LIVE Breeders’ Cup Coverage from Del Mar

The Racing Dudes are at the Breeders’ Cup! This page will be updated over the two days of racing with interviews with trainers, jockeys, and owners. We’ll also post some of our favorite photos of the great horses and action at Del Mar. Keep coming back for updates each morning. Also, make sure to check out our FREE Breeders’ Cup picks or our EXCLUSIVE Breeders’ Cup Wagering Guide.

Saturday 6:30 a.m. update: Slim’s Anticipation for 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic

I can’t sleep… it’s Breeders’ Cup morning! I’m still on East Coast time and I think I slept three hours. Too much adrenaline is rushing through my body in anticipation to see my first Breeders’ Cup Classic live as two horses that I’ve loved will face off in what I hope will be an epic battle: Arrogate vs. Gun Runner.

Lady Eli, Unique Bella, Bolt d’Oro and Drefong are all running today. The Euros are here including Ribchester and Highland Reel. Star power!!!

Here’s an update to all the videos I did yesterday interviewing some of the biggest names in the game!

If you want to laugh this morning, please, please watch my video as I visit the barns to talk to the horses. I talk to BC Sprint top contender Imperial Hint as he yawns, get rejected by BC Classic runner Pavel and get the side eye from BC Juvenile Fillies favorite Moonshine Memories. This video is 2-minutes and is worth every second of your time:

I talked to owner Sol Kumin about Lady Eli and his other runners today including Dacita, Beach Patrol, Fanciful Angel, Mind Your Biscuits and Whitmore.

Scroll down and you’ll find my interview with trainer Christophe Clement about his BC Turf Sprint runners Disco Partner and Pure Sensation. He talks about how he wants Pure Sensation and Disco Partner to break from the gate.

I talked to jockey Florent Geroux about his mount on Gun Runner and his plan on how he’ll ride him out of the gate.

I also talked to the StarLadies owners about their runner Stainless today in the Juvenile Fillies.

Enjoy these videos! I sure enjoyed making them for you!

Friday 6 p.m. (PDT) Update: Slim’s Thoughts on Forever Unbridled

Forever Unbridled put a punctuation on her career winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff with a devastating move on the turn under jockey John Velazquez. She will be the likely Eclipse Award Older Female champion after this win putting into question if a horse with only a three-race campaign should be named a champion.

Her win today was enthralling as Velazquez tipped her out on the turn and never looked back.  Her last win in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign over champion Songbird should give her enough leverage to be named champ this year. Trainer Dallas Stewart did a masterful job getting her ready for this race, which was the main goal after she underwent routine minor ankle surgery to remove a bone chip over the winter.  Stewart treated her with kids’ gloves all year after the surgery bringing her back at Churchill in June, where she absolutely throttled an over-matched field in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis.

So, should three wins be enough to be named a champion?

Well, it will be this year, as no other female can match those three wins. It will indeed set a precedent going forward, though, as now we may see the great female stars in the game less and less in future year.

Friday 11 a.m. (PDT) Update

An absolute picturesque day here at Del Mar! 69 degrees and sunny. I don’t think it could be any more beautiful to have the 34th Breeders’ Cup as we get ready fro the big 4 races today.  The also eligibles have scratched from the two juvenile turf races today, but everyone else is primed and loaded for Friday’s BC card!

StarLadies Interview

Ownership group StarLadies Racing spoke about their Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Orbolution, one of the breakout stars from the summer at Saratoga.

Christophe Clement Interview

Trainer Christophe Clement discusses his Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Best Performance in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup-opening race.

Shug McGaughey Interview

Trainer Shug McGaughey discussed how his European-bred filly War Flag will prepare for battle against a heavily-favored Lady Eli in Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf.

Mark Glatt Interview

Trainer Mark Glatt shared insight to how local longshot Blackjackcat plans to take on the world’s best on his home turf in the Mile on Saturday.

Florent Geroux Interview

Jockey Florent Geroux talked about his plans for Gun Runner leaving the gate in the Classic, including how Gun Runner has more speed than Arrogate early, but he doesn’t need the lead if Collected decides to send from his outside. This video was taken after Geroux left the winners’ circle in the third race on Thursday with Goodthingstaketime, who looks like a very good 2-year-old turf filly for owner Sol Kumin. The owner of Lady Eli, Kumin interrupts this interview to congratulate Geroux, but since he’s one of the most prominent owners in the game, that’s OK with the Dudes.

Chad Summers Interview

Owner/trainer Chad Summers gave good insight into the big rematch this Saturday between his superstar Mind Your Biscuits and the TwinSpires Sprint’s defending champ Drefong.

Jorge Navarro Interview

Trainer Jorge Navarro talked about Sharp Azteca‘s recent training heading into the Dirt Mile and Navarro’s troubled last few months amidst the recent allegations.

Good luck to all at the Breeders’ Cup!