Breeders' Cup notes: Becker back after COVID scare
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kurt Becker had something of a harrowing experience with the coronavirus and feels fortunate to be back calling the races Friday and Saturday at Keeneland.
Becker, the only race-caller in Keeneland history, was diagnosed on Oct. 23 as positive for the virus, forcing him to miss the final day (Oct. 24) of the 17-day fall meet. He was cleared earlier this week by health officials in his hometown of Altamont, Ill., and in Fayette County, Ky., to return to the announcer’s booth for the two Breeders’ Cup dates.
The coronavirus “is something that cannot be trifled with,” said Becker, 51, adding he “could barely drag myself out of bed for two days” as he suffered from textbook symptoms – fever, muscle ache, shortness of breath, and a highly diminished sense of taste and smell. He said Keeneland officials were vigilant in following up with contact tracing when his positive test became known and that four individuals who had been in relatively close contact with him during the second half of the meet all tested negative for the virus.
Even without spectators in attendance because of the pandemic, Becker will call all 22 races this weekend for ontrack attendees and a much larger audience watching via the Keeneland simulcast signal. Larry Collmus, now in his ninth year for NBC, will call all 14 Breeders’ Cup races for the vast network-television audience.
In April 1997, Becker called the first Keeneland race over a newly installed public-address system that had not existed for the first 60-plus years at this track.
“The support I received from friends and colleagues during this difficult time means a great deal to me,” he said. “It’s one more reason to remind me why I’m so fortunate to be a part of this business.”
A wagering smorgasbord
Aside from a wide array of multi-race and vertical wagers, there will be three doubles linking specific Friday and Saturday races during the Breeders’ Cup. They are:
◗ Juvenile Turf (race 7 Friday) and Turf (race 11 Saturday).
◗ Juvenile Fillies (race 8 Friday) and Distaff (race 10 Saturday).
◗ Juvenile (race 10 Friday) and Classic (race 12 Saturday).
Mutuel takeout rates for both days are the same as at a regular Keeneland meet: win-place-show, 16 percent; exacta, 19.5 percent; pick five, 15 percent; all other exotics, 22 percent.
Dettori in 28th Breeders’ Cup
With six mounts (all on turf) during the two-day event, jockey Frankie Dettori will ride in the Breeders’ Cup for a record 28th time, breaking out of a three-way tie with Mike Smith and Kent Desormeaux, both of whom had at least one mount at 27 different Breeders’ Cups. Smith opted to stay home in California, citing few choice mounts, while Desormeaux has been inactive since late July.
John Velazquez will be riding in the Breeders’ Cup for a 25th time, putting him into a tie for fourth in this category with the retired Gary Stevens. Alex Solis, now an exercise rider for Wesley Ward after retiring in April 2017, is next with 24.
Brown streak on the line
With 13 Breeders’ Cup starters this year, Chad Brown will be looking to extend his record for consecutive years with a winner. Brown has won at least one BC event in each of the last six years (2014-19) and now has 15 career wins. Two of his starters, Rushing Fall in the Filly and Mare Turf and Complexity in the Dirt Mile, are morning-line favorites, and he has good chances in other races.
D. Wayne Lukas, the all-time leading trainer in BC history with 20 wins, won in five straight years (1985-89). Bob Baffert, also with 15 wins, was a winner in four straight years (2013-16), including three straight runnings of the Classic from 2014-16.