Thursday Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic Notes

Careless Jewel – The 3yo filly, who has won her last five races by daylight, will return for another season of racing in 2010 no matter how she fares in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic Friday.

“We’ll run her next year. That’s the plan,” said owner Vern Dubinsky, who purchased the filly for $40,000 as a yearling. “After this race she’ll go to Waver Tree Farm in Ocala (Florida) for a nice break and then we’ll get her ready to run as a 4-year-old.”

Careless Jewel galloped 1m Friday morning under exercise rider Moises Guce and was to school in the paddock during the afternoon races. Trainer Josie Carroll plans to send the filly out for a jog around 6:30am on race day.

As for the race itself, it will be no surprise to see the Alabama winner setting the pace.

“She’s got a lot of natural speed so she’ll be on the lead or close to the lead,” Carroll said. “Music Note has early speed as well, and she’s capable of sitting close to her and will be there in the stretch. Rainbow View ran a big race at Woodbine in her last and will be running at us at the end.

“This is the Breeders’ Cup and they’ll all be running at us. This is a really good field and it will be a really good test.”

Cocoa Beach - The 2008 Ladies’ Classic runner-up walked the shedrow of Godolphin’s barn at Santa Anita Thursday morning, one day away from her second attempt at the Friday race for fillies and mares. She comes off a third-place finish in the Oct. 10 Lady’s Secret, an event won by the unbeaten Zenyatta.

“She’s a filly that improves all the time, she’s looking much better than before she ran in the Lady’s Secret,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor, who arrived from Dubai Wednesday afternoon and was onsite Thursday to watch his horses gallop. “Early in the season I wasn’t really happy with her, but she’s doing really good now and coming into it well.”

Cocoa Beach is a 5yo daughter of Doneraile Court who raced extensively in Chile before she was purchased by Godolphin and moved to Dubai for the early part of the 2008 racing season, then to the United States later in the year. She was the 2yo filly champion of Chile and won Horse of the Year honors there in 2008.

Lethal Heat – The 4yo filly took her final pre-race exam for Friday’s Ladies’ Classic on Thursday morning and passed with flying colors, according to trainer Barry Abrams.

“She galloped 1 1/2m, spent 20 minutes in the paddock to simulate race-day action without the crowd, and then stood in the gate for about five minutes,” Abrams said.

“I stood her in the small gate [near the head of the stretch] so she could look down the stretch from where they’ll start in the mile and an eighth race.”

As for race strategy, Abrams said, “I let the jockey decide. He knows the horse and he’s ridden her many times. If I make any plan, and it doesn’t work when they come out of the gate, then it messes everything up.”

Co-owner Madeline Auerbach is looking at the race from a perspective beyond that of simply an owner. She is also co-breeder, as well as co-owner, of Lethal Heat’s sire, Unusual Heat, who is heading toward his second straight year as California’s top stallion. Auerbach can’t help but think of what siring a Breeders’ Cup champion would mean to the stallion.

“I think it would give him the recognition that he deserves,” she said. “I think he’s every bit as good as any of the stallions in Kentucky. If he had been able to start out with the same high-end mares, he would be in their class.”

Even so, Auerbach doesn’t expect Kentucky breeders to come calling.

“He’s coming up on 20 years, so I don’t think they will be calling,” she said. “I don’t think I’d let him go [to Kentucky], anyway. In his past couple of books, some of the top California breeders have sent their A-list broodmares instead of the B-list.”

Unusual Heat’s progeny earned $5.8 million last year and have compiled $4.5 million so far this year.

Life Is Sweet – Owner-breeder Marty Wygod said Thursday that life should be sweeter for his 4yo filly without the daunting presence of Zenyatta in the Ladies’ Classic. Life Is Sweet has chased the unbeaten champion mare to the finish line in three of her last four races.

"It breaks my heart that Zenyatta is not in the race," Wygod said with a laugh.

"I have a good feeling about her," Wygod said. "I think she's back where she was earlier this year. She was tying up at Del Mar and I think you will see the Life Is Sweet you saw at Santa Anita last winter and spring (when she won three straight stakes, including the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Handicap).

"Of course, a lot depends on how the race unfolds," Wygod added. "We'll have to see whether anybody can put pressure on Careless Jewel (expected to show speed from the rail). But Life Is Sweet will be flying at the end."

Life Is Sweet is trained by John Shirreffs, who won the Ladies’ Classic last year with Zenyatta. Life Is Sweet galloped around the main track early Thursday morning with exercise rider Isabelle Bournez aboard.

Mushka – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott knows a little bit about what it takes to win the Ladies’ Classic, formerly known as the Distaff. Mott won back-to-back editions of the race with Ajina and Escena in 1997-98, and he believes Mushka, a daughter of Empire Maker, has a similar pre-race profile.

