Soumillon has not ridden since he was forced to stand down from commitments at the Breeders' Cup after failing a mandatory COVID-19 test.

As a result the Belgian, who was not showing any symptoms at the time of the test, had to spend the meeting in isolation while the two horses he was due to ride at Keeneland, Tarnawa and Order Of Australia, went on to capture the Breeders' Cup Turf and Mile respectively. Colin Keane rode Tarnawa and Pierre-Charles Boudot was on Order Of Australia.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said Soumillon was due to arrive in Hong Kong on Thursday to begin quarantine and will be ready to ride from Dec. 13 – the date of the Longines Hong Kong International Races – until the license expires of Feb. 13.

A statement said: “Jockey Soumillon is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong on 26th November and will undertake the mandatory 14 days quarantine period under the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E).

“Jockey Soumillon is presently in the UAE. Nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS CoV2) PCR Tests on 12th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd November have been negative.”

Soumillon has enjoyed previous successful stints in Hong Kong. In March this year he became the most successful jockey in French history when he won his 3,315th race at Compiegne, surpassing the total of wins established by Yves Saint-Martin.

This story originally appeared at Horse Racing Planet and has been reprinted here with permission.

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They've gone silent.

Officials with the Breeders' Cup, Keeneland and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission managed to stage five world championship races for 2-year-olds on Nov. 6 (seven races for juveniles if you include a pair of undercard stakes) where the letter “L” for Lasix was missing next to each horse's name in the program, past performances and official chart.

Eighty-five 2-year-olds competed without race-day administration of Lasix. I'm sure some of the horses showed signs of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage when they were examined by endoscope following their races, but the bottom line is this: The sky did not fall because of a ban on Lasix.

On Nov. 7, the second day of the Breeders' Cup, things were back to “normal.” All 88 North American-based horses contesting nine championship races (plus all 28 runners in undercard stakes) were given an injection of Lasix approximately four hours before competition – whether or not they really needed it to treat internal bleeding. Trainers of 13 of 18 runners from overseas opted to have the drug given to their horses, too, even though they don't need it or use it in their home countries. All of the European winners – Glass Slippers in the Turf Sprint, Audarya in the Filly & Mare Turf, Order of Australia in the Mile (plus the second- and third-place runners from Aidan O'Brien's Irish stable) and Tanawa in the Turf – raced on Lasix.

I think it's fair to assume the use of this drug is a “when in Rome” decision by those overseas  trainers who don't want to compete on a playing field that isn't level. And if they didn't believe Lasix enhances performance of the competition they were facing, why would they use it on their horses?

It's not just the Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday program that has gone Lasix-free. In several major racing jurisdictions across the U.S., 2-year-old Thoroughbreds are competing without the use of the race-day drug. And the sky is still not falling.

I've talked to several trainers who were not eager for the change and they've said a small percentage of their 2-year-olds have bled this year – one of them adding that it's possible a horse that did bleed might have done so even if it had been administered Lasix. One of the trainers said horses seem to be coming out of their no-Lasix races with more energy than their 2-year-olds had in previous years when competing with the drug in their system..

Things get more complicated in 2021 when the ban on Lasix is extended to all stakes races in states where a coalition of tracks are partially eliminating the drug. That means horses likely will be racing on Lasix in non-2-year-old maiden and allowance races, then going without it in stakes races. Will “Lasix off” become the same kind of handicapping angle many horseplayers now use with “Lasix on”?  It's not a good look for a sport when drugs are considered a factor in whether or not a horse will win.

The stakes race Lasix ban also means trainers with horses that have a history of bleeding will be trying other remedies. There will be lots of junk science and snake oil being sold.

The pearl clutchers who claim American racehorses cannot survive without Lasix are the same people who maintained that anabolic steroids were therapeutic and that horses (especially geldings) needed them to get through demanding training regimens. They're the same people who say horses need regular doses of clenbuterol because they're in dusty barn environments that create breathing problems.

