all in Racing

Not every talented racehorse winds up competing in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs. There are many reasons why. Some horses mature too soon, or too late, to compete on the first Saturday in May. Others prefer to race at a different distance or surface than the Kentucky Derby’s 1 1/4 miles on dirt.

Tam Tam proved superior to the 3-year-old grass fillies in California by capturing the Aug. 22 Del Mar Oaks Presented by Keeneland Sales. Now, she has made a compelling case for being the best 3-year-old turf filly in Kentucky, if not the country.

Every spring, sports fans and much of the general public know the Kentucky Derby is coming up on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. In addition to the 120,000-plus attending the Derby in person, folks across the country throw Derby parties, put money in their betting accounts, learn about the horses, and tune in to the national TV broadcast to watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

There were a whopping 34 graded stakes races run throughout North America last week, including 10 Grade 1 stakes and 17 Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races. Not surprisingly, the results reshaped the Equibase overall leaderboard for 2026 North American earnings, particularly in the juvenile and older divisions. For this roundup, we’ll focus on the races that shuffled earnings standings for 2-year-olds pointing toward the Oct.

Every two weeks through early October, a panel of media members, horseplayers, and Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials release a poll tabulating their votes on the nation's top contenders for the 2026 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

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