ARCADIA, Calif. - Last week, after pre-entries closed for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, trainer Bob Baffert made a point to seek out Bobby Frankel, majority owner and trainer of leading 2-year-old Vineyard Haven.
"I said, 'Thank you for not entering,' " Baffert said. " 'I think you left a million dollars on the table.' "
ARCADIA, Calif. - Indian Blessing is the first horse who can answer a question everyone is asking about the 2008 Breeders' Cup. What is that stuff they are racing on?
The Breeders' Cup starts Friday at Santa Anita, and instant analysis of the Pro-Ride surface will form in a minute and 21 seconds. That's about how long an outstanding field will need to run seven furlongs in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint, race 3.
ARCADIA, Calif. - One thing has been constant through the brilliant career of the 5-year-old mare Wait a While. Many of the finest performances of her career have come on firm turf courses in Southern California.
In five starts at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park, Wait a While has won four graded stakes. The experience will be vital when she starts as the likely favorite in Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainers Graham Motion and David Donk sat side by side at the second session of the Breeders' Cup post position draw Tuesday at Santa Anita, and they voiced a common perception of the inaugural edition of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
"It's a wide-open race," Motion said. Moments later, Donk quoted almost verbatim, adding only the word, "very" to Motion's synopsis.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Zenyatta is regarded as the most likely winner of any of the 14 Breeders' Cup races to be run this weekend. Stardom Bound is regarded by many as the second most likely winner.
Unlike Zenyatta, who is undefeated and faces just seven challengers in Friday's $2 million Ladies Classic, Stardom Bound has lost twice and faces a deep field in Friday's $2 million Juvenile Fillies. While Stardom Bound is a deserving favorite, her jockey, Mike Smith, knows victory won't be achieved by just showing up.
ARCADIA, Calif. - At age 25, the Breeders' Cup unquestionably is bigger this year, but whether it is better will be closely watched, and subsequently analyzed, following the conclusion of the most ambitious, and transitory, Breeders' Cup ever staged.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The gang's all here. Everybody entered for this year's Breeders' Cup is on the grounds and, not surprisingly, action was hot and heavy over all three courses, including the training track, on Thursday morning.
Among the most notable developments during the busy session was Smooth Air's unexpectedly fast tour of the oval and some blistering blowouts, including a sizzling three furlongs by Zaftig wholl compete in Fridays Filly and Mare Sprint.
