Horse Racing News by Eric Mitchell

The European Commission took action Dec. 8 that resulted in the ban of horse meat imports and meat products from Mexico.

History and redemption are both on the line in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf being run Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Sahara Sky looks to return to winning form June 28 in the $300,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita Park, while rival Cyclometer aims to build on his recent success.

Martin Racing Stable's Marchman strung together his second straight graded stakes win in three weeks with a decisive victory May 2 in the $167,550 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.

All the attention leading up to the $200,000 Longacres Mile Handicap Aug. 18 at Emerald Downs had been focused on Politicallycorrect, the stakes winner and graded stakes-placed homebred of Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Jim Tafel's homebred Looking Cool certainly kept his cool in the heat of battle down the Prairie Meadows stretch June 29 to prevail by a neck at 17-1 odds in the $250,000 Iowa Derby.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said the steroid injections given to 15 Godolphin horses was part of a regimen that now-sullied trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni followed while he was in Dubai.

Southern California trainer Bob Baffert said in a statement April 12 that an unusual string of sudden deaths in his barn is "personally troubling," and that he hopes state pathologists can help uncover a cause.

Eleven horses were reported as having died in this manner during fiscal year 2012 (July 1 through June 30) compared with six for the same period in 2011 and four in 2009, according to a California Horse Racing Board annual report.

Defending sprint champion Amazombie is the morning line favorite against a deep and full field of 14 in the $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint.