Perryville

With so many horses congesting the dressing rooms before the Breeders' Cup, the stage felt undeniably empty last weekend. Few, even so, will have been too intrigued by a French-bred Grade III winner over 12 furlongs of grass. After all, Venencia (Fr) (Recoletos {Fr}) was bred from a mare meanwhile sold for just €17,000. Yet there won't be another page quite like this one, full of quirks and quality, in the Keeneland November Sale. Two things leap out straightaway. One is that damsire and grandsire are by full brothers. That...

34-year-old trainer Matt Sims, who recorded his first stakes win Saturday with 28-1 longshot Brunacini (Dortmund) in the GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland, is already looking for a second with his upset runner before the winter season. "He looks good this morning, and he wasn't tired after the race," said Sims, who will split the winter between racing at Turfway Park and Oaklawn Park. "[We're] looking at the Cherokee Mile at Churchill Downs Dec. 1." Meanwhile, Perryville favorite Book'em Danno (Bucchero) had to settle for second Saturday after a tricky...