Derby Over Analysis, One Step at a Time

With just one Kentucky Derby prep race left, the over analysis of the potential field can really begin and I'll start off with a relatively easy analysis.

Sometimes the simplest way to analyze at a race is to look at the information that is right in front of you. The Daily Racing Form publishes a set of speed figures, Beyers (named for their inventor Andy Beyer), and they give you a quick and easy look at how fast a horse ran in a particular race.

(If you want a little more info on the Beyer Speed Figures click http://drf.com/flash/drf_pp_tutorial.html)

For those who believe in the Beyer Speed Figures, there are only three horses who have broken through the 100 barrier.

Eskendereya, the likely 2-1 favorite, is the number king as he racked up a 109 in last week's Wood Memorial and 106 in the Fountain of Youth back in February.

Next on the list is Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy. The horse, who is named for weight loss giant Jenny Craig's late husband Sidney, scored a 100 last week.

The only other horse inside the Top 20 who has a landed a triple digit figure might surprise you. (It surprised me.) Endorsement, who won the Sunland Park Derby on March 28, earned a 101. And before you dismiss the Sunland Park Derby, it produced a little horse named Mine That Bird.

The only major horse who hasn't cracked 100 is 2-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky. One would imagine he might have if didn't get sideswiped in the Santa Anita Derby but he is widely considered to be one of the horses to beat in less than three weeks.

What do these numbers mean? Quite possibly nothing but at the very least you see, at a glance, who merits your attention.

There will be plenty of other ways to analyze the field of 20 but we'll take it slow and pass on additional insight as we countdown to the Derby.

Thursday Breeders' Cup Classic Notes

Awesome Gem – The local boy will try to make good Saturday at Santa Anita Park when Craig Dollase sends out the 6yo gelding in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

“I was an Arcadia Apache,” said Dollase Thursday from Barn 7 as he waxed nostalgic about his scholastic days at Arcadia High School a few furlongs away.

“I played a little basketball and graduated in 1990. I wanted to be an athlete. I'm training the four-legged kind now.”

Dollase made headlines when he became the youngest trainer to win a Breeders' Cup race at 27 with Reraise in the 1998 Sprint at Churchill Downs, a record that still stands.

Dollase hopes to trump that feat with Awesome Gem.

“Hopefully Awesome Gem will run his race,” said Dollase of the West Point Thoroughbreds millionaire who finished third in the 2007 Classic at Monmouth Park. “I'm not excited about the post, the 13 hole, but we're in our back yard here.”

Awesome Gem galloped 1 1/4m on the main track with exercise rider Juan Olivera.

Colonel John – Trainer Eoin Harty, who sent Colonel John out for a gallop this morning and then had the 4yo colt stand in the gate, remains optimistic about the horse’s chances in the Classic.

“I’m very confident that he’s going to run a good race,” he said of the WinStar Farm homebred who finished sixth in the 2008 Classic and is the only returning starter. “He’s a very good horse and he does everything right.”

But ‘The Colonel’, as he is affectionately known around the barn, is not Harty’s all-time favorite.

“All of the good ones I’ve had are my favorites. I love Colonel John. He’s a really cool horse. He always aims to please,” said Harty, who has had nine Breeders’ Cup starters and won the 2001 Juvenile Fillies with Tempera while Imperial Gesture finished second behind her. “But my favorite horse is Dubai Escapade. She’s just like Colonel John in that she always gave you everything she had.”

Colonel John, a son of back-to-back Classic winner Tiznow, is proven on the synthetic surface and the 2008 Travers winner is certainly proven at the 1 ¼ m Classic distance. He’s got a versatile running style along with home field advantage. But will that all be enough to get him to the winner’s circle on Saturday?

“We’ll find out,” said Harty. “There’s not just one horse to beat in this race, there are 12 more. This is a great field in the Classic this year. He’s coming up to the race in great shape and Garrett (Gomez) knows him well and knows how to ride him. Now we’re hoping for a clean trip and racing luck.”

Einstein – Trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi had sore arms after putting her Classic hopeful through his paces on Thursday, galloping 1 ½ m over the main track.

“He galloped strong,” said Pitts-Blasi, who is seeking to become the first female trainer to win the Classic. “He was very strong. My arms were burning by the time we got through.”

Pitts-Blasi will give jockey Julien Leparoux a leg up on Einstein for the seventh consecutive time on Saturday and said she plans to give him very few instructions.

“I’ll just tell him to sit behind the speed and have a good trip,” she said. “With this kind of race, anything can happen.”

Einstein will school in the paddock during the third race.

Gio Ponti – “He’s a very good horse. I am sure of that. This is the best horse I have ever trained,” Christophe Clement said of his Classic hopeful on Thursday morning.

That is high praise indeed for Gio Ponti as he will be the 18^th horse that the trainer starts in Breeders’ Cup races when he leads the 4yo colt over on Saturday. While Clement has a long list of Graded stakes winners on his resume and is the only trainer to have won the prestigious Beverly D. at Arlington Park three times, he has yet to add an Eclipse Award to his trophy case

“I’m a lucky guy. I’ve had many, many good horses but I have never trained a champion,” he said.

