Thursday's Breeders' Cup Classic Notes

Zenyatta – The reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion left Barn 41 at 9:15 a.m. and was followed by hundreds of adoring fans, including owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. 

With regular exercise rider Steve Willard aboard, the 6yo mare was led with a pony to the back of Churchill Downs’ 1m chute where she stood for approximately 10 minutes before making her way to the main track for a 1 ½ m gallop.

“She galloped beautifully,” Shirreffs said. “She’s very happy. On the second day of taking her to the track, you might think she’d be a little flat but she was full of energy. Steve said he could have gone around another time, and as the trainer, that’s what you look for - the enthusiasm and good energy.”

Asked about what the experience of training Zenyatta has meant to him, Shirreffs said, “This is a great celebration. She’s the love of our lives. She’s the fantasy. She’s everything we ever could have wanted and to share her with everybody is just incredible. 

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling when you bring her over for a race, you can feel the anticipation and energy,” he added.  “So many people adore her so you feel a lot of love, too.  Your chest swells with pride and you’re so proud to be with them at that moment.”

Blame – The Al Stall Jr. trainee jogged one circuit of the Churchill Downs oval and galloped the same on Thursday morning before the break. Everything was in order for an upcoming start in Saturday’s Classic.

“The way he’s been for the past couple days is the way he’s been for the past couple years,” said Stall. “He’s the same every day, which is a good thing. He’s his normal self – laid back, quiet, eating. He trains very kind.”

The barn where Blame is stabled, number 47, runs parallel to the main track chute. It proved to be a fine vantage point for Stall on Wednesday, when the unbeaten Zenyatta made her way to the track for the first time.

“I stood back here and watched her and avoided all the crowds at the gap; I had an exclusive,” the trainer said. “She looked awesome. I couldn’t imagine how big she is and how much she weighs because it’s hard to grasp, but she’s in fine flesh. It seemed like she took up the whole chute.”

Lookin At Lucky – The 3yo son of Smart Strike went to the track along with Juvenile Fillies morning-line favorite A Z Warrior immediately after the renovation break on Thursday, jogging a circuit and galloping 1m under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez.

“He looks good, so far so good,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. “He’ll run his race. We’re all going to find out how tough we are; it’s a great race, really good top horses in there. I think he’s up to it. He’s still a young horse so I don’t know how he fits in right now going a mile-and-a-quarter. He’s tough, though, 2-year-old champion and going to be 3-year-old champion. He keeps going and going.”

Baffert said there are no plans to retire Lookin At Lucky at the end of the season, although offers have been made to buy the colt for stud duty.

“So far we haven’t made any plans,” he said. “There’s people that have been trying to buy him for a stallion, but these owners just enjoy racing. You get a good horse like that, you want to watch him run.”

Reporters asked Baffert for his thoughts on Zenyatta’s likelihood of receiving Horse of the Year honors after the Breeders’ Cup.

“She has to win,” he said. “Only because they sort of stayed in California with her and didn’t really venture out. She has to win here on the dirt – she did it last year, she was phenomenal, but she did it on a synthetic track so there’s always going to be that question mark. If she does it here on dirt, on these grounds, that’s what it’s all about. But she’s supposed to win, so I don’t think they’re worried about it, they’re pretty confident. It’s going to be a great race. There’s always, ‘Well, maybe this time,’ and eventually they all get beat, but she’s just amazing. Win, lose, or draw, she’s a great mare that’s been so good for the business. We have a lot of respect for her.”

Quality Road – His rivals might have gotten a bit of a break in last year’s Classic when the Todd Pletcher-trained 3yo became frazzled at the Santa Anita starting gate and ultimately was scratched, but there are no signs of a repeat of that kind of incident in this year’s big race. 

“It was the ultimate letdown,” Pletcher said Thursday after the son of Elusive Quality returned from a morning gallop. “He’s been perfect ever since.”

 Pletcher turned to former NYRA starter Bob Duncan after the incident and asked him to work with the colt.

“We schooled him at Belmont right after the Breeders’ Cup,” Duncan said. “Basically, before we even started schooling him at the gate, Todd and I spent a little time with him around the barn, the paddock and the backside and just put him through a few exercises to kind of get connected to him – just moving him around and trying to get some leadership issues settled. Within 15 minutes he was following us around. Todd and I looked at each other and said ‘Geez, where’s the problem?’ He was that good.” 

He has since won all but one race in five 2010 starts, a head loss to Blame in Saratoga’s Whitney. He’s been “a perfect gentleman” in the gate all year, according to Pletcher.

“We took him over to the gate the next day and we took our time because it was his first time after the Breeders’ Cup,” Duncan recalled. “We didn’t know what to expect. He walks right into the starting gate. We added things each time. Will he go in the gate with the open door? Will he go with it closed? Next time around, will he go in next to another horse? He just did everything by the book. Eventually we did the dress rehearsal over at Aqueduct, which went very well, and he’s been good all year.” 

Pletcher said he believes Quality Road is still in line for a shot at Horse of the Year, and now he isn’t worrying too much about what happens before Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup finale. 

