Horse Racing archive

The 136th Kentucky Derby post positions and post times are up and the two favorites to win it all have been placed at opposite ends.

Lookin' At Lucky drew position No. 1 and was given an opening line of 3-1 odds. In the 20th position is Sidney's Candy, who garnered 5-1 odds for the Derby.

20 horses will compete for horse racing's top prize on Saturday at approximately 6:24 p.m. ET on NBC. Here are the other poll positions for the Derby:

Post /Horse /Jockey /Weight /Odds

1/Lookin At Lucky/ Garrett Gomez /126 /3-1

2/Ice Box/ Jose Lezcano/ 126 /10-1

3/Noble's Promise/ Willie Martinez /126 /12-1

4/Super Saver/ Calvin Borel/ 126 /15-1

5/Line of David/ Rafael Bejarano/ 126/ 30-1

6/Stately Victor/ Alan Garcia/ 126 /30-1

7/American Lion /David Flores/ 126/ 30-1

8/Dean's Kitten/ Robby Albarado/ 126/ 50-1

9/Make Music For Me /Joel Rosario /126 /50-1

10/Paddy O'Prado/ Kent Desormeaux/ 126/ 20-1

11/Devil May Care/ John Velazquez /121 /10-1

12/Conveyance/ Martin Garcia/ 126 /12-1

13/Jackson Bend/ Mike Smith/ 126 /15-1

14/Mission Impazible/ Rajiv Maragh/ 126/ 20-1

15/Discreetly Mine/ Javier Castellano /126 /30-1

16/Awesome Act/ Julien Leparoux/ 126 /10-1

17/Dublin /Terry Thompson /126 /12-1

18/Backtalk /Miguel Mena/ 126 /50-1

19/Homeboykris/ Ramon Dominguez/ 126/ 50-1

20/Sidney's Candy/ Joe Talamo/ 126/ 5-1

Enjoy your Kentucky Derby Odds in the Bodog Racebook!


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The Kentucky Derby 2010 results and winner

Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver lost one of his top expected competitors for next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes as Ice Box, the second-place finisher in the Derby, will bypass the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Trainer Nick Zito said he is pointing Ice Box to the June 5 Belmont Stakes instead. He has yet to decide on another of his horses, Jackson Bend, which finished 12th in the Derby.

"We feel that we are better suited to wait and pass the Preakness and possibly go on to the Belmont and, hopefully, things work out,” Zito said in a statement. “Also, we have more evaluation to do with Jackson Bend and will make a decision on his status for the Preakness on Monday."

Ice Box, the Florida Derby winner, was closing fast on Super Saver at the end of the Derby after checking three times behind traffic. The colt didn't get any running room until the field was nearing the 16th pole. From there, he eventually passed nine horse but fell short of Super Saver by 2½ lengths. He was likely to go off as the second favorite on Bodog's horse racing odds at Pimlico.

Zito also passed on the 2004 Preakness Stakes with Birdstone, who came back to ruin the Triple Crown attempt of Smarty Jones in the Belmont Stakes.

Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Paddy O'Prado is officially in the Preakness and will joined by stablemate First Dude, second in the Blue Grass Stakes. Trainer Bob Baffert said there's a 51 percent chance Lookin At Lucky – who went off as the Derby favorite – will race at the Preakness.

Get all your Preakness odds and props at Bodog Sportsbook

:dirol

Trainer Bob Baffert has committed LOOKIN AT LUCKY to the 1-3/16 mile Preakness Stakes in Baltimore this Saturday. Bet on the race with Bodog's horse racing odds.

“He continues to look good,” said Baffert, who has four Preakness wins on his Hall of Fame resume. (SILVER CHARM, 1997; REAL QUIET, ’98; POINT GIVEN, 2001 and WAR EMBLEM, ’02) “I made up my mind over the weekend. He deserves the chance to run in this race. He’s a Triple Crown-type horse.”

Baffert also has decided to replace jockey Garrett Gomez with Martin Garcia. Baffert has used the two-time Eclipse Award winning Gomez as his go-to-rider for the past six years — but since 2008 he also has used the rapidly developing Garcia on several occasions.

In fact, Garcia rode GAME ON DUDE to win the $200K Lone Star Derby in Texas on Saturday, Baffert’s fourth win in that Derby. Although he is explaining the change merely to give Lookin At Lucky a “fresh start,” and “to change the colt’s karma,” Baffert has publicly held Gomez partly responsible for all the trouble Lucky has encountered in his past four races:

*-A very wide trip when Lucky was beaten narrowly in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last fall. (“The outside post draw didn’t help,” Baffert said.)

*-A narrow win in the Rebel Stakes after clipping heels and getting shuffled back approaching the half-mile pole. (“That was a rough race, but Lucky showed his class to win it!” )

*-A third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby after getting stopped cold on the final turn. (“I didn’t like Garrett being stuck on the inside like that.”)

*-His bump-and-run, stop-and-go, rock-and-rolling sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1. (“A very unlucky inside post for sure; but you need your rider to find a way out of there.”)

Baffert and his key Preakness decisions aside, AIKENITE and YAWANNA TWIST are now among 15 horses under serious consideration for the second jewel in the Triple Crown, which if all enter, FIRST DUDE would be excluded. Aikenite was second to HURRICANE IKE in the Derby Trial on April 24 and Yawanna Twist was second to AMERICAN LION in the Illinois Derby on April 3. Post positions will be drawn at Pimlico on Wednesday.

Looking beyond the Preakness, at Belmont Park this past Saturday we saw a serious contender for the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes.

Trainer Nick Zito’s FLY DOWN, a poor ninth in the Louisiana Derby on March 27, drew off to a six-length win in the 1-1/8 mile Dwyer Stakes, beating highly regarded DROSSELMEYER while finishing full of run. If Kentucky Derby winner SUPER SAVER gets by the Preakness hurdle, his Triple Crown bid will have to go through ICE BOX and FLY DOWN, two long-winded strong finishing horses trained by the same Hall of Fame trainer who stopped SMARTY JONES’ Triple Crown bid with BIRDSTONE in 2004 and BIG BROWN’S potential sweep with DA’ TARA in 2008.

