GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff

The $1.25 million GI Apple Blossom Handicap has joined the roster of prestigious North American races for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, Breeders' Cup Limited and Oaklawn Park said in a joint release on Thursday. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races, the winners of which receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Offering an automatic...

Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), a multiple Grade I winner, has been withdrawn from the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff and will be sold Nov. 3 at Fasig-Tipton's "Night of the Stars" (Hip 226), the connections said via a press release on Thursday. According to trainer Jorge Abreu, he was "not 100% satisfied with the way Scottish Lassie was moving this morning, so out of an abundance of caution we've decided to scratch her from the race. This filly has a ton of heart, but in fairness to her, we didn't want...

Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa has acquired a half-interest in 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in a deal which includes former NFL star Marshawn Lynch, according to a press release from the farm. Trained by Kenny McPeek, who selected her as a yearling, she is one of only seven distaffers in the history of the American turf and only the second 3-year-old filly, along with the fabulous Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), to claim the coveted title. A six-time Grade I winner with victories in the GI...

Ignacio Correas IV, a multiple-generational horseman who grew up in his native Argentina and found success at North American racetracks as a trainer, is set to retire from the game by Dec. 1, according to a Friday article by Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form. According to Equibase, Correas collected 297 wins and more than $20 million in purses during a U.S. career that began in 2010. Correas won 23 graded stakes, including consecutive top level scores in 2019 when stable star Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) took the...

Leading Horse of the Year candidate Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has an early 2025 racing schedule that could include two races at Oaklawn or a trip to Dubai, trainer Kenny McPeek said Wednesday afternoon via a press release from the Hot Springs track. Thorpedo Anna's conditioner said the filly--nicknamed the 'Grizzly Bear' last season--is under consideration for the GII Azeri Stakes Mar. 8 and the GI Apple Blossom Handicap April 12. The Azeri is Oaklawn's final major prep for the Apple Blossom. McPeek said Thorpedo Anna might take on males...

It's an interesting year when it comes to the Eclipse Awards, which will be announced next week. As always, there are the categories that are no-brainers where the winners should be unanimous. But there are several divisions this year that aren't so clear-cut, which will make for an interesting ceremony come Jan. 23. Here's a look at my ballot: Two-Year-Old Male: Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) Became the obvious pick after winning the 2024 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Scary thing is that he might be no better than the third...

Eclipse Champion Idiomatic (Curlin--Lockdown, by First Defence) was found to be lame in her left knee Friday morning with an issue that should heal readily, according to a Juddmonte Farms press release early Friday. The homebred has been ruled out for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff where she was set to take on MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). Juddmonte has decided to retire the 5-year-old mare to the breeding shed. This is the first time she has been sidelined over the course of three seasons of racing. Idiomatic won...

Some of the best fillies and mares in the world will soon descend on Southern California for the Breeders' Cup. But one of the fastest fillies in the sport will spend the afternoon in a stall for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, while her trainer, Michael McCarthy. figures out path he wants to take with 3-year-old filly Accuracy (Arrogate). She's certainly not ready for the Breeders' Cup after maiden win, but a phenomenal performance in an Oct. 19 race at Santa Anita suggest the Mike Repole owned 3-year-old could...

With the Del Mar Breeders' Cup officially less than two weeks away, trainer Chad Brown is continuing to oversee his string's preparations at Belmont Park, while the accomplished MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) puts in her final works for conditioner Ken McPeek upstate at Saratoga. Over the training surface in Elmont, Brown sent out two juveniles for half-mile works in 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) [:48.01] and Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) [:48.63], who are targeting the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf,...

5th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 1:18 p.m. The first foal out of MGISW Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize), who sold for $5m to OXO Equine out of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars Sale, PLAYBACK (Into Mischief) hails from a successful South American family including her dam's half-sister, Argentinian champion older mare Blue Stripe (Arg). Further back in the family is GSW/G1SP Far Away Love (Arg) (Violence). An OXO Equine homebred, Playback enters off a best-of-four work, going five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 for trainer Paulo Lobo. Opposing...