Clement, who has also never won a Breeders’ Cup race, has high hopes that all will soon change.

“This horse has overcome so much. He won four Grade I races this year on different turf courses and in different conditions, and at different differences of one mile, a mile-and-three-eighths, and a mile-and-a-quarter, and he raced in Chicago, New York, and California,” he said.

“He should have won a fifth Grade I (in the Turf Classic at Belmont on Oct. 3). I’m the one who got him beat that day. It was my fault. The turf was extra soft that day, the worst I have seen at Belmont, and he just got tired in the last 75 yards.”

The winner of this year’s Arlington Million, Manhattan Handicap, Man o’ War, and Kilroe Handicap is widely hailed as North America’s best turf horse, but Clement remains solidly convinced that his decision to run Gio Ponti in the Classic on the synthetic track is the right one.

“Of course he has done so well on the grass and the question mark is the surface,” Clement acknowledged. “But he has been able to overcome all year long and we have one more race to go. We have nothing to lose and can only gain by running in the Classic.”

Adding the Classic victory to the multiple Grade I grass stakes he has won would make Gio Ponti an even more valuable commodity as a stallion, but he may not be quite ready for his next career.

“I don’t know if he will race again next year,” said Clement. “Shane Ryan (the owner) will make that decision in the next few weeks. But I hope to have him back next year. He is such an important horse in the barn.”

Gio Ponti, who was bred by the Ryan family, galloped 1 ¼ m this morning with assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul up and will school in the paddock this afternoon.

“I am very happy with the way this horse is training and his condition,” Clement said. “I am delighted.”

Girolamo – The 3yo son of A.P. Indy galloped at Santa Anita Thursday morning leading up to his big test in the Classic. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor was on hand to track his progress after arriving the day before.

“This is a tough race, hard race to ask of him, but we’ll give him a chance,” he said of the Godolphin runner, who comes into the Classic off a three-race win streak that includes an Oct. 11 victory in the Jerome.

Mine That Bird – For the second straight morning the Kentucky Derby winner jogged once the wrong way around track and then galloped 1 ½ m and trainer Chip Woolley continues to gain confidence in his charge

“He looked good,” said Woolley. “We’re ready.”

Woolley has been saying all week that he believes Mine That Bird’s best chance on Saturday will be to drop back early, stay covered up behind horses and make one run at the end.

“I was pretty down after the Goodwood and I think (jockey) Calvin (Borel) felt the same way,” said Woolley. “But, when you analyze the race, you see that the fractions were just too slow and he was too far back. He still may be further back, but they will be going a lot faster this time. And, it’s an eighth of an mile farther, which is key for this horse.

“I’m just going to tell Calvin to ride him like he did in the Derby -- to sit back and make one run. I’d rather be too far back early and finish third than to be too close (to the pace) and run fifth.”

Mine That Bird will be seeking to become the fifth Kentucky Derby winner and first since Unbridled in 1990 to win the Classic. The other three were Ferdinand, Alysheba and Sunday Silence, although Ferdinand and Alysheba were both four when they won.

Quality Road – The colt who enjoyed the lion’s share of the Triple Crown buzz in the springtime could salvage his sophomore season with a victory in the Classic for trainer Todd Pletcher. He galloped 1 ¼m on the main track Thursday morning.

“I think he’s coming up to the race really well,” said Pletcher, who took over the training of the Elusive Quality colt after a quarter-crack in his right front hoof sidelined plans for the Kentucky Derby. “He’s had a good series of prep races, and I thought he galloped over the track really well this morning.”

After missing more than four months and the entire Triple Crown series, Quality Road came back with a record-setting performance in the 6 1/2f Amsterdam at Saratoga, a blistering 1:13 3/5 outing that indicated the quality displayed in winning the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby was still very much present. He lost his next two starts, but both were on drenched dirt surfaces.

“We’re been a little frustrated at having to run on sloppy tracks the last two times, but that’s the way it goes,” Pletcher said of his third in the Travers and second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“We’re hoping this surface is something that he likes. Based on his pedigree being by Elusive Quality out of a Strawberry Road mare, there’s some turf influence there and usually that’s helpful on synthetics.

“This is an ambitious spot,” Pletcher said. “It’s typical of this type of race, loaded with the highest caliber of horse. We obviously believe he fits.”

John Velazquez rides for owner Edward P. Evans.

Regal Ransom – Trainer Saeed bin Suroor kept a close eye on his United States-based Godolphin runners -- including Classic contender Regal Ransom -- while he watched them gallop at Santa Anita Thursday morning after he arrived Wednesday afternoon.

The Godolphin trainer viewed his colt’s chances realistically considering the tough competition, but remarked upon how well the 3yo son of Distorted Humor has been training over the surface under the supervision of United States assistant Rick Mettee.

“It depends on how the pace goes,” said bin Suroor. “If they go a nice pace and he sits in nice position, I think he will be happy with this. He’s improving all the time; he’s in good form and working well.”

