Some of the most accomplished jockeys in the world have mounts in the 43rd. running of the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
She’s raced on the dirt and the turf. She’s taken on the boys and shown her heels to her fellow fillies more than once. Nitrogen has shown over and over what grit, grace, and versatility look like, building a record of nine wins, six seconds, and three thirds from 18 starts with an Eclipse Award and a Sovereign Award to her credit in her three seasons on the racetrack.
Ask Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day about the pivotal victories of his career, and the conversation reaches beyond the finish line. Recently, he looked back on his four Breeders’ Cup Classic victories and the moments that shaped his life. He considers himself blessed. Over 33 years, he recorded 8,803 wins from 40,305 starters that amassed more than $297.9 million in career purse earnings, according to Equibase statistics. His victories include nine in Triple Crown races.
The results of two races on Sunday at Churchill Downs shook up the latest Rookie Rankings.
Since the Rookie Rankings rate 2-year-old Thoroughbreds based on their potential to win the 2027 Kentucky Derby, the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes — a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier held over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs — unsurprisingly affected the rankings.
Riley Mott is no stranger to the Breeders’ Cup. As assistant to his father, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, he saw his share of winners, including Cody’s Wish and Elite Power, and then in 2025, the younger Mott sent out his first starter in Argos, who finished eighth in the Juvenile Turf.