“I feel as good about her going in as I did about them,” said Mott, who has won five Cup races in his career. “Neither one of those fillies was what anybody thought would be an easy winner going in. They had to run their race and work for it; the same with Mushka.”

The Brushwood Stable filly didn’t get to run her race in the Spinster at Keeneland in her final Ladies’ Classic prep, but was awarded the victory when the stewards disqualified fellow Ladies’ Classic contender Proviso for coming out on Mushka.

“She had a huge effort in the Spinster,” Mott said. “It’s probably debatable whether she’d have won that race or not (without the interference), but it was still a very good race for her.”

Mushka went out early for a Thursday morning gallop and then stood in the starting gate after her exercise.

Music Note – The 4yo daughter of A.P. Indy walked the Godolphin shedrow at Santa Anita Thursday morning, her preparations completed for a start in the Ladies’ Classic. Last year she finished third behind stablemate Cocoa Beach in second and the unbeaten Zenyatta in the 1 1/8m race.

“She’s won two of three starts this year, and she’s much better now than she was any time in the year,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “She’s in very good form and I’m happy with her.”

Proviso – The 4yo filly galloped once around the main track Thursday with exercise rider Salvador Martinez.

Trainer Bobby Frankel will try to win the race for the second time in three years with the Juddmonte Farms homebred after prevailing with Ginger Punch in 2007.

Chief assistant Humberto Ascanio will deputize for Frankel, who has been running the stable by phone from his home for several months.

Juddmonte racing manager Garrett O'Rourke is also scheduled to be at the track.

Rainbow View – Augustin Stable’s 3yo homebred returned to her early-morning schedule Thursday, and at 6 a.m. she was the first of the European-based horses to visit the main track.

The Dynaformer filly has made all 11 of her career starts on grass, but she is entered in the Ladies’ Classic on the main track because Forever Together, also owned by Augustin Stable, is trying for a repeat victory in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Rainbow View was shipped to Santa Anita after her second-place finish in the E.P. Taylor on Oct. 17 at Woodbine. Trainer John Gosden said the filly seems to be flourishing in her new surroundings.

“Since coming to California she’s certainly eating and looking bigger and better,” he said.

Wednesday Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic Notes

Careless Jewel – Careless Jewel, the morning line 2-1 second choice for the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, galloped an easy mile Wednesday morning under regular exercise rider Moises Guce, according to trainer Josie Carroll.

“She’s doing really well,” Carroll said. “She’s done everything right so far. She seems to be steadily improving (from race to race) and I hope the trend continues on Friday.”

The filly has turned heads all year, winning five of six starts after finishing third in a maiden special weight race at Keeneland on April 5. Not only has she won five straight, but she’s dominated the competition, winning those last five by over 32 lengths. Her most impressive race of all was the Alabama, in which she drew away for an 11-length triumph despite being steadied sharply.

“The Alabama was an unbelievable thrill,” Carroll said. “Not only was her performance so impressive, but I have been a fan of horse racing since I was young and it made it very special to win a race of such historical significance and importance.”

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame includes many past Alabama winners. Carroll is very proud of the fact that the history books now include Careless Jewel among past Alabama winners like Shuvee, Franfreleuche, Life’s Magic, Open Mind, Silverbulletday, Sky Beauty, Go For Wand, and Mom’s Command.

“Look back at all of the names over all of the years. Now forever she’ll be among them,” Carroll said. “She didn’t just win the Alabama, she did it in such a dominating performance and it means a great deal to me.”

As for the list of names of past Alabama winners, Carroll is the only woman who has a victory in the race.

“It is a great honor, but I don’t even think about being the only woman,” Carroll said. “My gender never helped me or hurt me. I’ve faced the same challenges as any other trainer coming up through the ranks. It’s nice to be the only woman, but what is really nice is to have a horse like this one. To have one like her is what I have dreamed about.”

Cocoa Beach - The 2008 runner-up in the Ladies’ Classic headed out with the first set of Godolphin contenders Wednesday morning, taking to the Santa Anita main track at 5:10 a.m. along with fellow Ladies’ Classic contender Music Note and Filly & Mare Sprint runner Seventh Street.

“Careless Jewel looks like she’s going to be loose on the lead; our two fillies have drawn six and seven,” Rick Mettee, United States assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said. “(Jockey) Richard (Migliore) got a feel for Cocoa Beach when she finished third the other day (in the Oct. 10 Lady’s Secret), and I think he learned a lot about her. We think she’s gone forward off the race and has come back with some good works here, so we’re expecting a little better race from her.”

Cocoa Beach has just one victory to her credit in 2009 – a score on turf in the De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 5. The 5yo daughter of Doneraile Court finished second to Zenyatta in the 2008 edition of the Ladies’ Classic; stablemate Music Note was third.

