7 hours ago
14
PROTECT YOURSELF with Orgo-Life® QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayKey events
A valiant effort by Notable Speech to run down the winner but the favourite came up short. William Buick had four behind him and was three wide around the final turn, and had five lengths to make on Deterministic at the top of the stretch, which proved to be too big an ask.
Deterministic was sent off at 5-1, while Notable Speech was the evens favourite on the tote.
MILE RESULT: DETERMINISTIC TURNS TABLES ON NOTABLE SPEECH
1. DETERMINISTIC (Kendrick Carmouche), 2. Notable Speech, 3. Lake Forest. 13 ran.
Puerto Rico slow away but makes rapid ground to sit second, True Love towards the rear …
Now Cabo Spirit settles on the lead, Deterministic next and Puerto Rico third …
Into the far turn, Notable Speech is a long way off the lead, …
Deterministic leads into the final furlong, Notable Speech is finishing fast from way off the pace, making ground with every stride …
Will he get there? No, he had too much ground to make up and it’s Deterministic for the win
They’re going into the gates for the Mile …
And they’re off and running!
I’m sticking with Notable Speech here but 4-5 is very short. And the Brighton fan in me would love to see the blue-and-white stripes first across the line aboard Lake Forest.
Breeders’ Cup Mile, latest betting:
4-5 Notable Speech
9-2 Deterministic
8-1 Rhetorical
9-1 Lake Forest
12-1 Ask Ikigomi
15-1 True Love
18-1 bar
Aidan O’Brien, True Love’s trainer, also has Puerto Rico in this race, although he’s drawn wide in stall 14. And there’s a couple of Japanese-trained runners too, in Ask Ikigomi and Lugal, and the former has at least an each-way chance on ratings having been edged out by a nose in a Grade One at Tokyo last time.
20.20 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Grade One, 1m
After the Euro-wobble in the first two races on the card, there could be no better trainer than Charlie Appleby to get the bandwagon rolling again, in a contest where he has a near-perfect record of four wins from five starters.
Notable Speech, last year’s winner, won with something to spare and has looked every bit as good, if not better, so far this year, including when successful in the Grade One Woodbine Mile last time with his leading US-trained rival, Deterministic, in second.
Notable Speech will set off as a short-priced and worthy favourite but faces some stern opposition, including Lake Forest, who runs in the blue-and-white colours of Tony Bloom and will bid to set the seal on a perfect day for the owner of Brighton & Hove Albion after their magnificent victory at Manchester City earlier on.
Lake Forest did not have any luck in running when second over today’s course-and-distance in the Turf Mile last time out.
And there is a Classic winner in the field too, as True Love took the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket back in May.
There’s no way Englishman was beaten by his draw there, he was just beaten by a better horse on the day. T O Elvis was at least eight lengths adrift when Englishman hit the lead two out, but he showed incredible finishing speed to stay on all the way up the stretch and grab the lead two strides from the line
Liam Smith, meanwhile, did not drop away after being passed and rewarded his each-way backers by staying on well for third.
SPRINT RESULT: T O ELVIS ROCKS FOR JAPAN
1. T O ELVIS (Ryusei Sakai), 2. Englishman, 3. Liam Smith. 13 ran.
Englishman fast away but he’s three wide …
Now Englishman settles second after a quarter, Liam Smith is leading.
Englishman takes Liam Smith and goes into the lead, he leads by two halfway down the stretch
But here’s T O Elvis for Japan, he trying to chase down the favourite, gaining all the time and YES! he’s got there, T O Elvis is a big winner on the dirt for Japan.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint!
The local punters are unconcerned by Englishman’s wide draw and he’s 4-5 on the tote.
Sprint latest betting:
4-5 Englishman
5-2 T O Elvis
6-1 Listenupshance
14-1 Built
19-1 Liam Smith
25-1 bar
Pace map: Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Englishman is a clear form pick but he’s drawn in stall 13 and unlikely to get across to the lead with the speedy Mad House drawn one. T O Elvis, meanwhile, is only two stalls closer to the rail in 11, though he a more of a closer.
It’s a definite stab in the dark, but Liam Smith has posted some useful numbers while moving through the ranks and is well drawn to attack in stall three. At around 25-1 with the British bookies, I’m going to take a small each-way interest.
19.42 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Grade One, 6f
But before we get to the Mile, there’s another hot favourite looming on the horizon in the shape of Englishman, in the Sprint on the dirt.
Cherie DeVaux’s three-year-old has won three of his four starts this season including a dominant success in the H Allen Jerkens Memorial over seven furlongs at Saratoga last time.