Lasix is not the biggest problem facing this sport. It's nowhere near the focus of the FBI's investigation into illegal doping of racehorses that will be playing out for months, possibly years, to come. But the use of Lasix in nearly 100% of horses to address a problem that exists in a much smaller percentage of runners is an indication of how pervasive horse racing's drug culture has become.

That's my view from the eighth pole.

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It was a first Breeders' Cup victory for the 28-year-old Sinnott, as well as for top Irish trainer Weld and 2020's champion Irish jockey Colin Keane.

“It was my first time bringing a horse to America, and we all had a bit of luck on our side,” Sinnott said, his lyrical tone rising to accentuate the emotion of the moment. “In the test barn (after the win) my phone was just buzzing away in my pocket, and it was actually Dermot Weld himself and he couldn't have been happier; it was a very special win for him.”

Coming into the Breeders' Cup off wins in the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines, Tarnawa was sent to post as the third choice in the talented field of 10. She was facing 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up and world-traveler Magical, Group 1 winners Mogul and Lord North, as well as top American hopes Channel Maker and Arklow.

She lost her footing a bit at the start of the 1 1/2-mile contest, and Keane guided Tarnawa over to the rail to save ground along the rail near the rear of the pack. The filly worked her way out to the five-path and moved up into fifth near the head of the lane, but still had nearly four lengths to make up.

Sinnott was watching from the rail, cheering Tarnawa home as she powered to a one-length victory over Magical.

The field for the 2020 Breeders' Cup Turf makes its way around the Keeneland turf course

“When she came into the home straight my heart began to beat a little bit quicker,” Sinnott remembered. “I tell ya, I was nice and calm, but I think I just jumped off the wall and let a few rolls out. The emotions got the best of me. It was an incredible moment, and I'll never forget it as long as I live. It was brilliant to do what she'd done.”

Everything had gone well since Tarnawa arrived in the United States over a week before the race, from her morning gallops under Sinnott, gate schooling, and her attitude in the stall. Stable lads in Europe are both the exercise rider and the groom, so Sinnott knew the filly was as well prepared as possible for the biggest test of her career.

“In a strange sort of way, I was more anxious for her to not let herself down,” said Sinnott. “Things were going very well, everything according to plan, and we were expecting a big run. I was just hoping that she would do herself justice.

“It was just a fairytale plan.”

Born in Wexford, Ireland, Sinnott has worked around horses for as long as he can remember.

“At my home place in Ireland we've always had young horses and mares,” the lad said. “One year I decided I might try riding a few. It was madness maybe, but we kind of progressed into actually trying to make a living out of it. I don't think we made too much of a bad decision!”

Sinnott went first to a local trainer's yard to learn how to ride, then attended the racing academy at the Curragh for a year before he was sent to a trainer in France for further schooling. Sinnott spent 2 1/2 years with trainer Connor O'Dwyer, also from Wexford, before the full-time opportunity to ride for Weld came about six years ago

Today, Sinnott rides out for several other trainers early in the morning at the Curragh, then works for Weld, then rides a few other mounts during lunch hours. He also rides a few races both on the flat and over jumps, and even rode over timber in the United States for Leslie Young during a three-month span two years ago.

With all that experience, it isn't hard to see why Sinnott would be entrusted with a promising filly like Tarnawa. He has been aboard her all season and said she's actually pretty easy to work around.

“She's a very straightforward filly, as honest as you get,” Sinnott said. “It's unbelievable, I've never ridden a horse that has passion as she does… She's after establishing a big fan base in Ireland.”

When Sinnott returned home this week, he was required to begin a 14-day quarantine due to pandemic restrictions. He also had to pass a COVID test before traveling to the United States for the Breeders' Cup, but said the extra steps were all worth it in the end.

“It was an unbelievable result,” Sinnott said. “We were fairly confident, but as you know it was such a competitive race. We figured if she runs well, we'll be happy, but to go and win was really incredible.

