With yearlings bred by Blue Heaven Farm accepted to the super-elite The Saratoga Sale for the third consecutive year, it is affirmation that the program put together by the nascent nursery near Versailles, Ky., is on the right track.

Salomon Del Valle’s multiple graded stakes winner Gunnevera breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 flat Aug. 4 at Gulfstream Park West, preparing for an expected return in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer Aug. 10 at Gulfstream Park.

Cross Counter now joins winners such as Highland Reel (IRE), Ulysses (IRE), and Crystal Ocean (GB), who all won this before going on to greater things.

With yearlings bred by Blue Heaven Farm accepted to the super-elite The Saratoga Sale for the third consecutive year, it is affirmation that the program put together by the nascent nursery near Versailles, Ky., is on the right track.

West said he hopes West Coast will be ready for the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. If not, the Nov. 23 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill would be the next option for the Flatter colt.

Overnight rainfall of 2.3 inches has forced NYRA to cancel the final two races of the Aug. 4 card at Saratoga Race Course.

Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal’s River Boyne has established himself as a top 3-year-old turf horse in Southern California, but he’ll have to take on upstart Oceanside Stakes winner Restrainedvengence in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (G3T).

Raging Bull found enough footing and class to produce the optimal result in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T), rallying from well off the pace to nail Maraud by a nose at the wire Aug. 3.

Investec Derby (G1) runner-up Dee Ex Bee has an excellent opportunity to record a victory for the first time this season and test his credentials in the four-runner Qatar Gordon Stakes (G3) Aug. 4, the final day of Glorious Goodwood.

In repeating last year’s success in the Aug. 3 King George Qatar Stakes (G2) at Goodwood, Battaash showed the depth of talent that led him to being crowned the best five-furlong horse on the planet last year.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by a pair of runners as he seeks his third victory in the $100,000 Alydar Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

Boujie Girl’s connections are thinking a little bit bigger for they gray filly and attempting a rare score in the $200,000 Sorrento Stakes (G2) Aug. 5 at Del Mar.

The 2018 class of inductees to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame may have been light on contemporary stars, but the ceremony more than made up for that by highlighting the history of Thoroughbred racing.

The Retired Racehorse Project announced Aug. 3 that Select Sales Agency will launch an initiative to donate $5 per horse sold at public auction to RRP during the 2018-19 sales season.

After a rainy Aug. 3, and with showers expected to linger through the Saratoga Springs area into the morning of Aug. 4, handicappers will be battling with Mother Nature as well as the pari-mutuel machines this Whitney Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II could not be at Belmont Park to watch her 4-year-old homebred colt, Call To Mind (GB), win the $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stake (G2T) on June 8.

Long River, the last grade/group 1 winner by A.P. Indy, has been retired and will stand in 2019 at Anchor & Hope Farm near Port Deposit, Md.