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Barbara Banke Named First Female Chairman of Breeders’ Cup

The Breeders' Cup Board of Directors unanimously elected Barbara Banke as Board Chairman Friday night, the organization announced Saturday. Banke, the owner of Stonestreet Farms in Lexington and chairman of Jackson Family Wines, becomes the first woman to chair Breeders' Cup Limited and succeeds Fred Hertrich III.

Banke, whose will serve a two-year term as Chairman, was first elected as a Breeders' Cup Member in 2012 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2014. Gainesway Farm's Antony Beck was elected for a two-year term as Vice Chairman.

“It is a great honor to be named Chairman of the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors, and I look forward to serving with my fellow Directors and Members in continuing the mission and vision of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in support of our nominators and our racing fans around the world,” said Banke. “I also congratulate our new Vice Chairman Antony Beck and greatly look forward to working together closely. In addition, I extend my warmest thanks to Fred Hertrich, who provided the Breeders' Cup with outstanding leadership throughout his tenure as Chairman. Fred's vision was key to several successful strategic initiatives over the last few years, including advancements in equine safety and integrity efforts, innovative approaches to improving the fan experience, and the successful running of the 2020 World Championships amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As Chairman, I look forward to working closely with stakeholders across the industry to ensure a bright future for Breeders' Cup Limited, the World Championships, and the sport of Thoroughbred racing.”

In addition to her tenure as a leading owner and commercial breeder, Banke is a steward of The Jockey Club (TJC) and a member of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, and Keeneland's Advisory Board of Directors. Banke has also been a strong proponent of industry safety initiatives, including the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition and the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). Under her direction, Stonestreet has bred and raised horses that have won more than 120 stakes races. Among Stonestreet's top runners have been two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and additional Horse of Year Rachel Alexandra. Outside of the Thoroughbred industry, Banke began heading up Jackson Family Wines in 2011 and led the company as the nation's largest seller of premium wines. She is also a lawyer and a philanthropist.

“The Directors have made a very wise choice in electing Barbara Banke as the next Chair of the Breeders' Cup,” said Hertrich. “In her service as a Member and a Director, Barbara has instituted bold and innovative approaches to help strengthen and enhance the stature of the Breeders' Cup as 'the best of the best.' On a personal note, I have immensely enjoyed working with our industry stakeholders, our Members, and fellow Directors during my four years as Chairman.”

During his four years as Chairman, Hertrich led the Breeders' Cup in advancing equine safety and integrity efforts across the industry. As a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, Breeders' Cup implemented a ban on all race-day medications from the World Championships. Hertrich also led Breeders' Cup's strong support of the passage of the HISA by Congress in 2020.

Additionally, during Hertrich's tenure as Chairman, the Breeders' Cup World Championships purses and awards were increased to more than $31 million, and a 14th race (the Juvenile Turf Sprint) was added to the Championship roster. Breeders' Cup also set wagering and overall handle records during Hertrich's term. The highest all-sources handle in Breeders' Cup history ($174,628,986) was set in 2019 and record on-track Breeders' Cup handle ($24,181,317) was set at Del Mar in 2017. Hertrich also led the company in safely holding the 2020 World Championships at Keeneland amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following Friday's election, the Board of 14 Breeders' Cup Directors is as follows: Barbara Banke, Stonestreet Farms (Chairman); Antony Beck, Gainesway Farm (Vice Chairman); Jimmy Bell, Godolphin America; Alan Cooper, Niarchos Family/Flaxman Holdings Ltd.; William S. Farish, Jr., Lane's End Farm; Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup Limited (President), Eric Gustavson, Spendthrift Farm; Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm; Fred Hertrich III, Watercress Farm; Bret Jones, Airdrie Stud; Clem Murphy, Coolmore Stud; Gavin Murphy, SF Bloodstock; Alex Solis II, Solis/Litt Bloodstock; and Elliott Walden, WinStar Farm.

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Euro Invader Looms Large in Summer

Charlie Appleby makes the trip across the pond with a strong chance to earn a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf when he sends out Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Woodbine's GI Summer S. Sunday. Graduating at second asking at Haydock June 9, the Godolphin homebred followed suit with a decisive score at that oval July 17 and captured the Stonehenge S. at Salisbury Aug. 20. Frankie Dettori also makes the trip to Canada to ride.

