TODAY’S NEWS (Tuesday afternoon) – ZENYATTA in Classic 4 sure – RIP VAN WINKLE BATTLES DE-FEET…BIOFUEL ARRIVES
Zenyatta to run in Breeders’ Cup Classic
By BETH HARRIS (AP) – 25 minutes ago
ARCADIA, Calif. — Zenyatta will put her 13-0 record on the line running against the boys in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Owner Jerry Moss told The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday’s draw that his 5-year-old mare would test male competition for the first time in Saturday’s race at Santa Anita.
Zenyatta had also been pre-entered in the $2 million Ladies’ Classic, a race she won last year. But Moss and his wife Ann chose the bigger race to run in, with Zenyatta set to take on Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and European star Rip Van Winkle among others.
Charles Pravata photo
AND ALL PERHAPS NOT WELL WITH RIP VAN WINKLE
O’Brien takes it day-by-day
(UKPA) PRESS ASSOCIATION
Aidan O’Brien has revealed the brilliant-but-fragile Rip Van Winkle has not had an entirely smooth build-up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Sussex Stakes and QEII winner’s foot troubles are well documented, but a problem with a previously unaffected foot arose during preparations for the showdown on Saturday night.
“He’s had bits and pieces of problems coming into this race, with one of his feet that hasn’t been problematic thus far (this season),” said the trainer.
“I hope it isn’t going to affect him and we will see him out on the track on Wednesday. The horses arrived on Sunday. They’ll go on the track and have a trot and a canter.
“Rip has been swimming against the tide all season and it is amazing where he is, given the hiccups he has had. With Rip you have to take it day by day all the time, but we have been happy with him throughout the last week.
“I don’t think the surface will be a problem as he is a fluent and easy mover. He is total athlete and we will see how he handles it when he goes out for a hack.”
O’Brien’s team at the weekend includes another Group One winner, Mastercraftsman, who was last seen enjoying a confidence-boosting success on the Polytrack at Dundalk last month.
The trainer said: “Mastercraftsman definitely runs in the Dirt Mile. For us, the best performance he has ever put in was over six furlongs on fast ground at the Curragh (last year in the Phoenix Stakes).
“There was a Coventry winner (Art Connoisseur) in that race and he blew him out of it. We feel what was important that day was the pace of the race, and he must have pace in a race as he has so much speed.”
BUZZ GETTING LOUDER
Post positions will be drawn and final entries made for the 2-day, 14-race BREEDERS’ CUP races beginnig Friday.
Fans and horsemen alike are watching over the horses, race videos, workout videos and past performances.
Indeed, watching the YouTube videos fron TVG network of The Works shows are the best part of Breeders’ Cup.
Each person can watch the workouts and make up their own minds -or listen to some of the talking heads who have their own opinions of what they think of the preps (horses like BLIND LUCK in the Juvenile Fillies got unanimous BAD REVIEWS on her latest prep).
For Woodbine fans – CARELESS JEWEL, BIOFUEL and FATAL BULLET are the ones to cheer for and then you can toss in runners for Stonach Stables, Eugene Melnyk and even the 2 Canadian-breds in the 14 races, BICKERSONS and SQUARE EDDIE.
BIOFUEL, owned and bred by former Kentucky governor BRERETON JONES, was getting her coat clipped Tuesday afternoon as the weather starts to heat up , up and up.
Trainer READE BAKER is very confident in the Stormin Fever filly.
FATAL BULLET may not even be 2nd favourite as the Sprint nears. Blazing workouts by some of his rivals have hogged the headlines while the Bullet has had much scrutiny as to running stride and workouts.
CARELESS JEWEL is the big local hope for Friday – girls day at the ‘Cup’. Syhe is owned by Donna and Verne Dubinsky of Alberta.
THOROUGHBLOG has been watching all of the workouts and studying eachrace and analysis of each event will pop up on the site in the next day or 2.
Careless Jewel and Rob Landry
Canadian champ Kodiak Kowboy out of Sprint, ‘Wow out of Mare Sprint
Kodiak Kowboy – Following a Monday morning work at Santa Anita’s, Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm’s Kodiak Kowboy was declared out of Saturday’s Sprint. The 4-year-old son of Posse breezed 4f in 52 1/5.
“He worked well, but scoped bad,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Kodiak Kowboy’s trainer Steve Asmussen. “He has to go on antibiotics and will be unable to run (on Saturday).”
Trainer PATRICK BIANCONE has also scratched ALLISCANSAY IS WOW from the Fikky and Nare Sprint due to a suspected leg injury.
BOB BAFFERT CUP CONTENDERS
(Zensational works in 45 and change for 4 fur., yikes!)
It wasn’t pretty but ZENATIONAL’S workout on Monday was, well, sensational as he went 45 1/5 for four furlongs, mostly runnig off the first part under a guzzle hold and bearing out as he tried to pull.
The white faced grey is seriously fast and Canda’s FATAL BULLET might be quite content to track him in the early stages.
LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER
Momentum, 4 contenders on Baffert’s side
By Alicia Wincze – awincze@herald-leader.com
ARCADIA, Calif. — It was a Bob Baffert-like response to what has become a Baffert-like occurrence.
As the trainer stood on the Santa Anita Park apron Monday morning, he was asked about the four consecutive winners he had saddled at the track less than 24 hours earlier.
“It’s that Hall of Fame thing,” he quipped, referring to his induction earlier this year. “Ever since the Hall of Fame, my horses have been running better.”
For all his self-deprecating humor, there is no downplaying the surge of momentum rolling through Baffert’s barn as he looks for another milestone this weekend.
It remains to be seen whether his horses are peaking at the right time, but Baffert could not be on more of an upswing as he prepares to saddle four contenders in this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/1003197.html
SHOCKING!
Shocking Takes the 2009 Emirates Melbourne Cup! 03 Nov 2009
What a great spectacle to watch last night on HPI TV the running of the Mel;bourne Cup with 20 plus entries
being loaded in the gate to a deafening roar of the crowd. The race calk was superb and so was the finish as Shocking got up to win in the last half a furlong.
Corey Brown has steered the Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking to victory in the 149th Emirates Melbourne Cup.
It is the first taste of victory in the iconic 3200m race for both jockey and trainer and both were outwardly
jubilant after the historic win.
The Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup is one of the world’s most famous and best-regarded thoroughbred races and
the riches prize in Australian sport.
Shocking had been sitting fourth on most betting markets behind Bart Cumming’s 2008 champion, Viewed and the
Jake Stephens-trained Alcopop.
