GI Breeders' Cup Classic

The Saudi Cup International Jockeys Challenge, led by defending champion Caitlin Jones, plus a mix of international female and male riders like Victoria Alonso, Joanna Mason, Frankie Dettori, Luis Saez, Joao Moreia, and Chantal Sutherland, is set for King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia on Friday. The jockeys will compete to receive 15% of prize-money for each of the four $400,000 races in they win with a further $100,000 going to the overall champion. "It is my first time in Saudi Arabia and I'm actually blown away by the hospitality...

They could have entered him in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile or the Sprint, where he would have been a top choice in either spot, but the connections of Life Is Good (Into Mischief - Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor) opted to send their versatile 4-year-old to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. While there was no beating Flightline (Tapit) that day, Life Is Good threw it down with his undefeated competitor, forcing Flightline to chase him through blazing early fractions of :22.55 and :45.47. The Classic marked only his...

Undefeated Flightline (Tapit) closed as the 4-5 favorite following the completion of betting Monday in Pool #2 of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Future Wager. After a 19 1/4-length victory in Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar, Flightline led the listing of 23 horses and one "all others" wagering interest in the second Future Wager pool for the $6-million Longines GI Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at Keeneland Nov. 5. Pool #2 of the Future Wager generated $437,147 in total handle, more than doubling the $205,349...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--During a pre-season interview in early July, trainer Chad Brown offered another colt--at that point, with a low profile--to a discussion of his deep bench of GI Travers prospects: Zandon (Upstart), Early Voting (Gun Runner) and Jack Christopher (Munnings). "I have a late -bloomer, a horse named Artorius (Arrogate), that I really like," Brown said.  "He's going to run in the Curlin Stakes. Much like the dad, he's late bloomer. I'm not saying he's a threat to win the Travers, but I'm going to tell you: he's lightly...

   Two-time Breeders' Cup Champion and newly-crowned 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go is already well underway in his first year at stud at Taylor Made Stallions. It's been a whirlwind stretch for the five-time grade I winner over the past few weeks after his final career start in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. as he traveled from Florida to Kentucky and had just a few days to prepare for the upcoming breeding season before the shed doors officially opened. "He ran in the Pegasus on Jan....

When a racetrack musters a $3-million purse for a featured event, the hope is that racing's stars will attend the big dance. And this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. certainly succeeded in attracting two of the biggest names--Knicks Go (Paynter) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief)--in the American handicap division. Knicks Go, a 2 3/4-length winner in last year's Pegasus World Cup, finished fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup and GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. before reeling off four-straight wins, including the GI Whitney S. and in...

Three-time Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) will still race next at Del Mar's Breeders' Cup meeting in early November, as long as he remains well. The John and Thady Gosden trainee, who won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club last term, ran fourth in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot on Oct. 16. He kicked off his season with a victory in the $20-million Saudi Cup on dirt in February and added Meydan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic back on turf at the end of March. Third in...

The Week in Review We're inside the five-week mark to the Breeders' Cup, and the top five contenders for the GI Classic all won their final graded stakes prep starts over the last two weekends. This past Saturday, three of those horses wired 1 1/8-miles graded stakes and earned roughly equal Beyer Speed Figures of 107, 107 and 104. At first blush, those performances look similar on paper, and it's tempting to make the leap to say the Classic will be glutted with early gunners who could hook each other...

With his horse's year having been rejuvenated with a powerful performance in the GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H., trainer Brad Cox is ready to tackle bigger and better things with stable star Knicks Go (Paynter). Cox said Wednesday that Knicks Go will race next Aug. 7 in Saratoga's GI Whitney S., a 'Win and You're In' to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. "We always thought that the Whitney was the race we were going to point for this summer," Cox said. "We felt it was necessary to get a run...

The John Gosden-trained, Prince Faisal homebred Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) stole the show in Saturday's $20-million Saudi Cup. Gary King caught up with Ted Voute, racing manager to Prince Faisal, on Monday morning to reflect on the win. GK: Prince Faisal has enjoyed incredible success in the bloodstock world over the years, which includes breeding and racing Invincible Spirit (Ire). Where does this victory rank? TV: I think being on his home dirt, as it were, I would have to say Mishriff has made Prince Faisal a very proud...

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley Trainer Ken McPeek had set himself up for second guessing when he decided to run Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GI Preakness S.. Not only would she have to face males, the Preakness would be her ninth race of the year and Pimlico would be the ninth track she has competed at in 2020. With a start in October, she would have raced during every month on the calendar but April. By modern standards, it has been a bruising schedule and one that...

2018 G1 Yasuda Kinen hero Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) thrilled in the G3 Negishi S. 21 days ago, and he is now two-for-two over the dirt after a 2 1/2-length win in the G1 February S. at Tokyo on Sunday, a "Win and You're In" for the $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky on Nov. 7. The first of his Juddmonte-based sire's 10 Group 1 winners to take a top-level race on dirt, he is the fifth Japanese-based horse to win Group 1s on both dirt...