“Win and You're In”

So strong and so accomplished are the 18 runners signed on for Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen that Vin de Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who went this close to winning the G1 Dubai Turf on a magical evening for Japan this past March, is no better than a 30-1 roughie in early wagering. Seventeen others, including four females, will head to the post for the country's premier spring mile event, which offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky,...

An incentive-based participation bonus program called the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen was unveiled by the Breeders' Cup this Thursday. The new program will award monetary credits, funded by Breeders' Cup, for first through third-place finishes in selected races for horsemen to use toward entry fees in six of the Breeders' Cup World Championships dirt races. Learn more here. Also this week, Breeders' Cup announced that the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In schedule will feature 82 qualifying races in 11 counties. New for this year, the 2022 series...

The 2022 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In schedule will feature 82 qualifying races in 11 countries, Breeders' Cup announced Tuesday. Winners, as usual, will receive automatic qualifying positions, and fees paid, into a corresponding race in the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships. Horses from around the globe will be qualifying through the Win and You're In program for the 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Grade 1 races and purses and awards totaling $31 million. This year's Championships will be held at Keeneland Race Course...

The deadline to nominate weanlings of 2021 to the Breeders' Cup at the one-time regular nomination rate of $400 will end Friday, Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The $400 nomination will provide lifetime eligibility to the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the Breeders' Cup Racing Programs. All foals by a fully nominated North American stallion are eligible to nominate at the weanling rate. In addition to race benefits and eligibility, Breeders' Cup foal nominators in 2021 have received a $10,000 nominator award for each Breeders' Cup Challenge series "Win...

Popular star distaffer Letruska (Super Saver) took another step toward a potential Horse of the Year trophy Sunday at Keeneland, rolling to her fourth Grade I victory and sixth graded stakes win overall on the year as a heavy favorite in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. A dual Group 1 winner in Mexico for Fausto Gutierrez in 2019, Letruska stamped herself as a horse to watch with an impressive wire-to-wire score in last summer's GIII Shuvee S. at Saratoga and, after disappointing when finishing a well-beaten fourth in Belmont's GII...

Jump Sucker Stable's Slipstream backed up a sharp maiden victory earlier in the meet with a score in the GIII Futurity S. Sunday at Belmont, a Win and You're In qualifier for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Debuting locally over six furlongs on grass, the $170,000 Keeneland September purchase ran an even fifth after hitting the gate at the start, then faced more early trouble in a Saratoga off-the-turfer July 30 before finishing a distant third. Cruising to a 5 1/4-length graduation going seven panels here Sept. 18,...

In a summer full of impressive and promising performances in allowance races at Saratoga, it was the Sept. 4 run of a total no-name who could've been had by anyone in the sport for just $10,000 months earlier that stood out the most on the speed-figure scale. And Saturday, modestly-bred Baby Yoda (Prospective) will try to back that monster effort up while making his stakes debut against four rivals in Belmont's GII Vosburgh S., a Win and You're In qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Debuting for owner Gerald...

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...

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Aloha West (Hard Spun), a troubled fourth in his only previous stakes try, will try black-type competition again after a pair of well-graded Saratoga allowance victories in Friday's GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. at Keeneland, a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Graduating despite a slow start and early, wide move in his belated debut Feb. 7 at Oaklawn, the 4-year-old was again troubled at the break and ran fifth in an allowance there Mar. 13 before just missing...

There have been other impressive performances turned in by 2-year-old fillies in recent weeks (namely Hidden Connection {Connect}  in the GIII Pocahontas S. and Ain't Easy {Into Mischief} in the GII FrontRunner S.), but 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) reaffirmed her spot at the top of the division Sunday as she blew away her competition in Belmont's GI Frizette S., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 at Del Mar. The L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer was...

'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road--Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring and a jaw-dropping debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Sept. 4, led them every step of the way to run to the money as the 2-5 favorite in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. Pappacap (Gun Runner), winner of the GII Best Pal S., was second; third out maiden winner Oviatt Class (Bernardini) was third. Corniche is the 10th winner of the...

'TDN Rising Star' Ain't Easy (f, 2, Into Mischief--Ameristralia {Aus}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) put on a show to remain unbeaten while punching her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita. Electric Ride (Daredevil), a runaway debut winner at Del Mar Aug. 28, was second; second out Del Mar maiden winner Desert Dawn (Cupid) was third. Heavily favored GI TVG Del Mar Debutante S. heroine Grace Adler (Curlin) never factored while fifth. Ain't Easy, a sharp 5...