Balance Play was added to the portfolio of ownership entity Valmont at 280,000gns at Book 1 in 2021 and has gone on to land three races for trainer Ralph Beckett.

Jockey John Velazquez and trainer Cherie DeVaux, who teamed to win the Oct. 21 Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland with Vahva, aim for more graded success there Oct. 28 when More Than Looks races in the $300,000 Bryan Station (G3T).

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be present at Santa Anita Park this year for the 40th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 3-4.

The 4-year-old gelded son of Competitive Edge will make his first start in the United States after 13 in Canada. The Alberta-bred has had a strong 2023, going 5-2-0 from seven starts. 

Older horses a notch below Breeders’ Cup quality have an opportunity Oct. 28 when Keeneland stages the $350,000 Fayette Stakes (G2) on closing day of its fall meet.

While it’s still almost two weeks to the Breeders’ Cup, the most recent weekend saw one of Europe’s premier events, British Champions Day at Ascot. The highlight events saw 3-year-olds upset their elders, each gaining a first win at the top level.

The 5-year-old son of Curlin and U.S. champion sprinter of 2022 will make his last start in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) before retiring to stud at Juddmonte Farms in Kentucky.

Oscar Performance, a multiple grade 1-winning son of Kitten’s Joy, is a top 10 second-crop sire by number of stakes winners.

Magic Millions will attempt to attract a bigger number of high-end and middle-market horses next year to cater for Hong Kong, after conducting an arguably better-than-expected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on the Gold Coast Oct. 23.

The start of a new year could bring a change to HISA regulations covering the stand-down period for horses who receive intra-articular corticosteroid injections in the fetlock, with the time frame shifting from 14 to 30 days before a race.