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Blink and You’ll Miss Them: Englishman, Shisospicy and Ways and Means Headline the Breeders’ Cup Sprints

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Championship Saturday at Keeneland will pause for breath exactly three times — and each pause lasts about a minute. The Breeders’ Cup’s sprint divisions, the Sprint (G1), the Turf Sprint (G1) and the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), bring together the fastest horses in the world, and this year’s editions are loaded.

The $2 million Sprint drew 19 pre-entries and is expected to fill all 14 starting gates for the second straight year. The horse they all have to catch is Englishman, Cherie DeVaux’s 3-year-old sensation whose lone defeat came in the Pat Day Mile (G2) and who has otherwise dominated his generation in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) and H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). He faces older horses for the first time, with T O Elvis and Forego Stakes (G1) winner Hymn — trained by Ron Moquett, who won this race at Keeneland in 2020 with Whitmore — among the dangers. Last year’s winner, Bentornato, is sidelined and will not defend his title.

On the grass, champion female sprinter Shisospicy returns to defend her Turf Sprint crown for Jose D’Angelo despite having raced only once since last year’s Breeders’ Cup, while the Filly & Mare Sprint revolves around Ways and Means, whose 5 1/2-length Ballerina Stakes (G1) romp on Aug. 29 makes her the standout as trainer Chad Brown chases a record fourth victory in the race.

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Future Stars Friday: Five Juvenile Races That Will Shape Racing’s Next Generation

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3 days ago

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October 22, 2026

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Before the older horses take over Keeneland on Saturday, the sport’s future gets its own afternoon. Future Stars Friday on Oct. 30 is devoted entirely to 2-year-olds, with five Grade 1 championship races that routinely identify division champions and offer the first serious look at the following spring’s Kentucky Derby picture.

The headline act is the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, where nine colts were pre-entered. Bob Baffert’s Hughes, winner of the American Pharoah Stakes (G1), is expected to be the one to beat, while Todd Pletcher counters with American History, who punched his ticket by winning the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) over this very track. Pletcher, who won last year’s Juvenile with Ted Noffey, is chasing his sixth victory in the race. His $1 million yearling Damavand, a maiden winner over the course and distance on Oct. 4, adds intrigue alongside Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Salahudin and Champagne Stakes (G1) runner-up Gaudreau.

The companion $2 million Juvenile Fillies (G1) is headed by Frizette Stakes (G1) winner Dotsy, while the three turf races bring a global flavor: Joseph O’Brien’s National Stakes (G1) winner Folsom Blues and Godolphin’s Summer Stakes (G1) winner Al Hudaiba lead the Juvenile Turf (G1), with the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) completing a card where every winner leaves with a championship résumé.

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