Karakontie draws wide again in Mile repeat bid

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Karakontie drew post 11 on Monday for his repeat bid in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, but that draw, while less than ideal, hardly seems impossible considering that Karakontie won the 2014 Mile after breaking from post 14.

More problematic than the outside draw for Karakontie are the horses who will stand with him in the starting gate Saturday. From top to bottom, the 2015 Mile field looks tougher than last year’s, and there is a cracking contingent of overseas horses in town for the race.

Karakontie, with regular rider Stephane Pasquier named, is one of four France-based horses in the Mile, and French milers have been the cat’s meow in the BC Mile, winning 10 times in 31 years and taking the Mile the last seven times a North American-based horse didn’t win. Trainer Andre Fabre has two excellent chances in Esoterique (post 9, Pierre-Charles Boudot) and Make Believe. Make Believe, who won the Group 1 Prix de la Foret earlier this month, breaks from post 3 and will be ridden by Olivier Peslier, who won the Mile three years in a row on Goldikova.

The fourth French horse is Impassable (post 5, Maxime Guyon), who could become the fifth 3-year-old filly to win the Mile, though she makes her first start in a Group 1 or Grade 1 on Saturday.

Two horses have shipped from England: Time Test will need all of jockey Ryan Moore’s wiles to work out a trip from post 12, while Mondialiste, who won the Woodbine Mile in his most recent start, breaks from post 4.

From the inside out, the North Americans entered in the Mile are Grand Arch (post 1, Luis Saez), Recepta (post 2, John Velazquez), Tourist (post 6, Jose Lezcano), Tepin (post 7, Julien Leparoux), Obviously (post 8, Joe Talamo), and Mshawish (post 10, Frankie Dettori).

Obviously almost certainly will set the pace from post 8, with the filly Tepin the likely pace-presser. “I think she’ll be right behind him,” said trainer Mark Casse, who again Monday spoke about how fresh Tepin seemed after a brilliant win over the Keeneland turf course in the First Lady Stakes earlier this month.

Keeneland’s grass course is a 7 1/2-furlong oval, and the Mile starts very near the first turn, which accounts for long-term post-position stats skewed in favor of inside draws. The four worst posts in the last 20 years going one mile on turf here are posts 9-12, with posts 9 and 10 producing 8 percent winners, post 11 just 7 percent winners, and post 12 just 2 for 39 during the last two decades. Posts 1 and 4 have produced the highest rate of one-mile grass winners at 14 percent each.