33rd Breeders Cup Races

I haven't been following thoroughbred racing as closely as I have in years past - but this Friday and Saturday will be the 33rd annual Breeders Cup horse racing championships, held at Santa Anita.  (I misspoke in a previous blog, saying they were running at Old Del Mar.)  The first Breeders Cup races were run in 1984, and were meant as a showcase for nominated stallions.  They are now the richest horse races in the world, barring the Dubai Cup races, and the new Pegasus race, yet to be run.
   On Friday, four Breeders Cup races will be run, beginning at 2:25 p.m. (PDT) in California.  The four races have a combined purse of five million dollars; three for one million, and one for two million.  For more comprehensive information, visit  http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/breeders-cup , scroll down to Breeders Cup Divisions, and click on the race you're interested in....
   Friday's first race is the Juvenile Turf,  run at a distance of one mile on the grass, for two-year-old colts and geldings, with a purse of $1 million.  There are 16 entries.  There are 13 colts bred in Kentucky, 1 in Ontario, 1 in France, and 1 in Great Britain.
    The Dirt Mile is the second race, one mile in length on the main track, for horses aged 3 and up, either sex, with a purse of $1 million.  There are 9 entries; 7 bred in Kentucky, 1 in Texas, and 1 in Pennsylvania.
     The third Breeders Cup race is the Juvenile Fillies Turf, for two-year-old fillies, run at a mile on the grass, with a purse of $1 million.  There are 16 entries: 1 bred in Germany, 3 in France, 3 in Ireland, 1 in Florida, and 8 Kentucky breds.
     The Distaff is the final Friday Breeders Cup race.  It is run at 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on the main track, for fillies and mares aged three and up, and has a purse of $2 million.  There are 8 entries:  1 bred in Argentina, 1 in Virginia, and 6 in Kentucky.

There are 9 Breeders Cup races on Saturday, with the first race beginning at 12:05 p.m. (PDT) at Santa Anita.  These 9 races have purses that total $21.5 million.
   The Juvenile Fillies is worth $2 million, is for 2-year-old fillies only, and is conducted at a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles (8 1/2 furlongs) on the main track.  There are 12 entries: 10 bred in Kentucky, 1 in Florida, and 1 in Maryland.
    The Fillies and Mares Turf  is for females only, aged three and up.  The race is 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) on the grass, and has a purse of $2 million.  There are 13 entries:  1 bred in Japan, 1 in China, 1 in France, 1 in Great Britain, 2 in Ireland, 1 in Pennsylvania, and 6 in Kentucky.
    The Sprint is 6 furlongs (3/4 mile) on the main track, has a purse of $1.5 million, and is open to 3-year-olds and up of either sex.  There are 9 entries: 6 bred in Kentucky, 1 in New York, 1 in Florida, and 1 in California.
    The Turf Sprint is for horses aged 3 and up, of either sex, at a distance of 6 1/2 furlongs (13/16 mile) on the grass, with a purse of $1 million.  There are 16 entries: 3 bred in Ireland, 1 in Great Britain, 1 in France, 1 in Ontario,1 in Florida, 1 in California, and 8 in Kentucky.
    The Juvenile Colts race is for 2-year-old colts and geldings, is worth $2 million in purse money, and is raced at a distance of 1 1/16 miles (8 1/2 furlongs) on the main track.  There are 11 entries: 8 bred in Kentucky, 1 in New York, 1 in Florida, and 1 in Great Britain.
    The Turf race is run at 1 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) on the grass, is for any horse aged 3 or older, and has a purse of $4 million.  There are 13 entries: 2 bred in Great Britain, 4 in Ireland, 2 in California, and 5 in Kentucky.
    The Fillies and Mares Sprint race is for female horses, ages 3 and up, has a purse worth $1 million, and covers 7 furlongs (7/8 mile) on the main track.  There are 13 entries, all North American: 1 bred in Ontario, 2 in Pennsylvania, 2 in New York, and 8 in Kentucky.
    The Mile is the penultimate Breeders Cup race.  The purse is $2 million, and the course is 1 mile, or 8 furlongs, on the turf.  It is open to any horse aged 3 and older.  There are 14 entries: 1 bred in France, 1 in Great Britain, 4 in Ireland, 1 in California, and 7 in Kentucky.
     The final, and richest race is the Classic.  The purse is $6 million, for any horse aged 3 or older, on the main track at a distance of 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs).  There are 10 entries: 7 bred in Kentucky, 1 bred in Ontario, 1 in New York, and 1 in California.  California Chrome is returning to the race, and has morning line betting odds of 1 to 1.