Regal Ransom last worked a handy 5f in 59 1/5 at Santa Anita Nov. 1. Coming off a win in the Sept 18 Super Derby, he’ll break from post 11 in the Classic’s 13-horse field under Richard Migliore. He ran eighth in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Richard's Kid – The Pacific Classic upset winner galloped at Santa Anita Thursday morning, gearing up for his longshot tackle of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Trainer Bob Baffert didn’t have much to say about his 4yo son of Lemon Drop Kid that hasn’t already been said.

“Things have to go right for him, he’s a horse that you’re in there and you’re just hoping you might be lucky enough to hit the board,” he said. “But then, you never know what’s going to happen.”

Richard’s Kid, who comes off a third-place finish in the Oct. 10 Goodwood here after winning the Pacific Classic at odds of 24-1, will gallop Friday leading up to his Saturday start.

Rip Van Winkle – Trainer Aidan O’Brien said Thursday that he is pleased with the way the 3yo son of Galileo looked during his visit to the track. Rip Van Winkle, who has had foot issues all year, cantered on the main track.

Rip Van Winkle’s feet were affected by a severe infection last winter. Both front feet and the left rear had problems during the year. In mid-October, the colt had some trouble in the right rear. However, O’Brien said the problems areas have responded to treatment – which include patches on the hoofs - and Rip Van Winkle is ready to compete Saturday in the Classic.

“What happened in the spring we couldn’t undo and the only way we could have was not to race this year,” O’Brien said. “The issue we had with him a week or two ago, was the last that we’ve had with him.”

O’Brien liked what he saw of Rip Van Winkle Wednesday morning and had the same opinion Thursday.

Rip Van Winkle has only raced five times this year. He returned to competition on May 2 with a fourth-place finish behind the now-retired standout Sea the Stars in the 2000 Guineas. He was fourth again in the Epsom Derby and was beaten a length by Sea the Stars in the Eclipse Stakes. Rip Van Winkle completed his spring and summer campaign with a win in the Sussex Stakes on July 29. He returned in September to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

“I’m amazed really that ‘Rip’ has been through the season that he has and run in the races. He’s run in all top races all the time,” O’Brien said. “Usually when a horse suffers those things, the season does catch up to them. I was obviously a bit worried and when he was asked to travel he was a little bit dejected looking. Yesterday (Wednesday) and again this morning he was very happy on the track.”

O’Brien described the colt as “a beautiful mover,” and after the trip to the track Wednesday ranked him at the top of his 52 Breeders’ Cup starters.

“There's no doubt that this is a very special horse and we haven't come here with a horse of this caliber before,” O'Brien said. “But he's had a lot of issues and he's swum against the tide all season.

“He's the most natural athlete and you could see that this morning, the movement and athleticism and enthusiasm. George Washington was like that, but this one maybe doesn't have the attitude issues that George Washington had.”

Rip Van Winkle will be ridden by jockey John Murtagh.

Summer Bird – The Belmont Stakes winner will school in the paddock at Santa Anita along with the field for the second race, trainer Tim Ice said Thursday morning.

They have all that stuff that they put up for the Breeders’ Cup and I just don’t want it to be something new for him,” Ice said. “He’s been to the paddock before, schooling here in the mornings, but now they have everything set up in there and I just want him to see it before he’ll have to see it on raceday.”

The 3yo son of Birdstone has been to the paddock about 10 times after training on his way back to the barn, but hasn’t gone home that way since preparations for Breeders’ Cup began.

“I didn’t want to take him through there while they were still working on it,” Ice said. “Basically today what it’s going to be is just let him get up there, look around, see all the new stuff that they’ve done – not that it’s going to bother him – but I don’t want to take any chances come raceday.”

Summer Bird jogged 1m and stood in the gate Thursday after the break. He will gallop Friday in preparation for his Saturday test, when he seeks a third straight victory off wins in the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup. The Classic will be his first start on a synthetic surface.

Twice Over – Trainer Henry Cecil sent the 4yo Observatory colt out to the main track for some light exercise Thursday morning.

“He just had an ordinary canter of seven furlongs,” Cecil said.

Twice Over earned a trip to the Classic with a victory in the Champion Stakes, at odds of 14-1, at Newmarket on Oct. 17. It was this third consecutive victory and first in Group I company. He finished second in the Champion last year.

Irish jockey Tom Queally, 25, making his debut in the Breeders’ Cup this year, is Twice Over’s regular rider.

Zenyatta – The unbeaten champion mare galloped on the main track early Thursday with regular exercise rider Steve Willard after arriving from her training base at Hollywood Park on Wednesday.

“We went out at 6:20 and she stood around and looked around,” said Willard. “She jogged off and galloped once around and came back through the paddock. She did it really terrific. Just superb.”

Trainer John Shirreffs said the 5yo mare, unbeaten in 13 starts, will gallop again on Friday before her date with destiny when she attempts to become the first female to win the Classic.

“Optimism is high,” said owner Jerry Moss with his wife and co-owner, Ann, and racing manager Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, wife of the trainer.

“She's ready,” said Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. “If she fires, she's certainly going to be the one to beat. I think you're going to see something amazing.”

Smith, tied for second in Breeders' Cup wins with Pat Day with 12, seeks to move closer to leader Jerry Bailey with 15.

