Sun, 11/03/2013 - 15:07

Breeders' Cup Distaff: Beholder will race as 4-year-old in 2014

Barbara D. Livingston
After winning the BC Distaff, Beholder will get an extended vacation until late spring in 2014.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Beholder, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 who won the biggest race of her career in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff, will stay in training in 2014, trainer Richard Mandella said on Sunday.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes, Beholder is a leading contender for champion 3-year-old filly of 2013 following her win in the BC Distaff against top mare Royal Delta and the 3-year-old Princess of Sylmar, a winner of four Grade 1 races in Kentucky and New York earlier this year.

Beholder won three Grade 1 races this year prior to Friday’s BC Distaff.

Sun, 11/03/2013 - 14:51

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Groupie Doll's win closes fun era for Bradleys

Susie Raisher/NYRA
Groupie Doll, repeat winner in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, is headed to the sales ring at Keeneland on Wednesday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Buff Bradley thought he was having a good time all week in California, but he didn’t know for sure. Only a big effort from Groupie Doll in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint would allow him to look back and say: “That was a lot of fun.”

One evening early in the week, out on the Arcadia town, Bradley was reminiscing about one of the first times he ever won a graded stakes and how it was going to allow him to live out a fantasy. It was at the Grade 2 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park in October 2004.

Sun, 11/03/2013 - 13:47

Breeders' Cup Sprint: Does Secret Circle deserve an Eclipse?

Tom Keyser
Secret Circle raced only twice this season, but his victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint might be sufficient to earn him champion sprinter honors.

ARCADIA, Calif.  -   Did Secret Circle turn his three-week 2013 campaign into an Eclipse Award-winning campaign with his victory in Saturday’s $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint?

That will be the question voters have to answer after Secret Circle moved to the head of what has been a topsy-turvy division all season long with his game neck decision over a fast closing Laugh Track in the Sprint.

Sun, 11/03/2013 - 13:31

Breeders' Cup Mile: Expect to see little less of Wise Dan in 2014

Barbara D. Livingston
Next season, Wise Dan will make fewer than seven starts and will avoid all handicaps, according to trainer Charlie LoPresti.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Wise Dan does not long linger over his Breeders’ Cup triumphs in Southern California. Late Saturday afternoon, for the second year in a row, he won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, and, just like last year, the horse left Santa Anita in the middle of Saturday night. By noon Eastern on Sunday, Wise Dan had arrived at the airport in Louisville, Ky., with only a van ride back to trainer Charlie LoPresti’s training base at Keeneland left on his travel itinerary.

Sun, 11/03/2013 - 13:07

Breeders' Cup Classic: Mucho Macho Man's trainer Ritvo expresses gratitude

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Kathy Ritvo (left), in the winner's circle with Mucho Macho Man and jockey Gary Stevens, received a heart transplant six years ago.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The morning after reaching the pinnacle of her racing career, trainer Kathy Ritvo was both excited and contemplative over what she and her horse, Mucho Macho Man, had accomplished in winning the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita.

“It’s hard to beat today, or yesterday,” Ritvo said Sunday morning as she stood near her prized horse.

It’s also, she said, hard to beat what has happened to her in the six years since she underwent heart transplant surgery.

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 21:05

Breeders' Cup: Healthy payoffs on exotic wagers

ARCADIA, Calif. - Fueled by a carryover of $891,813 from Friday’s program, the 50-cent pick five on Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup program paid $23,665.90 on a day when the pool reached a California record $6,438,509.

The record pick-five pool was achieved on the first five races of the 12-race card.

The Breeders’ Cup had guaranteed pools on four multi-race wagers on Saturday, and all surpassed the advertised minimums. Friday, the pick six had a guaranteed pool of $1 million, but attracted only $891,102 in bets.

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 14:47

Breeders' Cup Marathon: London Bridge followed unique path

Susie Raisher
London Bridge, ridden by Mike Smith, wins the BC Marathon in his first start on dirt.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The upset win by London Bridge in Friday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon proved Breeders’ Cup winners can come from anywhere.

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 14:43

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Chriselliam will point to 1000 Guineas

Barbara D. Livingston
Chriselliam, with Richard Hughes riding, wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf by 2 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Chriselliam was reported to have come out of her 2 1/2-length victory in Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in good order and will soon head back to England to prepare for the spring classics.

The early season target for Chriselliam is the 1000 Guineas, conducted at one mile and held at Newmarket in May. Chriselliam won the Shadwell Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in September, which prompted her connections to come here.

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 14:36

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Goldencents targets Malibu

Barbara D. Livingston
Goldencents, with Rafael Bejarano up, scores a front-running win in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Goldencents, the dominant winner of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Friday at Santa Anita, could make his next start in the Grade 1 Malibu on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, trainer Doug O’Neill said Saturday morning.

Goldencents, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, seized the lead from his outside post early in the first turn of the Dirt Mile before opening a huge lead in the upper stretch and coasting to a 2 3/4-length triumph over late-running Golden Ticket. Goldencents earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 12:04

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Caracortado scratched due to sore foot

Barbara D. Livingston
Caracortado, who has raced just once in the past 21 months, will get a new rider in Gary Stevens for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Caracortado was scratched early Saturday from the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita because of a sore front foot.

Trainer Mike Machowsky said Caracortado was still not 100 percent because of a small abscess just above a front hoof. Machowsky said the 6-year-old gelding “popped a gravel on his coronet band” earlier in the week and he had reason to believe it would be healed by race day, but it was not to be.