“The one thing we learned is it wasn’t about the starting gate,” Duncan said. “Like a lot of good horses, he’s an ‘Alpha horse.’ He wants to lead. He wakes up in the morning and says I want to see if I moved up in the pecking order today. If you can just do a little to something every day to re-establish your leadership, then he’s perfectly happy.  He’s the kindest, gentlest horse to be around. He couldn’t be any nicer.”

Espoir City – The 5yo Japanese horse was hand-walked in the quarantine barn Thursday, the morning after he breezed 4f in 49 3/5 under jockey Tetsuzo Sato.

 Trainer Akio Adachi said Espoir City came out of his work in good order. The horse is likely to jog Friday morning. 

            There have been three previous runners from Japan before this year – Agnes World (eighth in the 2000 Sprint); Personal Rush (sixth in the 2004 Classic); and Casino Drive (12^th in the 2008 Classic). Red Desire is scheduled to run in the Friday’s Filly & Mare Turf making Espoir City the fifth Breeders’ Cup starter from Japan. He has won two Group 1 races in the last 12 months, the Japan Cup Dirt, a 9f race, and the 1m February Stakes. He has been on course toward the Breeders’ Cup since late spring. Adachi said that he and the owners feel the horse is a contender.  

“We wouldn’t have come this far, with all the expenses, if we weren’t thinking that we have a good chance,” Adachi said through interpreter Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association, who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs.

Etched – The 5yo son of Forestry made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs track Thursday morning, galloping 1 ½ m under exercise rider Pat Correa. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Classic hopeful walked on Wednesday morning when he arrived following the long van ride from Saratoga Springs. 

“He can be a little difficult at times. We went out before the break. It was nice and quiet. He threw a couple of bucks and kicks starting off and got into his gallop,” assistant trainer Neil McLaughlin said. “He’s a bit of a character, so we were trying to get a quiet track for him and things worked out well.”

 His connections have no worries about Etched’s behavior on race day. 

“No problem. He’s really good at the races. It’s more in the morning that he gets a little testy at times and has a mind of his own,” McLaughlin said. 

Regular rider Alan Garcia will be returned to the saddle aboard Etched, who was ridden by Eddie Castro in his Monmouth Cup victory last time out.

First Dude/ Paddy O’Prado – Both of trainer Dale Romans starters in the Classic galloped 1 ½ m Thursday morning and the conditioner said they’re continuing to do great and they’re ready for their Saturday engagement. 

First Dude, a 3yo Stephen Got Even colt, is looking for his first win since breaking his maiden in January at Gulfstream Park.  The runner-up in the Pennsylvania Derby in his last start will break from post 4 in the Classic and will be ridden by Robby Albarado. 

Paddy O’Prado, a 3yo son of El Prado, will be making his second start against older rivals in Saturday’s Classic after finishing second to Turf hopeful Winchester in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in his last start.  Regular rider Kent Desormeaux has the mount aboard Paddy O’Prado who starts from post 2.

Fly Down – The Nick Zito-trained 3yo colt galloped 1 ½ m under Carlos Correa Thursday morning at Churchill Downs over the track that he proved to his liking last fall. Fly Down broke his maiden at Churchill last November, scoring a half-length decision over Classic hopeful First Dude in his second lifetime start. 

The Hall of Fame trainer is hopeful that conditions will once again be suited to son of Mineshaft. 

“I’m hoping Fly Down gets a great chance to run his race. I’m hoping there are legitimate fractions,” Zito said. “As long as that happens, I think he’ll have a legitimate chance to run.” 

Of course, legitimate fractions should also benefit Zenyatta, the undefeated 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Classic.

“You have to say she’s the horse to beat, because you are what your record is, and that’s what it says. Whether it’s the colts, the dirt, she’s still the horse to beat. You have to give her that distinction. You have to,” said Zito, acknowledging that this year’s Classic will be Zenyatta’s biggest challenge. 

Julien Leparoux will ride Fly Down for the first time Saturday.

Haynesfield – Looking purely at the pedigree of Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield, one might assume that he would be best suited to the Sprint, but of the nine wins Steve Asmussen’s Classic contender has on his resume, eight have come at distances of 1m or greater. 

“It’s funny, he’s by Speightstown, who is a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner (2004), so you’d think he might want to stay short,” Asmussen said. “But Haynesfield is a big tall, long jumping horse who obviously has ability over longer distances. Over time, you let them tell you. It’s about finding what they’re capable of doing and where they can have success.” 

In his only previous start over the Classic’s 1 ¼ m distance, which came in his most recent start, Haynesfield wired the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

Musket Man – The 4yo son of Yonaguska galloped 1 ¾ m on the main track Thursday morning, and trainer Derek Ryan said the colt is good to go Saturday. 

“He’s doing great,” Ryan said. “He’s never been better. I expect him to be right there.” 

Musket Man has a history on the Churchill Downs main track. He ran third after being bumped hard in deep stretch in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, and this year on Derby Day, he ran into severe traffic problems and finished third in the Churchill Downs Stakes. 

The Classic will be Musket Man’s sixth start of the year, which was the plan all along, Ryan said. 

