The Breeders' Cup will be holding a press conference on June 11th at Churchill Downs to announce the location of the 2011 Breeders' Cup. It is widely expected that the host track will be, in fact, Churchill Downs itself. The 2010 Cup, to be held on November 5th and 6th this year, is also being held at the Louisville, Kentucky, track.

Scheduled to be in attendance at the press conference are Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear, Breeders' Cup Chairman W.S. Farish, Breeders' Cup President/CEO Greg Avioli and Churchill Downs Inc.'s President/CEO Robert Evans.

Among the other major racing news at North America -

• US Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra is to make her next start in the $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap (Gr.2) over 9 furlong at Churchill Downs on June 12th, where she will face just four rivals. In a statement, owner Jess Jackson said, "As long as she continues to progress, we intend to race her with the expectation that she will obtain her fitness level of last year. Our ultimate goal and hope is to enter the Breeders' Cup in November." Calvin Borel will maintain his association with Steve Asmussen's ward in Saturday's race.

• A reason for the disappointing run by fancied Ice Box in the Belmont Stakes (Gr.1) on June 5th has revealed itself. It turns out that the colt "displaced his palate". Presumably he will henceforth be fitted with equipment to prevent a re-occurrence. He is headed for the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on August 1st. Meanwhile the first three finishers in the classic, Drosselmeyer, Fly Down and First Dude will probably meet again in the Travers Stakes (Gr.1) at Saratoga, which could also draw Kentucky Derby (Gr.1) winner Super Saver and Preakness Stakes (Gr.1) hero Lookin At Lucky. That would be a prospect to savour.

• A 10 to 1 outsider surprised all at Monmouth Park on June 6th when setting a new world record for a mile on turf. A 6-y-o son of leading sire A.P. Indy, Mandurah stopped the clock in 1:31-1/5, breaking the previous record for a mile on turf by 1/5th of a second. He was not pressed and drew away by 8-1/2 lengths...

• Kentucky Oaks (Gr.1) heroine Blind Luck lost for only the second time since Rafael Bejarano took over riding duties last November, when pegged back to second in the Hollywood Oaks (Gr.2), also on June 6th. The Calumet Farm-bred Switch (Quiet American – Antoinette, by Nicholas), hailing from the stable of John Sadler, put paid to the chances of the favourite when having too much in reserve at the business end of the race. With only five runners, the pace was slow and they dawdled through the first 6 furlongs in a leisurely 1:14.50.

This factor, along with the 10 lbs. weight advantage enjoyed by Switch, obviously helped her to prevail by just over a length. The winner was steered by Martin Garcia. Although beaten on this occasion, the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Blind Luck is still on track for being ranked as the champion 3-y-o filly in the USA. This year she has scored in the Las Virgenes Stakes (Gr.1) and in the Fantasy Stakes (Gr.2) apart from her Oaks triumph.

• Belmont Stakes (Gr.1) and Travers Stakes (Gr.1) winner of 2009, Summer Bird (by Birdstone), will stand his first season at stud in 2011 at Ben P. Walden Jr.'s Pauls Mill Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he will join Artie Schiller and Bellamy Road.

Bred and raced by Indian-Americans Dr. K.K. Jayaraman and his wife, Dr. Vilasini Devi Jayaraman, the four-year-old has not raced since November 2009. His premature retirement was forced by an injury incurred while preparing for the Japan Cup Dirt (Gr.1) last year, which ultimately did not heal enough for him to resume training. Summer Bird won an Eclipse Award as champion 3-y-o colt in North America in 2009. The colt retires to stud with $2,323,040 in earnings. "We have been overwhelmed by the interest in Summer Bird from Kentucky and overseas," Dr. Jayaraman said.

• Commercialization is entering the field of jockeys' apparel as well. At the Kentucky Derby in May there was some controversy on the subject – although all jockeys had a contract to sport a logo of Dodge vehicles on their pants, apparently there were different versions of this contract in circulation. Now the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has voted to require a standardized contract to be on file at least a couple of days prior to a race. Meanwhile the Jockeys' Guild wants the terms of the agreement to remain private and not to be circulated to racing officials!