Southern Cal shipper takes on Voracious

SAN MATEO, Calif. - With Bay Meadows boosting allowance purses to assure strong fields on Saturday, Breeders' Cup Day, trainer Billy Morey expected to see tough Southern California competition head north for the day. So he wasn't surprised at all to see that his 4-year-old Voracious will have to take on the stakes-placed Caped for Flight, who was sent north to run in a six-furlong allowance with a purse of $38,000.

Caped for Flight, trained by Brian Koriner, ran second last year as a 2-year-old in the Sunny Slope at Santa Anita after running fourth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Futurity.

A $200,000 juvenile purchase last year, Caped for Flight has come back to turn in two strong efforts after a 10-month layoff. In his last start he ran third in a $40,000 optional claimer on Sept. 21 at Fairplex.

Voracious lost a three-way photo for second in his last start, Oct. 6, finishing fourth in an allowance here. Voracious has not missed a check in three starts since Morey claimed him July 21 at Del Mar.

Quick Song could be part of the pace with Caped for Flight and Voracious. It will be Quick Song's first start for trainer Rene Amescua, who claimed him for $20,000 for himself and James Haverty on Sept. 21.

Quick Song won his maiden by 11 lengths in a bottom-level $8,000 maiden claimer on May 20 and has won 3 of 4 starts by daylight since then, including his past pair.

"This is a logical spot to try," Amescua said. "The horse is sharp."

In another $38,000 allowance on Saturday, a one-mile turf race, Morey was pleasantly surprised that the field is all Northern California-based. He sends out an uncoupled entry of Dangerous Devil and Stephen Bruce. Russell Baze rides Dangerous Devil, who just won a $40,000 starter allowance race Sept. 30 under Baze.

"There are others with better Beyers, even my other horse," Morey said. "[Dangerous Devil] is really an improving horse, though. Stephen Bruce has accomplished more, but he's one of those horses who is what he is."

Also entered were William T, third in allowance company in a similar spot last time; Cliff Dweller, a runner-up in his last start; Rhythm's Reality, who switches to turf after running third in his comeback on dirt; and Everlasting Fame, who makes his U.S. debut.