“It looks like he has gaps in his past performances, but that’s by design,” the trainer said. “I wanted to get him to the Met Mile in the spring (finished second to Quality Road), and then give him most of the summer off. 

“He hates the heat, so we sent him back to the farm for three weeks during the summer, and then brought him back for the Whitney (third behind Blame and Quality Road). I used the Whitney and the Monmouth Cup (second to Etched) as his Breeders’ Cup preps. 

“He’s coming into the race in great shape. Now if there’s a legitimate pace, and if the rider (Rajiv Maragh) reads the pace right, and if he fires, I expect him to be right there at the finish.” 

Musket Man, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, won the Tampa Bay Derby and Illinois Derby on his way to the Kentucky Derby last year. This season, he’s won just once in five starts, taking his seasonal debut in an overnight stakes at Tampa Bay.

Pleasant Prince – With a Saturday date with Zenyatta in the offing, Pleasant Prince tuned up again with a 1 ½ m gallop over the main, continuing his progress toward the Classic.           

“He’s as good as I can get him,” trainer Wesley Ward said Thursday morning. “I’m expecting a good effort from him. He’s been eating the bottom out of his feed tub and sleeping all night.” 

            Where does Ward see Pleasant Prince going down the backstretch of the 1 ¼ m race? 

            “He’ll probably be teamed up with Zenyatta at the back of the pack,” said the trainer. “He usually drops back right after the start.”

Thursday Early Breeders' Cup News

Some early Breeders' Cup news, including a Zenyatta report (courtesy Breeders' Cup).....

The reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta left Barn 41 at 9:15 a.m. and was followed by hundreds of adoring fans including owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. 

With regular exercise rider Steve Willard aboard, the 6yo mare was led with a pony to the back of Churchill Downs’ 1m chute where she stood for approximately 10 minutes before making her way to the main track for a 1 ½ m gallop.

“She galloped beautifully,” Shirreffs said. “She’s very happy. On the second day of taking her to the track, you might think she’d be a little flat but she was full of energy. Steve said he could have gone around another time, and as the trainer, that’s what you look for - the enthusiasm and good energy.”

Asked about what the experience of training Zenyatta has meant to him, Shirreffs said, “This is a great celebration. She’s the love of our lives. She’s the fantasy. She’s everything we ever could have wanted and to share her with everybody is just incredible. 

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling when you bring her over for a race, you can feel the anticipation and energy,” he added.  “So many people adore her so you feel a lot of love, too.  Your chest swells with pride and you’re so proud to be with them at that moment.”

Hollendorfer Plans to Declare Indian Gracey

Owner-trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said he plans to scratch his 2yo filly Indian Gracey from the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies due to a sore right front foot.

Hollendorfer had not liked how she was jogging off the track Wednesday, and when he checked the filly early Thursday morning, he was certain that he would not run her on Friday.

“She has a hot right front foot, so we’re not running,” Hollendorfer said. “I’d rather know now than in the race. She’s talented, so she’ll get other chances. But we’re going to do the right thing by her and not run this time.”

·         Thursday Workouts:

Beethoven – 3f turf in 37; Master of Hounds – 3f turf in 38; Deciphering Dreams – 3f in 38 2/5; Midday – 3f in 42

Wednesday's Breeders' Cup Classic Notes

Zenyatta – The undefeated, reigning queen of Thoroughbred racing had her first gallop over the Churchill Downs track at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, one day after arriving from California. A large crowd, including owners Jerry and Ann Moss, followed Zenyatta to the track and watched her gallop under regular exercise rider Steve Willard. Prior to the gallop, she was led to the back of the mile chute and allowed to stand and relax before her gallop.

“She did fine,” said trainer John Shirreffs with big smile on his face. “She seems very happy and really got over the track good.  They say that the Churchill track is a lot like the Oaklawn track. That’s what I’ve heard, but I’m from California. She seems to like it just fine.”

“I love seeing all the people come out to see her,” said Shirreffs. “I think that’s what makes her so special and how she will be remembered. Everyone that sees her becomes a fan. We’ve all become her fans.”

“She's terrific,” added Willard. “She couldn't be training any better. She loves the dirt. I knew it two years ago and I knew it going into Hot Springs (for the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park). She drives off it. It doesn't have the trampoline effect like the synthetics. The crowd was great. They were mostly quiet, a couple yelled, but for the most part very accommodating.”

 Zenyatta will school in the paddock with the horses running in the second race Wednesday.

Lookin At Lucky – The nation’s top 3yo contender got his first tour of the Churchill Downs track under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez on Wednesday morning after the renovation break, and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert declared it a “super good” trip.

“There’s ‘good,’ and then there’s ‘super good’,” Baffert said around 8:30 a.m., as the Smart Strike colt galloped once around. “I like it when it’s super good. He looks so different on dirt; he looks like he’s happier, he enjoys himself. He moves so much smoother over the dirt than he does on synthetics. He’s doing well.”