Added Note: The 5-year-old RAIL TRIP was a solid winner over the Baffert-trained SANGAREE in the Mervyn Leroy at Hollywood Park on Saturday. More importantly, the gelding served notice that he will be a tough horse to beat in any stakes for older horses on the Southern California circuit.

Get all your Preakness props and odds at Bodog Sportsbook

There will be no Triple Crown sweep (again) this year, as LOOKIN AT LUCKY won the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, and Kentucky Derby winner SUPER SAVER finished eighth.

While 11 horses have completed the Triple Crown since SIR BARTON was the first to do it in 1919, no horse has equaled the feat since AFFIRMED defeated ALYDAR in three great Triple Crown races in 1978.

Of equal import this year is the fact that neither the Derby winner nor the Preakness winner is going to run in the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes on June 5 — bet on it with Bodog's horse racing odds.

“My horse needs a rest,” said trainer Bob Baffert after Lookin At Lucky gamely won the 1-3/16 mile Preakness to redeem his trouble-filled sixth-place finish in the 1 1/4-mile Derby two weeks earlier.

Said Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher: “You could see that Super Saver was tired, when he backed up in the stretch (in the Preakness).

“Without a Triple Crown at stake,” Pletcher added, “it’s hard to justify running a top horse back in three weeks at a mile and a half and expect that he will come out of that race with anything left for the rest of the year.”

This may be true for today’s modern fragile horses, much as it is true that today’s baseball pitchers rarely throw complete games or come back for their next start four days later. Now, racehorses of top quality usually get a full month between starts, just as baseball pitchers get four days rest instead of three.

Now, horses of high quality race five to eight races each year, compared to when horses such as Citation in the 1940s, Carry Back in the 1960s, Affirmed and Alydar in the 1970s, Spectacular Bid in the 80s and even Cigar and the recently deceased Skip Away in the 90s each raced 10-20 times a season.

The underlying reason for this?

Modern horse trainers have become increasingly influenced by the folks who developed “Sheet Handicapping” a methodology that purports to suggest a horse will “bounce,” or lose its form, if it comes back “ too quickly” from a “big number,” or a high-octane effort such as the Kentucky Derby or Preakness requires.

“I think it’s clear that Super Saver “bounced” in the Preakness,” said jockey Calvin Borel, who was aboard the colt in the Derby and Preakness. Borel pointed out that Super Saver is a “little horse with a big heart,” but was “empty” when Borel asked him to pick it up in the final furlongs of the Preakness.

From Baffert’s perspective, he expects Lookin At Lucky to benefit from a relatively light training schedule for the next month. “He’s not even a full 3-year-old,” Baffert pointed out. “He was foaled on May 27.”

In other words, while the Belmont in three weeks will be a good $1 million race at a difficult distance (12 furlongs), the two horses who dominated the first two legs of the 2010 Triple Crown probably will be better off for the rest they will get when they return to competition in mid-summer.

At the Belmont, then, we are likely to see the second-place finishers from both the Derby and Preakness — ICE BOX and FIRST DUDE — along with Ice Box’s stablemate, FLY DOWN, the winner of the Dwyer Stakes over the same track last week.

Others expected to compete, include: MAKE MUSIC FOR ME, fourth in the Kentucky Derby; SETSUKO, second in the Santa Anita Derby; DUBLIN, who would be the only horse to run in all three Triple Crown races this year; DROSSELMEYER, second in the Dwyer; STATELY VICTOR, winner of the Blue Grass stakes on Polytrack at Keeneland; UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN; and lightly raced NEW MADRID.

Get all your Belmont Stakes odds and props at Bodog Sportsbook

Preakness stakes props results are in and those who chose to play it relatively safe with their bets are happy. Lookin at Lucky was the No. 2 favorite at 3/1 entering the second leg of the Triple Crown and delivered on his promise, winning the Preakness on Sunday.

If you bet on Super Saver to win the Triple Crown (+475), the Preakness was a big disappointment, as he finished eighth. First Dude finished second, three quarters of a length behind; picking UNDER 1.5 lengths paid at -115.

According to Nielsen's overnight data, viewership of the Preakness on NBC dropped this year to a 6.4 rating. Last year's rating was 7.9 and the odds favored a drop in 2010 at -375. A boost would've paid as a +250 underdog.

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On to the belmont, where i think everyone fears icebox

Another nail in the coffin of the NYRA:dance:

The first weekend of Monmouth Park’s experimental $50 million in purses for 50 racing days was a roaring success.

Attendance of nearly 18,000 at the Jersey seashore track on Saturday nearly doubled the attendance for opening day 2009. Total handle of more than $9 million exceeded last year’s by more than 200 percent. Sunday’s racing card produced similar increases compared to 2009 figures.

“We’re ecstatic with the response, “ said Monmouth General Manager Bob Kulina.

Monmouth’s next racing cards will be this Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day. As we saw on the initial two cards, there will be full fields shooting at the $1 million in daily average purses with good horses from top barns ridden by nationally prominent jockeys.

Here’s an important handicapping hint to use at Monmouth: Watch for drop downs in the claiming races. In most cases the inflated purse money will offset the apparent discount in claiming price.

For example: #5 COGNITO overcame serious traffic problems to win the seventh at Monmouth on Sunday, dropping into a $15,000 claimer direct from Keeneland allowance company. He originally had been claimed for $15,000 last November at Churchill Downs by high percentage trainer Mike Maker for his principal client Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Cognito came back from three months’ rest to win a $20K claimer at Gulfstream in February and was second in an allowance race at Turfway in March before he finished a tired seventh in his most recent outing at Keeneland on April 9. The discount to his original $15K claiming price in this Monmouth race hardly could be viewed as a negative drop.

Ridden by Monmouth Park’s perennial leading jockey, Joe Bravo, the Ramseys collected a total of $35,900, including $20,900 for the winner’s share of the $38,000 purse, plus the $15K for the claim made by trainer Terri Pompay. And if the connections bet, they also got $7.80 for every $2.

