Breeders' Cup Win and You're In

   TDN Rising Star Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) leapfrogs over her conditions and takes on graded company for the first time in Wednesday's GII JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S., a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Sent straight to the front in her unveiling going a mile at Churchill Downs Sept. 1, the Irish bred was never heading, scoring by an emphatic five lengths. The 280,000gns TATOCT was part of a European venture put together by BSW/Crow Bloodstock's Brad Weisbord and...

Undefeated in three Argentinian starts, including two daylight wins at Group 1 level, and competitive in stakes company in this country, Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) settled in the latter third of the field, was ridden quietly into the final 2 1/2 furlongs by Joe Talamo and exploded through the Keeneland stretch to up-end a high-class field in Saturday's GI Shadwell Turf Mile, locking up a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile over the same course and distance exactly five weeks down the line. Drawn widest...

Attempting to follow up on a victory by fellow Godolphin-bred Maxfield (Street Sense) in last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, Essential Quality (Tapit) thoroughly dominated his competition to score, thus earning a trip to next month's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Three paths wide into the first turn as Upstriker (Upstart) assumed the earning advantage, Essential Quality pressed that rival through an initial quarter in :23.97. Challenging for the lead despite pilot Luis Saez kept his feet set firmly in the dashboard, the homebred poked his head in front following a...

One day before saddling $35,000 bargain buy Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) to take on the boys in the GI Preakness S., trainer Ken McPeek was represented by the one-two finishers in Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. Friday. New York-bred Simply Ravishing (Laoban), just a $50,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling herself, dominated her competition on the front end and ran up the score to 6 1/4 lengths. 'TDN Rising Stars' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) and Travel Column (Frosted) fought it out for second and third. This was McPeek's fifth win in the Alcibiades,...

The lesser-fancied of the Bob Baffert-trained duo, 'TDN Rising Star' Improbable (City Zip) was uncustomarily taken well off a fast early pace, began to hit his best stride while wide on the second turn, inhaled the leading group in upper stretch and rolled home to defeat odds-on Maximum Security (New Year's Day) by 4 1/2 lengths in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita. Though he hadn't been more than two lengths off the early pace in any of his last four races, Improbable was taken back to last...

Get Her Number (Dialed In) and Rombauer (Twirling Candy), also-rans in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 7, reported home one-two to spring an upset in Saturday's GI American Pharoah S., a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. It was another gap back to the favored maiden Spielberg (Union Rags) in third. Nicely away from gate six, Get Her Number set up camp just to the outside of longshot Dyn O Mite (Goldencents) as Spielberg settled in an apparently good spot, just behind the...

George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual went wire-to-wire to win the GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita Saturday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf. Tonahutu took the lead from her inside post in the early strides, but Mucho Unusual strode past her down the stretch for the first time. The bay filly loped along through pedestrian splits, scampered further clear rounding the final bend and resolutely held off Maxim Rate late, while late-closing favorite Lady Prancealot did her best to close into the slow...

Amanzi Yimpilo bested the boys and secured a spot in the gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. A debut winner sprinting on the lawn at Gulfstream June 10 and was third in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 19. Shedding blinkers for this one, the chestnut pressed the pace from second through a swift opening quarter in :21.89. Keeping the pressure on through a half in :44.66, the $300,000 KEESEP buy swept to the front in the final sixteenth and held off a late run from Wyfire...

Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), just a nose shy in a heart-stopping renewal of the GII Vosburgh S. last year, contested then as a Grade I, continued his love affair with Belmont Park in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. Firenze Fire sat a stalking trip in second through an opening quarter in :22.33, made his move at the leader as they stacked up four across the track past the quarter pole, and kicked home nicely to punch his ticket to Lexington. Favored Funny...

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies will go through unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) following a third straight tour-de-force victory in Saturday's GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita. Making her two-turn debut following an eye-catching debut win at Del Mar Aug. 22 and runaway score in the GI Del Mar Debutante S. Sept. 6, the $1.35-million OBS Spring topper wasn't the quickest away from her rail draw beneath Victor Espinoza. She rode the rail into the first turn, but was no better than third. Princess Noor...

Saturday's GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita offers the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7, and Lady Prancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) figures a slight favorite against six familiar faces. Winner of the GI American Oaks over this course and distance last December, Lady Prancealot has done her California-based shuttle stallion proud this season, despite not having her picture taken. Fourth to the in-form Keeper Ofthe Stars (Midnight Lute) in the GII Buena Vista S. over a mile...

Twice in its last seven runnings, the GI Awesome Again S. has produced the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, with Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) completing the double in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Just a field of five faces the starter this weekend for the nine-furlong test--a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Classic--but the two marquee horses have legitimate claims at Keeneland in six weeks' time. Maximum Security (New Year's Day), whose topsy-turvy championship sophomore season saw him miss a start...