DEL MAR, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup represents a galaxy of equine stars every year, although it’s fair to say that some shine brighter than others.
Any comprehensive list of the top horses competing in the Breeders’ Cup this weekend at Del Mar would have to include Lady Aurelia, a 3-year-old filly who has made a particularly strong impression on European racing fans despite being born, raised, and based in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Owner Charles Fipke will have to pay both jockeys John Velazquez and Joel Rosario the same fee based on how much money Forever Unbridled earns in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff, according to the Del Mar stewards.
DEL MAR, Calif. – They are here in force, the Europeans, and if history is a guide, they’ll win at least one Breeders’ Cup race this weekend.
Every year since 2010, there has been at least one and as many as five (2013) overseas-based Breeders’ Cup winners. They’re not always the obvious horses, either. Karakontie, the lone 2014 winner, scored at 30-1 and since then the Euro winners went off at odds of 7-1, 6-1, 8-1, and 7-2. Who will it be this year? Let’s take a look at their Saturday chances.
TURF SPRINT
Del Mar
Weather: Cloudy
Temp.: 62
Main track:
Fast Turf: Firm
DEL MAR, Calif. – The gang’s all here at Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup, including the two major players in the main event, the $6 million Classic, defending champion Arrogate and Gun Runner, both of whom were out on the track early Wednesday morning.
There are horses in the Breeders’ Cup that are perfectly suited to the race conditions, with Lady Eli in the Filly and Mare Turf being perhaps the clearest example, having compiled a 3-for-3 record at that race’s distance of 1 1/8 miles on grass. And then there are the Breeders’ Cup “tweeners” – those that appear to be running between their preferred distances, or are simply competing under circumstances under which their form is not established.
Here is a look at a number of these tweeners in an effort to determine if they are contenders or pretenders.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Only a protest at a suburban racecourse in Paris last weekend has been able to interrupt Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s record year of wins in Grade 1 or Group 1 races.
O’Brien won his 26th race at the highest level at Doncaster Racecourse on Oct. 29 in England with Saxon Warrior in the Racing Post Trophy for 2-year-olds, surpassing the late Bobby Frankel’s 2003 record of 25 Grade 1 or Group 1 wins.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Anytime a Thoroughbred trainer is compared to the late Bobby Frankel, it’s got to be good, right? After all, Frankel was a Hall of Famer nonpareil.
Not so fast there, says Kenny McPeek.
“In this case, it’s not exactly the company you want to be in,” said McPeek.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Nine horses will be in action this weekend at Del Mar as previous Breeders’ Cup winners, and for the connections of each, the chance to show off their champion before a huge audience of admirers is priceless.
“It’s pretty special,” said Ian Kruljac, who will saddle Finest City as the returning winner of the BC Filly and Mare Sprint. “Making it back for a second year, it’s not easy. It’ll be nice when the day comes.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – A few days after Arrogate’s second-place finish in the Pacific Classic here at Del Mar in August, trainer Bob Baffert was kicking himself over the way he had managed the horse during the summer meet, believing his decision to run Arrogate in the San Diego Handicap rather than simply awaiting the Pacific Classic “threw everything off.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Two trends have emerged in the decade-long history of the Breeders’ Cup turf races for 2-year-olds: Dismiss the European fillies; fear the colts.
In the nine runnings of the one-mile BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, European-based runners have won only twice. In the Juvenile Turf, six of the 10 runnings have gone to runners from England or Ireland.
Last year at Santa Anita, the New York-based runners New Money Honey and Oscar Performance won the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf. U.S.-based 2-year-olds could sweep this year’s races again Friday.