On the Belmont Stakes front, the current lineup for the 1-1/2 mile classic on June 5 includes: ICE BOX, second in the Kentucky Derby on May 1; FIRST DUDE, second in the Preakness on May 15; FLY DOWN, winner of the 1-1/8 mile Dwyer stakes at Belmont on May 8; MAKE MUSIC FOR ME, fourth in the Kentucky Derby; GAME ON DUDE, winner of the Lone Star Derby on May 8; DROSSELMEYER, second to Fly Down in the Dwyer; STAY PUT, winner of an allowance race on the Derby Day undercard; STATELY VICTOR, eighth in the Kentucky Derby; UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN, stakes placed in several Derby preps and the inexperienced SPANGLED STAR.

Ice Box and Fly Down are trained by Nick Zito, who won the Belmont with Birdstone in 2004 and Da’ Tara in 2008. Game on Dude is trained by Bob Baffert, who won the 2001 Belmont with Point Given, and Drosselmeyer is trained by Todd Pletcher, who trained the filly Rags to Riches to an upset victory over CURLIN in 2007.

While most of the above Belmont contenders worked out during the past few days, the key works will occur next weekend, when I will be writing my Bodog Beat direct from Belmont Park.

Get your horse racing odds and props at Bodog Sportsbook

:dirol

A slew of not-so-familiar faces will be lining up for the 142nd Belmont Stakes taking place at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, on Saturday, June 5 as both Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky will not be starting. Get to know some of the new contenders for the final jewel of the Triple Crown.........


Read more: Get Acquainted With Belmont Stakes Fresh Faces

:dirol

The July 4th long weekend in America celebrates the Independence of this nation from British rule in 1776. But in the world of sports, including horse racing, it is also an ideal time to offer top quality competition.

From coast to coast and stops in between there will be more than two dozen stakes races worth more than $4 million from Saturday, July 3rd through Monday July 5th.

Bodog's got all your horse racing odds on all your favorite ractracks, from coast to coast.

On Saturday, July 3rd the three most prestigious races will be the $750,000 United Nations Handicap a Grade 1 at 1-3/8 miles on the turf at Monmouth Park; the $250,000 American Oaks a Grade 1 for 3-year-old fillies at 1-1/4 miles on the grass at Hollywood, and the $300,000 Suburban, a Grade 2 at 1-1/8 miles on dirt at spacious Belmont Park.

On Saturday, Hollywood will also offer the $150,000 Royal Heroine a Grade 2 for fillies & mares at one mile on the grass; while Monmouth will support the UN with the $250,000 Salvator Mile, a Grade 3 at one mile on the main track.

Belmont will come back on Sunday with the $250,000 Prioresss, for 3-year-old fillies at 6 Furlongs, a strangely placed Grade 1 race at such a short distance for 3-year-old fillies. Frankly, if the Prioress were not offered and a bit more money were put into the 7 furlong, $150,000 Bed o’ Roses the next day, some of the top 3-year-old fillies in the Prioress might be matched against their elders in an upgraded Bed o’ Roses.

On Sunday, Hollywood will offer the $150,000 American Handicap, a Grade 2 for 3-year-olds and up at 1-1/8 miles on the grass, while on Monday, we will see early season 2-year-olds stretch out to 6 furlongs for the first time in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship.

At Monmouth, Sunday’s July 4th card will include the $100,000 Miss Liberty at 1-1/16 miles for fillies and mares on the turf and the $200,000 Jersey Shore, a G-3 at 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds, an awkward placement against Monday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector, a non graded 6 furlong stakes for 3-yr-olds and up. At this time of the year, I think we are ready for more mixed age races for sprinters.

Monday’s card at Monmouth will also include the $100,000 Choice, at 1-1/8 miles for 3-yr-olds on turf. This race, which was run on the main track for many years, was the first stakes won by five time Horse of the Year Kelso in 1959 — and the first horse I ever bet $100 on.

Some of the top horses expected to run in the above races are:

At Monmouth: WINCHESTER, winner of the Manhattan on June 5th; PRESIOUS PASSION, twice the winner of this stakes are expected for the UN Handicap, along with TELLING who won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga last summer; Europe’s accomplished CHINCHON and JEUNE-TURC, a highly regarded Brazilian-bred and TAKE THE POINTS, who won two Grade 1 events last year and was disqualified after finishing first in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap earlier this season.

At Belmont Park: REGAL RANSOM , LAND OF GIANTS are likely for the Suburban, along with last year’s Wood Memorial winner I WANT REVENGE, who was scratched as the morning line favorite for the 2009 Kentucky Derby and is just beginning his comeback. CHAMPAGNE D’ORO, CHRISTINE DAAE, both fast fillies are expected for the Prioress, along with New York bred FRANNY FREUD, seeking her fourth straight score. DEVIL BY DESIGN and QUALIA, both impressive allowance winners are probable for the Bed o’ Roses, as is New York-bred RIGHTLY SO, second in the Grade2 Vagrancy last month.

At Hollywood Park: COZI ROSIE winner of the Providencia Stakes as the probable favorite for the American Oaks, with many potential upsetters including the closely matched CITY TO CITY HARMONIOUS, ANDINA, CONNIPTION and WEEKEND MAGIC. GOTTA HAVE HER, U R ALL THAT I AM and SPRING STYLE for the Royal Heroine. OIL MAN, RIVIERA COCKTAIL, METEORE, GLOBAL HUNTER and VICTORY PETE for the American Handicap. MARVIN’S MAGIC, an impressive winner of his only start at Emerald Downs will be in the Hollywood Juvenile, along with stakes winning J P’S GUSTO and several other promising young horses, including TAPPIN TOUGH.

Get all your online horse racing odds at Bodog Racebook!

The news of George Steinbrenner’s death Tuesday swept through the world of professional baseball like the raging wildfire that he was in real life.

A complex, sometimes impossible man to deal with or like, I knew George Steinbrenner as owner of the Kinsman racing stable and owner of Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack when I covered Tampa and national racing for the St. Petersburg Times in 1984-86.

George gave away tens of millions of dollars to worthy charities and hospitals and rarely asked for, or accepted, public credit. He gave out college scholarships to people he hardly knew after learning of their plight. He put people on the Yankee payroll so they could keep their families together even though they had no real role with the team.

