For the second straight year, the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff drew 15 pre-entries, including a bevy of Grade 1 winners. Unlike last year, however, all the fillies and mares whose connections want to run should make it into the 14-horse field.

My Typhoon and Nashoba's Key were surprising pre-entrants in the Distaff, but both are also pre-entered in other races and the Distaff is listed as their second preference. My Typhoon is being pointed to the $2 million Mile while Nashoba's Key is expected to run in the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf.

It turns out the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf is an attractive race to European horsemen after all.

Last week, it appeared there would be only two European contenders - Simply Perfect and Timarwa - but when pre-entries for the Filly and Mare Turf were announced on Wednesday there were four European fillies and mares among the 13 candidates.

Fourteen can start, so there will be no exclusions. Two among the pre-entries, Panty Raid and Precious Kitten, have first preference in other Breeders' Cup races.

In the end, they came out of the woodwork for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

With four Grade 1 winners, two undefeated fillies, and a pair of turf stakes winners among the 16 horses pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the race is stacking up as a fine wagering puzzle. A full field of 14 seems probable when final entries are taken Tuesday, with little influence expected from Europe.

Annie Skates and Joffe's Run, third and seventh in the Group 3 Oh So Sharp at Newmarket, were not selected into the body of the field when pre-entries for the oversubscribed Juvenile Fillies were announced Wednesday.

With pre-entrants La Traviata and Hystericalady likely to run in the Breeders' Cup Sprint and Breeders' Cup Distaff, respectively, the first running of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint won't be as strong a race as it could have been.

This, however, is good news for Dream Rush, who now projects to be a big favorite in a field of 10. In all 12 were pre-entered for the Filly and Mare Sprint on Monday.

Either the inaugural running of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile was not particularly appealing to horsemen, or the race drew such an outstanding core of contenders that outsiders didn't bother to apply.

Eleven 3-year-olds and upward were pre-entered for the Dirt Mile, and two of those, Commentator and Forefathers, have a first preference in the BC Sprint. That leaves a prospective field of just nine, which is okay for everyday racing but below average by the lofty standards of the Breeders' Cup, where full fields of 14 are commonplace.

Pre-entries for the 2007 Breeders' Cup were announced on Wednesday morning. The races, which will be held October 26 and October 27 at Monmouth Park, drew 141 potential starters, including 15 from trainer Todd Pletcher's barn and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Dylan Thomas.

A Horse of the Year showdown looms in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Among the nine entered are Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Preakness and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Curlin, and Whitney and Woodward winner Lawyer Ron.

Fabulous Strike has been taken out of consideration for the Breeders' Cup Sprint due to a lung infection, trainer Todd Beattie said Thursday. A 5 3/4-length winner of the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Park on Sept.o30, Fabulous Strike would likely have been the second betting choice behind Midnight Lute in the Sprint.

Beattie said that Fabulous Strike is undergoing treatment, which precludes running in the Sprint on Oct.o27 at Monmouth Park.

Dylan Thomas's dramatic victory in Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the announcement that he will travel to Monmouth Park for the Breeders' Cup Turf was pleasing news for everyone with an interest in racing.

A member of the last crop of the great Danehill, Dylan Thomas will be expected to end the history-long schneid of Arc winners who have failed to win the Turf. Four have tried and four have failed, while four other Arc winners have tried the Turf a year later, and all of them failed as well.

Country Star will not advance to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, while Irish Smoke will be pre-entered in the race in the biggest developments to come out of last weekend's Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland. Country Star won her maiden in the race and Irish Smoke finished 10th as the favorite, one start removed from her score in the Grade 1 Spinaway.

Irish Smoke was racing around two turns for the first time in the Alcibiades. It was also her first start on Polytrack.