“She's actually after winning me heart. I've been lucky enough to ride very good horses in the yard, like Harzand, but this one is by far the best one I've ever ridden.”

Dean Sinnott (right) with the victorious Tarnawa

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“We've been on a great run,” said Geroux, who won aboard Aunt Pearl and Monomoy Girl at the Breeders' Cup. “It was an incredible weekend aboard some fantastic horses. Now, back at Churchill, we're continuing to do well.”

In total, Geroux recorded 16 wins through Friday's halfway mark of the 24-day Fall Meet. Geroux, typically the first-call rider for trainer Brad Cox, has recorded victories for 10 different trainers at the meet. Besides Cox, Geroux has also recorded wins for Tom Amoss, Rusty Arnold, Juan Cano, Wayne Catalano, Phil D'Amato, Eddie Kenneally, Mike Maker, Tom Van Berg and Brian Williamson.

“We had a great Breeders' Cup weekend next to Brad's four wins,” said Geroux, who is represented by veteran agent Doug Bredar. “I've stuck with Brad for a long time and it's been a snowball effect over the last few years – not only at the Breeders' Cup but just for our business in general.

“It's been a challenging year when we stopped racing over the winter with the pandemic. We've been very grateful to be able to run and do our job through this.”

Geroux was named to ride six horses on Sunday's program and 10 on Wednesday and Thursday. He remained one win ahead of Tyler Gaffalione and Ricardo Santana Jr. in the jockey standings.

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The statement follows: “Prior to the running of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (Gr. 1) on November 7, 2020, at Keeneland, a photo eye at the start of the race was  inadvertently tripped, which resulted in an error when attempting to operate the timing system manually causing inaccurate timing for all fractions and the final time of the race. A final time of 1:59.19 was initially provided by Equibase using the available video replay.

“After subsequent and more detailed review and timing of the race from multiple sources and camera angles, Keeneland and Equibase have determined the fractional times for the Classic (:23.20, :46.84, 1:10.32, 1:34.64) and confirmed a final time of 1:59.60. The Classic chart has been updated and the running of Authentic in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is now the official track record for the 1 1/4-mile distance at Keeneland.”

With traditional timing beam systems, a track's clocker initiates the timing system when the gates open. The timing of the race begins when the leading horse trips the electronic beam at the appropriate pole on the racetrack – in this instance three-sixteenths of a mile from the finish line on the 1 1/16-mile oval. Subsequent fractional times are recorded when the leading horse trips the beams at poles around the track.

The statement from Keeneland and Equibase does not explain why an initial fraction of :17.19 for the opening quarter mile was initially posted on the track television feed. If the teletimer beam after the start of the race was tripped early, as suggested, the initial quarter-mile fraction would have been slower than normal, not faster. In addition, Keeneland and Equibase failed to explain why there was no hand-timing of such an important race in the event of a timing failure, something that is standard operating procedure at some tracks.

The previous record for the seldom-run 1 1/4-mile distance at Keeneland was 2:00.07, established by American Pharoah in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic. The fastest Breeders' Cup Classic ever run was by Ghostzapper when he covered the distance at Lone Star Park in Texas in 1:59.02 in 2004.

The Keeneland dirt track played exceedingly fast during the two-day Breeders' Cup meet, with new records established for six furlongs (1:07.89) by Nashville in the Perryville Stakes; 6 1/2 furlongs (1:14.99) by Highly Motivated in the Nyquist Stakes; seven furlongs (1:20.20)  by Gamine in the G1 Filly & Mare Sprint; one mile (1:33.85) by Knicks Go in the G1 Dirt Mile; and 1 1/4 miles (1:59.60) by Authentic in the Classic. One turf course record was broken for 1 3/16 miles (1:52.72) by Aurdarya in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Trakus, a system used by Keeneland and a number of other racetracks in North American to track the location of horses throughout each race, published the following times on the 2020 Classic: :23.20, :47.06, 1:10.84, 1:35.00 and 1:59.82.