He also let some office workers go without health insurance to save a few pennies and fired and re-hired his favorite manager Billy Martin five times.

I can attest to George’s volatility. It was not a fake display of emotion or a mere show for the media. In one season at Tampa Bay Downs he fired a personal friend, Christy McLaughlin, three times and called her at home the morning after the second firing and asked: “Where the hell are you? ”

“You fired me yesterday George,” she said.

“Well,” he shot back, “if you don’t get your bleep back in here in a half hour you’re fired again!”

George bought the New York Yankees from CBS Television for a modest $8.8 million in 1973 at a time when the legendary franchise of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio had fallen on hard times. By his indomitable will and commitment to excellence, Steinbrenner pushed the Yankees back into prominence, turning his relatively small investment into a multi-billion dollar success that included 16 divisional titles, 11 American League pennants seven World Series titles a new and incredibly lucrative television network (YES) and a privately funded $1 billion new Yankee Stadium that will be his lasting monument. In life and in passing, George Steinbrenner indisputably was the most successful, most influential owner of a modern American sports franchise.

But even beyond his influence on baseball, Steinbrenner also was a positive force in horse racing, a man who bred and raised many top-flight horses and rescued little old Tampa Bay Downs to the threshold of becoming a fine Florida track, owned now by one of his partners in that venture, Stella Thayer.

And, again, on a personal level, I saw both sides of this man … or should I say both extremes?

One day he instructed the track maintenance crew to roll the inside part of the track so his own horse who had Post 1 would have an unfair advantage. Reprimanded for that in secret by Florida’s ruling pari-mutuel board, I wrote a column saying “He should be suspended from the sport for at least a year for such unethical doings.”

The next morning in the track’s cafeteria on the backstretch, George came to my table and said, “I wish you hadn’t written that; I was wrong for what I did. But now I can only hope they’ll accept my word that it won’t happen again.”

George was given a reprimand letter and continued on.

The following year, I was hired to become the first racing columnist for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Four months later, at the Preakness, George saw me from across a large room at Pimlico and marched straight over to me as if I should have a bodyguard to protect me.

Instead, he gave me a big bear hug, and said: “Steve, congratulations, you’ll do a good job up there. I’m glad for you.”

Every once in awhile, George would call me in the press box at newly opened Canterbury Downs to ask how his friends in that state were doing with the new racing scene. During his prime, George never was shy in dealing with the media and you did not have to go through three layers of PR men and women to get his take on anything in the sport.

Once I called to ask him what he thought about Lasix and Bute — the two legal but controversial drugs in American horse racing.

“They shouldn’t allow them,” George said. “It may or may not help some horses, but the game would be better off if trainers took more time to heal (the horses). Certainly … the public will think the game is being ruined by drugs.”

Quite prophetic, I think, and typical George Steinbrenner.

As a former baseball pitcher who almost signed a pro contract before an arm injury ruined that, I was graciously given the opportunity to go into the Yankee clubhouse during spring training in Florida, where every player on the telephone was asking about some horse in some race. My college catcher, Jeff Torborg, was a Yankee coach at the time and when Jeff told George that I had a book out on racing (Betting Thoroughbreds) George bought a copy, sent it to me and told me to autograph it for Don Zimmer, who was on Martin’s and Joe Torre’s Yankee coaching staffs.

As a horse breeder-owner, George never won the Kentucky Derby, but he did have several top-notch horses, including Majestic Warrior, the 2007 Hopeful Stakes winner, and Bellamy Road, a dominating winner of the 2005 Wood Memorial, one of six horses George owned in whole or part that raced in the Kentucky Derby. One of those six was Steve’s Friend, whom I saw train for the 1977 Derby, standing alongside George in the clocker’s stand years before I got to know him.

I had already seen Seattle Slew on the track and George asked me what I thought of his horse and the undefeated Seattle Slew.

“Your horse looks good,” I said, “but the best way I can describe Seattle Slew is this: If he were a boxer in the ring with all the other horses in the race, Seattle Slew would come out by himself and all the rest would be on their backs.”

Eight years later, George quoted back to me what I had told him. He was hugging me at the time at Pimlico, congratulating me for my new job!

George M. Steinbrenner III has died barely a week past his 80th birthday, and just as he did in life the headlines and the memo

Saturday's (G1) $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course has Todd Pletcher trained Quality Road (and jockey John Velazquez) as the 1-4 morning line favorite. Breaking from the No. 1 post, though, is Convocation, 6-1 on the morning line and the only likely candidate to challenge the favorite for the win.

"It's a big pot, Grade 1, you got a horse in shape you might as well take a shot then," said Jimmy Jerkens, Convocation's current trainer and Quality Road former trainer. "Quality Road, as great as he is, is coming off for him a dismal effort. Knowing him I'm sure he'll bounce back, but if not maybe we'll be there to pick up the pieces."

2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird will break from the No. 2 post, while the No. 3 post belongs to Quality Road.

Earlier this year Quality Road proved victorious in the Hal's Hope, Donn Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap, but a win in the Woodward would be wonderful.

Post-time for Saturday's Woodward Stakes is 5:50 p.m. Eastern.

Get your Woodward Stakes horse racing odds at Bodog Racebook!

The favorite heading into Sunday's $300,000 (G2) Del Mar Derby for 3-year-olds is Twirling Candy, a pretty sweet name for a horse owned by weight loss queen Jenny Craig (Craig Family Trust). Jockey Joel Rosario will ride Twirling Candy for trainer John Sadler from the No. 6 post.

The first round of serious preps for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov. 5 and 6 took place last weekend. But they were not in America.

They were at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, on the annual racing card that usually identifies important contenders for the world famous Prix d’ l’Arc de Triomphe next month. Likewise, the same Longchamp racing card probably helped at least one Breeders’ Cup contender complete her major preparation for a repeat Breeders’ Cup win.

Among the most serious Breeders’ Cup prospects at Longchamp was MIDDAY, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. On Sunday, Sept. 12, Midday impressively defeated the previously unbeaten 3-year-old SARAFINA in the 1-1/2 mile Prix Vermille and now will skip the Arc on Oct 3 in favor of defending her Breeders’ Cup title at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 5. Sarafina actually looked quite strong rallying for third in the Prix Vermille and may be a serious upset threat in the Arc, Europe’s most important race.

