Breeders' Cup Distaff

Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin) continued her ascent to the top of the distaff division Sunday with a dominant and fitting front-running tally in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for next month's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. This was the second Spinster title for Juddmonte, which began sponsoring the prestigious race in 2005. Emollient (Empire Maker) carried the famed green and pink to victory here in 2013. Backed at even-money to repeat rival Nest (Curlin)'s 4-5 odds, the Brad Cox trainee took clear command from the...

Secret Oath (Arrogate--Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American), whose accomplishments include a win in the 2022 GI Kentucky Oaks, has been retired due to a minor problem with her right front ankle, reports trainer Wayne Lukas. She will sell at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. The story was first reported by Ron Flatter of Horse Racing Nation. Owned by Rob and Stacy Mitchell, Secret Oath came down with the injury after working five furlongs in :58.60 on Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs. Lukas said that the injury caused him to keep her...

Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup with Living Legends Each race--particularly a Breeders' Cup win--is special to the connections of the winner, but some races stand out more than others in all who are lucky enough to witness them. Some get embedded in the mind and take up permanent residence there. Just about everyone in racing can recall in vivid detail Arazi's scintillating 1991 Juvenile or Personal Ensign's electrifying 1988 Distaff or Tiznow's gripping 2001 Classic. Each of those are among the transcendent performances in our sport that stir...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Never shy about being a promoter, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas did not have to use his best pitch as he looked ahead to the GI Personal Ensign S. on Aug. 25 where he will saddle Secret Oath (Arrogate). Always an important race that draws the top older dirt fillies and mares, the $500,000 Personal Ensign will once again have a strong lineup on Friday. Champion Nest (Curlin) and Clairiere (Curlin), who ran 1-2 in the GII Shuvee S. on July 23 are the...

Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), a big, rangy daughter of her Breeders' Cup-winning sire, made it four in a row and a first Grade I with a facile win in the $400,000 GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Saturday. The filly will likely attempt to win a Breeders' Cup of her own as the "Win and You're In" Hirsch offers a fees-paid berth to the GI Distaff, which will be held at Santa Anita in November. When the field broke in the Hirsch, it...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There will be no easing back into competition for champion Nest (Curlin). Certainly not on a Sunday in July at Saratoga Race Course. In the first start of her 4-year-old season--which was delayed by illness--in the GII Shuvee S., Nest is likely to face Clairiere (Curlin), the leader of the older female dirt division, and GI La Troienne winner Played Hard (Into Mischief). "It's not the position we set out to be on at the beginning of this year, but it's kind of where we are,"...

Secret Oath (Arrogate) looked home free after inhaling the longtime runaway pacesetter and striding confidently clear into the Oaklawn stretch, but Clairiere (Curlin) was unleashing a powerful stretch run of her own that saw the Stonestreet homebred just get her nose in front on the wire in a dramatic finish to the GI Apple Blossom H. Saturday in Hot Springs. Hot and Sultry (Speighster) caught a flyer out of the gate and was some seven lengths in front down the backstretch as she cut out fractions of :24.01 and :47.88...

Blue Stripe (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}), beaten a nose when second in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, handsomely rewarded her connections' decision to supplement to the Fasig-Tipton November sale when fetching $4 million from Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International late in the session as hip 316. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as hip 316, the Argentinian Group 1 winner took Del Mar's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. two starts back for owner Pozo de Luna Inc. and trainer Marcelo Polanco.

Breeders' Cup action continues at Keeneland Saturday with nine Championship races. The TDN staff provides detailed previews of each of those events in our special Breeders' Cup Saturday edition. Click here for all you need to know. Saturday's program includes the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, GI Breeders' Cup Maker's Mark F/M Turf, GI Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, GI Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile, GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint, GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint and GI Breeders'...

With unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit) leading the way, 205 horses, including 45 from overseas, and seven former or returning Breeders' Cup champions, have been pre-entered for the 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 4 & 5. The Breeders' Cup will be televised live domestically on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and FanDuel TV. Click here to view all of the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships Pre-Entered Fields. Nine horses were pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. In addition to the record-setting GI Pacific Classic winner Flightline, the $6-million...

Champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and probable champion Epicenter (Not This Time) topped a busy worktab for Steve Asmussen's potential Breeders' Cup starters Sunday morning at Keeneland as the racing world draws closer than two weeks away from the 39th World Championships in Lexington Nov. 4-5. With exercise rider Wilson Fabian aboard, Echo Zulu drilled five furlongs in :59 2/5 in company with Marsalis (Curlin). The move was the fastest five-eighths of 30 Sunday over the fast main track. Echo Zulu, who returned off a layoff to win the GIII...

With two graded events for distaffers and four for juveniles, including including four Breeders' Cup qualifiers, Sunday is basically Saturday part two from coast-to-coast. The day's main event is the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, a "Win and You're In" event, where champions Malathaat (Curlin) and Letruska (Super Saver) face off yet again. 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat looks to make amends for a solid third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and she enters off a win in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 27. Letruska, who won...