Friday, November 02 2012

$2 Million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Thursday, November 1, 2012

In Lingerie – The 3yo daughter of Empire Maker has been an outstanding performer on dirt and artificial surfaces, but she’ll face a new challenge in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“You usually don’t go to the Breeders’ Cup trying a new surface for the first time, but she’s a filly that’s undefeated on the synthetic (3-for-3),” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who oversaw a maintenance gallop Thursday morning at Santa Anita. “So we thought it made some sense to at least try (turf), especially since she worked very well over the surface twice.”

$2 Million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Almost an Angel – Ice Wine Stable’s galloped 1 1/2m under exercise rider Lindsey Molina as she continued her preparations for Friday’s $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

“She could not be training any better,” Molina said. “She almost ripped my guts out this morning.”

$1 Million Juvenile Fillies Turf

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Flashy Ways – Shipped over Hollywood Park on Tuesday, jogged 6f on Wednesday, and galloped 1 1/4m Thursday morning for trainer Richard Baltas before schooling in the paddock prior to the second race.

Baltas is pleased with the preparation by the Kentucky-bred daughter of Catienus owned by Riley Racing Stable.

$500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Hightail – A routine 1 1/2m gallop was on the schedule for Hightail again Thursday as the son of Mineshaft out of the Storm Cat mare Stormy Renee prepares for what Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas hopes will be his trainee’s first career victory.

He’s the only maiden in the race, but also one of three prospective starters in the field of seven to have run in graded or group stakes races. The other two, both fillies, are Ceiling Kitty and Sweet Shirley Mae.

JAX AND JILL LOOKS TO REMAIN UNBEATEN IN SMART HALO

LAUREL, MD. 11-01-12---Robert Cole’s Jax and Jill looks to remain unbeaten in Saturday’s $125,000 Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel Park. The 6-furlong test features eight 2-year-old fillies.

Trained by Scott Lake, Jax and Jill has gone unchallenged in four starts, winning by a combined 25-3/4 lengths in victories at Parx Racing, Timonium and a pair of state-bred stakes at Charles Town.

Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Begins Tuesday

LEXINGTON, KY (Nov. 1, 2012) – Keeneland’s 2012 November Breeding Stock Sale – internationally renowned as the premier auction of its kind – will kick off Tuesday, November 6, at 10 a.m. ET.

The entire 11-day sale, which runs through November 16, will be streamed live on Keeneland’s website, Keeneland.com.

CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES - NOV. 1, 2012

• HERNANDEZ JR., MENA TRYING NOT TO LOOK AHEAD TO CLASSIC MOUNTS
• FORT LOUDON WILL TRY TO ‘REGROUP’ IN FRIDAY’S ACK ACK
• SALTY STRIKE SEEKS SIXTH CD VICTORY IN SATURDAY’S CHILUKKI

Thursday, November 01 2012

$500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon (Grade II)

Atigun – Shortleaf Stable’s Atigun, the 9-2 morning line favorite for Friday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon, galloped a little more than 1 1/2m Wednesday morning under exercise rider Danny Ramsey.

Atigun will be ridden in the Marathon by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who is tied with Jerry Bailey as the all-time winningest rider in Breeders’ Cup history with 15. Atigun will be Smith’s first opportunity to reach victory No. 16.

$2 Million Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade I)

Animal Kingdom – Team Valor International’s Animal Kingdom galloped 1m under exercise rider David Nava Wednesday morning at Santa Anita in preparation for a return from an eight-month layoff in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Assistant Alice Clapham supervised the morning activity while trainer Graham Motion was en route from his Fair Hill Training Center base in Maryland to Santa Anita. The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, who has recovered from a pelvis fracture detected following an allowance turf victory at Gulfstream on Feb. 18, is sending the signal that he’s ready to get back in action.

$1.5 Million Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade I)

Amazombie – On Halloween morning, Amazombie rose from the straw (of his stall) and proceeded out into the predawn fog. A scene dramatic enough for the opener of a horror film.

But Bill Spawr is a thoroughbred trainer, not a movie director. And the most appropriately named horse for the holiday, also the $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint defending champion, was routinely put through a 6f jog and 1 ½m gallop under exercise rider Javier Meza. The same as he'd done the day before, and the day before that.

$500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint

Ceiling Kitty – see European report

Hightail – “Strange things can happen,” said D. Wayne Lukas while talking about sending out a maiden to tackle more successful runners in Friday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. “Actually, I don’t think he’s your average maiden,” Lukas added.

The trainer said Hightail wasn’t considered for the race early, but, he said, “The [Breeders’ Cup] people called me and told me the race was coming up light, so we decided to come in.”

Hightail galloped 1 1/2m Wednesday.

Breeders’ Cup European Report - October 31, 2012

While the horses from Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle Stables remain in quarantine until they are able to make their first appearance on the track Thursday, the trainer was at the barn on Wednesday morning and spent some time with members of the international media discussing some of his Breeders’ Cup hopefuls:

Of St Nicholas Abbey (defending champion in the Breeders’ Cup Turf), O’Brien had this to say, “I think it is safe to say you can put a line through his last run in the Arc. (Jockey) Joseph (O’Brien) knew after a furlong or so that the horse was in trouble on that ground, and did his best to look after the horse as well as he could. Hopefully it will be a different story on quicker ground here.”