Guest Post: European Horses That Surprise in the Breeders' Cup

--Mark Cramer

   Over the history of the Breeders' Cup, foreign horses that were dominant in Europe have often fallen short of their expectations in the U.S. They were well-adapted to Euro racing, and American racing turned out to be different. For every Goldikova that succeeded, there are so many that disappointed at low odds.
   On the other hand, Euro horses that are not well-adapted to European racing often ship to the U.S. with less-than-stellar records and surprise, at a price. Last year, the example was the French-based filly  Flotilla (Mizzen Mast), who much preferred the slick Santa Anita surface over the heavy Euro courses she'd raced on and upended the Juvenile Fillies Turf at 11-1.
   The reasons for these turnabouts are not easy to figure. For example, why did Domedriver win of the 2002 BC mile following victories against lower levels of competition, in Group 2's and 3's? I put this question to Domedriver's rider Thierry Thulliez. Thulliez suspected that Domedriver's powerful turn of foot, his strong burst of speed, was best served over the shorter stretch drive at an American race track like Arlington.
   On the other hand, rider Ioritz Mendizabal told me that his Spirit One was able to win the Arlington Million in 2008 because his front-running or early-paced racing style was much better served over firmer American tracks, where his horse wouldn't have to "bear the brunt of the race".
   Christophe Lemaire assured me that in the case of his mount Flotilla that the filly simply preferred the firmer surface compared to the heavier ground in Europe.
   When Sir Michael Stoute's trainee Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB}) won the GI Beverly D S. this past summer, some players were surprised because Dank had only been successful in Europe in Group 2s and 3s, a profile similar to that of Domedriver.
   Dank comes back again for the Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf, possibly as the favorite. It must be said that second time in the U.S. for a shipper is often more difficult than the first time. In the same race, we find another underachieving Euro, Romantica (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Her only Group 1 win came in a suspect six-horse field at Deauville this past summer. However, the horse that finished third in that race behind Romantica, Dalkala (Giant’s Causeway) came back to win the prestigious G1 Prix de l'Opera for fillies and mares on Arc day, a race that Romantica ducked.
   So now we find Romantica at Santa Anita instead of in the Prix de l'Opera, and we can wonder if this filly can surpass a record that includes mainly Group 2 and Group 3 performances. Like Domedriver and Dank, she appears to be a cut below. But trainer Andre Fabre, no stranger to surprising Breeders’ Cup wins (such as Arcangues, Banks Hill and Shirocco), may have felt his filly would prefer the surface at Santa Anita over that of Longchamp.
   Romantica is by champion sire Galileo, but more interestingly, her dam is none other than Banks Hill, who won the 2001 version of this same race. Romantica was twice a beaten favorite on turf surfaces labeled "very soft" and may prefer the firm American surface that her mom loved at Belmont. She was also trounced in this year's Prix Vermeille. The surface was listed as "soft," but I was there that day and everyone in the press box was convinced it was indeed "very soft."
   Nothing is inevitable in racing. Romantica finds herself in a tough field of 10 that includes some rivals who have already won over the Santa Anita turf course, and then again, there is also Dank. Both Romantica and Dank fit the paradigm of Euro horses that move up when coming to America, and Romantica could be flying under the radar. 

Romantica                                                                                     Racing Post

Guest Post: Should More Breeds Be Added to the Cup?

--Carly Silver

   The name “Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships” indicates breed exclusivity--i.e.,

