The World Championships concluded Saturday with sterling efforts and drama abound, and the connections of the newly crowned took Sunday morning to provide updates on their charges as they look ahead.Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that all six of his Breeders' Cup horses came out of their races in good order, and plans for MGISW Journalism (Curlin)–whether to continue racing or retirement–will be finalized in the coming week. The colt finished fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz.“This is more or less what we've seen from him all year long,” McCarthy said of Journalism's 'business as usual' Sunday morning. “He comes into these races in such great fashion and bounces out of them just as well, and nothing different here today.”“He'll have a couple easy days. His future is in the hands of the ownership group. They will determine his fate here in the next day or two.”While it hadn't been the finish he hoped for, McCarthy only had praise for his charge's effort Saturday, saying, “I thought Jose did a wonderful job getting him into a great spot up the backside. He started coming from the three-furlong pole and he put in a nice run to go ahead and get in the mix with the leaders there. He leveled off and finished up well, and was beaten by a Japanese champion, a 2-year-old champion and a 3-year-old champion.”Formidable Man (City of Light) ran second in the Mile. McCarthy said he will continue his career as a 5-year-old in 2026 with a return trip to the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Jan. 24 as the most immediate possibility. Touch of Destiny (Uru) (Midshipman) finished eighth in the Dirt Mile. He'll remain in McCarthy's barn and compete in the States next year.“[Touch of Destiny] was in contention early,” McCarthy said. “They set some incredibly quick fractions, and he was just off of them. It was an ambitious ask but the horse was right there in the mix for a short while.”Juvenile Turf runner-up Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) made his final start of the year in the aforementioned race, and might be nominated to a stakes at Newmarket next year. Meaning (Gun Runner), fourth in the Juvenile Fillies, could be seen in the GII Los Alamitos Starlet as a '25 season wrap, and La Ville Lumiere (City of Light), seventh in that same contest, will be moved back to the turf.Updates for Team Pletcher as Classic Stars Emerge in Good FormIn the Todd Pletcher barn, the Breeders' Cup Classic trio have come out of the race physically no worse for wear. Finishing best of the bunch, Fierceness (City of Light) concluded his career with a third place tally behind globetrotting star Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). He is headed to Kentucky to begin his career as a stallion at Ashford Stud in 2026. Grade I winner Mindframe (Constitution) came in fifth and Antiquarian (Preservationist) ran eighth after being eased.Fierceness retires to Ashford Stud for 2026 | Sarah Andrew“I would say that [Fierceness has] had a remarkable career,” Pletcher said before listed the colt's accomplishments. “Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, 2-year-old champion, Florida Derby winner by a record margin, Jim Dandy winner, Travers winner, Breeders Cup Classic runner-up, at four [he broke] a track record at Churchill Downs that's stood for over 100 years, second in the Met Mile, third in the [Breeders' Cup] Classic, [wins the] Pacific Classic, Grade I winner three years in a row, three Breeders' Cups in a row. I think he deserves a lot of credit for remarkable career.”Mindframe, who also moves to retirement at Claiborne Farm this week, physically emerged in good form from his fifth-place effort, but Pletcher did say that the bumping incident in the Jockey Club Gold Cup impacted his performance on Saturday.“Obviously not an ideal setup for him, with losing his rider in the Jockey Club and trying to come into the Breeders' Cup Classic with really not having a true race since June,” Pletcher said. “I think that compromised him a bit the stretch. He made a good, strong middle move to put himself in contention, and just flattened out a little bit. Feel like the length of time between true races really affected him.”Antiquarian is scheduled to race as a 5-year-old and will head down to Palm Beach to prepare for a potential tilt at the GI Pegasus World Cup or the G1 Saudi Cup. Luis Saez wrapped up on the colt a half-mile out from the finish and guided him home when it became clear the chestnut was not handling the track.“I don't think he liked the surface at all. Didn't seem to take to it. Didn't run his normal race. He's always very consistent and Luis said he was just spinning his wheels when he got to the far turn. He just took care of him from there.”“We didn't breeze him over the track, but even in his gallops, I didn't think he was maybe quite as good as he was when we were in Saratoga. Whatever the reason, he didn't take to the Del Mar surface.”Pletcher's Juvenile Stars Head to Florida to Prep for Sophomore SeasonsMultiple Grade I winners Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) and fellow Spendthrift colorbearer Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) are preparing for a ship down to Florida for this winter season in advance of their 3-year-old campaigns.The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero capped an unbeaten season at the World Championships and will move to Palm Beach Downs to prepare for a Triple Crown campaign. The latter finished fifth in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.