ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Bobby Frankel went into the 2002 Filly and Mare Turf at Arlington Park with the one-two punch of Starine and defending champ Banks Hill. He came out of the race with the one-two finishers after Starine posted a 1 1/2-length victory over her stablemate.
Saturday, Frankel will have the luxury of sending out not two but three entrants in the 2003 Filly and Mare Turf. And he considers all of them legitimate contenders.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With the richest race of their lives only days away, several of the contenders in Saturday's $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic had workouts on Sunday and Monday, including a swift five-furlong drill of 57.80 seconds by Pleasantly Perfect here at Santa Anita on Monday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Regardless of where Aldebaran finishes in the final start of his career Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, trainer Bobby Frankel figures the Eclipse Award is a foregone conclusion. "Win, lose, or draw, he should be sprinter of the year," Frankel said. "That's why I'm running in Grade 1's."
Aldebaran has won 5 of 7 this year, including three Grade 1's, but could be at a disadvantage Saturday at six furlongs. A closer, Aldebaran has never raced that short. "I'd rather it be seven furlongs, but I can't write the [race conditions]," Frankel said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year, will not defend her title in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita and may be facing retirement, trainer Laura de Seroux said Monday morning.
De Seroux had told Daily Racing Form on Saturday that she was concerned over Azeri's obstinate behavior before several recent workouts, most recently on Friday at San Luis Rey Downs, where she trains. Azeri worked swiftly on Friday, but only after first balking at the commands of exercise rider Brian Eide to head off for the work.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Breeders' Cup hopefuls were busy from coast to coast on Sunday morning including Classic contenders Funny Cide at Belmont Park, Congaree at Santa Anita and Medaglia D'Oro at Hollywood Park.
At Hollywood, trainer Bobby Frankel worked four of his Breeders' Cup runners. Along with Medaglia D'Oro, Frankel also sent out Sightseek(Distaff), Tates Creek(Filly And Mare Turf) and Heat Haze(Filly And Mare Turf).
CHICAGO - The unbeaten 2-year-old Cactus Ridge will miss the Breeders' Cup Juvenile because of an injury to his right knee. Cactus Ridge, who has started his career with four straight wins, breezed well at Hawthorne on Saturday, but showed signs of soreness Sunday morning, when the injury was detected.
"We took some X-rays and discovered the injury in his right knee," said Bret Calhoun, who trains Cactus Ridge for Toby Keith's Dream Walkin' Farm. "It's not a career threatening, but he'll be laid up for a couple of months. We'll have to look forward to a 3-year-old campaign"
ELMONT, N.Y. - Funny Cide, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, completed his preparations for Saturday's $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Sunday by working six furlongs in 1:13.77 over the Belmont Park training track. It was a move that fueled exercise rider Robin Smullen with enthusiasm for what appears to be a monumental task when Funny Cide faces some of the best horses in training coming off an 83-day layoff.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Perfect Drift, a leading contender for Horse of the Year, and Ten Most Wanted, one of Perfect Drift's main rivals in the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, both had important workouts Saturday. But the biggest development concerned the 2002 Horse of the Year, Azeri, whose obstinate behavior before her fast workout Friday at San Luis Rey Downs left trainer Laura de Seroux pondering the mare's future one day later.
SANTA ANITA PARK
Arcadia, Calif.
Weather: Sunny, 80
Main track: Fast
As usual, the majority of the morning's major action took place almost simultaneously. Halfbridled, Designed for Luck, and Captain Squire worked and Congaree galloped within minutes of each other after the main track reopened following the second renovation break. Trainer Richard Mandella sent out Johar and Dessert to work in company following the third and final renovation break.
Juvenile Fillies
ARCADIA, Calif. - The whirlwind summer of Del Mar had ended, then came a brief vacation, then right back into the dizzying opening weekends of Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting, with a plethora of Breeders' Cup prep races. It went by in an instant for Julie Krone.
So, one day last week, on a dark day at Santa Anita, with her husband and stepson out of town, Krone drove from her home in Carlsbad, Calif., to nearby Del Mar racetrack, walked into the paddock, and stopped.