The second-pick in the betting is the Japanese-trained T O Elvis, the winner of his last five starts but not seen out since an impressive success at Churchill Downs in May.
And there’s also an interesting outsider on an upward curve in Peter Miller’s Liam Smith, who has emerged via claimers but posted a very impressive time when successful at Santa Anita last time.
Saturday is not unfolding as European racing fans might have hoped so far, but Notable Speech is up next in the Mile in two races’ time while the Turf will surely go to a visitor – it’s just a question of which one.
Looping back to the Turf Sprint earlier on the card, Bacio is syndicate-owned and Wesley Ward was particularly pleased about that as his daughter-in-law, Caitlin, helped to keep Bacio in his yard when offers came in for him earlier in his career.
There was a lot to the whole story behind him, to me getting him, and then once he started winning, me keeping him. He was a sought after horse, a lot of people were coming in. My daughter-in-law brought me one of the greatest gifts ever, my grandson, Killian, and she put an ownership group together with MyRacehorse in order to keep him here in our stable.
It’s so nice to have thousands of owners in this horse and win the Breeders’ Cup, it’s going to really help our sport.
A big let down for the Europeans, neither Blue Bolt nor Precise was ever travelling with purpose and both were beaten before the final turn. Well done to County Kildare-based Willie McCreery though – his 25-1 outsider Jancis came through to finish third, and best of the Euro runners.
Kathynmarissa was sent off at 5-1 on the local tote, but there was 7-1 and 8-1 on offer with British firms beforehand.
FILLY & MARE TURF RESULT: KATHYNMARISSA DOMINANT AS BLUE BOLT FADES
1. KATHYNMARISSA (Jose Ortiz), 2. Gimme A Nother, 3. Jancis. 12 ran.
Kathynmarissa lands the spoils, Precise and Blue Bolt both soundly beaten.
Into the turn, it’s still Classic Q, Precise looks beaten, now Gimme A Nother goes on with a furlong to run …
But here’s Kathynmarissa, she’s making rapid ground and she’s going to get there …
Down the back, Classic Q still leads, Precise under a slight drive, Blue Bolt makes a move three wide …
Classic Q turns first, Precise three wide in mid-division and Blue Bolt has three behind her
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf!
The favourites are having a high old time of it so far at this year’s Breeders’ Cup and the local punters clearly see no reason to change a winning formula. Blue Bolt is now evens, despite her wide draw and the slight question mark over her stamina.
Latest betting: Filly & Mare Turf
6-5 Blue Bolt
7-2 Precise
5-1 Kathynmarissa
9-1 Gimme A Nother
18-1 Classic Q
25-1 bar
Pace map: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Turf races tend to be run at a steadier pace than on the dirt and there is likely to be only moderate pressure on the lead. Both Blue Bolt and Precise are drawn wide, however, and it is quite possible that one or both will end up stuck wide.
Classic Q, on the other hand, should get a perfect trip either on the lead or just behind the pace and Mark Casse’s runner is my idea of the each-way value in the race if you’re taking the current 33-1 with a British bookie.
19.04 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Grade One, 1m 1½f
Back to the turf now for what is, from a Eurocentric point-of-view, a fascinating head-to-head between Precise and Blue Bolt, although it could be a little unwise to ignore the US-trained challenge entirely.
Blue Bolt needs little introduction, having won all six of her starts this season including four Group Ones, with Precise among the beaten runners in three of those.
That list includes the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July, when Precise was a couple of lengths away in second.
This is their first meeting at a trip beyond a mile, however, and while Blue Bolt’s stamina has yet to be tested, Precise was an excellent second behind Miss Scott when stepping up to 10 furlongs in the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp last time.
The main hope for a local success, according to the betting at least, is Chad Brown’s Kathymarissa, the winner of the Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont last time.
But I was also quite taken with the performance of Classic Q in the Grade One First Lady at Keeneland. It was a narrow win – from another of today’s rivals, Lush Lips, but she was drawn nine and caught wide, and has a much better pitch in stall three today.
She is a 12-1 shot in the early betting on the US tote, but currently a frankly insulting 40-1 with at least one British bookmaker according to Oddschecker.
It took three or four minutes for the judge to separate them there, but it was the favourite, Further Ado, that got it on the nod after a thrilling battle to the wire.
He went off at even money in the end, with Owen Almighty was a 9-1 shot. Bracket Buster, meanwhile, almost lost his jockey at the start and was adrift throughout.
