Breeders’ Cup Turf: Flintshire best of Euros
The future-book favorite for the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31 is a European-based runner becoming increasingly familiar to American racing fans.
Flintshire, second in the 2014 BC Turf at Santa Anita and the winner of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on Aug. 29, was as low as 5-2 this week with some British bookmakers for the BC Turf, the richest turf race in the United States.
:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2015: See DRF’s top contenders
Trained in France by Andre Fabre for Juddmonte Farms, Flintshire has not raced since the Sword Dancer. The 5-year-old is a candidate for the $5.56 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Oct. 4, the leading race in Europe.
The European runners for the BC Turf will be better known after the Arc. The BC Turf might lose some runners to the $2 million Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 17. Free Eagle and Highland Reel, who were third and fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 12, could run at Ascot or in the BC Turf.
The American team for the BC Turf lacks a clear leader. In 2014, Main Sequence was the dominant turf-marathon runner on the East Coast and scored a mild upset in the BC Turf. Main Sequence was the champion turf male of 2014 but was retired earlier this year because of injury.
:: Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Results, replays, charts, and more
In his absence, the domestic team is led by The Pizza Man and Big Blue Kitten, who were first and second in the Arlington Million at Arlington Park on Aug. 15. The Pizza Man, trained by Roger Brueggemann, will prep for the BC Turf in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 3.
Big Blue Kitten will be favored in Saturday’s $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Belmont Park. Trained by Chad Brown, Big Blue Kitten was eighth in the 2013 BC Turf at Santa Anita but did not run in the race last year. Red Rifle, second to Flintshire in the Sword Dancer, is another runner in the Hirsch who could appear in the BC Turf.
The Hirsch is the leading prep race for the BC Turf in the United States. The Southern California circuit lacks a notable prep race this year after Santa Anita officials opted to eliminate the $150,000 John Henry Turf Championship from the stakes schedule. In its place, the track is running the $75,000 King Pellinore Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf, a race that at best could produce an outsider or two for the BC Turf.