In addition to Midday’s winning performance in Paris, American based INFORMED DECISION had a good prep for the 7 furlong, Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint when she won the 6-1/2 furlong, $400,000 Presque Isle Masters at that Pennsylvania track on Saturday.

Showing some of the verve that led to her 2009 Breeders’ Cup victory and an Eclipse Award last year, Informed Decision closed from last of 11 to win the 6-1/2 furlong race on the synthetic Tapeta racing surface — her best performance of the year.

Among the disappointing performances at Longchamp was the last place finish by United Nations winner Chinchon in the Prix Foy. Ironically, the poor performance cannot be viewed as a slightly open doorway for American based turf horses pointing towards the $3 million 1-1/2 mile Breeders’ Cup Turf. Consider this: If Chinchon could dominate American based turf horses in the United Nations at Monmouth Park, yet lose badly to highly regarded Euros at Longchamp, what does that say for the American horses he trounced at Monmouth?

This weekend, several prospects for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf will be seen in the $250,000 Garden City Stakes at the newly convened Belmont Park fall meet. Among them is CHECK LABEL, winner of her last three stakes. The field also will include many of the fillies and mares who competed in the Lake Placid and Lake George stakes at Saratoga this summer.

Beyond the Garden City, the Breeders’ Cup tempo will pick up noticeably during the next several weeks. Indeed, I personally favor the next eight weeks for sheer high quality action over any similar two month period on the American racing calendar. At the bottom line, dozens of contenders for the 14 Breeders’ Cup races will have more than one prep racing opportunity at Belmont Park, Keeneland and Hollywood Park.

Stay tuned; the fall championship season has begun.

Get all your horse racing odds at Bodog Racebook.


Welcome:

The results from Woodbine on Saturday and Sunday gave the 2-year-old PLUCK his ticket into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6; the 5-year-old COURT VISION a spot in the $2 million, Breeders' Cup Mile; and 4-year-old European REDWOOD an invite to the $3 million, 1-1/2 mile Breeders Cup Turf.

Pluck won the one mile, $100,000 Summer Stakes on Saturday, while my co-worker’s prospect in that race — RONIN DAX — bobbled three times at the top of the stretch while in a good contending position and finished fifth. He might have done better, but after the bobbles jockey Patrick Valenzuela handled him gingerly to preserve him for another day.

Owner Bruno DeJulio, an expert clocker who works for my website, said after the race that he would watch the way Ronin Dax acts over the next three weeks before deciding if he will point the son of Tapit for a race at Churchill, preferably on dirt. Said DeJulio: "He showed he is a good horse winning his maiden race with a terrific burst of late speed and players should keep an eye out for him wherever and whenever we get him ready for his next race."

Pluck, for his part, finished with great energy to win the Summer stakes going away and now will go on to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf for trainer Todd Pletcher as a serious win threat against an unknown group of European contenders.

In the $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sunday, Court Vision was a most impressive performer under a great ride by jockey Robbie Albarado.

A good fourth to GOLDIKOVA in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita last fall and now a winner of more than $2.5 million, Court Vision overcame traffic problems in mid stretch while rallying from 12th place between horses to win his second G-1 stakes this year in five tries. THE USUAL Q. T. ran very well for second in his return to grass racing and also is likely to move on to the Breeders' Cup Mile.

In what might have been the best performance of his career, Court Vision was clocked in an exceptional 1:34.62 seconds for this top notch turf mile around one turn on the rain softened, expansive Woodbine turf course.

In the $750,000 Northern Dancer Stakes, a G-1 at 1-1/2 miles on the same grass course, British based jockey Michael Hills used canny judgment to guide Redwood to victory. Hills altered course in the upper stretch to get Redwood to the smoother inside lanes where he wore down the locally based front running FIFTY PROOF in the final 50 yards to earn his automatic spot in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

"With the rain on Thursday and the way the inside part of the course had been protected all week, that was the best place to be," said Hills. "My horse was going well," he added; "But it definitely was a help to be on the inside today."

At Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, the horse from Canada that I liked to upset the $250,000 Garden City Sakes at 1-1/8 miles on a yielding turf course — NO EXPLAINING — was scratched with no real explanation. This left even money favorite CHECK THE LABEL in complete control of this Grade-1 race every step of the way while rallying from last to first to earn her ticket to the 1-3/8 mile Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill, Nov. 5.

SNOW MOUNTAIN rallied right behind the winner for second and both are likely to see each other again at Churchill Downs. But as stated previously, the strength in most Breeders' Cup turf races this year will rest with the Europeans who are likely to outclass all but a few of our turf runners this year.

Get all your Breeders’ Cup futures and Breeders’ Cup odds at Bodog Racebook.


Welcome:

As advertised in this space on Saturday morning, the late developing APART did relish the added distance of the nine furlong Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

While the official finishing margin only was 1-1/2 lengths, Apart looked the part of an emerging star, working his way out of two traffic jams before he moved to the outside and ran by DISTORED ECONOMY and HURRICANE IKE to win the $500,000 race with eye-catching, long fluid strides.

Apart is trained by Albert Stall, who already has the top rated older horse in training, BLAME, pointing for the Jockey Club Gold Cup next week at Belmont, ostensibly a stepping stone to the $5 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6. So, Stall said that if nothing happens to Blame, he will keep Apart out of the Breeders Cup and point him instead for slightly less ambitious targets to give him more time to mature.

Maybe that is wise, but wherever Apart runs you can be sure that this blog writer will not be betting against him. Aside from the retired ESKENDEREYA, Preakness winner LOOKIN AT LUCKY and the speedy SIDNEY’S CANDY, no other 3-year-old has impressed me more this year than this grandson of A.P. Indy.

For proof of his talent, I suggest you watch his last two races at Louisiana Downs: the Prelude at 1-1/16 miles on Aug. 28 and now the Super Derby on Sat., Sept. 25.

