Breeder's Cup WeBLOG

This past weekend certainly qualified as “the calm before the storm” in terms of Breeders’ Cup prep races go, although there were a couple of races run that will have some impact on the BC Classic and the BC Mile.


In the G2 Louisiana Super Derby, STRONG CONTENDER scored a one-length victory over one-time Triple Crown contender LAWYER RON. The win was the second G2 tally for the John Oxley-owned son of Maria’s Mon, who improved his overall record to 7-4-0-3. STRONG CONTENDER also moved into the top ten in the latest NTRA Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, which are topped by BERNARDINI, INVASOR (ARG), and LAVA MAN. The top two, of course, are on target for a meeting in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on “Super Saturday” October 7.


The other race that had BC impact was the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, which went to Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, & Derrick Smith’s GEORGE WASHINGTON (IRE). The three-year-old defeated runner-up ARAAFA (IRE) and also-ran LIBRETTIST in a salty edition of the QE2 that produced some typical English “drama” after IVAN DENISOVICH (IRE) and jockey Seamus Heffernan were disqualified and placed last for “deliberate interference” against LIBRETTIST on the final bend. Unlike racing officials in the United States, the British judges wasted no time in making a ruling on the incident, suspending Heffernan immediately for two weeks. Frankie Dettori, the rider of LIBRETTIST, was so incensed by the incident that he clashed with winning trainer Aidan O’Brien shortly after the race. GEORGE WASHINGTON (IRE) vaults from sixth to second in the BC Mile rankings, ARAAFA (IRE) moves from fifth to fourth, and LIBRETTIST falls from third to sixth. ARAGORN (IRE), the Neil Drysdale-trained hero of the recently completed Del Mar session, holds down the top spot in the Mile poll. According to published reports, LIBRETTIST came out of the race injured, so his future plans are on hold.


The “Road To The Cup” shifts into full throttle this week as the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting opens in Arcadia, CA. With the 2006 edition of the BC scheduled just 38 days after the lidlifter at Oak Tree, the racing office has no choice but to offer the best of its stakes schedule in the first two weeks of its 26-day session. That means this Saturday’s card includes a Grade 1 “tripleheader” with the Yellow Ribbon, the Oak Leaf BC, and the Clement Hirsch Turf all on the docket. Each of those races figures to feature a G1 stakes winner as the early favorite … Del Mar Debutante winner POINT ASHLEY in the Oak Leaf, Arlington Million hero THE TIN MAN in the Clement Hirsch, and WAIT A WHILE in the Yellow Ribbon. All of those three can stamp a ticket to Kentucky with a win or at least a respectable finish.


There’s another big turf race scheduled this Saturday at Turfway Park, the G2 Kentucky Cup Classic. This race will attract the likes of GOULDINGS GREEN, GREELEY’S GALAXY, IT’S NO JOKE, PERFECT DRIFT (with new rider Julien Leparoux) and PREMIUM TAP, the 31-1 upset winner of the G1 Woodward at Saratoga September 2 last out under Kent Desormeaux. PERFECT DRIFT, the Murray Johnson trainee who has “danced all the dances” in a long racing career that’s seen him bank nearly $4.6 million will attempt to end a nine-race absence from the winner’s circle and earn a start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.


The results of week four in our Thoroughbred Connection "Road To The Cup" handicapping contest are not yet official because of the Monday 9/24 cancellation of racing at Kentucky Downs. They'll take another shot at getting those races in on Tuesday 9/25. The races for week five are already posted on the handicapping contest page and this week's entry code is VOLPONI, the BC Classic winner at Arlington International in 2002.