Keeneland news: QE II Challenge Cup activity ramps up

Entries for Keeneland's Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup will be taken Wednesday ahead of the Saturday feature for 3-year-old fillies. Those invited include...

...Beyond Blame (trainer Brad Cox), Capla Temptress (IRE) (Bill Mott), Chipolata (FR) (Christophe Clement), Daddy Is a Legend(George Weaver), Fatale Bere (FR) (Leonard Powell), Mission Impassible (IRE) (Jean-Claude Rouget), Nyaleti (IRE) (Mark Johnston), Pollara (IRE) (Chad Brown), Princess Warrior (Kenny McPeek), Rushing Fall (Brown) and Secret Message (Graham Motion). 

On Sunday morning at Keeneland, Susan and Jim Hill’s Daddy Is a Legend, a two-time Grade 3 winner, tuned up for a run in the race by working 5 furlongs in 1:04.20 on the turf course labeled “good.” She produced splits of :12.60, :25.60, :39.20, :51.40 and 1:04.20.

Arriving shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday from Europe for the QE II were Mohammed Hamad Khalifa Al-Attiyah’s Mission Impassible (IRE) and 3 Batterhams and a Reay’s Nyaleti (IRE).

Scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon from Belmont Park is e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Rushing Fall. In April, she won the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association here.

Bucchero earns return Breeders' Cup trip with Woodford win

Ironhorse Racing Stable’s Bucchero was back in his stall at Churchill Downs the morning after becoming the fourth horse to win the Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select in consecutive years.

Last year, Bucchero used the Woodford as a springboard to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar, where he finished fourth beaten only a length.

Trainer Tim Glyshaw plans to travel the same road this year, albeit a shorter distance.

“We’re very excited to run in the Breeders’ Cup in our backyard at Churchill Downs,” Glyshaw said. “We’re still very proud of Bucchero’s effort (in the Woodford) and we’ll start to get him ready for the Turf Sprint.”

Trainer Brad Cox echoed a similar sentiment regarding Klein Racing’s runner-up Will Call, who also will be pointed to the Turf Sprint.

Golden Mischief has connections thinking Breeders' Cup

Trainer Brad Cox reported that Juddmonte Farms’ Golden Mischief came out of her victory in Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) well.

The victory earned Golden Mischief a berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) scheduled for Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

“It (the Breeders’ Cup) is on our home field this year, so my vote would be to run,” Cox said.