In spite of a sixth-place finish in the May 1 Kentucky Derby in his last visit to Churchill Downs, Lookin At Lucky has stamped his credentials in the division with his latest win in the Oct. 2 Indiana Derby, a score in the Haskell Invitational, and a Preakness victory earlier this spring. According to Baffert, he’s still going strong in the second part of the year.

“The Indiana Derby showed a dimension we didn’t know he had, of really having the worst of it and still coming through in such an easy manner,” Baffert said. “I thought for sure down the backside that he was finished, you know, there’s no way he’s going to run the way the track was playing that day. And he went around there and came back like it was nothing for him. Even in the Kentucky Derby after getting wiped out, he still was trying to get there. And that’s the thing about this horse – he has so much determination. So it’s exciting to come into the race the way he’s doing right now.”

Lookin At Lucky arrived at Churchill on the same Tex Sutton charter flight that brought the unbeaten Zenyatta. He’ll tangle with older horses for the first time in the Classic.   

“I think a lot of us trainers, we’re all in the same boat, none of us have ever faced this kind of competition before,” Baffert said of taking on Zenyatta. “But it’s still worked out to be one of those Breeders’ Cup Classics where all the good horses have shown up, and it’s going to be a good race. It’s hard to get really excited about it because the mare’s in there, so I don’t want to get too excited. I just want to see a good run. Turning for home, I’d like to be in a spot to get a good run because every time he gets a chance to get in a good run, he wins.”

Quality Road – The third betting choice on the morning line went out for a leisurely gallop Wednesday morning, and trainer Todd Pletcher said he was much more concerned by his star’s post position (1) than the memory of last year’s starting gate issues that resulted in a late scratch from the Classic.

“We haven’t seen any indications it will be a problem,” Pletcher said. “I would say as far as disappointments go you could rank that one pretty high, but he’s been great ever since. When we laid out a program last fall this is what we had in mind this year.  Other than finishing a head short in the Whitney, everything has gone exactly the way we planned.”

The son of Elusive Quality has lost twice at the Classic distance of 1 ¼ m, but Pletcher doesn’t believe his 4yo has distance limitations.

           

“This is the kind of race where you worry about everything,” he said. “If you watch his race in the Donn and the Florida Derby, I can’t see a mile-and-a-quarter being an issue as strong as he finished his mile-and-an-eighth races. Even at a mile and an eighth, you’d be concerned just with the quality of the field. There’s no margin for error. I think you have to be ready to run your best race.”

Pletcher said he has never lost confidence in the colt.

“We felt like all along we’ve got the best horse in training,” said Pletcher, who have the rare opportunity of winning the Kentucky Derby (Super Saver)  and Classic at Churchill in the same year. “I think the Donn is the strongest race any horse has run this year.”

Blame – The 9-2 second choice for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic took to the track Wednesday morning for an easy jog. Trainer Al Stall Jr. said everything was as it should be with the 4yo son of Arch, who will make the final start of his career against Zenyatta on Saturday before being retired to stud at Claiborne Farm.

Blame’s last work was turned in on Monday, an effortless 4f in 49 4/5 under jockey Garrett Gomez.

Espoir City – Jockey Tetsuzo Sato breezed the 5yo horse 4f in 49 3/5 Wednesday morning.

Rather than using the Japanese style of breaking off at the finish line and working around the first turn, as he had done Sunday, trainer Akio Adachi had Sato work the two-time Group 1 winner to the wire, the conventional approach in North America.

“Today was sort of the final touch-up,” he said through interpreter Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association, who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs. “We had the jockey on him. There were no instructions, no specific fractions requested. I just wanted the jockey to feel how the horse was.” 

            Adachi was pleased with the work. 

“I’m quite satisfied,” he said, adding the son of Gold Allure can handle whatever develops in the Classic. 

 “Espoir City is quite versatile,” he said. “No instructions will be given to the jockey. We will leave it to him. If he breaks well, he can settle wherever. If he doesn’t break well, he can cover ground. I’m not concerned.” 

The Japan Cup Dirt and February Stakes winner drew post 11 in the 12-horse field. 

“I actually like it,” Adachi said. 

The trainer said his horse can deal with the American style of racing, with a quick early pace.

            “In his recent races, he has been up front,” he said. “I’m quite certain that he has the speed to keep up with the pace here. Also, I’m not concerned with the distance. This will be his first time going a mile-and-a-quarter, but I’m quite confident that he will handle the distance as well. I really don’t have any major concerns.”

Etched – The 5yo son of Forestry arrived at Barn 40 on the Churchill Downs backstretch at 3:30 Wednesday morning after leaving his Greentree Training Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. at 1 p.m. Tuesday. 

“Everything went well,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin from his Belmont Park base. “He just walked this morning and will train tomorrow.” 

Etched, who has won both his starts this year, will be making his Grade 1 debut while taking on Zenyatta and 10 other males in the Classic. 

“We have never run against Zenyatta. I have a great deal of respect for her. Obviously she’s the one to beat,” McLaughlin said. “It would be great for racing if she could retire undefeated, but for my family, I’d like to beat her. But if we don’t win, I’d hope she does win. If we do win, I can tell you I won’t feel bad for long.”

