“Win and You're In”

On 'Song'–Again–In The Yasuda Kinen

A deluge of some 270 ml of rain--that's better than 10 inches for those of us less acquainted with the metric system--fell over the Tokyo Racecourse Friday and into early Saturday, leaving the turf course officially soft for the first of the two days of weekend racing. Sunday dawned with perfect weather and by the time the field entered the gates for the G1 Yasuda Kinen, the course had been upgraded to good-to-firm, and that played right into the hands of Sunday Racing's Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who came storming...

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New Owner, Trainer Bonus Program at Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will offer a number of unique incentives for owners and trainers at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, slated for Thursday, June 8 through Saturday, June 10, at Belmont Park which will be highlighted by the 155th running of the GI Belmont S., the final jewel of the Triple Crown. The event will encompass 16 stakes races worth a combined $7.65 million while the June 10 Belmont Stakes card will feature nine graded events, including three Breeders' Cup qualifying races as part of the...

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Fan-Favourite Sodashi Lands Horror Draw For Victoria Mile

Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), the world's most recognisable not to mention most talented registered white horse, has drawn the widest barrier in a field of 18 while making her 5-year-old reappearance in defence of her title in Sunday's G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for this year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita Park in California. A two-length winner of this event last season, Sodashi was only fifth as the favourite in last August's G2 Sapporo Kinen (2000m) behind Jack d'Or (Jpn)...

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Breeders' Cup Late Foal Noms Close Feb. 28

The deadline to nominate foals of 2022 to the Breeders' Cup program for a one-time late fee of $1,500 is Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The $1,500 nomination entitles each foal with lifetime eligibility to the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the Breeders' Cup Racing Programs, which include the global Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win & You're In and the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series. All foals sired by a fully nominated North American Breeders' Cup stallion are eligible for nomination to the Breeders' Cup program in...

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Breeders' Cup Prep Season in Full Swing on 'Super Saturday'

With Breeders' Cup weekend at Keeneland right around the corner, 15 graded stakes--including seven 'Win and You're In' events--will take place throughout North America on an absolutely loaded day of racing Saturday. Five of those graded races will go down in Lexington, including a stacked renewal of the 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. The overflow field of 14 (plus two AE's)'s lone graded winner, GI Hopeful S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), bypassed last weekend's GI Champagne S. in favor of this first attempt around...

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Let The Breeders' Cup Countdown Begin

There are but five weeks remaining between now and the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5, and many of horse racing's biggest names will take in their final prep races over the course of the next couple of weekends. Better than 40 graded stakes, the majority of which have championship weekend implications, are set to take place from sea to shining sea, including 21 'Win and You're In' events offering the winners an all-expenses paid trip to the Bluegrass. Santa Anita stages one of the four Breeders' Cup...

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In-Form Sibelius Sets His Sights on Breeders' Cup Sprint

After airing in front-running fashion in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. with a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure earlier this month--his second straight triple digit rating--progressive 4-year-old sprinter Sibelius (Not This Time) is getting good at the right time. Just how good, exactly? That question will be answered in Keeneland's 'Win and You're In' GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. on opening day Oct. 7. "I'm a big believer in horses getting confident when they win," trainer Jerry O'Dwyer said. "When they back it up, back-to-back like he has, he's...

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Hronis and Sadler Team Up for Course Record with Bran in Turf Sprint

It turns out Flightline (Tapit) isn't only fast horse Hronis Racing has in the John Sadler barn, as Bran (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}) set a new course record of 1:07.41 for the six furlongs of the GII FanDuel Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. A "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the $1 million race was being contested for the 24th time and was Sadler's first win at the Franklin, Ky. track after just a handful of starts. At 11-1, Bran broke uneventfully and sat...

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Blockbuster Kentucky Downs Card on Tap Saturday

Kentucky Downs will host six graded events Saturday, led by the 'Win and You're In' $1-million GII Fanduel Turf Sprint S. and $1-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup S. NBC Sports will broadcast both live on CNBC. After successfully defending his title in Saratoga's GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S. Aug. 27, Gufo (Declaration of War) returns on short notice for the Kentucky Turf Cup. He is the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The 8-year-old Arklow (Arch) looks for his third win from five attempts in this contest following victories in 2018...

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Breeders' Cup Launches “En Vivo” Spanish Language Coverage Of Select Challenge Series Races

The Breeders' Cup has launched "Breeders' Cup En Vivo," an all-Spanish digital series covering three upcoming Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: 'Win and You're In' races. Each broadcast will take place from locations representing the three regional divisions established this year for the Challenge Series. "Breeders' Cup En Vivo" will launch with the GI Ballerina S. on Sunday, Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course for the East Division. The Breeders' Cup "En Vivo" team, established in 2021, will return this year with co-hosts Claudia Spadaro, Darwin Vizcaya, Emanuel Aguilar, Roberto Rodriguez...

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Grade I Winners Prep For Foster

A week ahead of their expected clash in the $750,000 GII Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs, 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and fellow Grade I winner Americanrevolution (Constitution) each breezed five furlongs beneath the Twin Spires Saturday morning. The adjudicated winner of the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby, Mandaloun hit the track at 5:30 a.m. and covered the five furlongs while working on his own in 1:00.80 under the watchful eye of trainer Brad Cox. His previous moves had come in the company of his GIII Oaklawn Mile-winning stablemate...

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All-Star Cast For Takarazuka Kinen

Hanshin Racecourse is the site of Sunday's fan-voted G1 Takarazuka Kinen over the metric 11-furlong trip, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland Race Course the first weekend of November. And with scarcely an exception, 18 of Japan's best middle-distance horses--with formlines from all over the world--are set to face the starter. A logical case can be made for perhaps as many as nine runners Sunday afternoon, including reigning Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who looks to bounce...

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