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Scottish Lassie, who was entered in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar, was scratched from the race Oct. 30. The two-time grade winner will be offered Nov. 3 at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale.

Even if "his" horse wins the Breeders' Cup, Peter Brant will still be searching for his initial Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) victory. If you're confused, don't be.

Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa paid $3 million for a share in leading sire Not This Time to record the highest price of the second Keeneland Championship Sale Oct. 29 in the paddock at Del Mar, site of the 2025 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

There's been much debate about Contrary Thinking's presence as a "rabbit" in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), but owner Peter Brant doesn't understand all the fuss.

The winner of this year's Diana Stakes (G1T) and 5-year-old daughter of Cotai Glory will be offered as Hip 225.

Live racing is slated to resume on Friday, Oct. 31, at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring a pair of listed $150,000 races with the Tempted Stakes in Race 2 and the Pumpkin Pie in Race 8. First post on Friday's card is 1:05 p.m.

At the end of 2024 when owner John Ropes weighed retiring his homebred filly Dorth Vader against bringing her back to race at 5 this season, his checkmarks in the pro-racing column included three achievements he'd love to see her accomplish.

Trainer Gary Contessa believes Nutella Fella's gate issues are far behind him and that the colt should be a live contender in the $175,000 Bold Ruler Stakes (G3) Nov. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

As Breeders' Cup tries to support efforts to gather information on exercise-associated sudden deaths, all horses in this year's World Championships and undercard races will be auscultated—examined with a stethoscope or ECG—in their stalls at rest.

A two-time stakes winner, Deep Satin will look to add her first graded stakes victory to her resume Nov. 1 in the $300,000 Goldikova Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar. The daughter of American Pharoah leads a field of 13 fillies and mares.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey leads a pair into the Nov. 2 $250,000 Red Smith Stakes (G2T), part of closing day of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. 

Schwarzenegger will be Frankfort Park Farm's ninth Breeders' Cup starter in the last 11 years when he lines up for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Frankie Dettori announced Oct. 29 that the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar will be his stateside swansong, with the legendary jockey to retire from race riding in the United States and conclude his career in South America.

Racehorse owner and philanthropist Ken Freirich will double the power of all donations received—up to $50,000—during the Breeders' Cup "Champions Give Back" campaign, which concludes Nov. 1 at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.

If things go according to plan, Maryland-based Matt Dorman will get his first Breeders' Cup runner at Del Mar when Seismic Beauty gets the start in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

The connections of White Abarrio have a secret weapon as they hope the winner of the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) can add another score at the World Championships when he starts in the Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Breeders Karen and Mallory Mort visit with Breeders’ Cup Mile second choice Rhetorical Thursday at Del Mar. Susie Raisher Photo.

By Tom Law

Mallory and Karen Mort arrived in Southern California Wednesday feeling quite a bit different than their first venture to the Breeders’ Cup as the breeders of an entrant at the World Championships.

“In 2022 we were just happy to be there,” Mallory Mort said Thursday afternoon, looking back at Sterling Silver’s run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland. “We were a longshot and we knew we were up against it. Obviously, it was only in Lexington and we’re very familiar with Lexington and Keeneland so it was an easy trip.

“This time is a little different. We’d never been to Del Mar before and now we’re coming here with a horse with a real chance. It’s all very exciting.”

Rhetorical, a 4-year-old gelding by Not This Time bred by the Morts, provides much of that excitement. He comes into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile off back-to-back victories in the West Point Stakes against New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course and the $1,038,750, Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland Race Course.

Rhetorical, a half-brother to Sterling Silver out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor, earned an automatic spot in the Mile field off the Coolmore Turf Mile victory through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge.

The 5-1 second choice in the international field behind multiple Group/Grade 1 winner Notable Speech is far from an ordinary automatic bid mid-major college basketball team hoping and praying to win a game or two in the NCAA tournament. Trained by Will Walden, Rhetorical brings a 5-for-6 record to the Mile.

“We didn’t see him out of the stall or anything today, but he seems to be his usual self,” Mort said. “They say he’s a sweetheart in the barn and that’s certainly the way he was this morning. My wife was loving on him and he was enjoying it.

“They say he’s a sweetheart, and that’s certainly the way he was this morning. My wife was loving on him and he was enjoying it. But he’s all business when it comes to putting the saddle and bridle on in the mornings.”

Rhetorical trains early Thursday morning at Del Mar, two days before he flies the flag for the New York breeding program in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Susie Raisher Photo.

The Morts settled into their rental house in Encinitas Wednesday and Thursday, dealt with some logistics, picked up family and friends with some plans to visit the San Diego Botanical Garden, the Breeders’ Cup Call to the Post party for participants and of course, the beach. They’ll be out bright and early Friday to see Rhetorical go through his morning training before sunrise.

“It’s incredible to be here, really,” Mort said. “Considering we only breed one or two mares a year. We keep thinking how lucky you have to be to get to this point. We were here with Sterling Silver three years ago and now we’re here again. My wife keeps asking, ‘when is this going to end?’ We’re enjoying it and hoping for the best.”

Walden feels equally honored to participate in his first Breeders’ Cup. He trains Rhetorical for owners Gary Barber, Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stable and Adam Wachtel’s Wachtel Stable. Rhetorical was foaled at Marlene Brody’s Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent, where Mallory Mort has worked since 1979 and managed the entire farm operation since 2005.

Walden will make his Breeders’ Cup debut during Future Stars Friday when he runs Gordon Pass in the $1 million Juvenile Turf. He’s fast approaching 100 wins for his career that started in 2022 – he sits at 91 heading into Thursday – and is excited for the opportunity to run Rhetorical against some of the world’s best.

“This is why we are in the game,” Walden said this week. “We want to compete at the highest level with the best horses. That is what the team is centered around doing. We are privileged to be here, and we are excited, also.”