only Thoroughbred racehorses are allowed to participate in the two-day festival. In 2013, the Cup has decided to switch its parameters a bit, adding a race exclusively for Arabians, the Thoroughbred horse’s ancestral breed, on Friday, Nov. 1. Called the President of the UAE Cup, the contest is sponsored by the Emirates Equestrian Foundation.
   The past few years have seen the Breeders’ Cup expand beyond its traditional seven-race queue. More races have been added to cater to different divisions, like the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, the GII Marathon) and the GI Juvenile Turf. These are all well and good, but what does it mean for the Thoroughbred racing industry when its biggest day is no longer just for its horses?
   For bettors and horse fans alike, the expansion could be beneficial. Bettors probably don’t know how to handicap Arabian races, but they’d be up to a challenge that comes with a significant purse and likely financial rewards. As for those, like myself, who are general equine enthusiasts, the addition of another breed is welcome, since we’d get to see the majesty of another facet of the horse world in action. Arabian racing isn’t too popular in America or Europe, so I, as a fan of any type of horse, am eager to see how it is different from Thoroughbred dirt racing.
   Perhaps more significantly, what does the addition of an Arabian race mean for the Breeders’ Cup brand? Should there be other breeds’ races featured on the undercard, like harness racing, steeplechases, and Quarter Horse sprints? To add a whole barrage of other breeds during the dual-day celebration would devalue the integrity of the Breeders’ Cup. The two days of the Breeders’ Cup has, and should remain, focused on Thoroughbred racing.
   That doesn’t mean, however, that other breeds should be entirely excluded. The Breeders’ Cup used to just consist of one day, then it was expanded to two days of racing. Why not create a three-day festival that features all sorts of equine racing? Thursday could be devoted to multi-breed racing events, but Friday and Saturday would be reserved for the traditional Breeders’ Cup competitions.
   What about other horse sports, like dressage, show jumping, and eventing? Is the Breeders’ Cup the right repository for all equine sports? I don’t think so. As previously mentioned, even if the Cup expands beyond Thoroughbreds in terms of breeds, the emphasis should remain on racing. To diversify so much would confuse patrons and the general public. The other equine sports have their own venues and audiences.
   Indeed, many dressage fans might not take kindly to horse racing, and vice-versa; the respective sports have their own fans. That’s not to say cross-pollination of fans is impossible, but it’s a risk. If one were to add in show jumping or barrel racing, for example, the Breeders’ Cup would be an all-horse festival, which would bear little resemblance to the Cup’s original intent.
   Furthermore, to accommodate additional equine events would be beyond the scope of most Breeders’ Cup-sponsoring tracks. It’s hard enough for tracks (assuming the Cup continues to switch venues from year to year beyond Santa Anita and Churchill Downs) that have smaller audiences and facilities that must be expanded to accommodate incoming racehorses. How would such tracks, or even the larger ovals, create spaces appropriate for show jumpers or eventers? Such spaces are tailored to their individual sports and have specific requirements that a track would be unlikely able to provide. It’s one thing to say the infield could finally be purposed for something besides crowds, but it’s another to turn it into an eventing space full of troughs and hedges. The track would suffer further if guests weren’t allowed to congregate in the infield, thus depriving it of additional ticket revenue.
   I’d be happy to see more racing events accommodating all breeds on a day separate from the traditional Cup events. All the same, the Breeders’ Cup should remain exclusive to horse racing, regardless of the type of horse involved. In that way, the organization could bring in additional revenue and fans, while keeping true to its original mission.

Breeders' Cup Memories 1995-Present

by Alan Carasso

Though I have obviously seen the first 11 Breeders’ Cups on tape, my first real experience with Championship Day came in 1995 when I watched the events of the day on an absolutely abysmal day on Long Island unfold from the relative comfort of my suburban Chicago basement. I even had a few ‘locals’ to root for, as Golden Gear was in the Sprint and Mariah’s Storm faced the unenviable task of trying to run with Inside Information and Heavenly Prize in the Distaff. Neither horse did especially well, though the day ended in memorable fashion (more on that below). In any event, here are my top 10 Breeders’ Cup moments. Some generic, some gambling-related, all memorable.

10--Singletary wins the ‘04 Mile at Lone Star. Most of us have seen the piece TVG put together on the Little Red Feather group in the day or two leading up to the race. Each time I see the bunch hooting and hollering on that platform (which I think is going to collapse at any moment), I feel like I was part of them. Singletary, trained by the unassuming Don Chatlos, was a sneaky third when prepping in the Oak Tree Mile, but sat a tough trip and boxed on well enough for third. He was dismissed at 17-1 on the big day, made a ‘blitz’ for the lead (thanks, Tom D.) turning for home and held sway late. Should Antonius Pius have won? Hmm, maybe, but I’ll take it!

9--Falbrav/Mandella at Santa Anita in 2003. I became smitten with this Italian-based horse in early 2002, when he won a Group 1 at home going 10 furlongs in 1:57 and some change, then my good friend Steve DeCaspers and I lucked into the chance to bet him (thanks Peter K.) in that year’s Japan Cup and listened in the wee morning hours as he won by a nose (sorry for the wake-up call, Steve). The next year, all Falbrav did was win the G1 Prix d’Ispahan, G1 Coral-Eclipse, G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. He was gamely routed for the Turf and I was betting him, come hell or high water, even if that 12th furlong was a huge question mark. Sure enough, he was in front after a mile and three-eighths and still there after a mile and three-eighths and 217 yards, only to be gunned down by the dead-heating Johar and High Chaparral. The former gave Richard Mandella one of his four winners on the day, an amazing record that should stand the test of time.

8--My first Cup in person, Woodbine 1996. I didn’t really have plans to do so, but I was offered tickets to the one and only Breeders’ Cup to be held outside the borders of the United States in suburban Toronto. Aside from getting used to exactors and triactors, the day proved a fun one, with especially good performances from Jewel Princess and Lit de Justice. Of course, it ended with a stirring stretch duel in the Classic with Alphabet Soup, Louis Quatorze and a gallant Cigar slugging it out to the bitter end.

7--Anyone who knows me is aware that I am the world’s biggest Pollard’s Vision fan (even those Red Bankers who occupied workspace beneath ours know as well!). So, when a totally unheralded low five-figure chestnut filly from his first crop took her connections to the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, it was cause for celebration. Unfortunately, Blind Luck didn’t get the best trip that day, but the ride she took me and a few other Pollard devotees on remains unforgettable.