Alan Garcia has the mount on Etched.

First Dude/ Paddy O’Prado – First Dude galloped 1 ½ m on Wednesday and was then made to stand on the track “to get a good look at Zenyatta.”

The Dale Romans-trained First Dude enters the Classic off a runner-up finish in the Pennsylvania Derby and Romans feels that race was key to him finally reaching a level of maturity.

“He just needed the time to mature and I think he’s finally coming around,” said Romans. “I honestly believe he thinks he won that race because ever since that race, he’s been real cocky. He’s never been like that before." 

Paddy O' Prado, the El Prado colt who finished third in the Kentucky Derby, galloped 1 1/2 m over the main Churchill track on Wednesday in preparation for his return to dirt in the Classic after three wins and a second on turf.

“He's never trained better than he did this morning,” said Romans. “Both my horses are coming around at the right time. We're definitely not going to have any excuses if we lose.”

Both First Dude and Paddy O'Prado will gallop up to the Classic. 

Fly Down – The 3yo son of Mineshaft galloped 1 1/2m at Churchill Downs Wednesday morning under exercise rider Carlos Correa.

Fly Down, who broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last fall, has demonstrated a strong late kick that has powered him to victory in the Dwyer and second-place finishes in the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes, which he lost by just a nose to Afleet Express.

“It’ll be an interesting race. I just hope the horses that are supposed to go…go, for our horse,” said Zito, obviously hoping that Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Haynesfield, Woodward victor Quality Road and others will set a strong early pace to complement his colt’s late-running effort. Zito acknowledged that Zenyatta would also be a beneficiary of a solid early pace.

“Naturally all eyes are on Zenyatta,” Zito said. “You are what your record is, and she has a perfect record. Obviously, this is her biggest test, win, lose, or draw.”

Julien Leparoux will be aboard Fly Down for the first time.

Haynesfield – In Saturday’s Classic, Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield will attempt to become the first New York-bred to capture a Breeders’ Cup race. He has nine wins on his resume from 13 starts, with four of those coming against restricted company, but in his final start of 2009 the connections realized they might have something special. 

“His win in the Discovery last year showed us what he could be,” Asmussen said. “His Suburban victory this year, and in his Jockey Club (Gold Cup) after that, he showed us that he’s a top class horse.” 

Haynesfield has traditionally done his best running on the lead, or from just off the pace. A dry track that’s tough to close over would work to his advantage.   

“Speed holds if you’re fast,” Asmussen joked. “It’s a very fair racetrack. The track was very slow opening day (Sunday), but with racing the next few days, it should tighten up a bit.”

Musket Man – The 4yo colt stretched his legs with a 1m jog over the Churchill Downs main track Wednesday morning, going out for the first time since arriving late Tuesday. 

Trainer Derek Ryan, who arrived in Louisville at midnight, was on hand to supervise the colt’s training. Musket Man is stabled in Barn 41, in the same stall he occupied when he ran third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby Day this year. Musket Man found traffic trouble in both races or he might have fared better. 

“He seems to get into trouble here,” Ryan said, “but he finds trouble everywhere. We need a clean trip in this race.”

This year, the son of Yonaguska, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, has won just once in six starts, with three seconds and two thirds. He was second to Quality Road in the Metropolitan Handicap and third behind Blame and Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap. 

Last out, Musket Man was the 1-2 favorite in the Monmouth Cup, but was beaten a neck by Etched, another Classic rival. 

“He should have won that race,” Ryan said. “I said he would only go to the Breeders’ Cup if he won, but I know he was much the best that day and unlucky to lose by a neck. I know he’ll run well here.” 

Musket Man gets another change of riders for the Classic, with Rajiv Maragh taking over again. Maragh rode the colt in the Whitney, when he was closer to the pace than usual. 

“Rajiv knows the horse,” Ryan said, explaining the switch from last out.  “He chased the speed in the Whitney because he didn’t want Quality Road to steal the race on the lead.”

Pleasant Prince – The 3yo son of Indy King galloped 1 1/2m on the main track after the mid-morning break and trainer Wesley Ward continues to be encouraged about the colt owned by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey.           

“He’s been training awesome for quite a while, and that’s why Mr. Ramsey paid the $100,000 to nominate him for the Classic,” Ward said Wednesday morning. “He’s just doing awesome and I think he’s going to run big enough to warrant that extra fee.”           

Pleasant Prince drew post 9 at Tuesday’s post-position draw, but Ward said he’s not concerned about that. “He’ll get good position up fairly close,” the trainer said.

Tuesday's Breeders' Cup Headlines/Notes

 Today's Breeders' Cup headlines and notes, courtesy of the Breeders' Cup...

• Arrivals Tuesday: A Tex Sutton charter from California arrived before noon in Louisville Tuesday with 11 horses that are scheduled to compete in the Breeders’ Cup. Included on the flight was the unbeaten defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta for trainer John Shirreffs, along with Classic contender and leading 3-year-old Lookin At Lucky, trained by Bob Baffert.  

