LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a tantalizing look ahead to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, stablemates Malathaat and Nest, the early favorites for the Nov. 5 race at Keeneland, breezed in company over the host track Friday morning.
Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch caught the two going their half-mile in 48.52 seconds in what will be the penultimate work for both for their upcoming first meeting in the afternoon.
It was at Keeneland two years ago that Hot Rod Charlie first caught people’s attention with a runner-up finish to Essential Quality in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at odds of 94-1.
Two years, 14 races, and $5 million in earnings later, Hot Rod Charlie will make his third straight appearance at the Breeders’ Cup when he runs in the $6 million Classic on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. While his odds won’t be 94-1, Hot Rod Charlie might be a longer shot to win this year having to go up against the monster that is Flightline.
She is on a three-race winning streak, has won stakes in a convincing manner in her last two starts, and is part of one of the nation’s most high-profile stables. Comanche Country has excellent credentials for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 4.
There is one drawback – she’s from California.
In the 14-year history of the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, no runner from California has reached the winner’s circle. Some have come close. In the last 10 years, Colonel Joan was third in 2013 and Sunset Glow was second in 2014.
New York will be in the house for the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
Five Empire State-based runners are potential starters in the seven-furlong race: Goodnight Olive, Obligatory, Frank’s Rockette, Caramel Swirl and Lady Rocket.
Goodnight Olive will be chasing after her sixth straight win when she runs in the Filly and Mare Sprint. She earned a berth into the race by winning the Ballerina, which is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series. It was run Aug. 28 at Saratoga and marked the stakes debut for Goodnight Olive.
Considering the winners of the two most recent renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint went postward at odds of 11-1 (Aloha West in 2021) and 18-1 (Whitmore 2020), handicappers might want to pay a little more attention to some of the lesser-regarded contenders pointing to this year’s edition. That group includes Super Ocho, who has had most of his success on turf, and Flash of Mischief, who exploded to a career-best performance when he turned back from a series of two-turn races to six furlongs at Remington Park in his most recent start.
When Glass Slippers won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland she became the first European-based horse to win the race, which was added to the BC program in 2008. Highfield Princess will try to step into those shoes while leading this year’s European contingent for the $1 million race.
Highfield Princess, who has long had an eye on the Breeders’ Cup for trainer John Quinn, is a solid 3-1 second choice on Brad Free’s Daily Racing Form early line for the Turf Sprint. The favorite, at 2-1, is defending winner Golden Pal, who is based at Keeneland.
The decision to hold Mysterious Night out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf means handicappers will have to dig deeper for clues.
Mysterious Night would clearly have been the favorite for the Juvenile Turf following his blowout win in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, but according to Breeders’ Cup officials, Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby intend to run Silver Knott, not Mysterious Night, in the Juvenile Turf.
Tyler’s Tribe has been untouchable in winning all five of his starts by a combined 59 3/4 lengths, all dirt sprints at Prairie Meadows in his native Iowa, including four stakes races. As he steps way up in class for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, his connections had a decision to make. Would the gelding remain on the dirt but be forced to stretch out for the first time in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile? Or would he remain in sprint races but need to change surfaces for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint?
People murmur reverently about Da Hoss winning the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Mile. The 6-year-old gelding had won the 1996 BC Mile but didn’t race for nearly two years afterward, yet trainer Michael Dickinson had Da Hoss ready for a second Mile win off one lonely prep race at Colonial Downs.
Chad Brown may be sending Domestic Spending on an almost equally audacious mission.
