Zayat Stable’s Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, Spendthrift Farm’s champion mare Beholder and Lane’s End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm’s exciting stretch-runner Honor Code will be the favorites in an outstanding field of 10 3-year-olds and up set for Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), climax of the 32nd Breeders’ Cup World Championship races to be run Friday and Saturday (Oct. 30-31) at Keeneland Race Course at Keeneland.
The 1 1/4 mile Classic is the richest of 13 Championships races worth more than $26 million in purses and awards to be run over the two days at Keeneland for the first time ever and will be televised live by NBCSN and NBC. The Classic will be broadcast live at 5:35 p.m. ET on NBC (4-6 p.m.) Four Championships races will be run on Friday, highlighted by the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.
The 175 total horses entered includes 10 ’also-eligible.’
American Pharoah drew post position 4 at the draw Monday and with regular jockey Victor Espinoza as the Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old star closes out his brilliant career before taking up stud duties in 2016. The Kentucky homebred son of Pioneerof the Nile has won eight of 10 lifetime starts, beaten only in his debut last year (5th at Del Mar) and second last out in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in late August, following his coronation as first to sweep the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.
Beholder, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner in 2012 and Distaff in 2013, both at Santa Anita, has won all of her five starts this season, including the Pacific Classic at Del Mar against male rivals at the Classic distance. The 5-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes, trained by Richard Mandella, missed her Distaff defense last year at Santa Anita after spiking a fever ahead of the race.
American Pharoah was made the 6-to-5 Twin Spires morning line favorite with Beholder a second choice at 3-to-1 as she breaks from the outside post 10 with regular partner Gary Steven in the saddle.
The ‘wild card’ in the deep Classic field is Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier’s 3-year-old Irish-bred Gleneagles, winner of seven of his 10 career starts in Europe for trainer Aidan O’Brien, including the English 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and St. James’s Palace at Royal Ascot. The son of European champion stallion Galileo will be making his first start ever on dirt in the Classic and first ever beyond one mile.
Saturday’s renewal of the $3 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at 1 ½ miles on turf also has attracted major star power with the presence of Anthony Oppenheimer’s European champion 3-year-old English-bred Golden Horn, a rare winner of the Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for trainer John Gosden. The son of Cape Cross has won seven of eight starts with a second by a head in the Juddmonte International at York in August the lone blemish on his record.
Golden Horn will break from the rail in the field of 10 with his regular jockey Frankie Dettori aboard as the 4-to-5 favorite. The most accomplished American-trained challenger in the Turf may be Ken and Sarah and Ken Ramsey’s 7-year-old ridgling Big Blue Kitten, one of three runners in the race sent out by trainer Chad Brown, who has a total of 12 horses entered in the Championships races, the most of any stable this year.
A wide-open field of 14 with one ‘also-eligible’ was drawn for the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, including Winchell Thoroughbreds’ 4-year-old homebred Untapable, winner of the Distaff last year at Santa Anita in Beholder’s absence. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Tapit has struggled this season, winning only one of six starts with four seconds. She drew post 11 and was made co-third choice at 5-to-1 on the morning line.
While Untapable will get support, the favorites may be Godolphin Racing’s 5-year-old Wedding Toast and Harold Queen’s 5-year-old Sheer Drama. Wedding Toast, a daughter of Street Sense trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, drew post 7 and was installed at 4-to-1 on the morning line after reeling off victories in the Ruffian, Ogden Phipps and Beldame Invitational in her last three starts.
Sheer Drama is a daughter of Burning Roma trained by David Fawkes, who guided the career of Queen’s Big Drama, a half-brother to Sheer Drama that climaxed an outstanding career with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs in 2010. Sheer Drama scored in the Delaware Handicap and Personal Ensign at Saratoga in her last two starts. Sheer Drama drew the outside post 14 and posted at 9-to-2 on the morning line.
Untapable and Beholder are among six past Breeders’ Cup winners back for another run. The others are Karakontie defending his Mile title, Bobby’s Kitten bidding for back-to-back scores in the TwinSpires Turf Sprint and Judy the Beauty the same double in the Twin Spires Filly & Mare Sprint. Stephanie’s Kitten won the Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2011 at Churchill Downs and goes in the Filly & Mare Turf Saturday.
