Breeder's Cup WeBLOG

Thoroughbred Connection’s annual road trip to the Breeders’ Cup starts November 1 with my flight from San Diego to Louisville.


I’ll headquarter at the Galt House in downtown Louisville along with co-hosts Dick Harbin and Derek Simon. We’ll be at Churchill Downs early Thursday morning, then likely tour some Lexington “Blue Grass” breeding farms before returning to Louisville for the big VIP party on Thursday night.


At this point, it looks like we won’t be able to broadcast “live” shows from Kentucky, but we DO plan to produce and upload three “live on tape” shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Our Friday broadcast will review our first couple of days at Churchill Downs, then Saturday we’ll do comprehensive analysis and handicapping of the eight Breeders’ Cup races before following up on Sunday morning with a review of the days happenings.


All of the significant Breeders’ Cup prep races are in the books as of October 21. The last races that might have had any impact on this year’s BC were the Violet Stakes Friday 10/20 at The Meadowlands in which Distaff hopeful NO SLEEP provide victorious by 2 ½ lengths, the Maid Of The Mist Stakes Saturday 10/21 at Belmont Park in which Juvenile Fillies possible WIN WITH A WINK was a disappointing 5th, the Empire Classic Handicap 10/21 at Belmont Park in which Classic contender WEST VIRGINIA was 3rd, but beaten just a length, and the Carleton Burke at Oak Tree/Santa Anita in which Turf possible RUNAWAY DANCER finished a well-beaten 3rd, some 7 lengths behind the winner SYMPHONY SID.


As for developments away from the actual competition, there are a handful to report: trainer Richard Mandella says Arlington Million hero THE TIN MAN will NOT travel to Kentucky for the BC Turf. According to Mandella, the eight-year-old veteran has not rebounded as well as he had hoped for after his September 30 victory in the Clement Hirsch Turf Championship … trainer Barclay Tagg says hard-luck Champagne runner-up NOBIZ LIKE SHOW BIZ will not go in the BC Juvenile. NOBIZ LIKE SHOW BIZ was “sandwiched” coming out of the starting gate on the backstretch at Belmont Park, but rallied to make the lead before giving way late to SCAT DADDY. Tagg likely thinks he’s got his hands on a bona fide Triple Crown contender, so it’s hard to argue with his decision to bypass the Breeders’ Cup based on the last race … look for foreigners GEORGE WASHINGTON and DAVID JUNIOR BOTH to appear in the BC Classic … DAVID JUNIOR is supposedly “working a hole in the wind”across the pond … trainer Dallas Stewart says he’ll run three-time Louisville Handicap champ SILVERFOOT in the Turf … the old veteran PERFECT DRIFT turned in a solid 5F workout of 1:02 2/5 at the Churchill Downs Trackside Training Center on Saturday 10/21, so he’s on schedule to lineup for an unprecedented FIFTH Breeders’ Cup Classic … two other Classic contenders, SUAVE and SUN KING, turned in respectable Saturday works over the Churchill Downs main track.