
Clement Seeks First Breeders' Cup Victory
Veteran conditioner Christophe Clement is considered by many to be one of the best when money is on the line.
Veteran conditioner Christophe Clement is considered by many to be one of the best when money is on the line.
J. Keeler Johnson handicaps the thirteen Breeders' Cup races.
The stars will be out in force Saturday, as California Chrome, Arrogate, Tepin, Lady Eli, Flintshire, Frosted and a host of Aidan O'Brien horses, headed by iron filly Found, will be on display in what promises to be a memorable day of racing.
As handicappers look for every possible angle in considering a horse's chances in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Santa Anita Park security will be monitoring every Breeders' Cup horse from a state-of-the-art surveillance system.
Claire Novak recaps the news of the day, including Lord Nelson's scratch from the Sprint, and the withdrawal of Suedois from the Turf Sprint, which allows Green Mask to run. Plus, more Europeans hit the track, including 2015 Turf winner Found.
Jeff and Kathleen Hebert fell in love with a Kentucky-bred daughter of Ghostzapper at the 2013 Keeneland yearling sale. She had some veterinary issues, which scared enough bidders away that the couple got her for just $15,000.
Flintshire will be supported by an ownership group that includes Hill 'n' Dale Farms, S.F. Bloodstock, China Horse Club and Juddmonte Farms.
Trainer Brad Cox shipped D. J. Stable's Green Mask, third in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) in 2015, out to Santa Anita Park with the hopes of making the race again, despite being the second horse on the also-eligible list in a full field.
Dean Reeves cut short a Bahama vacation to buy Spain Burg out of this year's Arqana Arc sale for €1.5 million. He and partner Randy Hill now have a starter in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I).
Ashleyluvssugar's owners hope home field advantage gives them an edge in a tough Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT).
Phipps fillies are three of a kind
Ian Kruljac has one horse under his name and she could run big in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).
Sophomore Accelerate is being asked to make a major step forward in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I).
Samantha Siegel joins forces with Los Pollos Hermanos Racing on Masochistic and now has the favorite for the $2 million TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I).
Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) entrant Metaboss was pulled up and transported off the Santa Anita Park turf course in an equine ambulance Nov. 2 during a routine gallop in preparation for the Nov. 5 race.
Rick Porter is no stranger to owning good horses, but Songbird has come along at just the right time to help him overcome a long illness and keep his spirits up.
Craig and Holly Bandoroff always hope to see a few of their Denali Stud sales graduates make it to the top level of competition at the Breeders' Cup, but having nine entered this year was more than they ever expected.
One of the few things lacking for Prince Abdullah was the stalwart West Coast presence his farm previously enjoyed under the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. In his desire to amend that situation, he sought out whom he considered the best.
Defending Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) heroine Tepin made her first appearance on the Santa Anita Park track Nov. 1, highlighting a relatively quiet morning of activity in advance of the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 4-5.
Barbara Banke and the other panelists described the exhilaration of their Breeders' Cup victories to those attending the conference.
Entries for all 13 Breeders' Cup Races
Set for a ninth running Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park, the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) has packed impressive amounts of quality into its short existance.
Together, champion Tepin and grade I winner Miss Temple City now stand as the top threats and one another's biggest obstacles in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park.
Gary Barber and Sequel Racing's Haveyougoneaway has proven her talent and mettle on the New York circuit this season.
Pre-entered in both the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), 2015 Turf winner Found will defend her title instead of taking on the boys on dirt.
Conventional wisdom suggests a West Coast-based horse might have the edge in the six-furlong Sprint, but historic results tell us otherwise.
With her health on point and her talent wicked as ever, Lady Eli remarkably heads into the Nov. 5 Filly and Mare Turf in her usual spot as the one to beat.
Trainer Christophe Clement is still seeking his first Breeders' Cup victory, but could be situated to break through Nov. 5 in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
Without a full field and without a whole lot of speed in the race—at least on paper—the $1 million Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) looks to be Runhappy’s race to lose.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) kicks off the 2016 World Championships at Santa Anita Park Nov. 4. Since joining the Breeders’ Cup lineup in 2007, the one-mile race has been won by European-based horses six out of its nine runnings.
The 2016 edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) will be a competitive race loaded with talented runners including last year’s winner Mongolian Saturday.
Peter Cantrell's Miss Southern Miss, who provided a standout performance in the Surfer Girl Stakes last time out, will miss the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) because of a shin injury, trainer Keith Desormeaux said Oct. 31.
Michael Wrona, who started his North American race-calling career at Hollywood Park, gets to call his first Breeders' Cup as the newly installed track announcer crosstown at Santa Anita.
Joking will likely miss the Nov. 5 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) because of a fever, owner and trainer Charlton Baker said Oct. 31.
Covering the inaugural Breeders' Cup
Juddmonte Farms' homebred Flintshire put in his final move in advance of the Nov. 5 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) when he breezed five furlongs in 1:02.85 in company with stablemate Money Multiplier over the inner turf at Belmont Park Oct. 30.
After working Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I)-bound Carina Mia and Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) runner Tourist Oct. 30, Mott plans to breeze Turf Sprint (gr. IT) contender Celestine and Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) runner Good Samaritan Oct. 31.
Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) hopeful Masochistic might be the big horse in owner Samantha Siegel's racing stable, but By the Moon has deeper roots in her Jay Em Ess operation.
Gun Runner wore a saddle towel with "Dirt Mile" sewn into the side during his easy half-mile breeze Oct. 30 at Santa Anita Park, and that's where he's almost surely headed for his Breeders' Cup spot.
A plethora of horses pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup, or their relatives, are cataloged for the Keeneland November breeding stock sale Nov. 8-20.
While many Breeders' Cup pre-entered horses already are in Southern California, several also wrapped up final serious works elsewhere Oct. 29, including I'm a Chatterbox at Keeneland and 2015 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Keen Ice at Belmont Park.
Masochistic worked five furlongs from the gate in 1:00 with jockey Mike Smith aboard in a relaxed manner that had all of his connections pleased with the Oct. 29 move at Santa Anita Park.
As the deluge of workers lined up, eagerly awaiting the second training session to begin near the top of the Santa Anita stretch, trainer John Shirreffs held back Jerry and Ann Moss' Gormley for a few minutes to let the track clear.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist will not run in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). The multiple grade I winner exited an Oct. 27 workout with a "puffy ankle," according to a release from trainer Doug O'Neill.
Still full of antics but much more willing than in his penultimate move, reigning champion male sprinter Runhappy turned in his final work in advance of the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) when he drilled five furlongs in :58 2/5 Oct. 29.
Headed by seven horses in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), 74 horses that are graduates of Keeneland sales have been pre-entered in the World Championships Nov. 4-5 at Santa Anita Park in California.
Margaret Hiers, of Marietta, Ga., is the winner of the California Chrome Breeders' Cup Sweepstakes it was announced Oct. 28.
Undefeated Three Rules worked five furlongs in a sharp :57.64 at Gulfstream Park the morning of Oct. 28 in preparation for a scheduled start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park.
John Sadler chose to say on schedule instead of moving Stellar Wind's workout up because of looming storms in Southern California.
J. Keeler Johnson shares some thoughts on the Breeders' Cup pre-entries.