Mark Casse has won this event four times, including last year, and he sends out a solid contender in First Empire (Classic Empire). A second-out winner when switched from sythetic to grass here Aug. 1, the dark bay captured the Soaring Free S. over the local lawn Aug. 21. Casse also saddles a trio of longshots in Souper Legacy (Hard Spun), Grafton Street (War Front) and Luckman (Empire Maker).

Shug McGaughey is very rarely seen in the Woodbine entries, but he makes the trip north with Dripping Gold (Lemon Drop Kid), who won on debut in a two-turn turf test at Saratoga Aug. 7.

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Jockey Club Derby: Tango Tango Tango Should ‘Switch Off’ Without Blinkers

Following a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Bruce D on August 14 at Arlington Park, trainer Jack Sisterson will make an equipment change with Calumet Farm's Tango Tango Tango, who will race with blinkers off in Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont.

The 12-furlong test for sophomores on the Widener turf, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar, is the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for males that commenced with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby [won by Bolshoi Ballet] in July and continued with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby [won by State of Rest] in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's lucrative 11-race card which will also feature the 1 3/8-mile $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 9; and the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational in Race 4.

The Tourist bay broke his maiden at fourth asking against stakes company in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 at Arlington Park when racing with blinkers for the first time. He sported blinkers once more in the last-out Bruce D, where he was a close second down the backstretch before taking command at the quarter-pole. Unable to hold off a mid-stretch confrontation from Point Me By, Tango Tango Tango fended off a game Ginsburned to complete the exacta.

“We pulled the blinkers off to see if we can get him relaxed and get him the distance, and we have a big positive with having Flavien Prat aboard,” Sisterson said. “We'd like to see him switch off a touch more. The removal of the blinkers will get him to switch off. I'd be shocked if he's not on the lead tomorrow, especially drawing the rail. Not sure what Ryan [Moore aboard Bolshoi Ballet] will do on his horse, but I think we'll get an easy lead and hopefully take them all the way.”

Sisterson added that Tango Tango Tango has matured since his American Derby coup.

“He's got that natural speed about him,” Sisterson said. “We put the blinkers on him just to get that maiden win. He's a horse that trains forwardly and doesn't need them. It was just something he needed at the time, but he finally figured out how to put his head in front.”

Tango Tango Tango will make his first start past 1 1/16 miles on Saturday and Sisterson said that the added distance should be no problem for the horse, who scratched out of the Franklin-Simpson on September 11 at Kentucky Downs.

“Looking at his form, he always acted like a two-turn type,” Sisterson said. “The farther the better. When he got invited to this race tomorrow, it was a no brainer for us to scratch out of Kentucky Downs. I don't see the distance being an issue. In his works, he gallops out strong and he puts a lot of energy into his gallops.”

Tango Tango Tango is the fourth offspring out of the Deputy Commander mare First Consul, whose three other progeny are all winners.

Sisterson also added that Grade 1 A.G. Vanderbilt winner Lexitonian and Grade 1 Man o' War victor Channel Cat are likely to train up to their respective Breeders' Cup aspirations. Lexitonian, a son of Speightstown, is on target for the Breeders' Cup Sprint while English Channel progeny Channel Cat will point for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

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Weekend Lineup: Six Breeders’ Cup Berths Up For Grabs

A sextet of expenses-paid berths in the Breeders' Cup World Championships are up for grabs this weekend as the racing action heats up across the country. Graded stakes at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, and Woodbine Racetrack are on the “Win and You're In” list, along with a quartet of MATCH Series stakes being held at Laurel Park on Saturday.

Kicking off the Breeders' Cup Challenge races will be the Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park, which features Belmont Derby winner Bolshoi Ballet returning stateside for trainer Aidan O'Brien. The Galileo colt ran fourth last out in the Saratoga Derby, but the stretch out to 1 1/2 miles should suit him well.

The G1 Woodbine Mile winner will earn a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Mile, and the $1 million race has drawn a contentious group of 10. Turf maestro Chad Brown will send out Raging Bull, while dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse plans to saddle a three-pronged attack led by Ride A Comet. Brad Cox sends Set Piece north of the border with the red-hot Joel Rosario to pick up the mount.

The other four Breeders' Cup Challenge races offer slots to 2-year-olds on Future Stars Friday: Churchill's G3 Pocahontas to the Juvenile Fillies, Churchill's G3 Iroquois to the Juvenile, Woodbine's G1 Summer to the Juvenile Turf, and Woodbine's G1 Natalma to the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Check out the full schedule of stakes action here:

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