GI Breeders' Cup Classic

"Looking for the hidden gem." That, to Mike Slezak, is the point of crossover; the place where his breakout success dovetails with a personal passion that has now evolved into a way of life. "Which means trying to ask questions in a different way," he elaborates. "Not making assumptions, looking a little closer." To the many who first encountered Slezak in his American Idol debrief shows, the next stage of the analogy will make perfect sense. "It's scouting for a contestant like David Cook," he explains. "No-one thought he was...

On Thursday in Palm Beach, Bob Duncan was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence acknowledging his contribution to the sport of horse racing through his work at the starting gate. I loudly applaud the NTRA, DRF and National Turf Writers & Broadcasters for recognizing Bob's unique talent and gift to racing with this award. I applaud Bob himself for his approach to his craft and the shining example he has set in handling horses with respect as partners in winning races. Bob and his craft are known...

Yes, it's purely hypothetical, but imagine a GI Breeders' Cup Classic without the rabbit, Contrary Thinking (Into Mischief). That's a race Fierceness (City of Light) probably would have won. Yes, he got free in the stretch and had every chance to run down Forever Young (Jpn) (Reel Steel {Jpn}) and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) but he couldn't get the job done, finishing third, losing by 1 1/2 lengths. But too much had gone wrong for him at that point, and he could not recover. Unlike what happened in the GI...

DEL MAR, Calif. - That's why they're called the World Championships. The globe-trotting Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), third in the 2024 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, reversed form with last year's top two to bring home the $7-million centerpiece to Japan before a crowd of 35,173 at sunsplashed Del Mar Saturday. Off as the narrow second choice at 7-2, the Susumu Fujita colorbearer raced on top of a fast early pace and held last year's winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) safe by...

The Week In Review 1) Not only will this year's Breeders' Cup championships feature the 1-2-3 finishers from each of the 2024 and 2025 GI Kentucky Derbies, but the two champion 2-year-old males who each won the GI Juvenile in the past two seasons will also be in action. Sovereignty (Into Mischief), Journalism (Curlin) and Baeza (McKinzie) all finished within 1 ¾ lengths of each other in the Derby six months ago, and will all hook up in Saturday's GI Classic. Mystik Dan (Goldencents), 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun...

Hoping that his start in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic will be a memorable one, MGISW Journalism (Curlin) worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 at Del Mar Sunday morning. With Jose Ortiz in the irons and working with stablemate Legitimate (Authentic), the three-time Grade I winner was last seen finishing second in the GI Pacific Classic on Aug. 30. Both colts are trained by Michael McCarthy. "We were just looking for a maintenance work this morning," said McCarthy. "I think we got that accomplished. I loved the way he galloped...

A share in Grade I winner Mindframe (Constitution--Walk of Stars, by Street Sense) will be offered at the second edition of the Keeneland Championship Sale, to be held in the Del Mar Paddock on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The share in the 4-year-old, a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', will be consigned by Claiborne Farm, where the bay is also expected to take up stud duty in 2026. "We are pleased to offer this special opportunity to participate in the stallion career of a truly outstanding prospect, Mindframe," Claiborne President...

The connections of Johannes (Nyquist), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), and GI Goodwood Stakes runner-up Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) have confirmed their charges as Breeders' Cup bound in November after their stellar performances Saturday. One-two finishers Nevada Beach and Full Serrano were both doing well Sunday morning after the Goodwood, and barring any hiccups between now and the Breeders' Cup, will both be targeting respective Breeders' Cup races--the former having earned an automatic berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with his victory. A 3-year-old making just his fourth start,...

Facing plenty of racing dram this past weekend, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed that GI Pacific Classic and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winners Fierceness (City of Light) and Antiquarian (Preservationist), respectively, came out of their races in good order and will train up to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. The Gold Cup was marred by an incident soon after the start, where Pletcher-trained Mindframe (Constitution) swerved, dropping Irad Ortiz Jr. and was ultimately collared by the outrider. "[Antiquarian] is doing excellent, very good," Pletcher said of the...

Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook T. Smith's Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who finished second in a problematic edition of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, will train up to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, according to trainer Chad Brown. The GI Whiney winner, who tried to avoid fallen Irad Ortiz Jr. just steps out of the gate, traveled in last--18 lengths off the pace--before making a wide run down the lane to finish 1 1/2-lengths behind winner Antiquarian. "Thankfully, Irad...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At 6:30 Sunday morning, Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the hero of the 156h GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, was out and about around the Hall of Fame barn of trainer Bill Mott at the Oklahoma Training Track The 3-year-old colt, fresh off his resounding 10-length win in the Travers, grazed in the courtyard at the barn, looking like he could run another 1 ¼ miles later in the day. The margin of victory is tied for the fourth largest in Travers history. Sovereignty's blowout win was the...

Jockey Flavien Prat had himself a year in 2024 on the way to his first Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. How good was he? He set records for Stakes wins (82) and Graded Stakes wins (56). He won the Breeders' Cup Classic. He won 16 Grade I races. The list could go on, but he has turned the page. He will make no predictions for 2025. The 32-year-old French native just wants to keep on riding. He sat down with Tim Wilkin to talk about life as a top jockey...