Wednesday Breeders' Cup Classic Notes

Awesome Gem – “He's been great for the partners,” said Terry Finley, president of West Point Thoroughbreds, from trackside at Santa Anita Park Wednesday after watching the 6yo gelding gallop for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday.

“Look at the places he's taken us,” added Finley. “It's really been fun to be part of the ride.”

The chestnut son of Awesome Again, purchased for $150,000 as a 2yo at a Barretts sale, has taken his owners from California to New Jersey to Hong Kong to Washington to Illinois while earning $1,695,682 in 30 starts for trainer Craig Dollase.

Third in the 2007 Classic as a 28-1 longshot in the slop at Monmouth Park, Awesome Gem will again try to produce a surprise as a 30-1 morning-line outsider from post 13 under David Flores.

“You'd like to be a little more inside,” said Finley. “But the post isn't going to get us beat. The competition is.”

Colonel John – Colonel John, the only Classic contender returning from last year’s edition of the race, jogged 1m this morning under Paul Turner rather than regular exercise rider Yutta Lang.

“When he breezes, Lang is on him because he’s lighter,” Turner explained. “The horse is doing just great. He went as good as ever this morning. You’d never know he was sick.”

A 4yo son of Tiznow, Colonel John was extremely sick earlier in the year and that was only one of the setbacks that sidelined him for the first half of his 2009 campaign. While training for the Santa Anita Handicap on Mar. 7, he pulled a muscle that knocked him out of the race. To make matters worse, he came down with a fever that morning that ultimately turned into pneumonia and put his life in jeopardy.

Colonel John’s recovery lasted until July, but trainer Eoin Harty’s patience and excellent horsemanship paid off.

In the first start back for the WinStar Farms homebred on July 31, Colonel John closed strongly on Del Mar’s turf course to capture the Wickerr in 1:32 3/5. His final time was just 2/5 off the course record.

Einstein – Trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi was relaxed and happy as she held her Santa Anita Handicap winner while he had his feet washed following a 1m gallop on Wednesday. Einstein also stood in the gate before his morning exercise.

“It’s going to be a tough race, but with a good trip, I think we can get a piece of it,” said Pitts-Blasi. “I love our post and I think we’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know what the plans will be for him after the race, but I hope if he wins they retire him. He deserves it. He deserves to have a good race. He ran good in the Pacific Classic and needs to take a shot here.”

Einstein, a 7yo Spend a Buck horse, has won 11 races from 28 starts over four seasons of racing. In addition to winning the “Big ‘Cap”, he also won the Turf Classic at Churchill and most recently finished second in the Pacific Classic. When asked what makes him so special, Pitts-Blasi replied “It’s his personality and heart, his will to win. He just loves to run.”

Gio Ponti – After arriving on a flight from New York yesterday, Classic hopeful Gio Ponti went to the track Wednesday morning to gallop 7f under Christophe Lorieul, the assistant to trainer Christophe Clement.

“He shipped well and is in tip-top physical shape,” said Lorieul. “Shipping was a problem with him when he was younger and he would get nervous, but now that he is a four-year-old, he handles the travel much better. His coat, his weight, and all else looks very good since he’s arrived.”

The son of Tale of the Cat, widely regarded as one of the top turf horses in North America during his 2009 campaign, had no problem with the synthetic surface of the main track this morning even though his regular exercise rider, Jerry Fogarty, did not make the trip with him.

“I got on fine with him today,” said Lorieul. “He handled this surface very well.”

Gio Ponti, who drew post 7 in the 13-horse field and is a 12-1 morning line choice, competed at Santa Anita twice before and won the Sir Beaufort on Dec. 26, 2008 when the race was taken off the turf and moved to the main track.

He has won four of his last five races and finished a solid second in the other. All were Grade I events, but all were on the grass and at different distances ranging from 1m to 1 3/8m.

“The distance and the synthetic here at Santa Anita were why we chose the Classic instead of the Turf,” Lorieul said. “He’s won here before and the mile-and-a-quarter is probably his best distance of all.”

Clement is scheduled to arrive from New York Thursday to supervise final preparations.

Girolamo – The 3yo son of A.P. Indy headed out with the second set of Godolphin Stables’ U.S.-trained Breeders’ Cup starters at 5:50 a.m. on Wednesday, galloping around the Santa Anita track ahead of the Classic.

Winner of the Jerome Handicap last out on Oct. 9 at Belmont, Girolamo stretches out to the 1 1/4m distance of the Classic for the first time in his six-race career, and will also be making his first start on a synthetic surface. He comes off a trio of victories in New York, two at one mile and another at 7f, and breaks from post nine in a field of 13.

“He’s coming out of those one-turn races where he’s stalked 45 and change; he’s not usually quick coming out of the gate,” said Rick Mettee, United States assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

“In a big field like that you don’t know if they’re standing in the gate longer how they’re going to break out of there, but once he does get out I expect him to be forwardly-placed.

He’s been stalking in all of his races, albeit at a shorter distance. Since he’s going from a mile to a mile and a quarter, that last quarter you’re going to be holding your breath.”

Mine That Bird – This year’s Kentucky Derby winner back-tracked to the ¾-pole and then proceeded to gallop 1½ m on Wednesday under the watchful eye of trainer Chip Woolley and co-owner Mark Allen.