Lethal Heat – Trainer Barry Abrams sent out his Ladies’ Classic prospect to gallop 1 1/2m after a walk in the Santa Anita paddock as she continued her preparation for Friday’s premier race.

The trainer had little quarrel with the 20-1 morning line on his 4yo daughter of Unusual Heat, but was quick to say that he believes his super-consistent filly will be even-money to be in most bettors’ exotic wagers.

Lethal Heat has been no worse than fourth in her last 10 races, dating back to a sixth-place finish in Hollywood Park’s Flawlessly Stakes July 4, 2008. In only one of those 10 starts did the filly finish worse than third. She’s been second in her last three starts.

Life Is Sweet – Asked if Life Is Sweet would miss stablemate Zenyatta in the Ladies’ Classic, trainer John Shirreffs just smiled and did not say a word.

Since winning three straight stakes at Santa Anita last winter, including the Santa Margarita Handicap, Life Is Sweet has lost four straight starts, three in races won by Zenyatta and a third-place finish behind males in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Life Is Sweet galloped once around the main track at Santa Anita Wednesday under exercise rider Isabelle Bournez after being shipped from her training base at Hollywood Park on Tuesday.

A full-sister to 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Eclipse Award winner Sweet Catomine, Life Is Sweet is a homebred owned by Pam and Marty Wygod.

Mushka – Brushwood Stable’s Mushka went out for a leisurely gallop with exercise rider Leanna Willford Wednesday morning in preparation for her fourth stakes start since Aug. 1 in Friday’s Ladies’ Classic. The 4yo filly won two of those races, including the Spinster on the Polytrack at Keeneland in her most recent outing.

“She’s 2-for-2 on the synthetics (won an allowance at Keeneland in April), so that’s encouraging,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who won this race with Ajina (1997) and Escena (1998) when it was known as the Distaff. “She’s also 3-for-4 at the distance (1 1/8 m).”

A $1.6 million purchase at the Saratoga Sale of 2006, Mushka has won 6-of-16 starts, 10 of which came on grass. She took the Glens Falls Handicap on the Saratoga Inner Turf Course before winning the Spinster via disqualification.

Music Note – The 4yo A.P. Indy filly took to the Santa Anita main track before sunrise at 5:10 a.m. on Wednesday morning. As is usual with Godolphin Breeders’ Cup runners, Music Note will shedrow Thursday before making her start Friday.

Last year Music Note ran third behind Zenyatta and Cocoa Beach in the Ladies’ Classic. This year she comes into the race off a pair of New York victories in the Beldame at Belmont Park and the Ballerina at Saratoga.

“She can lay anywhere. She stalked the Ballerina going seven-eighths in the mud, so she doesn’t have to get that far back in the race,” Rick Mettee, U.S. assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor said. “I’d like to think both her and Cocoa Beach are coming up to the race in good shape.”

Music Note’s final prep for the Ladies’ Classic was an Oct. 29 move through 5f in 59 2/5, third of 35 timed works at the distance. Rajiv Maragh, aboard for her last two victories, gets the mount.

Proviso – The 4yo filly Proviso got her first look at Santa Anita Park Wednesday, galloping 1 1/4m under exercise rider Salvador Martinez after being shipped from Hollywood Park on Tuesday.

"She has adapted well," said Ruben Loza, an assistant to trainer Bobby Frankel. The Juddmonte Farms homebred joined the Frankel stable in California after her United States debut in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 10. She finished first but was disqualified to second for interference in the stretch.

Proviso, who was trained in France by Andre Fabre in her first 15 starts, will break from post five under John Velazquez.

Rainbow View – Proven as a top-level performer on grass in Europe, the 3yo filly Rainbow View will run in the Ladies’ Classic because Forever Together, also bred and owned by George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable, will try for a repeat victory in the Filly & Mare Turf.

All 11 of Rainbow View’s career starts have been made on turf.

“I think Mr. Strawbridge is right,” trainer John Gosden said. “Rather than run them together, he’d rather run in two races. And she’s training well. She likes this main track. She worked in 1:00 4/5. I’m happy with it. I’m pleased with the way she moved on the track.”

Rainbow View, a daughter of Dynaformer, finished second as the favorite in the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine on Oct. 17 and was shipped directly from Toronto to Santa Anita. The E.P. Taylor was her seventh start of the season.

“She’s raced quite a bit,” Gosden said. “She’s a tough little character. I think to that extent she’s handled it very well. She’s come down fine from Woodbine. I think she’s a filly that the more you challenge her, the more she likes it.”

Julien Leparoux, who rode Rainbow View at Woodbine, will be up again on Friday.