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The victory aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Authentic was the first Classic win for the 48-year-old Velazquez, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I've been chasing this race for quite a while,” said Velazquez. “For him to do it for me is incredible. What a feeling. The older I get the more emotional I get. It worked out perfect,” added Velazquez. “Bob said to take him to the lead so he doesn't wander so much and keep his mind on running. It worked out. He did everything I wanted him to do.”

Velazquez sent the reigning Kentucky Derby winner to the front and never looked back en route to a two-length win in the $6-million Grade 1 Classic, setting a track record 10 furlongs.

The Classic victory marked the 18th Breeders' Cup win for Velazquez, who kicked off Saturday's Breeders' Cup program by piloting Gamine to a track record score by 6 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Sprint, covering the seven-furlong distance in 1:20.20, also for Baffert.

“We knew that other horse (Serengeti Empress) would come out running, but I didn't want to give it up too easy,” Velazquez said. “I put a little pressure on because I know that filly is really tough on the lead. I made sure I was close. When I asked my filly, she was there for me.”

Velazquez was also the leading money-earning jockey for the week with $3,756,499 in purses.

Velazquez out-polled fellow riders Kendrick Carmouche who posted the most wins for the week with nine, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won three stakes races at Keeneland including two Breeders' Cup races, Joel Rosario who also won three stakes races at Keeneland with two Breeders' Cup events and Luis Saez who won two stakes races including one Breeders' Cup race.

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There was just one problem: Baffert didn't have a passport or a birth certificate. Born in the small border town of Nogales, Ariz., the future Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer had never left the country before that first victorious trip to the UAE.

Enter Cindy Niemetz, the West Coast representative for the International Racing Bureau. The logistical frontwoman secured that first passport for Baffert, including making calls to the hospital at which the trainer was born to prove he was who he said he was.

Twenty-two years later, Niemetz is still making molehills out of logistical mountains for trainers and their staff the world over. For the past two weeks, she's been in charge of the quarantine barn for international shippers at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, held this year at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Niemetz is up close and personal with the horses and their staff from the moment they step off their international flights to the moment they board again to head home, and does her best to make the Breeders' Cup experience as easy and as memorable as possible for all the individuals involved.

“We're just basically a concierge,” Niemetz said, laughing good-naturedly. “I'm also like a mother hen; I'm very protective of all my people here.”

The job can require a delicate touch, maintaining the occasionally tenuous balance between keeping trainers happy and following the rules of the USDA as well as whichever jurisdiction the Breeders' Cup is being held in.

“A lot of them don't know the rules of going out on a track, because they have their own gallops at home,” explained Niemetz. “We make sure they know, the exercise riders, the rules of the racetrack. They have to gallop 20 feet off the rail, if you're doing fast work you can go by the rail, and backtracking the opposite way. We also tell them about our starting gate, which is very different from any Europeans'. We have to make sure that they have a vet and a farrier, if they need it.”

Every flight is held in a separate barn, and the horses are under strict quarantine for 48 hours after landing. From then on, horses are allowed to leave the quarantine area strictly for training or racing, but cannot otherwise break quarantine or they will be required to undergo a separate 30-day quarantine before returning to their country of origin.

“When we go racing, we have the USDA follow us over,” Niemetz said. “We also escort them over to the receiving barn, the saddling paddock, and the track, in case somebody needs something. It's a very different way of racing here, so we're there in case they have any questions.”

Niemetz speaks English and what she calls “stable Spanish,” and can understand French but doesn't speak it quite as well. An art major in college, she's ridden horses since she was three years old.

“The man who taught me (to ride) was the same man who taught Elizabeth Taylor for National Velvet,” Niemetz said. “I showed a little bit, but mostly fox hunting and steeplechasing. I kind of like the hell-bent-for-leather!”

She worked for California Thoroughbred magazine in the art department after college, then met her first husband and went racing all over the world for several years. For five years after that, Niemetz served as an assistant to the late Hall of Fame trainer Gary Jones before taking up the mantle of the IRB in 1987.