“I guess we'll just try to regroup a little bit with her and probably look for her next race to be around one turn,” said Pletcher.In the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf, Time to Dream (Not This Time) was never a factor in the race, and will also be another that the team will need to regroup on. Both she and Celebrity Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn})–10th and eighth, respectively–will be prepped for sophomore seasons in Florida.“[Time to Dream] didn't seem herself at all,” Pletcher said. “I don't know if she didn't care for the Del Mar course or exactly what, why she didn't show up and run a race, but she was basically at no point traveling the way that she's capable of. We'll have to regroup there and decide when we're going to start again.”Bittersweet Sunday for Bill Mott as Scylla, Sovereignty Head to KentuckyHall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was up before the sun Sunday, likely one of the few, and heading to San Diego International as his stables stars prepare for their return trips east.GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Scylla (Tapit) ran her final race in the Championship and enters the venerable Juddmonte breeding program with six wins from 16 starts. Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will return to Kentucky once it is deemed that he is well enough to travel. No decision as been made regarding his future thus far, either.“All good today with both horses,” Mott said in a text message. “No decision yet for Sovereignty.”Distaff Mares Given Good Prognoses By Respective CampsNitrogen will get R&R in Florida | Sarah AndrewDistaff runner-up GISW Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) is doing well after Saturday's effort and will be leaving early Tuesday morning for Ocala, Florida. She will enjoy some R&R at trainer Mark Casse's farm.“We think she ran a winning race,” said assistant trainer Shane Tripp. “We're all very proud of her.”Regaled (Mohaymen), third behind the Scylla and Nitrogen, is scheduled to return to Churchill Downs Monday with a possible start in the GIII Falls City Stakes Nov. 27 as the upcoming target.“That might happen,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “We will let her tell us. If not, there is not a lot going on for her in January, February or March and we would look for something in April at Oaklawn.”Bob Baffert reports that Seismic Beauty (Uncle Mo) grabbed a quarter leaving the gate in the Distaff, and 'lost all interest after that' before being eased. She will go through the ring Monday night at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.Baffert's Dirt Mile Duo in Good Form, Nysos's Future Up in the AirTrainer Bob Baffert's weekend left the conditioner, for the most part, pleased after he won two races, had two seconds, and one third. The runners have emerged from their efforts in good form, including Nysos (Nyquist) and Citizen Bull (Into Mischief). The latter posted sensational fractions in the Dirt Mile, and the stablemates gave the Del Mar crowd a race to remember down to the wire with a head separating them in the end. Of the winner, Nysos, he even paid the son of Nyquist the highest of compliments.“He is probably as close to an American Pharoah-type horse that I have had,” he said, referring to his 2015 Triple Crown winner.While Citizen Bull is retiring this year, as to whether or not Nysos will remain in training, Baffert could not say for sure what the timeline for him looks like.“I don't think we'll know for another month,” he said. “He looks sound and healthy. We were talking maybe G1 Saudi Cup with him, and I think he would be a perfect for that race. That is one race I desperately want to win. We will let the horse tell us.”GI Filly & Mare Sprint winner Splendora (Audible) ended her season with a romp in her championship race, and Baffert says owner Michael Talla of Talla Racing could potentially keep her running as a 5-year-old.“The horses all came back and looked good this morning,” Baffert said. “It's very satisfying and it's why we work so hard. We have a great team.”DeVaux Proud of Vahva, She Feels Pretty after Saturday EffortsTrainer Cherie DeVaux expressed her pride Sunday morning when discussing her stable stars Vahva (Gun Runner) and She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}). The former, second to Splendora in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint, is headed to Keeneland for the November sale. The latter came a half-length short of victory in the Filly & Mare Turf. Both have come out of their runner-up efforts in excellent shape.“So far, so good; they left early in the morning” DeVaux said. “Vahva is headed over to the sale at Keeneland. She Feels Pretty, we'll check her out when we get her home and make a plan from there.”“You come out here and it's the best of the best from around the world. Even though we didn't win, I'm super proud of both of them.”The post Post-Breeders’ Cup Notes: Journalism’s Future TBD, Stable Stars Head Off for Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.