Tag: Breeders’ Cup

Breeders’ Cup 40 is Here!

ARCADIA, CA – Forty looks good on you, Breeders' Cup.

With defending winners Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (Turf Sprint), Cody's Wish (Curlin) (Dirt Mile), Elite Power (Curlin) (Sprint) and Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (F/M Sprint) all back to defend their titles, the two-day Championships–consisting of 14 races with purses and awards totaling more than $31 million–gets underway for a record 11th time at Santa Anita Friday.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s–welcome back to Southern California!–will be on the menu as the weekend kicks off with a 10-race, 'Future Stars Friday' program.

“This is what it's all about,” Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi said. “The Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, there is nothing that's bigger than that in our game.”

All eyes will be on Spendthrift Farm's unbeaten 'Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) as she looks to emulate her larger-than-life-dam Beholder (Henny Hughes) with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. A terrific field has been assembled for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, led by last-out GISWs and 'Rising Stars' Locked (Gun Runner), Timberlake (Into Mischief), and the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Muth (Good Magic) and Prince of Monaco (Speightstown).

Some of the headliners for the trio of wide-open 2-year-old turf races include: Royal Ascot G2 Coventry S. winner River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (Juvenile Turf); GI Natalma S. heroine She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) (Juvenile Fillies Turf); and returning G2 Queen Mary S. winner Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) (Juvenile Turf Sprint).

Baffert will very likely be favored to secure a fifth win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with 'Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) following the late defection and subsequent retirement of GI Belmont S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate). The $6-million feature also includes G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and GI Whitney S. winner White Abarrio (Race Day).

The GI Breeders' Cup Turf could arguably be the best race of the weekend. European heavyweights Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and King of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will take on the best from these shores, led by Up to the Mark (Not This Time) in the 1 1/2-mile event.

Other high-profile runners in action this weekend include: Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (F/M Turf); Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) (Mile); and Idiomatic (Curlin) and Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) (Distaff).

The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be televised live by NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and FanDuel TV.

For wall-to-wall coverage of all 14 Championship races, click here for Friday's preview edition and click here for Saturday's preview edition.

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Breeders’ Cup Fantasy Game Returns

Breeders' Cup Limited will reprise the 'Million Dollar Finish' fantasy game, offering fans the chance to win $1 million by predicting the correct order of finish in the Nov. 4 $6-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. A secondary prize for the next-best order selection will go to five entrants from that pool, who will be randomly selected to win $1,000 each.

The game, which closes at 6:40 p.m. ET Saturday, is free to enter and play. Visit BreedersCup.com/Contest for more information.

The post Breeders’ Cup Fantasy Game Returns appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Thursday’s Breeders’ Cup Report: Locked and Loaded for the Weekend

ARCADIA, CA – The imposing Bill Mott-trained duo of Just F Y I (Justify) (Juvenile Fillies) and champion Elite Power (Curlin) (Sprint) immediately caught the eye as the curtain was lifted at Santa Anita with a spectacular sunrise beneath the San Gabriel mountains on Breeders' Cup eve.

Japanese superstar Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Mile, began her marathon training session, while the horse to catch in the Dirt equivalent 'Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) left the pony raring to go.

John Gosden, represented by potential race favorites for the Filly & Mare Turf and Turf with the brilliant duo of Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), made his way through the less congested apron as the lively 'Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup' crowd packed into the legendary Clockers' Corner viewing area at the top of the stretch.

Aidan O'Brien, also in town from the other side of the pond, will be loaded for the Championships as well. Standouts from his arsenal include: River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) for the Juvenile Turf; Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the F/M Turf; and, of course, the G1 Epsom Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Turf.

Royal Ascot last out G2 Queen Mary S. heroine Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), one of three entered for former Wayne Lukas assistant George Weaver in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, made a nice impression while sporting a white bridle as she gets ready to face off versus the boys from her rail draw.

Speaking of white bridles and former Lukas assistants, the Todd Pletcher-trained 'Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) has also stood out in the mornings during training hours this week. The blaze-faced chestnut is the 7-2 morning-line favorite for a fantastic renewal of Friday's Juvenile. Co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners will also be well-represented by unbeaten Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the Juvenile Fillies.

Locked | Sherackatthetrack

After assembling a highlight reel of morning breezes since his game win in this summer's GI Pacific Classic–do yourself a favor and head to XBTV's fantastic website if you haven't already done so yet–Classic horse to beat 'Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was feeling mighty good during a light gallop while giving his exercise rider a workout of his own just two days out from the $6-million main event.

Stacked with nine Breeders' Cup runners, including Classic duo Dreamlike (Gun Runner) and Bright Future (Curlin) and Turf standout Up to the Mark (Not This Time), owner Mike Repole was in good form as always while making the rounds with jockey, err, daughter Gioia, who was sporting a pair of the family's blue-and-orange silks.

Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), a rallying second at 55-1 in last year's Mile, couldn't be looking any better in the flesh at the age of six as he seeks to go one better. Could he be sitting on another big effort at a price?

Shirl's Speight | Sherackatthetrack

'Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) made her way through the purpled-out paddock as training hours began to wind down. The daughter of Beholder's many admirers in attendance included her trainer Richard Mandella as well as a big Spendthrift Farm crew, led by owners Eric and Tamara Hughes Gustavson, and Ned Toffey and Mark Toothaker.

 

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Breeders’ Cup Distaff Contender Desert Dawn Gives Arizona Owner/Breeder A Thrill

Holly Crim is the epitome of a hands-on owner. It was a little more than four years ago that Holly was on “foal duty” at the family ranch in Arizona when Desert Dawn was birthed, and Holly actually “pulled” the foal from her mother's womb. The filly was ultimately named for the spectacular Arizona sunrise that followed. Little did she know, she would be so close to history in the making, as Desert Dawn has gone on to become the top-earning Arizona-bred in Thoroughbred racing.

On Saturday, Desert Dawn will attempt to become the first Arizona-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race when she takes on 10 rivals in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), a 1 1/8-mile championship event for fillies and mares at Santa Anita Park. With a first- or second-place finish, she also will become Arizona's first equine millionaire.

Holly is a lawyer by training, but her primary business shifted to horse breeding in 2019 when she joined her mother, Elena, as partner in H & E Ranch following the death of her father. On average, the ranch, which began raising only cattle, typically breeds about 30 broodmares annually. Some, like Desert Dawn, are retained to race and the remainder sold at auction. It's a relatively small operation, but, as Holly puts it, it combines our business with our passion. They currently race between 8-10 horses each year.

Despite winning only two races lifetime, Desert Dawn has been a steady purse earner against the top completion in her division. During her 3-year-old campaign, she won the prestigious Santa Anita Oaks (G2) over Distaff rival Adare Manor, then followed up that effort with a strong third-place finish in the prestigious Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. She finished out the year with earnings just shy of a half-million dollars.

“While we've sadly missed seeing both of her victories in person, we're always so excited and proud just to see her run,” Holly said. “Living in Scottsdale, Arizona, requires some advance planning to watch her run in person. But we certainly go as often as possible.”

The decision to run in this year's Distaff was made by trainer Phil D'Amato, who has steered the fortunes of Desert Dawn since her debut during the summer of 2021. That same year, she finished unplaced in her first Breeders' Cup try against fellow juvenile fillies.

“She'd just placed in a stakes race at Santa Anita and I thought we should take a shot, especially with such a small field (six starters). It didn't work out,” D'Amato said.

“Phil feels positive about her and how well she's doing, so, of course, we're hoping for a better outcome,” Holly said.

The trainer added, “Her best two races were the win in the Santa Anita Oaks and that placing in the Kentucky Oaks. This race feels like a Kentucky Oaks-type of race, with a big field and lots of speed. That's when she runs her best.”

Desert Dawn faces long odds against a field of very accomplished rivals, but it's doubtful any of her fellow owners have been as close to their horses as the Crim family. Just as Holly was there from the start, she'll be at Santa Anita on Saturday, “pulling” for Desert Dawn to make history.

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