Also aboard the chartered flight were A Z Warrior (JF) and Gabby’s Golden Gal (FMS) for Baffert; Champ Pegasus (T) and Crown of Thorns (DM) for Richard Mandella; Awesome Gem (Mar) and Tropic Storm (TS/DM) for Craig Dollase; Unzip Me (TS) for Martin Jones; Jaycito (J) for Mike Mitchell; and J P’s Gusto (J) for David Hofmans.

Classic entrant Musket Man boarded a van in New Jersey at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday for the approximately 12-hour ride from Monmouth Park to Churchill Downs and was expected to arrive late in the afternoon.

Trainer Derek Ryan had horses entered at Parx Racing Tuesday and said he would drive to Louisville after the races at the Philadelphia track.

Musket Man, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, will be stabled in Barn 41 on the Churchill backside, taking the same stall he occupied when he ran third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes this year on Derby Day.

Etched is taking the scenic route to Churchill Downs and the Classic, being shipped by van from his Greentree Training Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin decided it was the best mode of transportation for the “difficult” Classic contender.

“It would have been a four-hour ride to Long Island, another hour at the airport and then the flight,” McLaughlin said. “He can be a bit difficult and he’s a very large horse, so it’s just better for him to head down there on a van.

McLaughlin estimated that Etched will arrive at Churchill Downs at 5 or 6 a.m. Wednesday after being loaded onto the van at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Etched’s stablemate Soldat, a Juvenile Turf contender stabled at Belmont Park, was scheduled for a quicker form of transportation to Louisville Tuesday aboard a Tex Sutton chartered flight from JFK International due at approximately 5:30 p.m.

The American-based horses from Godolphin arrived safe and sound from New York and had settled down in their stalls in Barn 36 at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning after an uneventful van ride from Belmont Park.

Assistant trainer Henry Spiller said Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender Girolamo, Dirt Mile contenders Gayego and Vineyard Haven, and Filly & Mare Sprint starter Sara Louise all shipped well and will go to the track Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. to gallop 1 1/4m in preparation for their respective starts. Godolphin’s main assistant, Rick Mettee, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Tuesday evening, while head trainer Saeed bin Suroor will arrive Thursday.

Winchester, winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont last time out, will accompany stablemate and Mile starter Gio Ponti on the last Tex Sutton chartered flight from New York to Louisville Tuesday. The pair of turf specialists will be bedded down in Barn 40. Trainer Christophe Clement will arrive on Friday.

On Tuesday, Gio Ponti’s connections announced that the 5yo son of Tale of the Cat will bypass the Classic, which was listed as first preference in the pre-entries.

“He came out of the Shadwell Mile in great order. I’m very excited to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Mile,” Clement said Tuesday.

Also new on the grounds was Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Fancy Point, who vanned in late Monday from trainer Will Phipps’ base in Ocala, Fla. The 2yo daughter of Point Given will jog 1m, gallop 1m, and school in the paddock Wednesday morning

The European horses were released from quarantine Tuesday morning with Goldikova (IRE) leading the way to the track for a first look at Churchill Downs.

   

The 5yo mare, trained by Freddy Head, is seeking an unprecedented third straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She jogged over the main track Tuesday morning, just stretching her legs.

Other Europeans getting their first exercise on the dirt track Tuesday included Debussy (IRE), Dangerous Midge and Behkabad (FR), all entered in the Turf, and Filly & Mare Turf runners Midday (GB) and Plumania (GB).

• Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce (GB) is to be entered in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, but a decision on whether he will actually run will be made later in the week, with the hope of rain softening the turf course.

Head lad Stuart Messenger sent both Workforce and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf contender Dux Scholar to the track  for the first time on Tuesday morning, and after they jogged for a bit, gave them each an gallop on the turf.

With the lack of rain in Kentucky, firmness of the course has been a concern and heading back to the barn, a grim-faced Messenger said “It’s very firm. We’re going to have a very serious discussion on whether we will run.”

Messenger phoned trainer Michael Stoute, who was about to fly to the United States from his Newmarket base in England, and they decided to enter the horse and then monitor the course condition the rest of the week.

Workforce, by King’s Best, could return to run as a 4yo, which is a factor in the decision. It’s possible that Dux Scholar would also scratch if Workforce does.

• Trainer Akio Adachi said Espoir City (JPN) will work Wednesday morning at approximately 8:45 a.m. following the renovation break.

Jockey Tetsuzo Sato will be aboard for the breeze, which will likely be five or six furlongs, beginning at the finish line. Adachi said it was a typical training schedule for the horse, which has won 10 of 13 starts, including the Japan Cup Dirt and the February Stakes since being switched from turf to dirt in August 2008.

Espoir City worked 4f Sunday and will stay on his usual schedule with a second breeze the week of the race.

  

“It’s basically the style. Of course it depends on the individual horse,” Adachi said through interpreter said Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs. “With him, it’s pretty much sticking to his routine.”

Adachi said the horse will walk Thursday and jog Friday.

• Tuesday Workouts:

Pashito the Che - In his final major preparation for Saturday's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint, Tuna Stable LLC and Off the Hook LLC's Pashito the Che worked 4f over a fast main track in 51 3/5.

