The 36th Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be unlike any other in the history of the great event.
This is the 10th time the Championships have been held at Santa Anita in Arcadia, California but the first time racing people, fans and outside onlookers will be holding their breath that the two-days of 14 races go smoothly and without any horse or rider injuries.
Santa Anita’s main track is a far cry from what is has been in recent years. It is slow and deep to the point that one-mile dirt races in 1:38 is the norm rather than the old days of 1:34 and 1:35.
In fact, trainer Shug McGaughey, trainer of the top 3-year-old CODE OF HONOR said immediately following the colt’s second-placed first run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont that he wasn’t enthused about shipping the colt west to race over a deep and slow surface. Code of Honor is in the Breeders’ Classic (G1) after all, starting from post 11 in the 1 1/4 mile race.
Writer Jeremy Balan, for Brisnet.com interviewed many horsepeople at Santa Anita about the main track surface, “These horses that are shipping in to this racetrack – I suspect many of them are going to struggle, because many of the horses who are here struggle,” Brad Free (Daily Racing Form) said. “You see it when they finish. They’re spread out from here to tomorrow.”
It may be a good idea to consider horses who have raced, or worked over the Santa Anita main track before finalizing your picks.
*CANADIAN CONTENT:
Of course EL TORMENTA (12 to 1 for the Mile) is the main local hope for the Breeders’ Cup as the only Canadian owned, trained and bred runner (with Woodbine’s leading rider Eurico da Silva on board), there are some other Canadians cheering their horses.
Peter Redekop, Jim and Susan Hill, John Gunther, Charles Fipke, and Ivan Dalos will join Sam-Son Farm as Canadians with rooting interests:
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1 – FUTURE STARS FRIDAY
5 Juvenile Races
*John Fielding of Toronto co-owns Grade 1 winner EIGHT RINGS (Empire Maker) in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), trained by Bob Baffert.
*Peter Redekop’s ANNEAU D’OR is entered in the Juvenile
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2 – 9 races including $6 million Classic
* Sam-Son Farms’ EL TORMENTA, Breeders’ Cup Mile Ontario owned, bred, winner of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, is trained by Gail Cox and he is a son of Stormy Atlantic
* John Gunther’s WITHOUT PAROLE is in the Mile
* CHANNEL MAKER, Ontario-bred by Ivan Dalos, in the Turf
* SEEKING THE SOUL, Canadian-owned by Charles Fipke, entered in Classic
* John Gunther is the breeder of Kentucky bred VINO ROSSO
* TOTALLY BOSS, owned by Alberta’s Jim and Susan Hill, is entered in the Turf Sprint, EDDIE HASKELL was bred in California by J Paul Reddam
JIM AND SUSAN HILL of Alberta have their stretch running sprinter TOTALLY BOSS in the Turf Sprint on Saturday – Terence Dulay photo – horse-races.net
*THAIS (Fr), the rabbit runner for Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf after favourite SISTERCHARLIE was scratched on Thursday by track vets due to unsoundness. The Peter Brant mare, who has not won a race in more than a year, is trained by Chad Brown and has played the role of pacesetter for her more accomplished mate.
*ASSOCIATED PRESS Breeders’ Cup Story:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, wrote the California Horse Racing Board urging that every precaution available be taken to ensure the horses’ safety.
“I believe this weekend presents a critical test for the future of horse racing in California and in the United States.”
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