Breeders' Cup Classic

John Magnier was in mischievous form at Sandown after he and his wife Sue had joined the wider Coolmore team for celebratory photographs with their Derby and Eclipse winner City Of Troy.  It has been well documented how important this colt is to the operation: the European champion two-year-old of 2023, he is by the Triple Crown winner Justify, who was recruited at vast expense to stand at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky. For that stallion to prove himself adept at siring top-class runners on both dirt and turf would...

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) will miss the John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont's Aqueduct meet according to a report from C Two Racing Stable. The 5-year-old, who was moved back to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. after finishing off the board in both the G1 Saudi Cup and the GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap for trainer Rick Dutrow, had been targeting the July 6 cutback but is still getting over an illness following his start in the Met Mile. "We are not going...

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense), impressive winner of the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs May 3, will take the next logical step in the $1-million GI Stephen Foster S. beneath the Twin Spires Saturday, June 29. "He ran a huge race," trainer Brad Cox told the Churchill media office. "We're very proud of his effort, Down the lane, it seemed like he was getting stronger as he got closer to the wire." Favored at just over even-money in the 8 1/2-furlong Alysheba, the homebred sat handy...

The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf will both receive individual $1-million purse increases, Breeders' Cup Limited announced Tuesday. Beginning with this year's 41st World Championships at Del Mar, the purse of the 1 1/4-mile Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will increase from $6 million to $7 million, while the purse of the 1 1/2-mile Longines Breeders' Cup Turf will increase from $4 million to $5 million. This raises total purses and awards for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious two-day event,...

Tickets for this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar, will go on sale April 22. Featuring 14 Grade I races and over $31m in purses, the 2024 World Championships bring together the world's best horses, jockeys and trainers over two days in Del Mar, CA. Fans can view ticket information here.

White Abarrio (Race Day) worked a half-mile in :50.60 at Santa Anita Sunday morning as he continues to prepare for the Feb. 24 $20 million Saudi Cup. "We were very happy with his breeze," assistant trainer Chip Dutrow told 1/ST Racing's Zoe Cadman. "He makes it look easy. We know just by watching Emily (Ellingwood) with her smile after the breeze that she's very happy with him. That's our cue, and we got that today, so everybody's happy. There were some times when we were going up to the Breeders'...

Horse of the Year candidate and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) will kick off his 5-year-old campaign in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Feb. 24. A subsequent start in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Mar. 30 could be in the cards as well. The Rick Dutrow, Jr.-trained C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable, LLC colorbearer has breezed three times at Santa Anita since Christmas Eve, including a five-furlong move in 1:00.40 (9/58) Jan. 8. "He's gonna go over...

C2 Racing Stable's White Abarrio (Race Day), last-out winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 4, will be kept in training for a 5-year-old campaign in 2024, according to a post on X made Monday afternoon. A $7,500 OBS January short yearling turned $40,000 OBS March breezer, the 2022 GI Florida Derby winner was originally trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., but was turned over to trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. this past summer. A longshot third, beaten 3 3/4 lengths behind Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI...

Mark Cornett, co-owner of White Abarrio, celebrates the colt's powerful victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on the TDN Writers' Room.

ARCADIA, CA - Babe! After spending 10 years in exile with a very well-documented suspension, trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. is officially all the way back. C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio (Race Day), a powerhouse last out winner of this summer's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, ran to the money as the 5-2 favorite with a one-length victory for Dutrow in Saturday's $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. The 64-year-old's three prior wins at the Championships were headed by future Horse of the Year Saint...

Thousands upon thousands--likely hundreds of thousands--of words have been written about the legendary Zenyatta, who captured the heart and soul of racing during her time on the racetrack and remains just as beloved today, 13 years after her retirement. Winter Quarter Farm's Don Robinson, who foaled her, was kind enough to share his memories of her formative years with TDN. "Zenyatta was the ultimate," said Robinson. "I can't say enough superlatives about her. I could speak endlessly about her. "The real satisfaction is I delivered her mother, too. I had...

ARCADIA, CA - Forty looks good on you, Breeders' Cup. With defending winners Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (Turf Sprint), Cody's Wish (Curlin) (Dirt Mile), Elite Power (Curlin) (Sprint) and Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (F/M Sprint) all back to defend their titles, the two-day Championships--consisting of 14 races with purses and awards totaling more than $31 million--gets underway for a record 11th time at Santa Anita Friday. Sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s--welcome back to Southern California!--will be on the menu as the weekend kicks off with a 10-race, 'Future Stars Friday'...