With exercise rider Jennifer Stisted aboard, the 4yo son of Flatter ran splits of 14, 26 3/5, 38 3/5 and he galloped out in 1:07 2/5.

"The work was a little slower than I wanted, but I told my wife (Stisted) I'd rather have him go slow than fast," trainer Scott Lake said. “He passed another horse in the stretch and finished out good. He came back great. It's all systems go."

·         Tuesday Declarations:

Major Gain – Gary and Mary West’s son of More Than Ready came up with a temperature Tuesday morning and will not be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“He will be fine in a few days but will not be well enough to run on Saturday,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “It is disappointing, but these things happen sometimes.” 

Monday's Zenyatta Report

Monday's Zenyatta Update, courtesy Breeders' Cup.....

Two-time champion Zenyatta, looking to improve her 19-0 record with a repeat victory in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs, jogged 1m over the Hollywood Park training track on Monday morning.

This was her last training exercise before leaving California. The 6yo Street Cry mare will leave her barn at 2 am (PT) on Tuesday morning to board a chartered Tex Sutton flight to Kentucky leaving at 5 am. Owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs will board a private plane and hope to arrive in Louisville ahead of their prized mare. 

“It was just a jog day,” said Shirreffs. “It was just something nice and easy.”

When asked what he thought of the “60 Minutes” feature about Zenyatta, which aired Sunday night, he replied, “It was very good. They did a great job with it.”

Shirreffs, who became the first trainer to win the Ladies’ Classic and the Classic in the same year, will be looking to pull a double again this year. He will also saddle Harmonious in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Tuesday's Zenyatta Report

Here's today's Zenyatta report from Southern California (courtesy Breeders' Cup)....

Two-time champion Zenyatta, preparing to defend her Breeders’ Cup Classic title and perfect 19-0 record, didn’t make life easy on regular exercise rider Steve Willard on Tuesday morning as he had to use all his strength to pull her up after a 1 ½-mile gallop over the Hollywood Park main track.

“That was a good gallop,” said trainer John Shirreffs. “No concerns at this point. Although, I do want to get her on the (dirt) training track again this week and off the synthetics.”

“She did great,” added Willard. “Just terrific. She didn’t want to pull up and said, ‘hey, let’s do some more.’”

Jerry and Ann Moss’ Zenyatta will continue to gallop the remainder of the week and her final timed workout will be Saturday, October 30. She is scheduled to leave California for Kentucky on Tuesday, November 2. 

Monday's Zenyatta Report

Here's Monday's Zenaytta report (courtesy Breeders' Cup)....

ZENYATTA GALLOPS ONE MILE ON MONDAY

Two-time champion Zenyatta, preparing to defend her Breeders’ Cup Classic title and perfect 19-0 record, went to the main Hollywood Park track on Monday and jogged a half-mile before galloping a full mile under regular exercise rider Steve Willard. Normally, she would have gone to the training track, but overnight rain left the dirt track too wet. The main racetrack surface is Cushion Track.

“That’s the good thing about synthetic,” said Willard. “We haven’t had to stop at all. She’s doing really, really good. She’s in a terrific place mentally.”

Jerry and Ann Moss’ Zenyatta will continue to gallop the remainder of the week and her final timed workout will be Saturday, October 30. She is scheduled to leave California for Kentucky on Tuesday, November 2.

Who Saw Zenyatta Run?

Everytime you see Zenyatta run, it is hard not to remain in awe of one of the greatest thoroughbreds in history, regardless of gender.

The six-year-old mare ran her record to a perfect 17-for-17 with a gusty performance as she wore down St. Trinians in the final furlong to capture her third straight Vanity Handicap. Her win was even more impressive for a litany of reasons which included the fact she was giving a lot of weight to the rest of the seven horse field and her jockey, Mike Smith, kept her wide on both turns.

The one part that is a little disturbing to me is that only around 12,000 fans saw her awesome performance. That attendance figure is becoming more accepted as a good day but for a horse like Zenyatta in a market like Los Angeles, it is actually pretty sad.

What makes that attendance figure even worse is the fact that Hollywood Park offered a Zenyatta Bobblehead Giveaway. Those gimmicks used to help bring in a handful of extra people but even the allure of a "freebie" wasn't enough to catapult the crowd figures.

This sort of racing ambivalence in big city racing markets is becoming very commonplace. Huge markets like New York, LA, Chicago and Miami are drawing a fraction of the racing crowds they used to. Even in Louisville, home of the greatest race, getting people to the track has been an ongoing struggle. (Big exceptions, of course, are Derby Week, Friday night racing and the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.)

Big city sports fans only seem to come out to the track when it's a big day (i.e. Belmont Stakes, Big Cap, etc.) but today should have qualified as one of those days. And those people who didn't make it out to Hollywood, missed out on a great race and an even greater horse.

For years, racing has been crying out for stars and we have two genuine ones in Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta yet why don't people come out to see them run on a consistent basis? Promoting the stars has been a challenge and the fact that Daily Newspapers have cut back their racing coverage significantly is a hindrance. But it's also incumbent upon the individual racetracks and the sport to promote when it's top notch stars run.

