Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky continues to hum along at peak levels in 2025, and with the start of fall, all eyes in the commonwealth turn to Lexington, where Keeneland Race Course begins its month-long meet.
As fall officially begins, the North American horse racing schedule enters the heart of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, with multiple preps scheduled over the next two weeks at tracks around the U.S. Five are scheduled for this upcoming weekend, four of them held at Santa Anita Park during that track’s kickoff to its autumn meet.
Success in racing often depends on the ability to spot and acquire talent and to capitalize on opportunities that can present themselves when they are least expected. The distinguished career of 7-year-old gelding Gold Phoenix, headed to the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf for the fourth consecutive year, vividly illustrates the point.
The upcoming weekend in North American horse racing is highlighted by the final marquee dirt route races restricted to 3-year-olds, both held at Parx Racing on Saturday, Sept. 20.
I know for those of you that have been following along as we prepare for this year’s Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover, it may not seem like it, but I am normally a planner. Don’t get me wrong, I love a spontaneous adventure or horse show as much as anyone, but when it comes to the horses and the business, I always have a plan. But that’s the thing with horses, sometimes they have other plans ... and sometimes those plans mean changing all of yours.