While she has no fear on the back of a horse, the IRB job showcases a totally different side of Niemetz' personality: she's incredibly organized. Posted every morning at the quarantine barn is a training schedule she's coordinated the night before, listing which horse goes to which track at what time, whether or not they require an American pony/pony person, and whether they'll head to the gate or school in the paddock before coming back to quarantine.

Niemetz is also in charge of licensing for every international attendee. That includes the trainers, the stable staff, the owners, and the jockeys.

“They don't have licenses in Europe,” she explained. “Every state we're in, I vouch for them. If I have to go to the stewards for something, that's what I do. But I've been doing this a long time, and people trust me.”

Trainers are required to have workers' compensation in the United States in order to be licensed. While they have a similar program in Europe, some U.S. states don't recognize that insurance as valid, so Niemetz has to help navigate those issues as well.

The COVID-19 restrictions have added to her workload this year, including requiring health certificates and negative COVID tests from all staff before getting on the plane.

“It's a very hard event to put on,” Niemetz said. “My job is trying to keep everybody happy, and to help them all have a good experience.”

Via the IRB, Niemetz is also involved in getting U.S. nominations and securing travel arrangements for Royal Ascot, the Japan Cup, Hong Kong International Races, and both the Saudi and Dubai World Cups. She usually travels to those events as well, but COVID has put a damper on that this year.

In fact, Niemetz drove all the way to Kentucky from her home base in Southern California, along with her husband, a retired regulatory veterinarian. The couple arrived about two weeks before the event to oversee the quarantine area set-up, and won't leave until the last horse is off the grounds.

“I'm very protective of the horse; the horse comes first to me,” Niemetz said.

A couple of her favorite horses from the Breeders' Cup events have been Ouija Board, two-time winner of the Filly & Mare Turf, and “the Queen” Enable, winner of the 2018 Turf.

The 33-year veteran has no plans to retire soon, either. The job keeps Niemetz around the animals she loves, which she's especially thankful for after surviving a bout with cervical cancer 10 years ago.

“I can't ride anymore, so this is a good alternative for me,” she said, smiling. “I just love being around the horses, and while I never imagined this is the job I'd end up in, it's been perfect for me.”

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Additional pledges and final donations are still being received, but the program is thrilled with the overwhelming support of the fundraiser. This marks the Pledge's eleventh year with over $790,000 raised since 2009, and 100 percent of funds going directly to support the program's rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming efforts.

A total of 50 Championship contenders with prominent connections pledged a percentage of their Breeders' Cup earnings.  Pledge participants included Albaugh Family Stables, Bass Stables, Bethlehem Stables LLC, Bob Baffert, Breeze Easy LLC, China Horse Club Inc, CJ Thoroughbreds, Michael Dubb, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, eFive Racing, John and Diane Fradkin, Gatsas Stables, Tim Hamm, Harrell Ventures LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Heider Family Stables, R.A. Hill Stables, Michael Hui, Klaravich Stables, Robert V. LaPenta, LNJ Foxwoods, Madaket Stables LLC, Richard Mandella, Maximum Security/Coolmore, Michael McCarthy, Peter Miller, Monomoy Stables, H. Graham Motion, MyRacehorse Stable, Todd Pletcher, Repole Stable, River Oak Farm, Kirk and Judy Robison, Sackatoga Stable, Domenic Savides, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm, Jack Sisterson, Spendthrift Farm, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Stables, Damon Thayer, The Elkstone Group LLC, Three Diamonds Farm, Wertheimer et Frere and WinStar Farm.

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Unlike 2001, this year’s championships produced no singular “Tiznow wins it for America!” moment to buoy the spirit of a nation in crisis. But the crescendo of Authentic (Into Mischief)’s GI Classic win was dramatically satisfying in its own right, and the subplots of the supporting races unfolded with enough twists of interest to spur decent day-after debate while providing more than a few intriguing horses to look forward to in 2021.

