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Highfield Princess Will Skip Breeders’ Cup In Favor of Hong Kong Sprint

Trainers House Enterprises Ltd.'s G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines winner Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) will make her next start in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Dec. 10, trainer John Quinn revealed. The 6-year-old mare had originally planned to start next in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, but will skip a trip to California in favor of a journey to the Far East.

“All being well, we're going to go to Hong Kong with her,” Quinn said. “It gives the mare a bit longer, which is probably the main thing. It's six furlongs in Hong Kong and the ground can be rattling hard in America–at Santa Anita it can be like the road. We just thought all in all we'd plump for Hong Kong.

“She's come out of the Abbaye well, she's in great nick so we're happy. We just want to keep her in good form and have her in good nick and we'll give it a twirl.”

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‘We Think It’s The Right Opportunity’: Lukas Classic Winner Clapton Will Point To Breeders’ Cup Classic

Trainer Chad Summers told the Daily Racing Form on Monday that his Grade 2 Lukas Classic winner Clapton will point to the Breeders' Cup Classic as his next start. The field may oversubscribe, but Summers believes the opportunity is worth a shot.

“He is just thriving out of the [Lukas] Classic. He came out of the race better than he went in,” Summers told DRF. “The race should have pace in it with Arabian Knight and Saudi Crown. They should go fast. You don't always get these kinds of opportunities. We think it's the right opportunity for the way the horse is going and how he's doing.”

Clapton won the Lukas Classic by a head, following a fourth-place finish in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Prior to that, under the care of trainer Juan Alvarado, the colt won the G3 Ghostzapper at Gulfstream and finished second in the G2 Suburban.

Bred in Florida by Arindel, the 4-year-old son of Brethren was a private purchase over the summer by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Alnuami (RRR Racing). Clapton's primary targets for early 2024 will be the Maktoum Challenge on Jan. 26 and the Dubai World Cup on March 30.

Champion Channel Maker Retired; May Take Spot At Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall Of Champions

Channel Maker, the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning Champion Male Turf Horse, has officially been retired, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News. The 9-year-old gelded son of English Channel most recently finished 11th in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 13, but won the G2 Bowling Green Stakes two starts back at Saratoga.

Overall, Channel Maker won 10 of his 56 career starts for earnings of $3,915,983. He ran in the Breeders' Cup a record six times, with his best finish in 2020 when third in the Turf. Channel Maker was also the Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old in 2017, running fourth in the Queen's Plate and winning the Breeders' Stakes (third leg of Canadian Triple Crown) over the turf.

“I've never had a horse that's run at the highest level against the toughest competition from 2 through 9,” co-owner Adam Wachtel told TDN. “I love what (trainer) Bill (Mott) had to say about him after the Bowling Green; he said he's the happiest horse in the barn.”

Wachtel told TDN he hopes that Channel Maker will be able to take up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions.

For the ’Gram: 12 Must-See Spots While at Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park

Anyone lucky enough to visit multiple U.S. racetracks would make the observation that each one has its own unique charm. Some horse tracks are bigger than others. Some allow you to get closer to the horses, while others are designed to accommodate a range of attractions including live music, backyard picnics, fine dining, or VIP-level seating and hospitality.