Horse Racing News

Any doubt how Uncle Mo might have bounced out of his relatively disappointing final work for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic on Sunday morning were erased the moment he stepped out onto the racetrack.

French-trained Dunaden won the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, beating England's Red Cadeaux by a nose in one of the closest finishes in the 151-year history of the two-mile turf handicap.

The internationals are marshaling their forces for Breeders' Cup XXVIII at Churchill Downs. The raiding party looks formidable in the turf races, especially since Europeans have already found North America a happy hunting ground this season.

My Miss Aurelia, one of four unbeaten fillies in the full field of 14, drew post 9 and was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite by track linemaker Mike Battaglia for Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Midday, as expected, will make her third Breeders' Cup appearance in the BC Turf rather than the Filly and Mare Turf, the race she won in 2009 and in which she finished second here last year.

After several days of deliberation on the part of trainer Nick Zito, Jackson Bend was entered Monday morning in the Breeders' Cup Sprint rather than in the Dirt Mile.

The field for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic continued to shrink on Sunday, when trainer Graham Motion decided to run Aruna in the Filly and Mare Turf on Friday.

An audible groan went up from the table of travelling lads from France at the Breeders' Cup World Championships post position draw when it was announced three-time Mile winner Goldikova had drawn the rail for the 2011 edition Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Mike Repole's Uncle Mo was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite from post 12 in a 13-horse field for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Classic, leaving trainer Todd Pletcher happy with the starting slot in the 1 1/4-mile race.

Havre de Grace went through her final exercise regimen for the Breeders' Cup Classic on the morning of Oct. 31, breezing five furlongs in 1:02, 13th fastest work of the day among 30 working the distance over a fast track.