Horse Racing News by David Grening

When trainer Barclay Tagg talked owner Charles Fipke out of running Jersey Town in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, it was with the idea that the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile would come up an easier spot.

Spacy Tracy continued her transformation from a solid turf horse to perhaps an even better dirt horse with a victory over Our Khrysty in Friday's Grade 2, $150,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to pacesetter Qualia in third.

Four of the nine horses entered in Saturday's $250,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile are coming out of less-than-stellar performances in Breeders' Cup races run three weeks ago at Churchill Downs.

Cindy Jones will look to put an exclamation point on her brief, albeit successful, one-year training career on Saturday when she runs No Such Word in the Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

For more than a month, Qualia has been all dressed up with nowhere to run. Three weeks ago, she failed to crack into the field for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Two weeks ago, an overnight stakes at Aqueduct failed to fill.

Gio Ponti, the dual Eclipse Award winner of 2009, will remain in training next year as a 6-year-old with his first major objective being the Dubai World Cup on March 26, owner Shane Ryan announced in a press release Tuesday afternoon.

Uncle Mo, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, will spend a month on Jimmy Crupi's New Castle Farm in Ocala. Fla., before joining trainer Todd Pletcher's south Florida string at the Palm Meadows training center, his connections announced on Monday.

Javier Castellano's appeal of his six-day suspension for careless riding in last Friday's Breeders' Cup Marathon was denied by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, but the jockey received a stay that will enable him to ride in Japan.

Big Drama, under Eibar Coa, broke on top and never relinquished his position en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs.

Unrivaled Belle, returning to the scene of her biggest victory this year, won the $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic on Friday night at Churchill Downs.