Mon, 10/28/2013 - 18:26

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: My Conquestadory must overcome post 14

Barbara D. Livingston
My Conquestadory's trainer, Mark Casse, was unfazed by his filly's challenging post position.

ARCADIA, Calif. - My Conquestadory, who overcame a difficult trip to win the Grade 1 Alcibiades in her last race, will now have to overcome post 14 if she is to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday at Santa Anita.

My Conquestadory drew the extreme outside post in a full field of 14 entered Monday for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, run at one mile.

Mark Casse, the trainer of My Conquestadory, just views it as another obstacle to overcome on what he hopes will be a championship season.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 18:10

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Top speed horses draw inside and outside posts

Tom Keyser
Mike Hushion has been teaching Artemis Agrotera to relax but she will likely have to use her speed from the inside post.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Artemis Agrotera and She’s a Tiger, the two horses who appear to have the most early speed, drew the rail and extreme outside post, respectively, in a 10-horse field entered Monday for Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

The Juvenile Fillies, the first Breeders’ Cup race on Saturday’s card, will be run at 1 1/16 miles and there is a short run from the gate to the first turn.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 18:10

Breeders' Cup Sprint: Private Zone draws lucky 7

Barbara D. Livingston
Private Zone trains over the Santa Anita track. The Vosburgh winner will be one of the favorites in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

ARCADIA, Ca. -- It was easy to tell who some of the winners were at Monday’s post position draw for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The pulling of the pills put smiles on the faces of Doug O’Neill and Martin Pedroza, the jockey and trainer of Private Zone, and trainer David Fawkes, who’ll send out Bahamian Squall.

The six-furlong dash drew a field of 12 including defending champion Trinniberg.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 18:05

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Mizdirection draws post 12 for repeat bid

Shigeki Kikkawa
Mizdirection, winning the Las Cienegas, flopped when stretched out in the Just a Game and is being given some time off by trainer Mike Puype.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Defending champion Mizdirection drew favorably in post 12 when starting gates were assigned Monday for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, to be run Saturday at Santa Anita.

Mizdirection is one of two females facing male rivals in a full field of 14 entered in the Turf Sprint, which is run downhill at 6 1/2 furlongs. The other, Reneesgotzip, was assigned post 4 as she also returns to the Turf Sprint after finishing third last year behind Mizdirection and Unbridled’s Note, the latter of whom got post 14 for Saturday’s race.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 17:56

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Bobby's Kitten draws No. 5 post as favorite

Barbara D. Livingston
Bobby's Kitten, winner of the Grade 3 Pilgrim, is the likely favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A two-turn, one-mile race on a seven-furlong turf course like Santa Anita’s should, in theory, put outside-drawn horses at a serious disadvantage. But the 13 such Breeders’ Cup races run here don’t supply a great deal of evidence supporting that notion.

Among the 52 horses who secured top-4 finishes in those races, 17 broke from post 8 or wider, and six horses who won or placed broke from post 9 or wider. Two horses won from post 12, three from post 10.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 17:48

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Verrazano and Goldencents draw wide posts

Barbara D. Livingston
Goldencents looked good Friday prepping for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Three-year-olds Verrazano and Goldencents both were assigned tough outside posts Monday as the likely favorites for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Friday at Santa Anita.

Verrazano, trained by Todd Pletcher, got post 10, while the California-based Goldencents drew the outside post 12 for Doug O’Neill in the two-turn Dirt Mile, the only one of the 14 BC races with an also-eligible.

[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: Fields with DRF odds and comments]

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 17:48

Breeders' Cup Juvenile: Havana, Strong Mandate draw far-outside posts

Barbara D. Livingston
Havana is trainer Todd Pletcher's only prospect for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He is scheduled to run in the Oct. 5 Champagne Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Top contenders Havana and Strong Mandate drew posts 13 and 14 for Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, further muddling an already-difficult handicapping puzzle.

Meanwhile, the inexperienced but very exciting debut winner Tap It Rich drew nicely in post 6 several hours after he put in his final workout for the Juvenile at Santa Anita.

The Juvenile is run at 1 1/16 miles, and at Santa Anita, there is a short run from the gate to the first turn.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 17:37

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Groupie Doll lands in post 11

Barbara D. Livingston
Groupie Doll, with regular exercise rider Jada Schlenk up, went her final quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Buff Bradley was elated with Groupie Doll being assigned post 11 when a field of 12 was entered Monday for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Saturday at Santa Anita.

“Perfect,” said Bradley, who will be saddling Groupie Doll for the last time before the 5-year-old mare is sold at auction Nov. 6 at Keeneland. “We’d much rather be outside than anywhere.”

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 17:32

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf: Dank to chase Laughing from rail

Four-Footed Fotos
Dank, who shipped in from England to win the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington in August, is one of 12 horses pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dank was the final name drawn among 10 fillies and mares entered Monday at Santa Anita for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which will be run Saturday. She will be first in the hearts of many bettors.

Dank, a European-based filly trained by Michael Stoute, drew post 1 and is expected to start favored in the 1 1/4-mile race, which will be her first start since Aug. 17 when she won the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington by more than four lengths.

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 17:31

Breeders' Cup Turf: Little Mike draws post 4 for repeat bid

Barbara D. Livingston

ARCADIA, Calif. – Little Mike and Point of Entry, the first two finishers in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf, drew post positions toward the middle of the gate Monday for Saturday’s $3 million BC Turf at Santa Anita.

Little Mike will break from post 4, while Point of Entry starts from post 8 in a field of 12. In 2012, Point of Entry broke from the rail, while Little Mike broke from post 7.