Breeders' Cup Classic

Sierra Leone 'Guns' Down Fierceness in Classic

DEL MAR, CA -- Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), a painful second in the GI Kentucky Derby and a frustrating, beaten favorite in three subsequent efforts at Saratoga this summer, emulated his leading young sire with a victory on the biggest stage of them all in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. The GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' took advantage of a lightning-fast pace up front, picked off his rivals with an eye-catching, sweeping move on the final turn and outbattled favored 'Rising...

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Selections for Breeders' Cup Saturday at Del Mar

Who do you like? TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack makes his picks for Breeders' Cup Saturday at Del Mar. Race 4: GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint--#10 Scylla (10-1) Scylla ran a very good second going two turns in Del Mar's GI Clement L. Hirsch, then returned to Bill Mott's Saratoga base and cut back to this distance with another solid second-place finish in the GI Ballerina just three weeks later. She's been freshened since, is drawn nicely on the outside and is more than capable of running...

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Breeders' Cup Weekend is Here!

DEL MAR, CA -- It's showtime. Featuring 14 Grade I races worth more than $34 million in purses, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, with an emphasis on World, return to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for a third time, beginning with the 'Future Stars Friday' program. Ideal conditions with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60s are expected. A total of 179 horses were entered for the two-day Championships, including a record 67 international participants from nine different countries as well as three previous winners. A stacked renewal of...

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Tuesday's Breeders' Cup Report: Classic Contenders Take the 'City' by Storm

DEL MAR, CA - With the rising sun attempting to make its way out of a dense cloud cover, contenders for Saturday's $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic were out in force during about a 30-minute window following the renovation break at Del Mar Tuesday morning. 'TDN Rising Star' Newgate and Pyrenees, a pair of blaze-faced, 4-year-old sons of the all-conquering Into Mischief, both entered on their toes and filled the frame nicely while training with good energy. Newgate, listed at a very generous 20-1 on the morning-line, adds blinkers for...

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GISW and BC Classic Contender Tapit Trice to Gainesway Upon Retirement

GI Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice (Tapit--Danzatrice, by Dunkirk) will return to his birthplace, Gainesway Farm, to enter stud upon his retirement from racing, the Central Kentucky nursery and stud farm announced Tuesday afternoon. Tapit Trice's next scheduled engagement is Saturday afternoon in the $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic, where he will break from post 10. He races for the partnership of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable. "Winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes in partnership with Gainesway has been a real highlight for our...

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Johannesburg to City Of Troy: Three Generations On and Back to the Dirt

DEL MAR, USA -- October 2001 was a sobering time to be in New York. Some seven weeks on from the devastating attack on the World Trade Center, the city was shrouded in sadness and America was a nation united in grief for the thousands who lost their lives on 9/11. Horseracing, often referred to as the great triviality, doesn't usually feel like that to those who work in the sport, but it did feel trivial, almost intrusive, to be at Belmont that year for what was a first visit...

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City of Troy Draws Three, Made 5-2 Choice For Breeders' Cup Classic

Despite never having raced on the dirt in his two seasons at the races, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' City of Troy (Justify) was assigned gate three as the 5-2 morning-line selection in a full field of 14 and will be ridden by Ryan Moore in Saturday's $7-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. Deemed by trainer Aidan O'Brien--a two-time runner-up in the Classic (Giant's Causeway, Declaration of War)--'the best he's ever trained,' the son of G1SW Together Forever (Ire)...

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Public to Vote for 'Top Moments' In Santa Anita's History as it Nears 90th Anniversary

Santa Anita Park is approaching its 90th anniversary Dec. 26 with the opening of the Classic Meet, and the track is calling on the public to vote for the 13 'top moments' in track history, it was announced via presser. Voting on those moments will be open until Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:00 p.m. PT with the top 13 vote-getters being featured in Santa Anita's wall calendar, which is provided to on-track patrons on opening day each year. There are 15 nominations to choose from, which were selected by a...

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National Treasure Out Of Dirt Mile, Musical Chairs Ensues

National Treasure (Quality Road), who gave eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) everything he could handle before going down grudgingly in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, will miss this year's event with a foot issue, Daily Racing Form reported Friday afternoon. Winner of this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and GI Metropolitan Handicap either side of a close fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup, the 4-year-old may have struggled with an off track when sixth to Arthur's Ride (Tapit) in the GI Whitney Stakes...

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Fierceness Completes Classic Preparations At Saratoga

Repole Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), expected to vie for favoritism in next Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, turned in his final breeze Friday ahead of the $7-million centerpiece of championship weekend, going a half-mile in :48.98 over the Oklahoma training track. With his regular work rider Danny Wright in the irons, the homebred began his work slightly behind a workmate, drew alongside at the entrance to the stretch and was in front at the line before galloping out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5....

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Doug Cowans Confirms Next For Breeders' Cup Classic

Long-distance specialist Next (Not This Time) has been confirmed for next week's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic by his trainer Doug Cowans in a story first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening. The 6-year-old gelding was listed on the pre-entry list for the Classic with second preference given to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. "I had to choose one or the other, the Turf or the Classic," Cowans told the TDN. "The jock and I have sat down and talked after the breezes he's had since winning the...

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Record 80 Overseas Horses Among 212 Pre-Entered For Breeders' Cup 2024

Bolstered by a record 80 entries from the connections of horses based overseas--smashing the previous mark of 60 set just last year--some 212 horses have been pre-entered for the 2024 Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2. For the third time, the festival will take place at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which hosted the event for the first time in 2017 and again in 2021. "The record number of outstanding international contenders pre-entered this year speaks to the truly global nature of...

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