I don't know how much Hollywood Park promoted Zenyatta's appearance outside of the Bobblehead giveaway but you have to think it wasn't enough.

We are simply running out of time before both Rachel and Zenyatta are retired and racing loses another golden opportunity to win over new fans. We are very lucky that Zenyatta is still racing but the window is about to close as you have to assume that she only has three more races left before she is done.

And for those that didn't see her run, you have missed out. We may not see anyone like her for sometime.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - www.eclipsesportswire.com

Will Zenyatta be Perfect Again?

Zenyatta, who remains on top of her game at age 6, will put her perfect record on the line today at Hollywood Park in the Vanity Handicap.

(Post Time - 7:37 ET and you can watch the race at NTRA.com)

She is not only looking to move her record to an unprecedented 17-for-17 but she is attempting to win her third straight Vanity. It will certainly not be a "walk in the park" but a typical Zenyatta effort should give her another win.

Here's a quick look at her opponents.

1) Miss Silver Brook - It would take a monumental effort to win this race. She's never beaten these type of horses before and is 0-for-3 at Hollywood Park.

2) St. Trinians - The five-year-old is dangerous here as she won four straight races since coming to the United States early in 2009. She beat 2009 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic winner Life Is Sweet in February but her trainer got a little too ambitious when she took on the boys in the Santa Anita Handicap in March when she finished sixth. St. Trinians hasn't run since so she is well rested and gets jockey Martin Garcia for the first time. (Garcia is best known for winning the Preakness aboard Lookin at Lucky).

3) Zardana - The stablemate to Zenyatta is best known for beating Rachel Alexandra in March down in New Orleans but she followed that up with a bad fifth place effort at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day. She's also an all or nothing performer as she has a record of 8-0-1 in 20 starts. She'll need her an effort better than her win in March to beat the champion.

4) Will O Way - Another horse that appears overmatched against Zenyatta, She's never beaten these type of horses in her career and also hasn't win since January 2009.

5) Zenyatta - No introduction needed

6) Cherryblossommiss - Even though she's trained by one of the better conditioners in Southern California, she also will need a monumental effort to knock off Zenyatta. She does have a win at Hollywood Park but that wasn't against these type of horses.

Zenyatta - Queen For Only One Day

In the midst of the building anticipation of the Kentucky Derby, one of the greatest Equine athletes we've seen in years returns to the stage on Friday.

Zenyatta, (left) the equine version of the UConn Women's basketball team, will put her 15-for-15 record on the line in Oaklawn Park's Apple Blossom.

Seeing her run is always a treat and those in Hot Springs, Ark. will be a witness to what should be another victory.

The sad part though is that this race was supposed to the "Race of the Century" between Zenyatta and 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

It is debatable why Rachel and her connections elected to skip the Apple Blossom but after suffering her first defeat last month to Zardana (Zenyatta's stablemate), there was little doubt she wasn't ready to face Zenyatta and pursue the $5,000,000 purse that Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella was offering.

One can only hope that the two will meet this year because it is a near certainty that their racing careers will be over at the end of the year. (This debate will be left for another article.)

Rachel's defection from the Apple Blossom left only four other competitors who are nowhere close to the ability of Zenayatta.

Zenyatta is an imposing figure and her presence in just about any race will scare off most of the competition. But with $500,000 on the line, it is surprising that only four others volunteered to step in the ring with racing's heavyweight.

Plus, her seemingly inevitable victory will be quickly overshadowed Saturday by the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby, one of the last major Kentucky Derby preps on the calendar.

Racing needs a star like Zenyatta and the only way she will ever get the attention she deserves is if she faces Rachel. An added bonus would be for Zenyatta to run at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week. That's the only place all year where over 1,600 members of the media and over 100,000 people will attend the races.

Zenyatta was supposed to run there last year but trainer John Shirreffs decided that the morning rains on Derby Day made the track unsuitable for his star pupil. Let's hope they make a return trip to the Twin Spires in a couple of weeks.

And, a little horse named Rachel Alexandra happens to be stabled there so might the "Race of the Century" be on again? That might be a longshot but at the very worst, the largest crowd in person and on TV for a racing during the year might get a chance to gaze upon an incredible athlete.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - http://www.eclipsesportswire.com

Oaks Day at the Downs

Under a gray, dreary sky in Louisville, Oaks Day racing is underway at Churchill Downs.

To no ones surprise, the track is sloppy and the turf is Yielding.

The biggest disappointment already is the scratch of champion Zenyatta. Trainer John Sherriffs elected to play it safe with his prized pupil and not run her on a wet racetrack. The shame is that the trainer could have waiting a little longer in the day to see if the rain held off and the track dried out. The fans will miss out in a seeing a superstar run today.

She will make her next start at Hollywood Park on May 23.

With the first four races in the books, there has not been any big bias to the track.

The first big stakes race is the 6th race, the Aegon Turf Sprint and, of course, the highlight of the day is the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks. That race is set to begin at 5:45 p.m. It will be broadcast on the Bravo Cable Network for the first time.

Will be back later to provide updates on the big races.