Breeders' Cup Turf: Speed will be two longshots' play against Euro invaders
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Regardless of how many tantalizing international runners start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, there will be a few American runners leading the way.
Balladeer, winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on Oct. 1 at Santa Anita, and Get Smokin, winner of the Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles on the undulating course at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9, are two speedy candidates for the $4 million BC Turf at 1 1/2 miles.
Both will be longshots against a field of tough overseas runners and an American contingent led by the brilliant mare War Like Goddess, who won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic against males for the second consecutive year at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting on Oct. 7.
The list of international starters lost a major contender earlier this month when Westover was retired, days after he finished a game second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 1.
The BC Turf field is led by Auguste Rodin, who is trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien. Auguste Rodin won the English Derby in June and has won three other Group 1 races in Britain and Ireland in his career.
Neither Balladeer nor Get Smokin began 2023 in any sort of form that suggested the BC Turf would be part of their autumn schedules.
Balladeer, trained by George Papaprodromou for Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, won allowance races at Santa Anita in June and Kentucky Downs in September before he scored a 6-1 upset in the John Henry Turf Championship.
Papaprodromou and his clients warmed to the idea of a start in the BC Turf in the days following that race, Balladeer’s stakes debut.
Papaprodromou said Balladeer “deserves” a chance in the BC Turf.
“Hopefully, he can stretch out and he can do what he does best,” he said. “I don’t think distance will be an issue. He’s run good races in his last two starts.”
Get Smokin was last of 16 in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at six furlongs in Dubai in March 2022 and later that year set the pace in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at a mile at Saratoga before fading to finish fourth.
Earlier this year, Get Smokin was fourth by a length in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Aug. 6 at Ellis Park in his first start at that distance. In the $1.67 million Kentucky Turf Cup, Get Smokin was dismissed at 19-1, led by two lengths for most of the race, and won by 1 3/4 lengths over the veteran Spooky Channel, who was retired this week.
“He’s gotten better and better,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He’s a free-running horse.
“We’ll attempt to do the same thing and go to the lead.”
Casse said he was urged by Harlan Malter, who is part of the expansive partnership that owns Get Smokin, to try longer distances with the 6-year-old gelding.
“In all honesty, it was an owner thinking out of the box and not afraid to try something,” Casse said. “And I was crazy enough to go along with it.
“I think so many times we’re afraid to look stupid and when you’re afraid to do that you miss out on a lot of opportunities.”
Get Smokin will be ridden in the BC Turf by Fernando de la Cruz, who won the richest race of his career in the Kentucky Turf Cup.
“He rode the horse very well and he deserves it,” Casse said.
Casse also will start the South American import Raptor’s in the BC Turf. Raptor’s earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf with a win in the Group 1 Grande Premio Brasil at 1 1/2 miles at Gavea Racecourse in Brazil in June in his last start.
Raptor’s is currently based with Casse in Florida.
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