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Gainesway Trio Set For Big Breeders’ Cup Saturday

October 28, 2025

It’s set to be a big weekend for Gainesway stallions with six runners representing the stallion barn at the Breeders’ Cup meeting on Saturday at Del Mar.

MCKINZIE saw three entries from his first juveniles last year and he follows that up with three runners again in 2025.

Two of those were 2024 entries with Scottish Lassie running in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) a year after finishing fourth just a length behind MCKINZIE’s Quickick in third when they both contested the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Scottish Lassie came into that race after a nine-length romp in the Frizette S. (G1). This year she pulled off a similar feat two starts ago when she dominated the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) by 15 ½ lengths in July. She’ll be taking on 12 other females in the race, which runs at 2:01p.m. PT on Saturday.

Chancer McPatrick was a 2-time Grade 1 winner in 2024 and an Eclipse Finalist as well with his season ending in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). This year, he was briefly on the Road to the Kentucky Derby when he finished second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and is now headed to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) after winning the Curlin S. two starts ago. He’ll be facing off against nine others with a 4:45p.m PT post time.

Baeza has proven to be a serious runner for MCKINIZE and earned his spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) after being one of the best runners of a vintage 3-year-old crop. Baeza comes into this race after securing his first Grade 1 win in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) by 2 ¼ lengths. While it was his first win at the level, it was far from his first top level performance.

Baeza burst onto the scene in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) when second by only three quarters of a length to Journalist. He then finished third in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont S. (G1) and used the Jim Dandy (G2) as his Pennsylvania Derby prep when finishing second. The Classic runs at 3:25 p.m. PT on Saturday.

MCKINZIE will also be represented on the east coast when juvenile daughter Day to Day runs in the Tempted at Aqueduct at Belmont.

TAPIT and Breeders’ Cup success goes hand-in-hand with the stallion siring seven Breeders’ Cup winners. This year, he has a duo representing him with both coming on Saturday’s card.

The TAPIT x Close Hatches cross has been a successful one and the pair will have their second Breeders’ Cup runner when Grade 2 winner Scylla runs in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). The filly is a full sister to Tacitus, who was fourth in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). This will be Scylla’s second trip to the Breeders’ Cup after finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) last year just a length away from winning and she’s been a solid runner this year.

Two starts ago, she finished second in the Ballerina S. (G1) before putting her final prep in when third in the Spinster S. (G1) earlier this month. She was also second in the Bed O’ Roses (G2) and third in the Honorable Miss S. (G2) with her only off-the-board finish being a fourth in the Derby City Distaff (G1) in May.

TAPIT son Will Take it burst on to the stakes scene with a win in the Hanshin S. in his second stakes start and he’ll try to go up another level in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Saturday. A $700,000 yearling purchase a few years ago, Will Take It has been a solid racehorse for his ownership with five wins and five other top three finishes for $546,754 in earnings.

Away from California, TAPIT also has son Discreet Dancer looking for his first stakes victory in the Showing Up S. at Gulfstream Park.

2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner KARAKONTIE is the sire of arguably the best turf female this year in She Feels Pretty, who runs in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1).

This won’t be the first Breeders’ Cup appearance for She Feels Pretty, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) after winning the Natalma S. (G1) back in 2013. She has been a top-class filly throughout her career and this year has been even better with She Feels Pretty stepping up to a totally different level.

She started her season with an easy win in the Modesty S. (G3) in May before adding a fourth Grade 1 to her resume in June when she won the New York S. (G1). She missed by just a head in the Diana S. (G1) in July before taking her record to five Grade 1 victories with a win in the E.P. Taylor to round out her pre-Breeders’ Cup runs. She’ll be looking for Grade 1 number six in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at 5:25p.m. PT to end the Breeders’ Cup card.

KARAKONTIE will also be represented on the stakes scene by 2-year-old Sunrise in the Armed Forces at Gulfstream Park. That colt is a full brother to his sire’s Grade 1 winning Spendarella.