DIRT MILE RESULT: FURTHER ADO BY A NOSE
1. FURTHER ADO (Flavien Prat), 2. Owen Almighty, 3. Full Serrano. 10 ran.
Bracket Buster blew the start, Full Serrano and Chunk Of Gold lead ..
A fast opening quarter, 22.67sec, Owen Almighty is also helping force a good pace …
Further Ado makes ground on the rail, going well …
Now Further Ado comes wide, he’s chasing down Owen Almighty, they’re nose-to-nose to the wire … and it’s a photo, and a very close one!
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile!
Little movement in the odds ahead of the Dirt Mile, although Further Ado is now a shade of odds-on at 4-5.
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile latest betting:
evens Further Ado
5-1 Bracket Buster
6-1 Full Serrano
8-1 Chunk Of Gold
9-1 Coal Battle & Owen Almighty
19-1 bar
Pace map: Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
The map includes Forged Steel, who was moderately fancied for this but ruled out earlier in the day. He would have been on or close to the lead, but in his absence, Full Serrano, the likely third-favourite, and Chunk Of Gold should still set a decent clip.
Further Ado will be on the rail in behind, but is likely to have at least four or five ahead of him and at the likely odds, I’d rather be with Bracket Buster to get a smoother trip and take it up in the stretch.
18.26 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Grade One, 1m
If there’s a weak link on the Breeders’ Cup card, then this is probably it. The Classic is a more inviting target for any dirt horse with a fair chance of getting 10 furlongs, and it feels a little telling that only three of the 10 runners managed a win last time out.
Further Ado, the favourite, offers a line to the form of The Puma, a runner in the Classic at the end of the card, as he was a half-length behind him in the Grade One Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in mid-September.
Bracket Buster also ran at Parx last time, finishing second in the Dirt Mile in September after getting caught on the rail approaching the turn out of the back straight.
So, no greenwash on the turf for the Europeans, but Bacio simply flew home there, setting strong fractions – 21.23sec for the quarter, 43.86sec for the half – but still leaving them for dead in the straight.
Comanche Brave was a little agitated before loading and missed the kick by a length, and while he moved up to mid-division by the turn, his race was as good as over once Bacio had kicked. He ended up in a dead-heat for fourth with Time To Dazzle.
TURF SPRINT RESULT: BACIO SCORCHES TO VICTORY FOR WARD
1. BACIO (Juan J Hernandez), 2. Cy Fair, 3. Starlust. 14 ran.
Comanche Brave slow to stride, Bacio flew out and leads …
Now Loughnane moves up along the rail, he’s mid-div on Comanche Brave as Bacio still leads …
Turning in, Bacio in front, and he’s clear as Comanche Brave runs into traffic on the rail …
Bacio is clear and this is going to be one for the Americans, very easy in the end!
Comanche Brave is a little reluctant to load but he’s in now …
And they’re off and running in the Turf Sprint!
The money is coming for Comanche Brave now, the local punters can’t separate the top two and both are showing a 2-1 payout on the tote.
The locals are siding with Wesley Ward to saddle a second winner of this race (he was successful with Golden Pal five years ago). He’s opened up at 8-5 on the tote, with Comanche Brave next in at 5-2.
George Weaver’s Cy Fair is currently the only other runner at single-figure odds on 8-1, and she has a squeak on her best form too but was distinctly disappointing when odds-on for a Grade Two at Kentucky Downs in early September. Shesospicy, meanwhile, is 15-1 for a repeat success.
Pace map: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Bacio simply burned off his rivals in his two races in Britain over the summer and is well drawn to attack in stall three. If he can get clear at the turn, it could be all over.
He is likely to face a fair bit more competition for the lead than he did in Europe, though, and Joe Shiesty could definitely apply some pressure if he breaks well from the outside. If so, Comanche Brave and Billy Loughnane, aboard his only ride on today’s card, will be poised to pounce. O’Brien’s runner travels strongly just off the pace and that could be just what’s required.
17.48 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Grade One, 5½f
We’re on to the turf next, and the most obvious barrier to a European clean sweep on the grass in the form of Wesley Ward’s Bacio. He is already familiar to European racing fans as the winner of both the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap at Royal Ascot and the Nunthorpe at York in August.
He’s a very obvious favourite back on his home turf, but Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave is an equally obvious main market rival after his wins in the July Cup and then the Flying Five at the Curragh.
Bacio and Comanche Brave are the only two runners in the field at single-figure odds, but it would be remiss not to mention last year’s winner, Shisospicy, who is back for a second go.