The two other Graded stakes on Saturday, the $1 Million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx racetrack and the Gallant Bloom at Belmont, did produce potential contenders for Breeders’ Cup races.

At Parx (formerly known as Philadelphia Park), Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito finally got a Derby win this year, scoring in the nine furlong Penn. Derby with lightly raced MORNING LINE, a son of two time Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Tiznow.

Admittedly, this field was stronger than the Super Derby and Morning Line ran almost five seconds faster than Apart in the Super Derby, but the Parx track was blazing fast and there was much more to Apart’s win than the grinding effort Morning Line turned in to score narrowly over the familiar FIRST DUDE and A LITTLE WARM. Even so, Morning Line probably has not reached his peak either.

In the $150,000 G-2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at 6-1/2 furlongs, all of the favorites failed to gain an automatic ticket to the 7 furlong $1 Million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.

RAPPORT, favored at $1.80-1, gave only a brief hint of the speed she used to win the Victory Ride at Saratoga last month. SARAH LOUISE, second choice at $2.25-1 despite making her first start since last November, only rallied belatedly for third. Quite obviously, Sara Louise will need a smashing series of workouts and or another prep race if she is going to improve upon her fourth place finish in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

QUALIA, the third choice at $3.40-1 deserved to be given another chance after an horrendous trip in the Ballerina Stakes on the Travers Day card at Saratoga, but did not respond to coaxing while finishing fourth. Her connections need to regroup.

Meanwhile, the hard trying MY JEN, second to Rapport in her latest and overlooked at $12.30-1, was held in reserve by Mr. Patience himself, Julien Leparoux, and finished boldly to move past longshot MOONTUNE MISSY in the final strides. With her victory, My Jen punched a ticket to the Breeders' Cup and Moontune Missy, who was $25.25-1 in this race, also may go on to Louisville after Saturday’s good showing.

As pointed out in this space Saturday, we are approaching a veritable explosion of Graded stakes for Breeders’ Cup horses in New York, California and Kentucky over the next few weekends. Stay tuned…

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Although ZENYATTA seemed dangerously close to her first career defeat in the 1-1/16 mile Lady’s Secret stakes at Hollywood on Saturday, she found another gear inside the final 100 yards to wear down the speedy 3-year-old SWITCH with room to spare. The win extended Zenyatta’s remarkable lifetime unbeaten streak to 19 straight.

“Yes, we were a little concerned about the distance,” said trainer John Shirreffs, who shared a nervous moment with the enthusiastic crowd of 27,000 who had come out to worship their 6-year-old equine heroine.

“Zenyatta is much better suited now to longer races,” echoed jockey Mike Smith. “I suppose I was briefly worried when Switch had two lengths on us and wasn’t stopping,” he added. “But Zenyatta knows what she’s doing; she always finds another gear.”

Zenyatta’s winning performance set up a delicious opportunity for her to close out her career with an unprecedented 20 straight wins should she repeat her 2009 victory in the 1-1/4 mile, $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, next month at Churchill Downs.

One of Zenyatta’s principal Classic rivals is expected to be BLAME, the leading older horse in America who held great form until he was upset on Saturday by front running longshot HAYNESFIELD in the 1-1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

Blame can recover and he was not the only top Breeders’ Cup contender to lose an important Graded Stakes prep race this weekend.

At Parx racetrack in Pennsylvnia heavily favored BLIND LUCK finally lost a photo to HARVE DE GRACE, whom she had narrowly beaten in the Delaware Oaks and Alabama stakes in their two prior meetings. Both should be back at it in the $2 million Ladies Classic, on Nov. 5.

At Hollywood Park on Saturday, the 3 year old TWIRLING CANDY failed to handle two time Pacific Classic winner RICHARD’S KID in the nine furlong Goodwood, a prep for the BC classic. The Baffert-trained Richard’s Kid may love 1-1/4 miles, but he still will need to transfer his fine synthetic track form to Churchill Downs’ dirt oval, just as Zenyatta will need to do the same.

In the 1-1/16 mile Norfolk stakes for 2 year olds, JAYCITO, a son of Belmont stakes winner Victory Gallop took the measure of the heavily favored Del Mar Futurity winner J P’S GUSTO whose sprint breeding caught up with him.

In the 1-1/4 Yellow Ribbon for fillies and mares on the turf: HYBAAYEB, a Godolphin stable owned 3 year old filly shipped here from Europe, exposed the mediocrity of western based female turf horses just as other Euros have exposed other American based turf horses of both sexes this year.

At Hoosier Park on Saturday though, Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky looked in superior form while overpowering a weak field in the Indiana Derby on a very sloppy track. Given his high class talent, his proven ability to handle dirt and his natural maturation, this Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old may be the one Zenyatta will have to deal with the most.

At Belmont Park on Saturday, Godolphin’s Girolomo shortened up in distance for this, but showed good early speed and pulled away from the field in the upper stretch to assume the role of a legit contender for the BC Sprint. In the 1-1/4 mile Flower Bowl for fillies and mares on the turf, 4-year-old filly AVE , a beaten favorite in the Beverly D at Arlington, Aug. 11, surged boldly between horses in deep stretch to edge SHARED ACCOUNT and CHANGING SKIES to earn her ticket to the $2 million Filly and Mare BC Turf.

In the 1-1/8 mile Beldame, LIFE AT TEN, who most recently lost a speed duel to RACHEL ALEXANDRA when third to PERSISTENTLY in the 1-1/4 mile Personal Ensign at Saratoga, scored over Persistently and UNBRIDLED BELLE with consummate ease to loom a serious threat in the 1-1/8 mile BC Ladies Classic, Nov 5.

In the 1-1/2 mile Joe Hirsch Classic on the turf for 3 year olds and up, stretch running WINCHESTER defeated the improving 3-year-old PADDY O’ PRADO, but the best horse might have been Winchester’s stablemate GRASSY. Dismissed at 22-1, Grassy had multiple traffic issues yet still finished third less than two lengths behind the winner. All three of these horses are likely to go on to 1-1/2 mile, $3 million BC Turf.