“He went good and looked good,” said Woolley. “I’m really excited. I guess for sentimental reasons, I would have liked the eight hole like we had in the Derby, but the one is perfect. The thing is this is the Classic and you’re running against the best 13 horses in the world. You could run the best race of your life and still be eighth.

“The thing about the Derby is that it’s the first time the horses are going a mile and a quarter and we had confidence because we knew our horse would love the distance. In the Classic, these are all seasoned racehorses that have gone the distance.”

Despite the fact that Mine That Bird has yet to run back to his Derby performance, Woolley feels he has the Birdstone gelding back in top form. He enters the Classic off a sixth-place finish in the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita on Oct. 10.

“When we had to miss the Travers, things started to go downhill. Waiting 10 weeks between races wasn’t good. But, the Goodwood did what it was designed to do and it set him up great for this race.”

Quality Road – The 3yo colt, who arrived on the grounds Tuesday, jogged a mile Wednesday morning in his first visit to Santa Anita’s track in preparation for his date in Saturday’s Classic.

The early favorite for the Kentucky Derby after winning the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in March before incurring an injury, Quality Road made his first start against older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 3 and was a solid second to Summer Bird.

“We feel like a mile and a quarter is not an issue,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who confirmed the Classic was always the target in his comeback that started with a victory in the 6 1/2f Amsterdam at Saratoga after a four-month layoff. “He’s certainly run races that have shown us he can go the distance.”

Quality Road’s last two starts have both come on “off” tracks, an issue Pletcher won’t have to deal with here. It will be his first start on a synthetic track.

John Velazquez will be aboard the son of Elusive Quality, who was moved from trainer Jim Jerkens’ barn to Pletcher’s in April.

Regal Ransom – The 3yo Distorted Humor colt was on the track Wednesday morning with fellow Godolphin starters Gayego (Sprint) and Midshipman (Dirt Mile) at about 6:40 a.m., completing a gallop over the Santa Anita track en route to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The Super Derby winner drew post 11 in a field of 13 at the Breeders’ Cup draw on Tuesday.

“He’s a pretty handy horse around the gate and he usually breaks fairly sharp,” said Rick Mettee, United States assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “You would think in a race that doesn’t have a lot of speed on paper, he would be forwardly-placed if he breaks good.

“He’s in the 11 hole, but that’s a pretty good run; you’ve got from the head of that chute to the turn so naturally he should be able to get a good spot in there. If not on the lead then he might just sit off it; I don’t know what Quality Road will do and he’s drawn outside of us.”

Richard's Kid – The 3yo son of Lemon Drop Kid galloped the Santa Anita oval Wednesday morning following his final tune-up on Monday for the Classic. He went 4f for trainer Bob Baffert in 47 2/5 in that move in company with stablemate Limestone Edge.

Richard’s Kid is coming off a solid third-place finish in the Oct. 10 Goodwood Stakes here under jockey Alex Solis, who retains the mount in the Classic.

Baffert, watching his runners work from the Santa Anita apron, said he expects the 24-1 Pacific Classic upset winner to come running at the end of Saturday’s 1 ¼m test.

“If he’s in the lead I’ll head back to my car,” Baffert dead-panned. “He’s a horse that falls back and lays off the pace. When he gets a run in he’s got about a good two-and-a-half furlong move, so pace is going to be a factor.

“He’s a small horse so hopefully they don’t jostle him around too much. He’s gotta really step it up in this company. And you know with those European horses, they’re the X-factor, they came in here last year and humiliated everybody and they’re good horses this year too.”

Rip Van Winkle – Trainer Aidan O’Brien said some questions he had about the 3yo colt vanished after Rip Van Winkle went to the track Wednesday morning. He said the son of Galileo showed him he is ready for the Classic.

“It’s his movement and his enthusiasm,” O’Brien said. “The way he was when he came over, he was a bit quiet and maybe a little bit lethargic after the long journey. So it worries you. But the moment he stepped out here it all came rushing back. That’s what makes him different.

“Whatever kind of a mind he has everything else just goes away. He must get a massive rush of adrenaline and then he has the movement to go with it. It’s very unusual.”

Rip Van Winkle has not competed since winning the 1m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at a Ascot on Sept. 26, where he edged Zacinto and Delagator, both of whom are entered in the Mile. The colt has had some foot problems in the interim and O’Brien didn’t like the way he looked after the flight from Europe. But his opinion changed once the colt left the quarantine area went to the track.

“This morning going around the track I was very happy,” O’Brien said. “You get that feeling. He won’t do much the next few days and you won’t really know until you run. Listen, I was really happy with him and I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen.

O’Brien said Rip Van Winkle is completely recovered from problems with his right rear foot.

Summer Bird – The 3yo son of Birdstone blew along through a 2-minute clip at Santa Anita Wednesday morning, breaking off from the quarter pole to the wire in his traditional pre-race training pattern under exercise rider Leo Atempa.

Trainer Tim Ice said he’ll jog Thursday and gallop Friday en route to a start in Saturday’s Classic.

