“Win and You're In”

"She really engaged and switched gears. From there, I thought she got the job done," understated journeyman Flavien Prat about his mount, 7-1 Hard to Justify (f, 2, Justify-Instant Reflex, by Quality Road), in Wednesday's rescheduled 'Win and You're In' GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont's Big A meet. The win, her second from two starts, gives Hard to Justify a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf next month at Santa Anita. A big, hearty-looking filly, Hard to Justify broke powerfully and cleanly from the inside...

Following New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) approval, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has moved the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic from Sunday to next Saturday, Oct. 7, at Aqueduct Racetrack. Friday's 11-race Aqueduct card was cancelled due to a powerful coastal storm causing widespread flooding and hazardous conditions throughout New York City and Long Island. In addition to Friday's cancellation, NYRA moved Saturday's 11-race card to Sunday and pushed Sunday's 10-race program to Wednesday. The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic will be re-drawn with entries to be taken...

Twelve months after Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made light work of the race, Godolphin's Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) proved an equally decisive winner of the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile for trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick. With the victory, the homebred has earned a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in early November, a race won last year by Modern Games. Drawn the inside gate in a field of just six horses, the 2-5 jolly wasn't the best away and...

Breeders' Cup winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) may be the sport's poster boy for feel-good racing stories, but there's another waiting in the wings as West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey's own touching story about Carson's Run (c, 2, Cupid-Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes) keeps improving. The 2-year-old colt may be headed to the Breeders' Cup himself after capturing Saturday's GI Bet365 Summer S. at Woodbine, a "Win and You're In" event offering the winner a free berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 3....

Racing roads converge this Saturday. With a little over a month left before horses and their connections officially point to Santa Anita, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series returns to Woodbine Racetrack. Featured are three 'Win and You're In' chances, including the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, the prep seasons officially open for 2-year-old colts and fillies, who are seeking to bank points for next May's 150th editions of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. There is much to get to with Belmont at the Big...

Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) will get a second chance at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. With a win in Del Mar's GII Del Mar H., the 5-year-old gelding earned a 'Win And You're In' spot in the gate for the November event. 10th behind Rebel's Romance (Dubawi {Ire}) in last year's rendition of the race, Gold Phoenix rebounded in 2023 with a pair of graded-stakes wins including a narrow victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. to start his year March 23. Though he faltered in both...

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite despite a below-par third behind the re-opposing Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22, Zedan Racing Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) became the first 3-year-old since Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) in 2014 to best his elders in the GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar, earning a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in the process. "Those two horses (Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride)...

Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) rallied smartly through the final furlong and half to prove a much-the-best winner of Saturday's GIII Green Flash H. at Del Mar, sewing up a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint up the road at Santa Anita in early November in the process. Sent off the 13-5 favorite with Geovanni Franco replacing the injured Umberto Rispoli in the irons, Motorious raced in about seventh position of the 12 runners down the backstretch, but not terribly far off the pace disputed by...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's lightly raced Bright Future (Curlin), a well-backed 7-2 in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. at Saratoga, dug down deep beneath the ageless Javier Castellano to hold off Proxy (Tapit) by a nose and punch his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. "It was a good spot to try a Grade I and he delivered a big performance," winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. "In order to go to the next one, he's going to need to make another move...

A trio of highly regarded sophomores will take on their elders in a fantastic renewal of Saturday's GI FanDuel Pacific Classic S. at Del Mar, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The 5-2 morning-line favorite Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) leads the way for the 3-year-olds after defeating GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) by 1 3/4 lengths in Monmouth Park's GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22. He will look to follow in the hoofprints of his leading sire Candy Ride, who won...

Seven times second in his 11 previous trips to the post and still eligible for a second-level allowance, Anarchist (Distorted Humor) earned an all-expenses-paid berth into the field for this year's GI BigAss Fans Dirt Mile with a hard-fought success in Saturday's GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar. Beaten for speed from his high draw, Anarchist settled about four paths off the rail and in centerfield as Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride) and Vivir Con Alegria (Chi) (Flyer {Chi}) matched motors through a sizzling opening quarter that was posted in...

A return to the state of New York proved just the right tonic for Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who snapped a nine-race skid in winning Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S., getting his picture taken for the first time since the 2021 GI Belmont Derby some 25 months ago.  Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) rallied belatedly for second ahead of longshot Pioneering Spirit (American Pharoah) in third. It was more or less a straight line out of the gates before Channel Maker (English...