ARCADIA, Calif. - In light of her drawing the 14 post for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies, Halfbridled has gone from the most likely winner on Saturday's Breeders' Cup card at Santa Anita to perhaps one of the most vulnerable favorites.
"She went from being the biggest favorite on the day to being 2-1,'' said Todd Pletcher, trainer of Grade 1 winner Ashado, one of 13 rivals Halfbridled will have to face. "She's got to be much the best to win from out there.''
ARCADIA, Calif. - For the past three weeks, the talk of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile has been on those horses not running. Well, despite the absence of graded stakes winners Birdstone, Cactus Ridge, Eurosilver, Ruler's Court, and Silver Wagon, the Juvenile will be run Saturday at Santa Anita as scheduled.
It will be run with a 12-horse field - seven of whom remain eligible for an entry-level allowance condition. It will be run with a purse of $1.5 million, a 50 percent increase over the previous 19 runnings.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Given the recent history of the Breeders' Cup Mile, Special Ring deserves strong consideration in Saturday's $1.5 million race at Santa Anita.
Given the gelding's disappointing performance in his last start, bettors may dismiss his chances in a remarkably talented field of 14.
Special Ring is trained by Julio Canani, who won the Mile with Silic in 1999 and Val Royal in 2001.
Special Ring was only fourth in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 5, leaving some to question whether he will be at his best on Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - In the last year, Falbrav has won major stakes in Japan, France, and England, justifying his position as the top horse in Europe. Over the last six months, Storming Home has shown flashes of brilliance, and erratic behavior, to rise to the top of the American rankings.
A Breeders' Cup Turf featuring those two would be considered outstanding in most years. Saturday at Santa Anita, the $2 million Turf includes that pair in a field of nine, and also defending champion High Chaparral and Sulamani, the winner by disqualification of the Arlington Million in August.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Islington finished third and was arguably best in the 2002 Filly and Mare Turf, is currently rated atop her division in the NTRA World Thoroughbred Rankings, and comes off a third-place finish behind top-caliber European males High Chaparral and Falbrav in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes. Despite such an imposing resume, even trainer Michael Stoute is not quite sure what to expect from his filly, who is the likely favorite in Saturday's $1,060,000 Filly and Mare Turf.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The question in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint is: From what side of the tracks will the winner come?
Aristocratic handicappers prefer future stallions Aldebaran (by Mr. Prospector) and Yankee Gentleman (by Storm Cat). But to win the Sprint, they must get dirty by rallying from behind over a racing surface that, if the weather holds, may compromise their style.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The longer Ten Most Wanted waits in the gate, the more anxious he can get, so his trainer and co-owner, Wally Dollase, was relieved on Wednesday when Ten Most Wanted drew the outside post in Saturday's $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic, highlight of the $14 million World Thoroughbred Championships program at Santa Anita.
A field of 10, as expected, was entered in the 1 1/4-mile Classic. With a run to the first turn of almost five furlongs, Ten Most Wanted should be able to get into whatever position jockey Pat Day desires early in the race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - About 15 minutes after favored Halfbridled was assigned the outside post for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the same fate befell Cuvee, the favorite for the $1.5 million Juvenile.
Cuvee will break from post 12 in the Juvenile, a race in which there is less than three sixteenths to the first turn at Santa Anita's one-mile oval.
"I was hoping for a better post,'' said Steve Asmussen, Cuvee's trainer. "But I'm not going in looking for any excuses."
ARCADIA, Calif. - The names of 12 of the 14 horses entered for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies had been called and assigned post positions. The two names that remained were Forest Music, a longshot, and Halfbridled, the favorite.
ARCADIA, Calif. - When Sightseek drew an inside post position in the Beldame Stakes three weeks ago at Belmont Park, jockey Jerry Bailey deftly guided her to the outside to launch her winning rally. Bailey will get to save a step on Saturday.
Sightseek, who in the absence of Azeri should rule as a heavy favorite in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, landed post 5 when seven fillies were entered in the race on Wednesday. The position brought a smile to the face of her trainer, Bobby Frankel, who called it "perfect."