She’s well drawn in stall two but has not seen a track since finishing seventh at Churchill Downs in May, and has been on the wrong end of several setbacks since her win last year. She was forced to miss some juicy targets in the Saudi Arabia and Dubai in the early part of the year due to an infection, apparently as the result of a spider bite, and also had a fever shortly before her intended prep for today’s race at Belmont in September.
That pretty much unfolded entirely as expected: Kerry’s Kiss and R Disaster were forward early with Explora in pursuit, and then Ways And Means breezed through the field as if she’d just joined in. She set off as an even-money shot on the tote.
FILLY & MARE SPRINT RESULT: FAVOURITE FINDS A WAY
1. WAYS AND MEANS (Flavien Prat), 2. Foie Gras, 3. Explora. 11 ran.
R Disaster straight into the lead, but now Kerry’s Kiss leads ….
22.14sec for the first quarter, Kerry’s Kiss still in front as Ways And Means looks for room …
Ways And Means hits the front and this is all over … she powering a long way clear, what a performance to kick off the card.
Off and running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint!
Won’t be long now until the second day of the Breeders’ Cup meeting is underway … strap yourselves in, it’s always a giddy ride …
It’s around a quarter of an hour to the Filly & Mare Sprint, and Ways And Means is a very warm favourite at 4-5 on the US tote.
Latest betting (US odds):
4-5 Ways And Means
5-1 Explora
7-1 Kilwin & Sweet Azteca
8-1 R Disaster
19-1 bar
Pace map: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
The pace is likely to be fierce as four or five of the runners have been on or close to the lead after the first quarter-mile in the majority of their recent starts, including R Disaster and Kerry’s Kiss, drawn four and eight respectively, who are most likely to duel for the early lead. Explora too likes to be close to the lead, but may end up three or four wide from her outside stall, while Ways And Means should have a smoother time of it towards the inside.
17.10 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Grade One, 7f
The Saturday card kicks off with a sprint that isn’t, by European standards at least, as seven furlongs is past the point where a horse can simply go flat out from the start (a bit like the 400m in athletics, when compared to the 100m or 200m). And it is perhaps no co-incidence that wire-to-wire winners are a rarity.
Nor is there a standout trial event that regularly highlights the winner, although Goodnight Olive took in the Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga before her wins in 2022 and 2023. Ways And Means, the morning-line favourite, was the winner of that contest this year, by nearly six lengths, and is expected to go off favourite today.
She breezed past R Disaster, a rival again today, at the top of the stretch and it is difficult to see Saffie Joseph’s mare reversing the form.
The second-favourite, meanwhile, is the three-year-old Explora, from the Bob Baffert stable. She was beaten at odds-on last time out, but had earlier taken the Grade One Test Stakes at Saratoga, over the same seven-furlong trip as the Ballerina, by five lengths.
Another leading contender to consider is Sweet Azteca, a six-year-old who is unbeaten in four starts this year since a stable-switch to join Richard Baltas. Her latest win, in a Grade Three at Del Mar, still leaves her with something to find to trouble the favourite, though.
Ways And Means is short enough in the betting but I can see her getting a better trip through the race than Explora, who is drawn in stall 11 and could end up three or four wide.
Preamble
Welcome to the Guardian’s liveblog coverage of the main card at the 2026 Breeders’ Cup in Kentucky, where a strong team from Europe will be bidding for a first-ever clean sweep of the Cup’s turf events and, at the climax of the card, all eyes will be on the Japanese superstar, Forever Young, as he bids to become only the second horse in Breeders’ Cup history to win a second Classic.
Yesterday’s three turf events for juveniles were a complete rout for the visitors, who had the first seven home in both the Juvenile Turf Sprint and the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the 1-2-3 in the Juvenile Turf. The European team also have the favourites for three of today’s four turf races, with the only exception being the Turf Sprint at 17.48, where Wesley Ward’s Bacio is nudging even-money to follow up his wins at Royal Ascot and York earlier in the season.
The highlight of the card for European fans is surely the Turf at 21.36, where a host of the continent’s best middle-distance horses will chase a share of the $5m purse, but Notable Speech is a huge runner too in the Mile (20.20) and the latest face-off between Blue Bolt and Precise in the Filly & Mare Turf (19.04) also promises to be something to savour.
It was an evening for the form horses yesterday, which is probably why I somehow managed to find four of the five winners. That, of course, all-but guarantees a complete blank today, but my picks for the nine races are here just in case, and we will be underway on one of the great racing rollercoasters with the Filly & Mare Sprint at 17.10.
English (US) · 
French (CA) · 
French (FR) ·