“I’m very happy with how he’s going,” said Ice. “As far as strategy goes, we’ll see how he breaks; hopefully he’ll break how he has in his previous races and be up close. It looks like the other speed is on the outside so I figure (jockey Kent Desormeaux) can get him ducked down there on the rail and maybe start moving his way out to make sure he’s got room down the backside when he asks him to run.”

Summer Bird breaks from post position 3, inside the unbeaten Zenyatta who drew post 4.

“I like our post, I think it’s a good post,” Ice said. “I think it’s great for racing that Zenyatta is in there, but I’m not scared of her. The way I look at it, there’s 12 horses in there that I have to beat. But it’s great for racing that she’s in there.”

According to Ice, Summer Bird heads into the Classic in fine form. He’s been subjected to weekly weigh-ins at trainer Patrick Biancone’s barn (where he is stabled for the Classic) and last Monday he tipped the scales at 1,150 pounds.

“We weighed him the Tuesday after he got here and he was 1,120 pounds,” said Ice. “We weighed him the following Tuesday he had gained 10 pounds, up to 1,130. Then Sunday we worked him in the afternoon between races and the Tuesday after that we weighed him and he was down to 1,119; we gave him Lasix for that work and he drew up a little bit, but they’re going to do that with Lasix. But when we weighed him again this past Monday, he had gained 31 pounds in a week. That’s a horse that’s doing good.”

Summer Bird also received a visit from retired Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day on Wednesday. Day stopped by the barn to drop off a halter for the White Horse Heroes Award Luncheon to be held at Santa Anita on Thursday. Classic contenders wear the halters, which are then auctioned off at the auction honoring horse racing’s unsung heroes. The funds go to the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.

Twice Over – Veteran trainer Henry Cecil watched the 4yo colt make his first visit to the track early Wednesday morning. Twice Over, a Juddmonte Farms homebred, enters the Classic off a half-length victory in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 17 that is the biggest victory of his 15-race career.

Cecil said the Classic was not a target for Twice Over prior to the Champion.

“In the back of my mind I always hoped that he was up to doing that, but having won the Champion Stakes and come back in very good form, I think he’s entitled to take his chance,” Cecil said. “Take a look at the betting. If he’s fourth or fifth favorite, he’s entitled to run, isn’t he? There’s nothing to lose and hopefully everything to gain.”

Regular rider Thomas Queally will be up on Twice Over, who will be competing over a synthetic surface for the first time.

Zenyatta – The unbeaten champion mare was scheduled to arrive in Barn 66 late Wednesday morning after being vanned across town from her training base at Hollywood Park, where she galloped on the main track under regular exercise rider Steve Willard.

In addition to facing males for the first time in her career, Zenyatta will run 1 1/4 m for the first time, a furlong longer than she has ever tried. The added distance should not be a deterrent, according to trainer John Shirreffs.

“A Street Cry won the Melbourne Cup at two miles,” said Shirreffs in reference to the sire of Zenyatta. Shocking, a 4yo son of Street Cry, won the Melbourne Cup, Australia's biggest race, on Tuesday.

Zenyatta, unbeaten in 13 starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, will leave from post four in a field of 13 under regular rider Mike Smith.

Zenyatta, a 5yo mare, seeks to punctuate her career by becoming the first female to win the Classic. Three others have tried – Jolypha was the closest, finishing third as a 3yo in 1992. Horse of the Year Azeri finished fifth as a 6yo in 2004, and Triptych was sixth as a 4yo in 1986.

Breeders' Cup Post Position Comments

Breeders’ Cup Classic Post Position Draw Quotes

Jerry Moss (owner, Zenyatta, Classic, post 4): “I think she deserves the favoritism [morning-line favorite at 5-2]. She’s a super athlete.”

As to how the decision was made to run in the Classic rather than the Ladies’ Classic: “We all watched everything she did over time, watching works and studying her races. Then we got together Sunday night and said if there is the slightest doubt, we would not run in the Classic. Everybody said she was ready.

“So now I think everybody is in for a treat come Saturday. I love racing and I wish more people felt the same way. I hope maybe this will get more people interested in the game.”

John Shirreffs (Zenyatta, Classic, post 4) – “We’re fine with her post. The way she runs, we didn’t have any strong feeling about a post. He (rider Mike Smith) can put her where he wants her. She’ll be fine.”

[Zenyatta will be the fourth filly to run in the Classic, joining Azeri (finished 5^th in 2004), Jolypha (3^rd in 1992), and Triptych (6^th in 1986)]

Chip Woolley (Mine That Bird, Classic, post 1) - “We’re going to be near the back, so we might as well save ground. It’s good. I’m glad because he won’t have to do a lot of work from there. He was towards the outside in the Goodwood and (jockey) Calvin (Borel) had to work to get back inside. I want him covered up and it will be easy to do from there. It’s the perfect spot. I just told HRTV that I’d be happy to draw the one, two, or three-hole.”

Eoin Harty (Colonel John, Classic, post 2) - “We didn’t want to be stuck right down on the fence, and we didn’t want to be stuck way on the outside either. It is what it is. We’ve got a good long run into the first turn and let’s hope for a clean trip. All the real speed is on the outside so hopefully they can run away and we can come in behind them."

