LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The recent domination of the Breeders' Cup Turf by European invaders has not escaped the notice of trainer Bobby Frankel. So when it is mentioned that perhaps this will be the year for an American-based horse to win the $3 million BC Turf, Frankel is quick to say that maybe it is because American horses are that good, and not because the European contingent appears vulnerable.

"Maybe we're a little better this year than what people are used to thinking we are," said Frankel.

The talented but fragile Commentator on Monday was withdrawn from consideration for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint on Saturday at Churchill Downs, and the race could lose the filly Dubai Escapade at entry time Wednesday.

Commentator, according to his trainer, Nick Zito, aggravated an injury to his left front shin. X-rays were taken on Monday, and more were due to be taken Tuesday with Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., Zito said.

While he attends to his string of horses, however, Matz's thoughts never stray too far from the horse standing in a stall 19 miles down the road at the University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa. It has been a little more than five months since Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro suffered a catastrophic injury to his right hind leg in the early stages of the Preakness at Pimlico, and for now, he is continuing to win his fight for survival.

Commentator will not be entered Wednesday for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint, to be run Saturday at Churchill Downs.

According to a Breeders' Cup release, trainer Nick Zito said Commentator had aggravated a previous shin injury in his left fore. The defection of Commentator will allow Areyoutalkintome to draw in to the race from the also-eligible list.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Untouched Talent has been withdrawn from consideration for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, trainer Jeff Bonde said Sunday. With her defection, first alternate Lilly Carson will have the opportunity to race in Saturday's Juvenile Fillies.

Bonde said Untouched Talent did not have sufficient time to recover from recent throat surgery to correct an entrapped epiglottis. "It's not completely healed," he said. "It usually takes three weeks to close and fully heal."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rainy weather wreaked havoc with some horsemen's training plans in and around the Louisville area Saturday morning, but Breeders' Cup contenders did work at three different training sites in Kentucky. Because of the track conditions at Churchill Downs, some horsemen postponed scheduled workouts until Sunday.

Trainer Eduardo Inda came to Churchill Downs in 2000 with one of the heaviest favorites in Breeders' Cup history and came away stunned with disappointment. Inda sent out Riboletta to a seventh-place finish as the 2-5 favorite in the BC Distaff, marking both his last time to Churchill and in the Breeders' Cup.

While heavy rains and strong winds in New York may force trainers based at Belmont Park to postpone their Breeders' Cup workouts until Monday, two horsemen based in the Midwest weren't going to allow a little inclement weather to throw them off schedule with their contenders for the $2 million Distaff.

Andrew Leggio Jr., trainer of Happy Ticket, and Dallas Stewart, trainer of Lemons Forever, put their fillies through their final Distaff workouts Saturday in Kentucky, albeit at different venues.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - For a horse as remarkably consistent as Lava Man, his travels out of state have been puzzling, abject failures. The California-bred gelding has raced and won on turf and dirt at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields, and Fairplex, so he obviously has no trouble moving from town to town, and surface to surface. Except, it seems, when an airplane ride is involved.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - After losing by an average of 13 lengths in her first three starts of the year and losing her rider as she left the starting gate in the fourth, it may be considered a miracle of sorts that Malibu Mint earned a starting berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. But trainer James Chapman doesn't believe it will take a miracle, only a little racing luck, for Malibu Mint to prove competitive against many of the fastest horses in the world on Breeders' Cup Day.