While the European-trained team of 32 in the Championships is led by Golden Horn in the Turf and Gleneagles in the Classic, Flaxman’s Karakontie is among six invading for the Mile. Bred in Japan and trained in France throughout his career by Jonathan Pease, Karakontie was made a 12-to-1 longshot chance for this renewal breaking from post 11 in the field of 12. The son American sire Bernstein will be making only his third start this season after finishing third last out in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in mid-September.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s 6-year-old veteran mare Stephanie’s Kitten is among three trainer Chad Brown has set for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf to be run at 1 3/16 miles over the Keeneland course. Winner of the Flower Bowl Invitational last out at Belmont Park, the Kentucky homebred daughter of Kitten’s Joy drew post 11 in the field of 14 and was set at 10-to-1 on the morning line. Brown sent out Dayatthespa and Stephanie’s Kitten to finish one-two in the Filly & Mare Turf last year.
Once again, this year’ strong European team will be well represented in the Filly & Mare Turf with Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s 3-year-old Irish-bred Legatissimo among the most accomplished. Trained by David Wachman, the daughter of Danehill Dancer scored in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and the Matron at Leopardstown in her last two starts. She drew post 3 and was made the 8-to-5 favorite on the morning line.
The $1.5 million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs drew a very competitive field of 14 and one ‘also-eligible’ with Good Friends Stable’s 6-year-old gelding Private Zone and James McIngvale’s emerging 3-year-old star Runhappy as the morning line favorites at 5-to-2 and 3-to-1, respectively. Private Zone, a son of Macho Uno that raced in Panama early in his career, Priate Zone finished a sharp third in the Sprint at Santa Anita last year and won the Forego Stakes at Saratoga last out. He breaks from post 13.
Runhappy will be making only the seventh start of a promising career, suffering his only setback when off the board attempting two turns at Fair Grounds early this year. The son of Super Saver, trained by Maria Borell, has won four times since, including the Phoenix Stakes over the Keeneland track and distance Oct. 2. Runhappy breaks from post 5
Teresa Viola Racing Stable’s 4-year-old roan/gray colt Liam’s Map leads trainer Todd Pletcher’s deep team of 11 this weekend and has been set as the even-money morning line favorite in the $1 million Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, breaking from post position 3. The son of Unbridled’s Song has won five of seven starts with two seconds, most recently a commanding score in the nine-furlong Woodward Stakes at Saratoga in early September.
While Liam’s Map will likely be favored, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s 6-year-old Lea will have solid support switching back to dirt after a very strong second in turf in the Woodbine Mile for trainer Bill Mott. The Kentucky homebred son of First Samurai had a strong early 2015 campaign, finishing a close-up second in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park and second again in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Lea drew post 5 and will open at 8-to-1 on the morning line.
Reddam Stable’s undefeated 2-year-old colt Nyquist looms among the choices at 9-to-2 in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles and will break from post 13 in the field of 14 with two more ‘also-eligible.’ The son of freshman sire Uncle Mo makes his first start outside California for trainer Doug O’Neill after sweeping the Del Mar Futurity and the Frontrunner Stakes at Santa Anita.
Albaugh Family Stable’s Brody’s Cause, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity over the Keeneland track, was made the 7-to-2 favorite and breaks from post 7.
Stonestreet Stable’s Kentucky homebred 2-year-old filly Rachel’s Valentina and Fox Hill Farm’s Songbird are the likely choices in a field of 10 drawn for the $2 million 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 mile, breaking from posts 9 and 10, respectively.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rachel’s Valentina has won both of her starts, living up to hopes of her connections as the second foal from 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra by champion Bernardini, taking the Spinaway at Saratoga last out. A daughter of Medaglio d’Oro trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Songbird has won all three of her starts by open margins in California, capturing the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in her last two.
Completing the Championships line-up are:
— $2 million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint — Stonestreet Stable’s Cavorting was made the 3-to-1 favorite and will break from the far outside post 14.
— $1 million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint — Wes Welker and Sol Kumin’s Undrafted was installed as the 4-to-1 favorite breaking from post 4 in the full field of 14 with two others ‘also-eligible.’
— $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – Godolphin Racing’s Cymric drew post 13 in a full field of 14 with one also-eligible. Cymric was made the 7-to-2 favorite.
— $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf — Armstrong Larkin’s Harmonize will break from post 8 in a full field of 14 with one also-eligible. Harmonize will be the7-to-2 morning line favorite.
From Breeders’ Cup Communications