Not everything went perfectly–we’ll get to that momentarily. But with COVID-19 adversely tilting the balance of everyday life right now, the industry can breathe a collective sigh of relief that the Triple Crown races and the Breeders’ Cup are safely in the books and not too badly banged up considering the outsized doses of disruption and havoc that 2020 imposed upon our economy and the sporting landscape.

Yes, big-event betting handles have been down, overnight purses nationwide have taken hits, and the auctions are in flux. But things could be far worse for Thoroughbred racing considering everything that’s happened over the past 10 months. Viewed through the prism of realistic expectations, this year’s Breeders’ Cup rates a thumbs up based on perseverance and competitiveness alone.

You can take your pick among the dueling storylines percolating to the surface in the aftermath of this year’s event. The pandemic itself even provided a few in microcosm: Three of the Grade I races (Turf, Mile, Filly and Mare Turf) were won by jockeys picking up those mounts only because the first-call riders tested positive for COVID-19.

But the “old-fashioned American dirt horse dominance” theme has to rank near the top of Breeders’ Cup topics that will resonate. The trend is notable because it’s part of an intentional shifting of the arc.

When Keeneland switched from a main synthetic surface back to a traditional dirt track in 2014 after an eight-year experiment with Polytrack, one of its stated intentions was to “be more competitive in attracting the top horses and Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup contenders and in hosting major racing events.”

It’s now six years into that dirt rebirth and Keeneland has hosted two Breeders’ Cups. The first, in 2015, was capped by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah engineering an unprecedented “Grand Slam” by trouncing the field at every call in the Classic. On Saturday, we saw Authentic, this year’s wire-to-wire GI Kentucky Derby winner, step up against older foes and unleash yet another front-running tour de force that catapulted him 2 1/4 lengths clear of a deep field of Classic contenders.

Those speed-centric accomplishments are already (in American Pharoah’s case) and will eventually be (for Authentic) having an impact on the bloodstock marketplace, underscoring how one major racing venue (and sales company)’s decision to switch surfaces can produce wider downstream effects in a relatively short period of time.

“The American dirt horse is tough, strong, and fast,” colleague Sid Fernando wrote in a 2019 TDN column. “He’s an athlete. He’s a combination of speed and stamina, bred to race on an unforgivingly hard surface, bred to race at two, bred to break quickly from the gate, bred to run hard early, bred to withstand pressure late.”

That pretty much sums up Authentic in 2020, doesn’t it? Or, for that matter, the Breeders’ Cup performances of Knicks Go (Paynter), the newly explosive wire-to-wire winner of the GI Dirt Mile, and pedal-to-the-metal phenom Gamine (Into Mischief), who conceded the early lead but stalked menacingly before pouncing in the stretch of her 6 1/4-length romp in the GI Filly and Mare Sprint. All three winners were credited with track-record times, providing future fodder to bolster the sales catalogue pages of their offspring.

Records made to be broken?

We’ve all heard the old saying that records are made to be broken. But the two-day Breeders’ Cup meet at Keeneland took that concept to the extreme. Counting the undercard races, dirt-track records were smashed at 6, 6 1/2, 7, 8 and 10 furlongs. Had Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) run just a tenth of a second faster in winning the GI Distaff, she would have eclipsed the 9-furlong mark. For good measure, the rarely contested 1 3/16 miles turf record also fell.

Keeneland’s main-track records have to be taken with a figurative grain of salt (or grain of dirt in this case). The track has not only changed in composition several times, but its configuration has been altered since 2006, making comparisons to previous dirt-era records impossible. The current dirt records pertain only to races from the autumn of 2014 onward, and the first Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland also established five then-records, largely because so few dirt races were available for comparison at that time.

Complicating matters additionally on Saturday, Keeneland’s teletimer was inadvertently tripped prior to the start of the Classic. So Authentic’s track-record time of 1:59.19 for 1 1/4 miles in a $6-million championship race had to be determined by timing it off a video replay, which is neither ideal nor the industry standard. As of this writing, no fractional splits have been added to the official Equibase chart.