On Sunday at Belmont: Shug McGaughey’s AIR SUPPORT won the 1-1/16 mile Pilgrim on rain softened turf and the James Toner trained betting favorite WINTER MEMORIES did the same in the Miss Grillo. In the Kelso Handicap—at one mile around one turn on the main track—TIZWAY made a winning return to the races since finishing third to QUALITY ROAD in the Met Mile on May 27.

On Sunday at Hollywood, favored TELL A KELLY was upset in the 1-1/16 mile Oak Leaf by RIGOLETTA, who most recently had finished third to Tell A Kelly in the 7 furlong Del Mar Futurity. Both of these 2 year old fillies figure to reprise this battle in the $2 million BC Juvenile Fillies, Nov. 5 at the same distance.

WORTH REPEATING took the 1-1/4 mile Clement Hirsch on the turf, but will need to improve considerably to handle any of the top male horses from Europe in the BC Turf.

Speaking of top flight Euros, at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Sunday, two time BC Mile winner GOLDIKOVA was under no serious pressure while defeating PACO BOY in the 7 furlong Prix de Foret on a rain softened turf course. The same was not true however for Epsom Derby winner WORKFORCE, who scored a hard fought victory over Japanese based NAKAYAMA FESTA in a roughly run $5.5 million, 1-1/2 mile Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Beyond the top two, any horse that comes out this roughly run race will deserve close examination in the BC Turf and/or BC Classic.

Be sure to get all your online horse betting in the Bodog Racebook today.

Expectations in horse racing can be a dangerous thing for horsemen and horseplayers alike.

On one hand, when expectations for a top performance are met or exceeded, they can raise the spirits and fatten the bankroll.

On the opposite end of high expectations, a disappointing performance can lead to dashed hopes, fewer bucks in the pocket and major questions that may not be resolved until another day.

For example, expectations ran sky high in advance of the performance by UNCLE MO, the betting favorite in the one mile, $300,000, Grade-1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Most players practically conceded the eventual outcome of this race to the son of Indian Charlie. And why not! Uncle Mo had scored a 14-1/2 length victory in his career debut at Saratoga and the overall competition in the Champagne was relatively weak. Even so, all the pre-race expectations were dwarfed by Uncle Mo's actual Champagne performance — even though the Beyer Speed Figure was eight points below the 102 Beyer Fig he registered in his exceptional debut.

This time, Uncle Mo shook off a sharp early speed challenge from I'M STEPPIN IT UP and just ran away from the field through the stretch en route to a sparkling 4-3/4 length Champagne victory in the most prestigious race for 2-year-olds on the New York racing calendar.

The 1:34.51 clocking equaled the second-fastest time for the mile in 64 runnings of the Champagne at that distance. Only Devil’s Bag, clocked in 1:34.20 in 1983, ran faster.

"I was expecting a good race," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "But," Pletcher continued, "he ran much better than I thought he might."

Pletcher was particularly impressed by Uncle Mo’s excellent final quarter mile, clocked in 24.04. "That’s twice now that he's really kicked home and finished up like a star," Pletcher said. "It would be hard to imagine any young horse being any more impressive in his two starts."

So now with the Champagne behind him and with Pletcher's endorsement, Uncle Mo is sure to go on to the 1-1/16 mile, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 with more high expectations.

On the opposite coast and opposite side of anyone's expectations was the letdown felt when SIDNEY'S CANDY was scratched from the $150,000 Oak Tree Mile at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Reportedly 100 percent healthy and raring to go against a testing field of older horses Sidney's Candy was removed from running in the Oak Tree Mile because a multi million sale was being orchestrated with details to be revealed sometime Monday.

Beyond the money involved, trainer John Sadler already has been informed that he will continue to train Sidney's Candy to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile. That may seem fine for Sadler, he will have to prepare the top class but relatively inexperienced 3-year- old colt for his rendezvous with two time Breeders' Cup Mile winner GOLDIKOVA on workouts alone.

While Sidney's Candy showed great talent in his lone turf race to date — a runaway course record victory in the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar last month — as a horseplayer it will be a tough call to believe in his chances when he goes against world class rivals in the Breeders' Cup Mile with no races since mid-August, no races against older horses.

By the way, LIBERIAN FREIGHTER did win the Oak Tree Mile and now seems likely to be one of the horses Sidney's Candy will be facing in the Breeders' Cup. Considering his 22-1 odds, it can be stated with some conviction that Liberian Freighter may outrun the expectations of the vast majority who bet the race.

Added Notes: The following Breeders' Cup contenders won other important Graded stakes Saturday at Keeneland, Belmont and Oak Tree at Hollywood Park:

At Belmont, Bob Baffer's A Z WARRIOR won the one mile, $300,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies, and PRINCE WILL I AM won the 1-1/8 mile, Grade-1 Jamaica Handicap on the turf for 3-year-old fillies.

On the Keeneland Polytrack, J.B.’S THUNDER won the 1-1/16 mile, Grade-1, $400,000 Breeders’ Futurity and DUBAI MAJESTY won the 6 furlong, $200,000, Grade-2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes.

On the Keeneland turf course, SILVER TIMBER won the Grade-3, $100,000 WOODFORD at 5-1/2 furlongs; PROVISO won the G-1, $400,000 First Lady at one mile; and GIO PONTI dominated the $600,000, G-1 Shadwell Mile.

At Hollywood Park, the 3-year-old SMILING TIGER gamely outlasted older sprinters in the 6 furlong, G-1 Ancient Title to earn his way into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Get all your Breeders' Cup odds at Bodog Sportsbook

With leas than three weeks before the 14-race Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 and 6, this seems like a good time to preview four of the most intriguing Breeders' Cup races.

In the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile:

PACO BOY has been close to two time Breeders' Cup Mile winner GOLDIKOVA on three separate occasions, actually beating her once. That his connections are shipping him over to run against Goldikova again suggests considerable confidence in his Breeders' Cup Mile prospects.

PROVISO is a Billy Mott trained mare who defeated males in the Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita last March. On Oct. 9 at Keeneland she continued her excellent form flashing a powerful burst of late speed to win the First Lady at one mile on grass.

