ELMONT, N.Y. – Effinex will be a longshot in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, but on Wednesday, there were a couple of developments that might make one take a second glance at the New York-bred multiple graded stakes winner.
First, Effinex worked a solid five furlongs in 1:00.93 over a rather dull Belmont Park training track. He worked in company with 2014 Travers winner V. E. Day. Kelvin Pahal, Effinex’s exercise rider, had to wait on V. E. Day at one point in the stretch.
A staggering 27 horses – the most of any Breeders’ Cup race – were pre-entered for the Juvenile Turf, ensuring a full field when Breeders’ Cup Friday gets underway next week at Keeneland. Seven of those 27 made their most recent start outside North America, giving them extra credibility in a race that has been dominated by Europeans since its inception.
Despite the imposing presence of Liam’s Map, an oversubscribed field of 16 pre-entered the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, which will be run Friday, Oct. 30, at Keeneland.
Liam’s Map, the Woodward Stakes winner who has recorded Beyer Speed Figures of 112 or better in three of his last four starts, was pegged as the 6-5 favorite by Daily Racing Form linemaker Brad Free. Red Vine (5-1) and Wicked Strong (6-1) are the only others at single-digit odds.
The list of pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31 was hours from being officially announced on Wednesday when the European Group 1 winner Postponed was withdrawn from consideration. Postponed, the winner of the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in July, had a workout in Newmarket, England, on Wednesday but did not scope well afterward.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita’s turf course will undergo a refurbishment following Sunday’s final day of the autumn meeting, with the course showing wear and tear and an increase in divots and kickback compared to previous seasons.
Track president Keith Brackpool said the grass will be cut short on Monday to allow for regrowth and reseeding before the start of the winter-spring meeting Dec. 26. Brackpool acknowledged in an interview over the weekend that the course has not been in ideal shape since the autumn meeting began Sept. 26.
Trainer Richard Mandella expressed continued optimism that champion Beholder's elevated temperature a day after arriving in Kentucky was due to shipping stress and that there is not a more serious problem precluding her competition in next week’s Breeders' Cup Classic.
The mare was to walk the shed row on Wednesday morning while having additional blood work and lung scans done. Assuming those come back clean, Mandella would then devise a training schedule for the mare’s final Classic preparations.
Average daily handle at the Monmouth-at-Meadowlands all-turf meet is up 14 percent through the first six cards of the meet.
Through last Saturday's sixth card of the meet, the track is averaging $1,249,995 in total handle. The first six cards of last year’s meet, through Oct. 17, averaged $1,099,303.
At this point in the meet, both this year and last, three cards were canceled due to weather or course conditions.
Field size is averaging 9.67 horses per race this year, up from 8.5 starters during the same period last year.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dortmund, idle since finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes in May, will return to action this Saturday at Santa Anita in the $70,000 Big Bear Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday morning.
Although the one-mile Big Bear has a smaller purse than any race Dortmund has run in since his debut win against maidens 51 weeks ago, Baffert said he thought it was the ideal spot to get him back racing and to prep for his main near-term objective, next month’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
KEENELAND
Track: Fast
Weather: Clear
Temp.: 45
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A slow day on the Breeders’ Cup workout watch Tuesday at Keeneland, with only three prospective starters breezing during the morning, all after the break over the main track.