Tim Ice (Summer Bird, Classic, Post 3) – “I like our draw. We’re inside next to Zenyatta in the gate. I just hope she doesn’t intimidate us, as big as she is.”

Bob Baffert (Richard’s Kid, Classic, post 6) – “That’s a good post. I finally got a good post. And it’s for the biggest purse. So that’s a good thing.”

Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Christophe Clement (Gio Ponti, Classic, post 7) - “It’s actually quite a good draw. I haven’t had a chance to look at the PPs yet because Gio Ponti just got here (after his flight from New York), but there is some speed on the inside of us. Hopefully, we’ll get a good trip.”

Helen Pitts-Blasi (Einstein, Classic, post 8) – “I’m happy with it. That’s a real good spot for him. Julien (Leparoux) will be able to pick his spot. He (Einstein) is doing well. We know he loves this track and we know he’ll run his race. He always does, and that’s what counts.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Girolamo, Classic, post 9) – “That’s about right for him, the nine-hole. He should be in a good spot coming out of there.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Regal Ransom, Classic, post 11) – “Of the nine in the U.S. training he’s probably the one that got the worst of all draws, drawing 11 in that field, but there’s not a lot of pace in there and at least it’s a long run to the turn. He’s usually a pretty good horse accelerating out of the gate and hopefully he won’t be compromised too much, but we were looking for five, six, or seven like everybody in there. You can’t have every horse draw a good draw and hopefully it doesn’t hamper him too much.”

Mike McCarthy, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher (Quality Road, Classic, post 12) – “It’s obviously probably not ideal, but he should be able to get a clean trip. He’s got tactical speed.”

Craig Dollase (Awesome Gem, Classic, post 13) – “The post is not the greatest, but we’ll work with it. He’s in the body of the race and that’s important. We just need to keep him out of trouble and get a good trip. He’s been training really well and we’re ready to go.”

Other Breeders’ Cup Draw Quotes

Angel Penna, Jr. (Diamondrella, Turf Sprint, post 9) - “I just landed at the airport and haven’t seen the field. But since there are 14 horses, that’s a good post. As far as being made the (4-1) favorite, that always adds a little extra pressure. But she’s a good filly.”

Bill Mott (Courageous Cat, Mile, post 6) – “That’s okay. He can’t be more than six-wide around the first turn if he’s in the six-hole. Being 20-1, I was a little surprised.”

Bill Mott (Dynaforce, Filly & Mare Turf, post 7) – “No problem there. I think she could wind up on the lead in here, so that’s not a bad thing. She’s usually pretty close to the front.”

Bill Mott (Mr. Sidney, Dirt Mile, post 8) – “Good post for him in the middle; slightly outside. I think it’s a great post for him. He should get a fairly clean trip from there.”

Bill Mott (Mushka, Ladies’ Classic, post 3) – “That’s good for her, good for me. I don’t see any big issue with it in a two-turn race. I was happy with all my post positions.”

Bob Baffert (Always a Princess, Juvenile Fillies, post 11) – “She’s hung way out there, but these things are the luck of the draw and it’s not disastrous.”

Bob Baffert (Lookin At Lucky, Juvenile, post 11) – “‘Lucky’ is a good horse. I really wasn’t sure where I wanted him, but he is very manageable so it shouldn’t be a problem, and there’s nothing I can do about it anyway.”

Bob Baffert (Zensational, Sprint, post 1) – “Of course I don’t like it, you never like the one hole especially with speed horses, but they all have to break. I was hoping to get the outside and we’re stuck in the one hole, but all the real speed is inside.”

Chad Brown (Maram, Filly & Mare Turf, post 8; Silver Timber, Turf Sprint, post 2) –“I was looking to be more inside for Maram and more outside for the colt. It was kind of the reverse that I wanted, but what are you going to do? The outside probably won’t be a big deal in a long race. She’ll probably be able to drop in. With Silver Timber I was hoping to be outside, so I’m not happy with that.”

Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Christophe Clement (Rutherienne, Filly & Mare Turf, post 3) - “That is a good draw because Forever Together is inside of us. We’ll need to save ground, but it’s good because she has tactical speed.”

Graham Motion (Bullsbay, Dirt Mile, post 4; Smart Seattle, Juvenile Fillies Turf, post 3; Zilva, Juvenile Fillies, post 1) – “I couldn’t be happier with the draw from all of my horses. I would like being inside going a mile and a mile-and-a-sixteenth. Last year, I drew outside, and I think it compromises horses being outside. In the Breeders’ Cup, you need as much going for you as you can have. (Jockey) Jeremy (Rose) likes to be inside, so I’m sure he’s happy.

“I’m a little bit surprised (by Bullsbay’s 3-1 morning-line odds). I don’t think he’ll be that short in the betting. I think mainly because of the surface. I think some people will question it.”

Ian Wilkes (Capt. Candyman Can, Sprint, post 8) – “Any post would have been fine. Zensational has natural speed, and from the rail, he has to go. Fatal Bullet should be right out there with him. The faster they go, the better for us.”

John Sadler (Cost of Freedom, Sprint, post 2) – “I like being outside of Zensational (race favorite drawn in No. 1). It will give us a chance to press him.”