Breeders Cup Information - Part 1

First and foremost, I made a mistake.  Yesterday the pre-entries were given to Santa Anita Race course for the fourteen Breeders Cup World Championship races.  Post positions for all races will drawn on Monday, October 28; they were not drawn today.  But at least I can share with you the pre-entries for the races, and a few thoughts.  One hundred and seventy-two horses are pre-entered, compared with 180 last year.  One of the reasons for the lower number is, in part, due to the six ladies pre-entered in the Distaff - no one else wants to run against these six fillies and mares.
  Horses designated with an * won a Breeders Cup Challenge Race are are guaranteed a post position.

  The first Breeders Cup race to be run will be the Marathon, covering a distance of one and three-quarters mile on the main track, and with a purse of $500,000, open to any horse aged 3 or older.  There are ten pre-entries:
 Blueskiesnrainbows
 Cease
 Commander
*Ever Rider (bred in Argentina)
 Indian Jones
 London Bridge
 Old Time Hockey
 Pool Play
 Suns Out Guns Out
 Worldly
      I really like the horses that run in the marathon - they are stayers, like the original thoroughbreds - and I really believe that their purse should be $1 million, as well.

The second race will be the Juvenile Turf, for two-year-old colts and geldings, racing one mile on the grass for a purse of $1,000,000.  There are 18 pre-entries:
 All Cash
 Aotearoa
 Arpinati (bred in Great Britain)
 Bashart
*Bobby's Kitten
 Bon Accord
 Dance With Fate
 Diamond Bachelor
 Giovanni Boldini
 Got Shades
 Home School (bred in Ireland)
 Ontology
 Outstrip (bred in Great Britain)
 Poker Player
 Shamshon (bred in Great Britain)
 Smarty's Echo
 We Miss Artie
 Wilshire Boulevard (bred in Ireland)

The Dirt Mile is the third Breeders Cup race on Friday, with three-year-olds and up running one mile on the main track for a part of the $1,000,000 purse.  There are 15 pre-entries:
 Alpha
 Broadway Empire
 Brujo de Olleres (bred in Brazil)
*Centralinteligence
 Easter Gift
*Fed Biz
 Golden Ticket
 Goldencents
*Graydar
 Holy Lute
 Hymn Book
 Laugh Track
 Pants on Fire
 Taptowne
 Verrazano

Fourth Breeders Cup race will be the Juvenile Fillies Turf, for two-year-olds, covering one mile on the grass track, for a purse of $1,000.000.  There are 17 pre-entries:
 Al Thakira (bred in Great Britain)
 Chriselliam (bred in Ireland)
 Clenor (bred in Ireland)
 Colonel Joan
 Dancing House
 Flying Jib (bred in Great Britain)
 Granny Mc's Kittens
*Kitten Kaboodle
*My Conquestadory
 Nesso
 Ready to Act
 Ria Antonia
 Rosalind
 Sky Painter
 Street Sailing
*Testa Rossi (bred in France)
 Vorda (bred in France)

Ending the Breeders Cup races on Friday will be the Distaff, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, run at one and one-eighth mile on the main track.  There are 6 pre-entries for the $2,000,000 purse:
 Authenticity
*Beholder
 Close Hatches
*Princess of Sylmar
*Royal Delta
 Street Girl

For the information that I use to make my betting choices, go to:   http://www.bloodhorse.com/  and scroll down to the green Breeders Cup section, and then down to the grey section that reads Breeders Cup Divisions.  Click on the race that you are interested in, and then click on the name of the horse that catches your eye - here you can view the horses's "Bio", with trainer, jockey, owner and breeder information; then look at the pedigree (I like the expanded "Five Cross Pedigree"), and then you can see the horse's auction history, if he/she isn't running for the original breeder....  You find the horse's birth date, where it was born, and what it's registered coat color is.  Once the post positions are drawn (on Monday), you can also see the silks the jockey will be wearing in the race.

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Two items of note:
 Jockey Calvin Borel's mount in a race at Keeneland yesterday, broke down in the first flight of horses.  Borel was struck by the horses following; and the race was declared a no contest.  Calvin was taken to the hospital, where it was announced that he had broken the fibula in his left leg.  He will not be riding in the Breeders Cup.  (Sonic Dancer, his mount, had suffered catastrophic leg damage and was euthanized.)
     After a seemingly miraculous recovery period, having suffered a broken pastern and then colic, St Nicholas Abbey has developed a mild case of laminitis in his left fore.  He broke the right pastern during a training gallop.  Vets are disappointed that, now that the colt is able to walk on his casted right fore, he has developed the early signs of laminitis in the opposite foot.  His condition will be monitored closely.

Early Morning Photos

Thoroughbreds and exercise boys in the early morning mist at Santa Anita

 

Foggy morning on a river

 

In the Scots Highlands