The connections of Breeders’ Futurity winner Dullahan are currently pondering the same question those associated with 2010 Breeders’ Futurity winner J.B.’s Thunder did a year ago.
Should they run their horse back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on dirt following a Breeders’ Futurity triumph on Keeneland’s Polytrack, a surface turf horses often handle better than traditional dirt horses?
American-bred, English-based Strong Suit scored his second straight Group 2 victory on Saturday at Newmarket, dashing away from seven rivals to post a 4 1/2-length score in the Burj Khalifa Challenge Stakes. That performance earned Strong Suit, a son of Rahy, a Racing Post Rating of 126, a career-best, and a number as high as anything Goldikova has hit during her 2011 campaign. Strong Suit, it appears, has as good a chance as anyone to end Goldikova’s three-year reign as Breeders’ Cup Mile champion when the two square off in Louisville next month.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Europeans are in the house for Sunday’s three Grade 1 turf stakes here at Woodbine.
A total of 20 overseas horses were announced last week as prospects for the $1.5 million Canadian International, $1 million E.P. Taylor and $500,000 Nearctic and every single one of them is now here at Woodbine.
The Canadian International, a 1 1/2-mile race for 3-year-olds and upward, attracted a record nine European invaders.
Even before last week’s holiday weekend, the inaugural $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint on Nov. 4 was appearing to lack the depth of richer, more prestigious Breeders’ Cup races.
Now, following the dominance displayed by Secret Circle in winning the Jack Goodman Stakes at Santa Anita on Monday, in which he established himself as a clear favorite for the Juvenile Sprint, significant growth to the field would appear unlikely.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With Simmard and Musketier set for the $1.5 million Canadian International and Perfect Shirl, Miss Keller, and perhaps Meking Melody heading for the $1 million E.P. Taylor, trainer Roger Attfield looks to be in the best position to win one of those Grade 1’s for the home team.
The 1 1/2-mile Canadian International and the 1 1/4-mile E.P. Taylor for fillies and mares are two of the three Grade 1 turf stakes carded for Sunday’s program, along with the $500,000 Nearctic, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and upward.
Several horses could join the Turf Sprint field after stakes wins over the Columbus Day weekend, but the connections of California Flag, Havelock, and Hoofit – geldings all – were noncommittal after their respective triumphs in the Morvich, Woodford, and Phoenix Stakes.
California Flag, the 2009 Turf Sprint winner, won the Morvich for a record third time, but he was eighth in the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs last fall.
“We didn’t do very good last year, but it’s hard not to run for a million,” trainer Brian Koriner said.
Another spot in the starting gate filled for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint when Amazombie circled the field under jockey Mike Smith to capture last Saturday’s Win and You’re In Ancient Title at Santa Anita. The victory was sweet for trainer Bill Spawr, who owns Amazombie in partnership with Thomas Sanford, in light of the gelding’s controversial disqualification in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap earlier this year at Hollywood Park.
Harmonious, a two-time Grade 1 winner, will start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, but the three-time Group 1 winner Blue Bunting will not make the trip from Europe.
Those developments add a longshot closer to the Filly and Mare Turf, but deny the race England’s top 3-year-old filly this year.
Harmonious, 4, was third in the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1. She is winless in five starts this year, all graded stakes, and has never been worse than fourth for owners Marty, Pam, and Emily Wygod.
There are three stakes on Friday night’s card at Charles Town, but star billing on the 10-race program is reserved for the blue-collar gelding Rapid Redux, who will continue his quest toward the North American record for consecutive victories in a starter allowance at 1 1/8 miles.
The 5-year-old Rapid Redux has won 17 straight races since last December, two shy of the record shared by 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta and the New Mexico-bred mare Peppers Pride. He is part of an eight-horse field in the eighth race, a $5,000 starter allowance with a purse of $25,000.