Ditto for GIO PONTI, second in the Breeders' Cup Classic last year and a multiple Eclipse Award winner. On Oct. 9, Gio Ponti looked smooth as silk winning the Shadwell Mile on the same card as Proviso, earning a similar Beyer Speed Figure while uncorking a similar rally. In other words all the top contenders for this race are strong stretch runners, which leaves the door open for a front running upset threat.

Do I hear someone whispering SIDNEY’S CANDY?

I have been salivating at the chance to bet this 3-year-old colt with outrageous speed in the Breeders' Cup Mile, but he missed an important prep race when scratched out of the Oak Tree Mile on Oct. 9 for the sale that still has not been formally completed. If Sidney’s Candy is going to make the race and be a legit upset threat, he will need at least two stiff workouts of seven furlongs or longer that knock the stopwatches out of the clocker’s hands.

Get your Breeders' Cup Mile odds at Bodog Racebook.

*****
In the $2 million Juvenile Fillies at 1-1/16 miles:

RIGOLETTA, a top notch 2-year-old filly who narrowly defeated Del Mar Debutante winner TELL A KELLY in the Oak Leaf Stakes at Hollywood Park on Oct. 3, is injured and out of the race.

That leaves Tell a Kelly as the best 2-year-old filly pointing for the race…so let me give you a hint (with respect to following her progress): Her workouts, along with most other Breeders' Cup contenders, are being chronicled on my web site. (So far, so good.)

Get your Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies odds at Bodog Racebook.

*****
In the $ 2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at 1-1/16 miles:

With the lightly raced but very fast UNCLE MO on schedule — along with equally fast and lightly raced BOYS AT TOSCANOVA, plus the pure speed type — J P’S GUSTO, it will be hard not to give stretch running JAYCITO a royal upset chance in this race.

Bodog's got your Breeders' Cup Juvenile odds, too.

*****
THE $5 MILLION BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC at 1-1/4 miles:

Undefeated ZENYATTA had a good recent workout at Hollywood Park, but will only be at Churchill Downs for gallops and jogs during Breeders' Cup week. In the meantime, the hard hitting BLAME is doing his training in Kentucky and continues to look the part of a formidable threat to the undefeated mare. Likewise, the talented 3-year-old LOOKIN AT LUCKY continues to make a positive impression since his easy win in the Indiana Derby on a very muddy Hoosier Park racing strip. ‘Lucky’ certainly is proving to be a very durable horse who can handle any situation. My guess is that with the exception of his Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, few people really know how good he is or will yet become…

Bet on your favorite horse to win the Breeders' Cup Classic!

*****

Be sure to check back on the Bodog Beat this Friday when I’ll have more previews of several other Breeders' Cup races.

Added Note: HARMONIOUS was a clear cut winner in the QE 2 Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland on Saturday to project herself into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf picture. The $2 million Canadian International at Woodbine was won by European based 3-year-old JOSHUA TREE. But, the only horse in the race who may go in the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf is third place finisher DEBUSSY, who won the Arlington Million, Aug. 21.

Pre-entries for the 14 Breeders’ Cup races will be released to the general public on Wednesday, Oct. 27 and Daily Racing Form past performances will be available online and in hard copy publications on Thursday.

In the meantime, here are more profiles of four Breeders' Cup races to go along with the eight previously outlined in my last two Bodog Beat blog posts. (So far I have covered the Breeders' Cup Mile; the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the Juvenile Fillies, and the Breeders' Cup Classic in the Oct 19 edition. This was followed on Oct. 22 by profiles for the Breeders' Cup Sprint; the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; the Filly and Mare Turf and the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic.)

In this edition, I’ll outline the prime contenders for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; the Dirt Mile; Turf Sprint and Juvenile Turf.

$1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, 7 furlongs, Fri., Nov. 5, Churchill Downs.

The race will likely have two very fast front running contenders: RIGHTLY SO, winner of the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga this summer and CHAMPAGNE D’ORO, winner of the one mile Acorn Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard and the 7 furlong Test Stakes at Saratoga, both Grade 1 races for 3-year-old fillies. This may give last year’s struggling filly and mare Sprint champion, INFORMED DECISION a chance to recover her faltering stretch kick, but the simple reality is that none of the fillies and mares who are likely to be in this field can be safely eliminated. As we get closer to actual race day, I’ll give you some Bruno DeJulio’s impressions of the training moves we have been charting on my web site.

$1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, around one turn, Sat., Nov. 6, Churchill Downs.

CROWN OF THORNS has looked good in his two starts since recovering from injuries that kept him out of action since his near miss in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Sprint. TIZWAY also has looked good in his return from injuries and he has one thing Crown of Thorns does not have, a race, in fact good form on dirt.

Other prominent contenders are likely to include GAYEGO, VINEYARD HAVEN, HERE COMES BEN, WARRIOR’S REWARD and BRIBON, winner of the Met Mile in 2009 who also won the 6 furlong True North Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

$1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, 5 furlongs, Nov. 6, Churchill Downs.

Consistent CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE loves this distance and has good form on this turf course. GREAT ADVENTURE has also been sharp in abbreviated turf sprints in Canada. STRADVINSKY, SILVER TIMBER are two more with numerous fine tries at similar distances and the filly ROSE CATHERINE has never lost a turf sprint in her career.

$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, one mile, Nov. 6, Churchill Downs.

A surprising lack of European entries for this race, with REROUTED, recent winner of the Group 3 Sommerville Stakes at Newmarket, the lone known exception.

Should no other Euro come over to run in this race, Rerouted’ s competition probably will be a pair of Todd Pletcher trainees — PLUCK and SANTIVO — with the former making a stronger impression when he won the Pilgrim on the Belmont turf course on Oct. 3.

Others American based threats include SOLDAT, ROGUE RFOMANCE, AIR SUPPORT and TYPHOON SLEW.

We are getting closer to one of the best Breeders’ Cup extravaganzas since the event was inaugurated in 1984…

Beyond 14 closely matched fields worth an aggregate $26 million, we will see undefeated Zenyatta meet a strong field of male rivals in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic; the world class Euro based Goldikova seeking an unprecedented third straight victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile and another Euro, the 4-year-old Midday seeking to repeat her win in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

The 2010 Breeders' Cup World Championships are just around the corner.