So what about the other cliché we’ve all heard, that time only matters when you’re in jail? Maybe it’s more important to assess how the Breeders’ Cup winners ran rather than how fast.

The B-word (bias) is never far from discussion on big race days or championship weekends, although it’s evolved considerably since the era when dirt tracks were widely believed to be souped up (and in some cases actually were) for major events.

The raw numbers tell us that Keeneland carded 14 main-track races over Friday and Saturday. Five of them were won wire-to-wire. Five were won by forwardly placed horses not too far off the lead. Four were won by off-the-pace closers.

By that calculation, speed-centric horses accounted for 10 of 14 wins. But six of those winners were favored, and most likely would have been well-backed regardless of how the track was perceived to be playing. Perhaps more impactful is the argument that ties into the point above about the defining quality of American dirt racers in general: If speed is more or less the “universal bias” on this continent, no one should be surprised when races slant that way.

If you drill down further and cull from those Keeneland results two “outlier” races that were won by closers–the marathon 1 5/8 miles race on Friday that started from a backstretch chute and the second race on Saturday whose complexion was marred by a spill at the front of the pack turning for home–that leaves only two horses over the weekend who legitimately closed into the teeth of the prevailing trend: Essential Quality (Tapit) rallied from well back to win the GI Juvenile (aided by the fastest opening half-mile split in that race since 2003), and fan favorite Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), who upset the GI Sprint under a deft rail-skimming ride after being buried in the back for most of his trip.

Lasix: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out

There is one other over-arching aspect of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup that is worth mentioning: This was the first year of the planned phasing-out of Lasix for the World Championships. Earlier this year, most major American racing jurisdictions prohibited the 2-year-old use of the controversial anti-bleeding medication on race day, and all five of the races for juveniles on Friday were mandated Lasix-free.

Those 2-year-old fields were robust, diversely matched, and for the most part formful. It was also heartening to hear a respected trainer like Ken McPeek say earlier in the week that not having one of his Juvenile entrants on Lasix was a reason he felt confident about running the young colt back with only 12 days between starts.

But Saturday was a different story because the older Breeders’ Cup horses were allowed Lasix. After getting blanked on Friday, European-based trainees swept all four of the second-day grass championships–and every single one was captured by a first-time-Lasix (FTL) user.

Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead), the only FTL entrant in the GI Turf Sprint, won by a half-length at 10-1.

Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the FTL course-record victress in the Filly and Mare Turf, won by a neck at 17-1.

The GI Mile trifecta (73-1, 11-1,18-1) was keyed by FTL Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with the other two placings rounded out by another European going back on Lasix for only the second time in his life and yet another FTL entrant.

The GI Turf exacta was comprised of the FTL filly Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) besting Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose only other lifetime Lasix start was when she ran second in the 2018 version of the Turf.

Lasix is on schedule to be completely phased out for all Breeders’ Cup stakes in 2021.

The irony can’t be understated: America is attempting to follow a European-styled model of prohibiting race-day medications. Yet the rules that were in place for this year’s Breeders’ Cup allowed for the European shippers to maximize the use of Lasix to their advantage.

The post The Week in Review: Quintessential ‘American Way’ on Display at Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Cox won the final two races on Future Stars Friday with Aunt Pearl (IRE) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) with Essential Quality.

On Saturday, he sent out Knicks Go, who shattered the track record in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1), and Monomoy Girl to her second victory in the Longines Distaff (G1).

In 2003, Mandella saddled four Breeders' Cup winners under the single-day format of the Championships conducted from 1984-2006.

Authentic Becomes Sixth Kentucky Derby Winner to Take Classic 
Authentic became the sixth Kentucky Derby winner to capture the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and fourth to do it in the same year. The other 3-year-olds to win the Classic are Sunday Silence (1989), Unbridled (1990) and American Pharoah (2015). Ferdinand, the 1986 Derby winner, and Alysheba, the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner, both came back the following year to win the Classic as 4-year-olds.                               

Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Third Consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode two winners and added a second- and third-place finish, won the 18^th annual Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey in the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships hosted by Keeneland.

Ortiz's victories came on Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2) and Whitmore (Sprint-G1). He finished second on Improbable in the Classic (G1) and third on Sharp Samurai in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1).

Joel Rosario, Florent Geroux, John Velazquez and Pierre-Charles Boudot also rode two winners.

Rosario, who rode three winners in 2018 at Churchill Downs and two last year at Santa Anita, got his 2020 victories on Vequist (Juvenile Fillies-G1) and Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1)

Geroux's two victories came on Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1). Velasquez won the Longines Classic (G1) on Authentic and the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on Gamine. Boudot picked up his first two Breeders' Cup victories on Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on Order of Australia (IRE).

Four Jockeys Claim Initial Breeders' Cup Victories 
Four riders posted their first Breeders' Cup victories over the weekend.

Pierre-Charles Boudot, who was riding in his third Breeders' Cup, picked up his first two Breeders' Cup victories on Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on Order of Australia (IRE).

Luis Saez, riding in his seventh World Championships, won the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) on Essential Quality.

Tom Eaves, riding in his first Breeders' Cup, won the Turf Sprint (G1) on Glass Slippers (GB).

Colin Keane, also riding in his first Breeders' Cup, won the Longines Turf (G1) on Tarnawa (IRE).

Weld, Three Other Trainers Post Initial Breeders' Cup Victories
Dermot Weld, who saddled his first two Breeders' Cup starters in 1985, broke through Saturday with his first victory in the World Championships when Tarnawa (IRE) won the Longines Turf (G1). Tarnawa represented Weld's 17^th Breeders' Cup starter.  james fan

Also picking up their initial victories were Ron Moquett, Kevin Ryan and James Fanshawe.

Moquett won the Sprint (G1) with Whitmore who was running in the Sprint for the fourth consecutive year. Moquett, who saddled his first Breeders' Cup runner in 1999, has started two other horses besides Whitmore.

Ryan, who won the Turf Sprint (G1) with Glass Slippers (GB), had had only one previous Breeders' Cup starter with East (GB), who had finished second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Fanshawe won with his first Breeders' Cup starter, Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Five Favorites Won Over the Weekend 
Five favorites delivered victories from the 14 Championship races during the 2020 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland with three more finishing second.

The winning favorites were Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2), Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1), Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1), Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1).

The highest price winner of the weekend was Order of Australia (IRE) in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) with a $148.40 win mutuel on a $2 bet.

Kentucky and European-Based Runners Dominate at Keeneland 
There were 14 World Championship races this weekend at Keeneland and Kentucky-based runners accounted for victories in half of them.

The Kentucky-based winners were Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2), Fire At Will (Juvenile Turf presented by Coolmore America-G1), Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1), Essential Quality (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-G1), Whitmore (Sprint-G1), Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1).

The Europeans made a clean sweep of the four turf races Saturday starting with Glass Slippers (GB) in the Turf Sprint (G1) and followed by Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1), Order of Australia (IRE) in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) and Tarnawa (IRE) in the Longines Turf (G1).

California was represented by two winners, both trained by Bob Baffert and both track record-setters: Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1) and Authentic (Longines Classic-G1).

The other winner was Parx-based Vequist in Friday's Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Jockeys (by earnings)

*Denotes Active Jockey

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Jockeys (by wins)

*Denotes Active Jockey

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Trainers (by earnings)

*Denotes Active Trainer

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Trainers (by win)

*Denotes Active Trainer

Jockeys Who Won Their First Breeders' Cup World Championships race in 2020

Trainers Who Won Their First Breeders' Cup World Championships race in 2020

Future Sites

The 38^th Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, Nov. 5-6, 2021 and return to Keeneland for the 39^threnewal Nov. 4-5, 2022.

The post Odds And Ends: Cox Second Trainer To Win Four Cup Races, Quartet Of Jockeys, Trainers Have Breakthrough Wins appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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