Breeders' Cup: Sarafina steals Midday's thunder in Turf; Euros also strong in Filly and Mare Turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Midday, as expected, will make her third Breeders’ Cup appearance in the BC Turf rather than the Filly and Mare Turf, the race she won in 2009 and in which she finished second here last year.

The Turf was listed as Midday’s first preference over the Filly and Mare Turf when pre-entries were taken Oct. 24, and Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, confirmed a couple days later that the Turf was indeed the intended target for the 5-year-old mare. Midday drew post 4 when final BC entries were taken and post positions assigned Monday, but – at least until the race is run – she will not be the leading lady in the $3 million Turf.

Instead, it was 4-year-old filly Sarafina (post 2, Christophe Lemaire) who was made the race’s 5-2 morning-line favorite, with Midday third choice on the line at 4-1. Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia pegged Await the Dawn (post 6, Julien Leparoux) the race’s 7-2 second choice, but Midday, Sea Moon (post 7, Ryan Moore), or St Nicholas Abbey (post 1, Joseph O’Brien), could easily fill that spot. What’s certain is that Europeans will, rightfully, dominate the Turf betting. Shortest price among the four Americans in the race is 10-1 on Dean’s Kitten (post 3, Ramon Dominguez), and his odds could easily drift higher.

Midday will be ridden as usual by Tom Queally, but trainer Henry Cecil – who travelled with her to the Breeders’ Cup the last two years – will not be here to oversee Midday’s final preparations and saddle her on race day. Cecil also trains Frankel, the top miler in Europe, and a horse that Breeders’ Cup would have loved to attract this year. Frankel instead won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 15 and will be put away for the rest of 2011.

Even with Midday’s absence, the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf is rife with capable Euros both current and former. French shipper Announce (post 6, Maxime Guyon, 9-2 morning-line) was beaten a nose in the Prix de l’Opera on Oct. 2 at Longchamp, and the filly that edged her, Nahrain, also was entered in the Filly and Mare Turf. Nahrain, trained by Roger Varian, drew post 5 and was made the 7-2 morning-line second choice. Frankie Dettori, aboard for the Opera win, was named to ride. Dettori, however, begins a suspension on Saturday and can only accept mounts on the first day of Breeders’ Cup racing.

Misty for Me, the other Euro shipper, fared somewhat poorly at the draw, landing post 12. The Filly and Mare Turf is contested around three bends at 1 3/8 miles, and there is a fairly short run into the first turn. Aidan O’Brien trains Misty for Me, with Ryan Moore named to ride.

Stacelita, formerly based in France but imported to the U.S. and transferred to trainer Chad Brown this past summer, drew favorably in post 2. The mount of Ramon Dominguez, Stacelita was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite on the strength of recent wins in the Flower Bowl and Beverly D.

Fantasia, among the Filly and Mare Turf pre-entries, was not entered in the race. Her trainer, Jonathan Sheppard, won the 2008 Filly-Mare Turf with Forever Together.

Turf, Post Time: 4:45 ET Saturday

Purse: $3,000,000; 1 1/2 mile; gr. I

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	ML Odds
	St. Nicholas Abbey	Aiden O'Brien	Joseph O'Brien	9-2
	Sarafina	Alain de Royer-Dupre	Christope Lemaire	5-2
	Dean's Kitten	Michael Maker	Ramon Dominguez	10-1
	Stately Victor	Michael Maker	Mike Smith	30-1
	Teaks North	Justin Sallusto	Javier Castellano	20-1
	Await The Dawn	Aidan O'Brien	Julien Leparoux	7-2
	Sea Moon	Michael Stoute	Ryan Moore	4-1
	Brilliant Speed	Tom Albertrani	John Velazquez	20-1
	Midday	Henry Cecil	Tom Queally	4-1

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Filly and Mare Turf, Post Time: 6:50 ET Friday

Purse: $2,000,000; 1 3/8 mile; gr. I

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	ML Odds
	Dubawi Heights	Simon Callaghan	Joel Rosario	8-1
	Stacelita	Chad Brown	Ramon Dominguez	2-1
	Harmonious	John Shirreffs	Martin Garcia	30-1
	Cambina	Jeff Bonde	Garret Gomez	30-1
	Nahrain	Roger Varian	Frankie Dettori	7-2
	Announce	Andre Fabre	Maxime Guyon	9-2
	Aruna	Graham Motion	Julien Leparoux	6-1
	Perfect Shirl	Roger Attfield	John Velazquez	30-1
	Shared Account	Graham Motion	Edgar Prado	30-1
	Distorted Legacy	Angel Penna Jr.	Rajiv Maragh	30-1
	Dynaslew	Seth Benzel	Corey Nakatani	30-1
	Misty For Me	Aidan O'Brien	Ryan Moore	10-1