Breeders' Cup has plenty of storylines, horses to follow
I'm excited. The kind of excitement a 5-year-old kid feels the night before Christmas. The type of anticipation one undergoes before deciding to take a ride on Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Folks, we're only seven days away from the Breeders' Cup, the Super Bowl of horse racing. And it's in our own backyard. Santa Anita will host the twoday event Nov. 3-4 for a record 11th time, and rightfully so.
But what makes the Breeders' Cup so special are the horses. This year 205 equine athletes were entered, 59 from overseas. The cream of the crop. Mostly full fields that are a bettors' delight. There is no better value for horse players than the Breeders' Cup.
Last year most every racing fan was eager to see what the magnificent Flightline would do in the $6 million Classic at Keeneland. He didn't disappoint, easily disposing of Life Is Good, thought to be his main competition, en route to an 8 1/4-length victory while covering the mile and a quarter in 2:00.05.
There are no Flightlines this year, but that doesn't mean the Breeders' Cup is hurting for story lines. Future Stars Friday, highlighted by Bob Baffert's trio of Juvenile runners, will perhaps unveil a superstar or two that will attract a following for the next couple of years.
Here are a few of the horses I'm most looking forward to watching on Nov. 3-4:
PRINCE OF MONACO
The son of Speightstown is 3 for 3 after winning the Grade I Del Mar Futurity on the heels of victories in the Grade III Best Pal Stakes and his racing debut at Los Alamitos on July 9 when he won by eight lengths. The Juvenile, at a mile and sixteenth, will be his first test around two turns and I'm eager to see how he handles the added distance. Is he the best 2-year-old in Baffert's barn? If you saw Nysos' 10 1/2-length debut victory last Saturday at Santa Anita you might have your doubts. The Nyquist colt ran the 6 furlongs in 1:08.97. Baffert's reaction? “Oh my goodness.”
TAMARA
It's way too early for prognostications, but Richard Mandella could have the first Kentucky Oaks winner of his Hall of Fame career in this daughter of Beholder. Like the Prince, she hasn't gone two turns yet but she's won both starts by a combined nine lengths and has shown no reasons why added ground will be a problem. She won the Del Mar Debutante a couple ticks faster than Prince of Monaco won the Futurity. “I've been here in California for four years,” jockey Umberto Rispoli said after the filly's 6 3/4-length victory. “I've never seen anything like that.”
With apologies to defending champion Elite Power, I'm eager to see if the 5-year-old gelded son of Vronsky can come up big in the Sprint. The California-bred stepped into open company last time out, winning the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar by a neck for his eighth consecutive victory. Before you say he's got no shot against Elite Power, consider this: He's won 13 of 17 starts for more than $1 million in earnings and is as tough as nails. Most importantly he's won 9 of 10 at Santa Anita, including his past eight starts there. “He's just a joy. He's just all class,” trainer Erik Kruljac said. “He's the most versatile horse I've ever had for sure.”
What can we say about the story of a 5-year-old horse and a teen-age boy afflicted with the rare genetic disorder WolfHirschhorn that hasn't already been written? It's a heart-warming story that screams Hollywood and there will be many fans rooting for Cody's Wish in the Dirt Mile on Nov. 4 solely because of Cody Dorman. Cody's Wish, a son of Curlin, has won 10 of 15 lifetime and is unbeaten in seven tries at a mile. He showed in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga that he's not bred to go the Classic's mile and a quarter distance so he'll try to defend his title in the Dirt Mile.
This year's battle for Horse of the Year is the Belmont and Travers winner's to lose. If the Arrogate colt wins the Classic, he'll wear the crown. Simple as that, and trainer Jena Antonucci will become the first female to saddle the winner of North America's richest thoroughbred race. It won't be easy. Other 3-year-old standouts like Arabian Knight, Geaux Rocket Ride and Mage are waiting to clip his wings. Asked about Horse of the Year, Antonucci preferred to let her horse do the talking. “I have famously said that's above my pay grade,” she said. “I just do my job and whatever comes with that and this horse's accomplishments I'll be very grateful for.”
OUT OF THE GATE
Jockeys / Wins Juan Hernandez / 17 Umberto Rispoli / 13 Antonio Fresu / 11 Hector Berrios / 10 Ramon Vazquez / 9
Trainers / Wins Mark Glatt / 10 Philip D'Amato / 8 Peter Eurton / 8 John Sadler / 8 Three tied / 6
WEEKEND STAKES
SANTA ANITA
Saturday
• $80,000Lure Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 1mile (turf)
DOWN THE STRETCH
• Forty-one of the 205horses pre-entered for the 40th Breeders' Cup on Nov. 3-4 hail from Santa Anita, according to Victor Ryan of Santa Anita publicity. This year's Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move was pre-entered in the Dirt Mile on Nov. 4. The $6million Classic, which this year will be run as the seventh of nine Breeders' Cup races, will include the Bob Baffert-trained Arabian Knight, Geaux Rocket Ride (Richard Mandella) and Missed the Cut (John Sadler).
• The material for Santa Anita's new $7 million synthetic training track, which will replace the track's traditional sand-based training track, will begin arriving Nov. 13. The all-weather surface, part of 1/ST Racing's plans to make major financial investments in Southern California racing to enhance safety and wellness for horses, is expected to be popular for training turf horses in addition to horses that have been racing on synthetic surfaces. Track officials expect the project to be completed in mid-January.
• Baffert is pleased this year's Breeders' Cup is at Santa Anita mostly because of Mother Nature. “I like California because of the weather. You know what you're going to get,” he said. He doesn't believe there's a major home-track advantage for local horseman when the event is held at Santa Anita or Del Mar. “I think I've won more races away from here than I've won here,” he said. “It's the players, the horses. You gotta have the horses. The Lakers and the Rams, they get beat at home.” Baffert's right. He's won 10Breeders' Cup races outside of California and eight locally.
— Art Wilson