Russell Road, arguably the best horse on the grounds at Charles Town the past two seasons, makes a rare appearance outside his home track when he travels to the opposite side of West Virginia for Saturday night’s $125,000 Mountaineer Mile at Mountaineer Racetrack.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There were 172 horses entered in the 14 races in this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, 94 of them in the eight BC races on Saturday. There are champions competing from the United States, Europe, and Asia. As good as they all are, though, everyone has a back seat to the magnificent mare Zenyatta. She is the one driving this bus.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners once again will have its On-Call program in place for the Breeders’ Cup to assist both print and television media members.

Dr. Larry Bramlage, who works with the television crews on ESPN and ABC, is the face of the program, but he is closely assisted by Dr. Wayne McIlwraith. Both are widely respected veterinarians whose ability to communicate in layman’s terms has made them an invaluable part of past Breeders’ Cups when issues arise involving equine injuries.

Obsessive, reverent, laid back, indulgent -- the team behind the unbeaten mare reflects her quirky brilliance.

David Sweazy has worked behind the scenes at Churchill since 1968 and has been the vice president of operations since 1991, so he has a pretty good feel for what to expect on big days. Sweazy said the presence of Zenyatta is helping “considerably” to boost the prospective attendance for Saturday, when cold weather might otherwise limit the crowd.

“We’re geared up for 60,000 and up,” Sweazy said. “If not for Zenyatta, I’m sure we wouldn’t have that many.”

Sweazy said his projection for the Friday crowd was between 30,000 and 35,000.

Perhaps more than most, trainer Shug McGaughey has an idea of what the connections of Zenyatta are attempting to do in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

It was 22 years and one day ago that Personal Ensign capped an undefeated career with a dramatic victory over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (now called Ladies’ Classic) at Churchill Downs. Personal Ensign retired unbeaten in 13 starts.

It is not uncommon to see horses running on dirt for the first time in a race like the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, given its prestige and that a 2-year-old championship can result from a victory.

Horses seemingly less frequently venture into the unknown by trying grass for the first time in the one-mile Juvenile Turf, something two entrants attempt this year: Willcox Inn and Madman Diaries.

Obsessive, reverent, laid back, indulgent -- the team behind the unbeaten mare reflects her quirky brilliance.

As an entrepreneur, Mike Repole was always in search of the next big thing. On more than one occasion, he found it.

As a Thoroughbred owner, Repole is in search of the sport’s next big horse. In Uncle Mo, he may have found that, too.

Obsessive, reverent, laid back, indulgent -- the team behind the unbeaten mare reflects her quirky brilliance.