Horse Racing News

Eldaafer kicked off the Breeders' Cup with a victory in the $500,000 Marathon, though the real action took place after the horses hit the wire.

Rightly So, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, has been scratched from Friday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs because of an unspecified soundness issue.

Candy DeBartolo sat in the Turf Club at Churchill Downs and found that her ticket for a $5 wager had just returned $3,500.

A decision on Workforce's participation in the Breeders' Cup Turf won't be made until Saturday, trainer Michael Stoute said after sending Workforce out for easy exercise Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Crown of Thorns, a leading contender for Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, was scratched from the race on Friday after he developed a recurrence of an old injury to his right knee.

Jockey Garrett Gomez was thrown to the Churchill Downs turf in a spill entering the second turn of the sixth race at Churchill Downs Thursday, and his mount, Indy Bouquet, who broke down, appeared to fall on top of the jockey.

There's plenty of action on Friday, what with six Breeders' Cup races. There will be cameras, what with ESPN2 televising four hours, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

Midday will be strongly favored to succeed where Ouija Board failed by winning the Filly and Mare Turf for the second year in a row.

She won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Mile from post 10, and Goldikova will be asked to overcome another wide draw, post 10, in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Workforce drew post 6 and was installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf. The question for coming days is whether Workforce will actually contest the race or scratch and go home.