Breeder's Cup Turf

Ballydoyle's Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), whose most recent trip across the Atlantic resulted in a strong runner-up effort behind Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf, faces nine others--including defending champion Gufo (Declaration of War)--in Saturday's GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational S. at Saratoga. The 12-furlong event earns the winner a fees-paid berth into this year's Turf at Keeneland Nov. 5. The 6-year-old entire comes into the Sword Dancer a relatively fresh animal, as he will be making just his fourth start of the...

The first automatic fees-paid berth to the 2022 Breeders' Cup will be handed out this Saturday in Argentina when the G1 Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini, also known as the 'South American Arc', is run at the historic Hipodromo de San Isidro. The winner will punch their ticket to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, to be held in 2022 at Keeneland. Contested over 2,400 meters, about 1 1/2 miles, on the massive San Isidro turf course with about a three-furlong stretch run, the Pellegrini was won last year in...

It wasn't a completely straight-forward weekend for Team Godolphin, given the unfortunate events prior to Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf which resulted in the scratching of Albahr (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Stablemate Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) eased that disappointment with a convincing victory (for purse money only) in the Friday finale, and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) capped a Saturday double for Sheikh Mohammed's operation with a fast-finishing victory in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, giving jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby and Darley's Dubawi three winners over the...

MGISW Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and MGSW United (Giant's Causeway) have both been scratched from the Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar, according to tweets from the Breeders' Cup. This moves GISW Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and champion Channel Maker (English Channel) into the field off the also eligible list. The 4-1 second choice on the morning line, Domestic Spending was withdrawn by trainer Chad Brown after developing swelling in his left, front leg. "When I came in this morning, he unfortunately had some new and...

Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) led home one  of the better-paying Chad Brown-trained exactas in recent memory in Saturday's GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. The French Group 3-placed runner was fifth as the favorite in this race last year after a close second in the GI Manhattan S. to stablemate Instilled Regard (Arch) in July and a third to fellow Brown pupil Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. at Churchill that September. He kicked off this season with a...

Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}), winner of the G1 Deutsches Derby and second to Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, will travel to Del Mar for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. "Sisfahan should make his next start in the USA," confirmed Holger Faust, racing manager to the colt's owner Dr Stefan Oschmann of Darius Racing. "On his last start in Cologne he was [third] behind Alpinista (GB), who beat Torquator Tasso in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, and in Baden-Baden Sisfahan was only...

A pair of Belmont-based Grade I winners turned in works over the last few days and will be trained up to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6, their trainers confirmed Sept. 19. Shadwell Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) breezed an easy four furlongs over the Belmont training track Sept. 18 in :49.49, her first breeze since winning the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Aug. 19. She will not have another start prior to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar Nov. 6. "It...

Argentinian import Imperador (Arg) (Treasure Beach {GB}) was the main beneficiary of favorite Arklow (Arch)'s unlucky trip as he earned his first North American victory in the GII Calumet Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Backed at 8-1 from a 15-1 morning line, the bay entire broke alertly from the fence before being wrestled back by Joe Talamo to bide his time in midpack. He was one slot behind Arklow as they headed down the hill past six furlongs...

York's G1 Juddmonte International S. didn't just provide the world's best 130-rated performance of 2020 for Ghaiyyath (Ire) but, with its stellar back-up cast of seven-time Group 1 winner Magical (Ire), the G1 St James's Palace S. winner Lord North (Ire) and 2000 Guineas hero Kameko, the race was also judged to be the Longines World's Best Horse Race last year on ratings. Along with announcing the World's Best Racehorse Rankings on Tuesday, Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) also published the list of top 100 Group...

Trainer Dermot Weld, widely regarded as the pioneer of traveling horses, has accomplished most everything there is to accomplish in this business, winning the 1990 GI Belmont S. with Go and Go (Ire) (Be My Guest) and the G1 Melbourne Cup twice with Vintage Crop (Ire) (Rousillon, 1993) and Media Puzzle in 2002, to name just a few of his considerable achievements. The latter was a son of Theatrical (Ire), trained by Weld for Bert and Diana Firestone to a runner-up effort in the 1985 G1 Irish Derby before finishing...

Channel Maker (English Channel) is now a Grade I winner at ages four, five and six after wiring the GI Sword Dancer S. over a soggy Saratoga turf course Saturday. The victory also earned him a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland in November. Gliding up to dictate terms, the 8-1 shot was under a tight hold by Manny Franco through measured splits of :25.10, :51.14, 1:17.27 and 1:42. with Marzo (Medaglia d'Oro) on his tail. That rival called it quits on the...

The 4-year-old filly Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) was the second choice in the betting for Sunday's G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin, but at the finish line there was no doubting who was number one, with the Sunday Racing colourbearer establishing her dominance with a race record six-length victory and earning a spot in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Turf. After finishing third in the opening two races of last year's fillies' Triple Crown, the G1 Oka Sho and the G1 Yushun Himba, Chrono Genesis collected her first Group...