In the crazy business model of thoroughbred racing, a horse is more valuable not racing then they are on the track. So, with that in mind, the sport's latest superstar, Flightline, was retired on Sunday, one day after a dominating record-setting win the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Race Course.

It was expected that Flightline would never ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Cody’s Wish was the prohibitive betting favorite, but an even stronger sentimental one on the second day of the 39th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland. The son of Curlin fended off Cyberknife, a Kentucky Derby runner in May, to take the $1 million Dirt Mile.

His namesake, a teenager named Cody Dorman, was ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — No matter how big the hype, no matter how high the expectations, Flightline exceeded every marker in his historic win Saturday in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Race Course.

Did he cement his place his horse racing history with his 8 1/4-length win in the country's most prestigious race?

The almost 40,000 ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Highlights from this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland:

Who was up?

— Flightline: Wow. That’s all that can be said after that performance. One of the best horses in the world attempted to run Flightline off his feet in the opening stages of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday. He didn’t come close. Life Is ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — It was no surprise that Cave Rock and National Treasure, both trained by Bob Baffert, would finish one in front of the other in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, much like they did when Cave Rock won the American Pharoah at Santa Anita last month.

The surprise was that Forte finished in front of both. Well, not that ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For horse racing to have any chance of thriving, it needs a star. Those in the sport are counting on a 4-year-old colt named Flightline to fill that spot, even if it's for a brief time.

Undefeated in only five starts, the Southern California-based Flightline has won his races by a staggering total of 62 3/4 lengths. He's also...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Will this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Classic serve as the crowning moment for a horse that will go down in the history books, or will it be the setting for a major upset?

We’ll find out Saturday evening at Keeneland, which will host horse racing’s World Championships for the third time and welcome one of the sport’s ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Commonwealth of Kentucky is the self-proclaimed horse racing capital of the world. It has the most famous racetrack, the most iconic race and more than 450 breeding farms.

But what it didn't have the last year and a half was the sport's most famous trainer onsite watching one of his horses run for a lot of money. That all...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Breeders’ Cup returns to Keeneland this weekend, with the World Championships of horse racing coming back to Lexington for the third time.

The first time the Breeders’ Cup came to town, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah thrilled the crowd with the final victory of his illustrious career. The favorite in this year�...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — From the first time John Sadler laid eyes on Flightline, he saw the potential for something truly special.

“I drove out to Lane’s End and looked at him and saw what a great looking horse he was,” the California-based trainer said this week at Keeneland. “He’s just one of those prospects you want to have in the barn ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Todd Pletcher knows he has a tough task come Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, but the Hall of Fame trainer is hoping for a home-track edge.

“Hopefully, if we have any sort of advantage, it’s that both horses have run here at Keeneland,” Pletcher said after Monday’s Breeders’ Cup post ...Read more

A horse named Flightline might be the most dominant competitor currently in any sport. Of course, because it's horse racing, the average sports fan likely has no idea who he is and what his mark on sports history might be. The name recognition might get a little bump Saturday when he competes in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Bob Baffert is back. Or at least back at Keeneland, thus back at this year’s Breeders’ Cup. As irony would have it, the sport’s most famous American Thoroughbred trainer is making his return to the national stage in the same state where his troubles began.

You know the story. The long, long story. In 2021, Medina Spirit...Read more

The road to the Kentucky Derby always seems to go through Bob Baffert, but rarely after a race like this. But first, there is the added issue that the hall of fame trainer is not eligible to run in the Derby.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Baffert finished first, second, third and fourth in the eight-horse Grade 1 $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes ...Read more

It was not a surprise that Bob Baffert won the Grade 1 $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes. After all, he had four of the eight horses in Saturday's race. What was surprising was which Baffert horse won.

Defunded, who had never won a graded stakes race, took the lead early and wouldn't give it up over the 1 1/8-mile race to win by 1 3/4 lengths and ...Read more

As Southern California enters its stretch run of horse racing for the year, slight signs of optimism have surfaced as Santa Anita gets ready to start its 18-day Autumn racing season Friday.

The Santa Anita meeting comes on the heels of a successful summer meet at Del Mar where field size and mutuel handle were up. The two metrics are tied ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — “A blind man can say, ‘I see a good horse,’ ” Fred Mitchell said.

Mitchell has no blind spots when it comes to breeding talented Thoroughbreds. As the owner of Clarkland Farm in Kentucky, Mitchell and his late wife, Nancy, have bred successful racehorses for over 40 years.

One of the farm’s biggest success stories ...Read more