Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

$82K carryover for Breeders' Cup Saturday

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Breeders' Cup officials got a head start on their $3 million guaranteed pick-six pool for Saturday as nobody hit the gimmick wager Friday at Monmouth Park, resulting in an $82,024 carryover into Saturday.

The consolation payoff for having five of six was $1,681.10.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Maryfield rallies to win F&M Sprint

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Getting into the winner's circle to have his picture taken was a far more difficult proposition for trainer Doug O'Neill on Friday than winning the inaugural Filly and Mare Breeders' Cup Sprint with Maryfield at a soggy Monmouth Park.

O'Neill was repeatedly stopped by an overzealous New Jersey state trooper who questioned his credentials while Maryfield and her raucous band of supporters celebrated in the winner's circle. The 6-year-old mare rallied to a half-length triumph over the 43-1 Miraculous Miss in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Slew's Tiznow out of Juvenile

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Slew's Tiznow was scratched on Friday from Saturday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, according to Breeders' Cup official Dora Delgado, who said Slew's Tiznow had a fever.

Slew's Tiznow, the runner-up in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland three weeks ago, is the second horse to be withdrawn from the Juvenile. On Thursday, Dixie Chatter was scratched, also with a fever.

With those two scratched, there is now a field of 11 in the Juvenile.
Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Maryfield comes flying in Filly and Mare Sprint

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Maryfield and jockey Elvis Trujillo rallied from behind a killing early pace to score a half-length win over longshot Miraculous Miss in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park Friday.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Monmouth cancels training on Saturday

OCEANPORT, N.J. – The persistent wet weather here, coupled with a grim forecast for Saturday morning, has led Monmouth Park to close its main track for training on Saturday morning, the second day of the two-day Breeders' Cup festival, according to Bob Juliano, the track's superintendent and director of facilities.

"We want to keep the track sealed," said Juliano, who left the track sealed for racing on Friday. "We're probably going to get a good inch of rain tomorrow morning, but it's supposed to clear out by 1 p.m. or 2."

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

After Market still a go for BC Mile

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The trainer John Shirreffs changed plays yet again on Friday morning, electing to exercise After Market on the Monmouth main track rather than taking him to the grass course, which had been the plan as of Thursday afternoon. After Market, who can't perform properly on soft turf, was to have given the Monmouth course a test-run, but Shirreffs said he decided not to alter After Market's routine so close to a race.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Forefathers scratches out of Dirt Mile

OCEANPORT, N.J. - As expected, Forefathers was scratched Friday morning from the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to run Saturday in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Trainer Bill Mott and owner Ahmed Zayat were able to cross-enter Forefathers in both Breeders' Cup events since neither overfilled and, as a result, they did not deprive any other horse from running in either race. Zayat will forfeit the $15,000 fee he put up to enter Forefathers in the Dirt Mile.

Forefathers will break from post 10 with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard in the Sprint.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

New day dawns for Breeders' Cup

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Eight is not enough, and two days are better than one. These inspired calculations led the board of directors at Breeders' Cup Ltd. to come up with a whole new creation for their annual event, and thus the two-day weekend is born Friday at Monmouth Park at the 24th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Argentina gives Frankel upset shot

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Five years ago, when the Breeders' Cup was held at the nontraditional setting of Chicago's Arlington Park, trainer Bobby Frankel upset the Filly and Mare Turf with Starine, a 13-1 shot who had not won a race in 11 months.

The race was run over a yielding course, which may have played against the favored Golden Apples, who had spent most of the year racing on firm ground in Southern California. Starine beat a field that included Banks Hill and Islington, the Filly and Mare Turf winners of 2001 and 2003, respectively.

Fri, 10/26/2007 - 00:00

Luck to play a major role, as usual

OCEANPORT, N.J. – The leading European shipping in for the Breeders Cup Mile, Excellent Art, drew post 13, which his jockey quickly proclaimed to be a lousy spot to start. One of the leading Americans, After Market, cannot run on a really wet turf course, and the Monmouth forecast calls for nothing but rain this week. Another top contender, Kip Deville, had his final workout for the Mile postponed by filling in a pastern. His trainer said the setback amounted to nothing, but still.