner Lethal Heat, who set seven-furlong track records in consecutive races at Del Mar last season, continues what her connections hope will end with an appearance in the $1 million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) later this year when she returns in an allowance race July 25 on opening weekend of the Del Mar meeting.
Two-time grade I winner Country Star looks to rebound from a disappointing sophomore campaign when she makes her 4-year-old debut in the $150,000 El Encino Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 18 at Santa Anita. A full field of a dozen 4-year-old fillies are entered in the 1 1/16-mile event on Pro-Ride.
Bottled up in the homestretch, favored Jibboom got free with less than a furlong to run and collared Christiana's Heat in the final strides to win the $100,000 Monrovia Handicap (gr. IIIT) by a half-length on the Santa Anita hillside turf course Jan. 3.
Lethal Heat, who won six of nine starts in 2008 before going to the sidelines following a third-place finish in the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT), starts a new year for trainer Barry Abrams in the $100,000 Monrovia Handicap (gr. IIIT) over Santa Anita's hillside turf course Jan. 3.
Lightly-raced 4-year-old Magnificience was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in a contentious field of 10 fillies and mares lining up for the $200,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. III) Aug. 24 on the Del Mar Polytrack.
Magical Fantasy, the longest shot in the $350,000 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT), registered 42-1 shocker with a big finishing kick for jockey Alex Solis on the turf Aug. 16.
A determined runner-up in last month's American Oaks (gr. IT) in her American debut, Satan's Circus faces nine rivals in a wide open $350,000 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) Aug. 16.
Lethal Heat gained the lead in the final sixteenth of a mile and scored a head victory over Smooth Performer in a three-horse blanket finish to the $157,600 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks (gr. II) on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track June 8.
Trainer John Sadler hopes Tasha's Miracle's route experience can help the filly turn the tables on Million Dollar Run in the $150,000 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks (gr. II) on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track June 8.
Sweeter Still, winner of the Senorita Stakes (gr. IIIT) by a nose in her last start, is the 121-pound high weight in the $175,000 Honeymoon Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Hollywood Park lawn June 7.
Everest Stables' homebred Million Dollar Run, a maiden making only her second career start, pressed the pace, took over at the top of the stretch, and drew clear to win the $100,000 Railbird Stakes (gr. III) by two lengths May 11.
Lethal Heat, unbeaten in three starts for trainer Barry Abrams, faces nine other 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Railbird Stakes (gr. III) on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track May 11.
Undefeated Lethal Heat won her third straight race in the space of a month and became a grade III winner when she burned past the pacesetters mid-stretch en route to a 1 3/4-length victory in the $108,500 Santa Paula Stakes on the Santa Anita synthetic track March 30.
Barry Abrams' and Madeline Auerbach's Lethal Heat is making her first start in graded stakes company, will be running off the turf for the first time, and is coming back in 10 days from a 1 3/4-length allowance win. But Abrams fully expects the 3-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat to handle those factors in the $100,000 Santa Paula Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita March 30.
