It’s hard to believe, but the 2010 Breeders’ Cup World Championships begin two weeks from today; two days of world-class racing by the best race horses the world has to offer, all in one location: hallowed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. For many a hard-knocking hero, it all comes down to this one final test; for others, it will serve as the launching point for a bright future ahead. Many an Eclipse Award will be settled here at the track, including the biggest prize of all, the coveted honor of Horse of the Year.
The races may not have drawn final entries yet (pre-entries will be posted Monday), but we have a general idea of who will be making the trip to Louisville this fall. Here is a list of major players to pay close attention to in the coming weeks. The morning works for the Breeder’ Cup can be seen a week prior to the championships on TVG, HRTV, and the web, and will give clues to which contenders might be sitting on the race of their lives.
Friday
Marathon
Purse: $500,000 Distance: 1 ¾ miles
Eldaafer
A.U. Miner
Bright Horizon
Where’s the Remote
Prince Will I Am
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Purse: $1 million Distance: 1 mile
Winter Memories
Wyomia
Together
New Normal
Tale Untold
Filly and Mare Sprint
Purse: $1 million Distance: 7 furlongs
Rightly So
Dubai Majesty
Champagne D’Oro
Informed Decision
Sara Louise
Filly and Mare Turf
Purse: $2 million Distance: 1 3/8 mile
Midday
Sarafina
Harmonious
Éclair de Lune
Plumania
Juvenile Fillies
Purse: $2 million Distance: 1 1/16 miles
R Heat Lightning
A Z Warrior
Awesome Feather
Tell a Kelly
Delightful Mary
Ladies’ Classic
Purse: $2 million Distance: 1 1/8 miles
Blind Luck
Life at Ten
Evening Jewel
Havre de Grace
Unrivaled Belle
Saturday
Juvenile Turf
Purse: $1 million Distance: 1 mile
Soldat
Rogue Romance
Bandbox
Air Support
Biondetti
Dirt Mile
Purse: $1 million Distance: 1 mile
Crown of Thorns
Here Comes Ben
Vineyard Haven
Tizway
Gayego
Turf Sprint
Purse: $1 million Distance: 5 furlongs
Chamberlain Bridge
Rose Catherine
Silver Timber
Central City
Stradivinsky
Juvenile
Purse: $2 million Distance: 1 1/16 miles
Uncle Mo
Boys at Tosconova
Jaycinto
J P’s Gusto
J.B.’s Thunder
Mile
Purse: $2 million Distance: 1 mile (turf)
Goldikova
Gio Ponti
Paco Boy
Sidney’s Candy
Proviso
Court Vision
Sprint
Purse: $2 million Distance: 6 furlongs
Girolamo
Big Drama
Smiling Tiger
Bank Merger
Wise Dan
Turf
Purse: $3 million Distance: 1 ½ miles
Workforce
Behkabad
Winchester
Debussy
Joshua Tree
Classic
Purse: $5 million Distance: 1 ¼ miles
Zenyatta
Blame
Quality Road
Lookin at Lucky
Espoir City
Haynesfield
Aside from the obvious intrigue of the Classic, some of the biggest buzz surrounds the Juvenile and the BC Mile. The Juvenile usually fills a full field of 14 contenders, but if the two favorites get a clean trip, the race will serve as a showdown between the two favorites: Uncle Mo and Boys at Tosconova. Both colts were easy winners of their respective Grade I prep races, and both won in a hand-ride. Uncle Mo, who won the Champagne Stakes, has the slight advantage in that his last race was run at 1 mile, and was accomplished in the fastest time since record-holder Devil’s Bag won the Champagne in 1983. It’s the figures and the way Uncle Mo won that has ignited the hype around this 2-year-old Todd Pletcher trainee. Certainly, Boys at Tosconova is no slouch; his victory in the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, which is contested at 7 furlongs, was dictated with condescending cool by jockey Ramon Dominguez. His pedigree and inexperience at races over 7 furlongs is the major question mark; he may not be ready to run the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
The BC Mile will mark Goldikova’s attempt to become the first horse to win the same Breeders’ Cup race three years in a row; she will be defending her title as the 2008 and 2009 BC Mile champion. Challenging her will be rival Paco Boy, who finished behind her twice this year already, as well as American contenders Gio Ponti (who is cross-entered in the Classic), Proviso, Sidney’s Candy, and Court Vision. Though she has been beaten, those times are few and far in between, and Goldikova holds the distinction of being the most dominant Breeders’ Cup contender whose name isn’t Zenyatta. Though Gio Ponti has had a hard time of coming out on the winning side of a photo this year, he proved the mile distance wasn’t too short at this stage in his career by winning his most recent start, the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland; this was one of his most impressive races this year. Proviso is on a four race win-streak, all Grade Is, and is in the top form of her life thus far; she finished third to Goldikova in last year’s Prix Rothschild in France, but that was before Proviso was winning much of anything. Clearly, Proviso is an underrated force at the top of her game and will be gunning for the reigning champion in the final jumps to the wire. Sidney’s Candy has only started once on the turf, but what a performance that was. In his most recent start, the Grade II La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar, Sidney’s Candy got involved with a speed duel on the lead, and went on to shake off his foes with devastating ease, exploding past the wire to set a new course record. A wildcard for this Breeders’ Cup test, there’s no doubting the Candy Ride colt will at least serve to heat up the excitement in the race. 4th in the BC Mile last year, Court Vision will be making another go at it; this time, he is coming off a victory in the Grade I Woodbine Mile. When he’s in top form, Court Vision is great; however, his record shows that after a win, he usually can’t make it two in a row.
Next week, we’ll take an in-depth look at the horses saddling up for the richest race in America, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and what it would mean for Zenyatta to win the last race of her career. And then be sure to check back here, at The Call to the Post, November 5th for a peek into what it’s like to be on the backstretch on Breeders’ Cup eve at Churchill Downs.