The post Morts enjoying the ride with Breeders’ Cup Mile contender Rhetorical appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), a multiple Grade I winner, has been withdrawn from the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff and will be sold Nov. 3 at Fasig-Tipton's “Night of the Stars” (Hip 226), the connections said via a press release on Thursday.

According to trainer Jorge Abreu, he was “not 100% satisfied with the way Scottish Lassie was moving this morning, so out of an abundance of caution we've decided to scratch her from the race. This filly has a ton of heart, but in fairness to her, we didn't want to ask her to compete this weekend against the world's highest level of competition unless she was absolutely 100%.”

In just her second career start, Scottish Lassie broke her maiden in the GI Frizette Stakes at Belmont At The Big A by an eye-popping nine lengths, one of the widest margins in the race's 80-year history.

This year, at 3, she added the GI Coaching Club American Oaks to her resume, dominating the field by 15 1/2 lengths–the race's largest margin of victory in nearly 50 years. There, she defeated MGISW and champion Immersive (Nyquist), while earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure and 7 Ragozin, making her one of the fastest two-turn, dirt fillies of her generation.

Scottish Lassie is from the first crop of young stallion McKinzie, while her dam, Bodebabe, is a winning half-sister to stakes winner Windmill, and to the dam of Crown the Buckeye (Yaupon), a multiple stakes winner at 2 in 2025. Scottish Lassie's very active female family also includes Grade I winners Visionaire (Grand Slam) and Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song).

Bred in Kentucky by Winchester Farm, Scottish Lassie has earned $735,760 thus far for owners Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish LLC, Corms Racing Stable and Jorge Abreu.

The dark bay will be offered as a racing/broodmare prospect during the Fasig-Tipton sale with Taylor Made Sales Agency as consignor.

The post MGISW Scottish Lassie Withdrawn From Breeders’ Cup, To Sell At Fasig-Tipton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

1/ST CONTENT will make Turkish racing available for North American pool betting via Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) on all Turkish races, across web and mobile app channels, in U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions where ADW is accepted, the company said in press release on Thursday.

Turkish racing content is now live via Premier Gateway International hosting, using 1/ST TECHNOLOGY's AmTote platform tech, and will also be delivered to a broader worldwide market via 1/ST CONTENT's existing distribution partners at Racing1 (the full-service global hub which also includes international racing content from ARC, RMG and Tabcorp) and Sky Racing World in North America. The release also said that as a result, more customers from Australia (Tabcorp), Germany (German Tote) and other countries will be able to access Turkish racing via the international pool commingling.

The post 1/ST CONTENT Makes Turkish Racing Available On North American ADWs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In a statement issued Thursday, The Stronach Group owned Elite Turf Club, LLC, and AmTote International, Inc., have responded to a class action lawsuit filed last week against several Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) related wagering entities under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) and under state law, alleging they have “organized and participated in the corruption of the betting system to the detriment of the class.”

The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated technologies that allow them to precisely read the markets and place massive wagers across many pools in the final seconds of betting–which can lead to massive odds drops–as well as the attractive rates and rebates offered to them which are unavailable to the average punter.

Among its various arguments, Thursday's statement claims the benefits available to CAW players are similar to airline miles or credit card rebate programs, and that the lawsuit “has the potential to devastate an entire industry.”

Elite Turf Club is a CAW wagering platform 80% owned by Stronach Group and 20% owned by the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

AmTote International is the dominant totalizator service provider for North American racetracks, described in the lawsuit as the “clearing house of U.S. pari-mutuel wagering.”

The other defendants in the class action lawsuit, brought by former horse racing gambler Ryan Dickey, comprise Churchill Downs Inc (which owns CAW wagering platform Velocity), NYRA, United Tote Company and Racing & Gaming Services, another CAW wagering platform.

The full statement can be read here:

Elite Turf Club, LLC, and AmTote International, Inc., are among several horse racing industry organizations that have been named in a class action lawsuit filed recently in the state of New York by a single bettor from Colorado. These claims are meritless, and the company will vigorously defend itself. The lawsuit fundamentally misrepresents the nature of computer-assisted wagering (CAW) and the role Elite Turf Club and AmTote International have in operating, managing and regulating wagering activity. CAW is a long-standing industry, federal and state regulated component of the North American and global pari-mutuel wagering system. All participation in CAW is subject to the same pool rules, tote system audits and state regulatory approvals that govern all other forms of wagering.

Claims that CAWs receive an unfair advantage are unfounded and ignore the safeguards built into the regulatory and technological framework of racing. Like many businesses, high volume customers, including CAW players, may receive benefits such as rebates based on the volume of play; this is no different than and can be likened to airline miles or credit card rebate programs. These benefits do not offer any advantage in wagering outcomes – it is a customer incentive program that is important to not only our business but the industry. The horse racing ecosystem is made of many stakeholders – horses, jockeys, backstretch employees, trainers, breeders, and all types of bettors including retail customers, advanced deposit wagering accountholders and CAW players. Each of these stakeholders play a critical role in the viability and sustainability of this sport. Make no mistake – this lawsuit is an attack on the entire industry and puts at risk the tens of thousands of working families and the communities that rely on it. This baseless lawsuit has the potential to devastate an entire industry.

The company will unequivocally defend the integrity of our business operations while continuing to lead innovation in this sport. We are confident in the integrity of our systems, the strength of our oversight, and the safeguards in place designed to prevent unfair play. We will continue to work closely with our industry partners and regulators to ensure a level field for all participants to deliver a world-class racing product to our fans, horsemen and women, and bettors. We will address these unfounded and outrageous claims through the appropriate legal channels.

The post Stronach-Owned Entities Respond To Class Action CAW Lawsuit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.