Tom Law

Young Jayden Ortiz, looking the part on a sunny and chilly afternoon in the bluegrass decked out in a gray and black bowler to match his cozy warm sweater, dished out hellos and high fives to anyone willing to raise a hand walking on the horse path Thursday at Keeneland Race Course.

Two weeks before the best horses and horsemen in the world gather for a lucrative weekend of championship racing, Laurel Park will once again play host to Maryland’s version of the Breeders’ Cup.

Rusty Arnold never doubted Concrete Rose’s ability. He did worry about the opportunity to showcase the 2-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy at her home track.

Brad Cox wanted Florent Geroux to keep one thing in mind heading to the post for the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes and let his rider know giving him a leg up on Golden Mischief in the paddock Saturday at Keeneland.

Ben Colebrook dreamed about days like Saturday at Keeneland.

The first wave of serious Breeders’ Cup prep races came and went this past weekend and everyone knows a little more – or less – about who they might like come November 2-3 at Churchill Downs.

Phil Serpe won’t shed a tear when he leads Weekend Hideaway out of his stall at Belmont Park and onto a van bound for the horse’s next home sometime this fall. He’ll miss the popular New York-bred that racked up more than $1 million in earnings and stakes victories over seven straight seasons, just don’t expect any sadness.

We’re back, at least for this week in this format with a loaded slate of stakes action to preview and the countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships now standing at five weeks to go.

The penultimate weekend of September saw the end of the hugely successful Keeneland September yearling sale, the unofficial start to Breeders’ Cup season and primed the pump for some bigger events down the road.