Breeder's Cup WeBLOG

He’s only a three-year-old, but Darley Stable’s immensely talented BERNARDINI has moved to the top of the Breeder’s Cup Classic rankings off his 7½ length victory in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Watching the race on ESPN’s extensive coverage of the four major stakes races at The Spa, it was pretty much “game, set, match” shortly after the start of the race, as BERNARDINI and Javier Castellano “inherited” the lead going past the finish line the first time. With potential speedster KIP DEVILLE scratched, no other jockey in the race wanted to set the pace, and it spelled doom for them once BERNARDINI got to the front and set early fractions of :24 and :48. BLUEGRASS CAT made a couple of runs at BERNARDINI during the course of the race, but the winner had plenty of gas left to repel those challenges after being allowed to dictate the pace of the race. No matter what the distance, no matter what the age, no matter what the class, unchallenged speed is almost always a recipe for a wire-to-wire victory!!! Saturday’s race turned out to be the final race in the career of BLUEGRASS CAT. On Sunday, trainer Todd Pletcher announced that BLUEGRASS CAT has sustained a fractured pastern in his right hind leg during the race and would be retired. The homebred son of Storm Cat ran well in two legs of the 2006 Triple Crown, finishing second to BARBARO in the Kentucky Derby and second to JAZIL in The Belmont. As for BERNARDINI, there’s now a strong sentiment that he’s the clear-cut leader for three-year-old honors and that Eclipse Award voters would favor him over BARBARO. Of course, at this point of the year, trainer Tom Albertrani has “bigger fish to fry” and that means running against olders in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 7 at Belmont Park. Interesting thing there is that it will match BERNARDINI against Shadwell Stable’s INVASOR, winner of the Whitney Handicap in early August. Both horses are owned and campaigned by different “divisions” of the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates of Dubai.


And, speaking of the Dubai connections, the Travers wasn’t the only race they won at Saratoga last weekend. Zabeel Racing International’s HENNY HUGHES was a romping 5¼ length winner of the 7F King’s Bishop, gaining control at the top of the stretch and extending his margin at will to the wire. According to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, HENNY HUGHES is the best sprinter he’s ever trained. He’ll point the Kentucky-bred son of Hennessy toward the October 7 6F Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park as a final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The win moved HENNY HUGHES to second place in the Sprint rakings, with defending champ, but unlikely ’06 BC starter, SILVER TRAIN holding down the top spot.


Two other victories completed a “grand slam” of sorts for the Dubai connections at Saratoga, as Godolphin Stable’s highly touted DISCREET CAT, running for the first time since winning the UAE Derby in Dubai in March, scored an impressive 7F allowance victory Friday at The Spa to move into 10th place in the BC Classic division rankings. On turf Saturday, Godolphin’s ASHKAL WAY (IRE), under a heady ride by the red-hot Garrett Gomez, took the 9F Bernard Baruch Handicap to register his fourth win in five starts since shipping to New York from Dubai over the Winter.


Out West on Sunday 8/27, Ballygallon Stud’s four-year-old ARAGORN (IRE) scored a fairly easy win in the Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Mile. After 3 straight 1M turf wins, trainer Neil Drysdale looks to have his hands on yet another Breeders’ Cup Mile contender.