Balnikhov

In the calm before the storm that will be next weekend's GI Kentucky Derby, a lone pair of graded turf races offer opportunities for older horses on the West Coast Saturday. Golden Gate Fields, whose closure was announced last year, cards their final GIII San Francisco Mile S. A full field of 12 lines up for the one-mile contest and while the race is open for those 3-years-old and up, the youngest runner is Blaine Wright's 4-year-old Clovisconnection (Vronsky). The class appears to be deepest amongst the 5-year-olds with Phil...

Bob Baffert's ADARE MANOR (Uncle Mo) re-enters graded-stakes company with an expected start in the GII Santa Maria S. Saturday at Santa Anita. A runaway winner in her maiden-breaking score in early 2022, she romped by 13 lengths in the GIII Las Virgenes S. in her next start but missed qualifying for the GI Kentucky Oaks. Transferred back to Baffert's care after near misses in both the GII Santa Anita Oaks and the GII Black-Eyed Susan S., she faltered to sixth in the GI Cotillion before calling it a year...

There is no such thing as a sure thing in horse racing, but 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) will be bet as if Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic--a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 5--is already the proverbial fait accompli. And why not, really? His four towering victories in as many trips to the races have come by an average winning margin of better than 13 lengths. His lowest Beyer Speed Figure is a downright pedestrian 105 earned for his debut just...