Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf

Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup When Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum passed away early in 2021 after decades of prominence in Thoroughbred racing and breeding, it was unclear in the sport what would happen to his vast bloodstock and farm holdings. Racing needn't have worried. His daughter, Sheikha Hissa, catapulted into the public eye as the head of Shadwell right at the same time the racing stable was seeing a resurgence. The bedrock laid over decades of success by Sheikh Hamdan was the perfect foundation for stunning...

Coolmore's late super sire, Galileo, added his sixth Breeders' Cup winner with Tuesday just last year. He is a joint second by winners, but stands alone as the leading Breeders' Cup sire by money won with nearly $16 million in purses--more than $4.5 million more than his closest pursuer. Tuesday, who also captured the G1 Cazoo Oaks in 2022 and now holds the 1 3/16-mile course record at Keeneland after her Breeders' Cup win, was retired shortly after the race and bred to Into Mischief this spring. "She was such...

Peter Brant's In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {GB}), last seen finishing second in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf, returned to the races with a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Saturday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite for her 5-year-old debut, the chestnut mare bound out to the early lead and was in control through fractions of :23.63 and :47.29. Asked to go by Irad Ortiz at the top of the lane, she extended her advantage in the blink of an eye and she...

Sparkle Blue proved she was aptly named when she kicked home from the nine post to brilliantly take the GIII Rubicon Valley View S. in her first career graded victory ahead of a blanket charge for the minors. After capping her 2021 season a distant 10th in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. Nov. 27 at Del Mar, her connections gave her some time away and brought their filly back July 2 in Delaware's Christiana S. sporting first-time blinkers. Gamely overcoming contact in the stretch, she held on to win by...

Once again, the Breeders' Cup reminds us how our whole business hinges on a delicate equilibrium. On the one hand, we need the kind of big plays made on barnmates Gamine (Into Mischief) and Corniche (Quality Road), who changed hands for $1.8 million and $1.5 million respectively, to come off sufficiently to keep the big spenders in the game. But we also need those Goliaths to be humbled, from time to time, by a little guy with a sling. If the Derby were won by a sale-topper every year, the...

2.35 Kempton, Mdn, £16,000, 2yo, 7f (AWT) DUNGEON (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) debuts in the James Wigan silks sported by the accomplished dam Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB}) as she garnered the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and GI Beverly D. S. Sir Michael Stoute is also in charge of this February-foaled colt, who meets Gestut Ammerland's fellow newcomer Barqi (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a John and Thady Gosden-trained colt whose family includes the owner-breeder's high-class Boreal (Ger) (Java Gold) and Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}).

Godolphin's Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) rides a two-race win skein in the U.S., but appears likely have to work for her third consecutive Grade I victory in of a competitive renewal of the GI First Lady S. at Keeneland Saturday, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly&Mare Turf Nov. 6. On the board in all 11 career starts, the homebred posted her first win at the group level at Meydan in the G2 Cape Verdi S. in January before finishing third behind stablemate Summer Romance...

In their respective most recent trips to the post, Going To Vegas (Goldencents) was ridden by Flavien Prat to a popular victory in the GII John C. Mabee S. while stablemate Luck (Kitten's Joy) had Umberto Rispoli in the irons for a first-level allowance tally at Del Mar Aug. 7. The preeminent turf riders on the circuit swapped mounts for Saturday's GI Rodeo Drive S., and at the end of a very entertaining 10 furlongs, it was the Italian and Going To Vegas who proved narrowly best over the French...

With the major contests going the way of the 3-year-olds so far, it is up to Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) to attempt to bring that generation back into line a touch in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood. Improving markedly at this stage last term, Alison Swinburn's 5-year-old captured the G1 Prix Jean Romanet on soft ground at Deauville in August, was third to Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Prix de l'Opera on heavy at ParisLongchamp in October before capturing the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare...

Grade I winners Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah) and Civil Union (War Front) kick off their 2021 campaigns in Saturday's GIII Beaugay S. at Belmont Park. Harvey's Lil Goil followed a win in Keeneland's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Oct. 10 with a huge third--beaten only a neck at 20-1--in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland last time Nov. 7. Civil Union, winner of last term's GI Flower Bowl S. over this course, had a four-race winning steak snapped, finishing another two slots back...

One year after their very first Breeders' Cup win with New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro) in 2016, Bob and Kristine Edwards of e5 Racing Thoroughbreds found themselves in the winner's circle once again for the same race, with the same trainer-jockey duo, when Rushing Fall claimed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. As it turned out it was hardly beginner's luck, as Rushing Fall's victory was a good omen for the family's second Breeders' Cup contender that year, and it proved to be just the start of an unforgettable...

As has become the custom in New York's top turf races, Chad Brown offers a three-pronged attack in Saturday's GI Flower Bowl S., a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland next month. Leading the fray is dual Grade I-winner Cambier Parc (Medaglia d'Oro), victorious in four graded stakes last season--the GI Queen Elizabeth Cup, GI Del Mar Oaks, GIII Wonder Again S. and GIII Herecomesthebride S. Sent off the even-money favorite in her sole start of 2020 in the Sept....