John Sadler (Evita Argentina, Filly & Mare Sprint, post 6) – “All in all, it’s a mixed bag. I’m happy with some – not so much so with others. Evita Argentina’s spot is a good one. Going seven-eighths that post (No. 6) works just fine.”

John Sadler (Noble Court and Get Funky, Turf Sprint, post 1 and post 5) – “Get Funky and Noble Court are in tough spots, especially Noble Court. You know that race features the only right-handed turn in America and you want to be outside. But we’re inside, so we’re just going to do the best we can with it. That’s all we can do."

John Sadler (Whatsthescript, Mile, post 2) – “His draw is excellent. You’ll remember he was drawn all the way outside last year (when he finished third). With that kind of draw you all but ensure yourself that you’re going to have to go wide. But the draw this time will be much, much better. I like this one a lot.”

Josie Carroll (Careless Jewel, Ladies’ Classic, post 1) - “You’re never crazy about the one-hole, but she won out of there in her last race (the Fitz-Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park on Oct. 3) and did so in such impressive fashion. As for being the (2-1) favorite, I don’t know what to say. It’s going to be a very tough race.”

Ken McPeek (Noble’s Promise, Juvenile, post 4; Bridgetown, Juvenile Turf, post 7; House of Grace, Juvenile Fillies Turf, post 7; Beautician, Juvenile Fillies, post 4, and Connie and Michael, Juvenile Fillies, post 6) - “They all drew well. I’m happy. I think 8-to-1 is the longest odds we had. We had two 4-to-1s, a 6-to-1, and another 8-to-1, so we’re getting respect. That’s good. This is the best bunch of fillies we’ve brought here. I’m pretty confident in that, and the colts are nice too. They’re all doing really well.”

Patrick Biancone (Pulsion, Juvenile, post 6) - “If I had to choose, I would take that. I would have liked to have number seven, but I’ll take that.”

Patrick Biancone (Zip Quik, Juvenile Turf, post 1) - “I would have picked the one for Zip Quik.”

Reade Baker (Fatal Bullet, Sprint, post 3) - “I’m happy. Zensational is on the inside of us and that’s just what we wanted.”

Reade Baker (Biofuel, Juvenile Fillies, post 12) - “I’m happy with both of my posts (Fatal Bullet drew three in the Sprint). She comes from behind and is going to fall back, so being on the outside, nobody can squeeze us down in there on the inside.”

Richard Mandella (Lord Shanakill, Turf Sprint, post 4; Crown of Thorns, Sprint, post 4) – “Heck, I’m just happy to be here. I like both of my draws. The four works fine for me. It ought to work fine for my horses, too. Now we’ll see if we can go out there and do some good.”

Rick Dutrow, Jr. (Court Vision, Mile, post 1) – “All we want to is to save ground, pull a good trip and come with a good run. I love the rail for him. I’m very excited, babe.”

Rick Dutrow, Jr. (D’ Funnybone, Juvenile, post 5) - “I’m very happy with our draw for D’ Funnybone. (Edgar) Prado knows the horse very, very well. Like I keep saying, if he likes that track they’re going to be in trouble because the light has gone on with this horse since the Futurity.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Cocoa Beach and Music Note, Ladies’ Classic, post 6 and post 7) – “In this race, in an eight horse field, drawing six and seven, Careless Jewel is obviously going to be the speed from the inside and both fillies should pull the trips they need to from those posts. I don’t think they’re real significant one way or another.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Gayego, Sprint, post 5) – “This was a really good draw for him. All the speed drawing one, two, and three; he should be in the right spot with Garrett (Gomez). No complaints there.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Midshipman, Dirt Mile, post 3) – “That’s a good draw, the three-hole with the quick run to the turn. He should be forwardly placed there so we’re happy with that draw.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Pyro, Dirt Mile, post 7) – “Seven out of 10 is probably about right with him, he’s been running in one-turn races going to a two-turn race; he should pull the right trip. The whole question with him is whether he can handle the surface, but the post is a good post, I think, for him.

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Sara Louise, Filly & Mare Sprint, post 2) – “You probably would have liked four or five, to have her outside a little bit more, but there’s not a lot of pace in this race so she should pull a pretty good trip. Maybe it won’t hamper her that much.”

Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor (Seventh Street, Filly & Mare Sprint, post 8) – “Coming out of a two-turn race and shortening back up to a one-turn race, that shouldn’t be real significant, that’s a good draw for her. Of all the nine draws we have to be happy, you can’t expect to get all perfect draws for all nine horses.”

Rick Sacco, brother of trainer Gregg Sacco (Piscitelli, Juvenile, post 2) “That’s fine. We can save ground going into the first turn and then see how the race sets up. The post position is fine.”

Steve Hobby (Telling, Turf, post 1) – “Presious Passion will go, so it should be a strung out field. It’s not a big field, and there’s a lot of running to do over this distance (1 ½ miles). Any ground we can save is in our favor.”

Wayne Catalano (She Be Wild, Juvenile Fillies, post 8) – “We’re on the outside looking in, so we should be able to sit wherever we want. My wife just reminded me that Crypto Star was number eight when he won the (1996) Louisiana Derby. A number is just a number.”