6--No Breeders’ Cup top 10 would be complete without the 2001 renewal at Belmont Park, which took place just a handful of weeks after the tragedy of that second Tuesday of September. Tiznow was looking to become the first back-to-back Classic winner, and though his season was not a straight-forward one, he came through. I can vividly recall that stretch drive--the massive Cal-bred’s one stride for every two taken by Sakhee, it seemed--followed by one of Durkin’s more memorable lines: "Tiznow wins it for America!" Really evokes a chill to this day.

5--Having spent my first 31-plus years in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, the 2002 Breeders’ Cup at Arlington, a stone’s throw from my childhood home, was always going to be special. It was a day of majestic performances from some of racing’s royalty (the Lewises, the Phippses, the Niarchoses) and some tragedy and was capped by a monster upset in the Classic. The thermometer may have read something like 43 that day--it felt much more like 33 out there on the apron--but to attend the Cup in my hometown was very special.

4--Buck’s Boy--1998. I was about two months into my new gig at the TDN, having just relocated from the Land of Lincoln, and lo and behold, here’s this blue-collar Illinois-bred who’s one of the favorites in the Turf. I spent plenty of afternoons watching ‘ Bucky,’ run in races like the Milwaukee Avenue H. (he lost to the great Polar Expedition) and the W.H. Bishop H., but here he was on racing’s biggest stage at one of its famed venues, Churchill Downs. He was a 7-2 chance that year and maybe it wasn’t one of the greatest renewals of the Turf ever staged, but he did his thing from the front and held sway to become (and he remains) the only horse bred in Illinois to win a Breeders’ Cup race.

3--2000 Sprint at Churchill. I remember sitting in the race book at Bally’s in Las Vegas in August 1998, when a son of Java Gold was looking to follow up on a 15-length maiden win in a Del Mar allowance. Kona Gold whipped them that day by seven and was third in that year’s Sprint before going one better at Gulfstream in 1999. He came into the 2000 Sprint with four wins from five outings that year and was a key horse for many, including me. But the real treat in the race for this gambler was a rangy and likeable chestnut named Bet On Sunshine, who loved it beneath the Twin Spires and rarely missed the top three. Bet On Sunshine was a ripe eight years of age when he lined up for the 2000 Sprint and the play was Kona on top and Bet On Sunshine to come with his patented late run and fill second or third. Well, sure enough, he was 12th after a rough start, but rallied past pacesetting Caller One into third at 20-1. To make things even nicer, Honest Lady, a 31-1 shot against the boys, flew home for second. The triple returned $2,076. I only had it for the penny, but that result still brings a smile to my face.

2--Cigar, 1995 Classic. More than any other horse, Cigar really captured my imagination and is really owed the credit for making me as big a fan of horse racing as I am. We all remember the passing of the baton when Holy Bull went wrong on the backstretch of the ‘95 Donn and a new star was born. The Paulson runner was campaigned ambitiously, with seven subsequent starts prior to the Cup at five different tracks from coast to coast. The underfoot conditions worried even trainer Bill Mott that dreary day as Cigar tried to complete a perfect 10-for-10 season, and the 5-year-old was a handful for Jerry Bailey before he cut him loose "with a dramatic rush" on the sweeping final turn. It was never in doubt from there for the "inconquerable, invincible, unbeatable" Cigar.

1--Street Sense, 2006 Juvenile. Street Cry really hadn’t established himself when this son of Bedazzle (by Dixieland Band) came around, and few in attendance for his maiden-breaker at Arlington Park that August would have believed that the Jim Tafel homebred would go on to super-stardom. For reasons somewhat difficult for me to articulate, I was a believer, and backed him when third in the Grade III Futurity at Arlington and when he covered all sorts of ground at Keeneland in the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity. Here and there, I’d field a call from Dan Pride at Darley, and he’ll tell you that I never failed to mention Street Sense and how I thought he’d go on to do something big when we conversed. It was almost inconceivable to me that he would be something in the vicinity of 15-1 for the Juvenile getting back on to a conventional dirt surface with a race flow he was certain to appreciate. Back near the tail as they sizzled up front, I watched as the athletic dark bay hugged the fence with this monster move. So fast was he traveling that even Trevor Denman failed to pick him up until he was six clear into the final furlong. I think most of the Northern Hemisphere--and especially those who had the great misfortune of trying to enjoy Breeders’ Cup 2006 in a near-empty Keeneland sales pavilion (oh my, the acoustics, right Lucas?)--knew that Street Sense had given me one of my greatest scores, and in a broader sense, victories, of all time.

Feel free to chime in with your Breeders’ Cup stories and recollections. We’re inside of 10 days to another helping of Championship weekend and a whole new set of memories to be made.

Horses and Hope: Retired Racehorse Training Project

"I am still under the impression that there is nothing alive quite so beautiful as a Thoroughbred horse."   -John Galsworthy

"The blood runs hot in the Thoroughbred and the courage runs deep.
In the best of them, pride is limitless. This is their heritage and
they carry it like a banner. What they have, they use." -C.W. Anderson

Horses and Hope 2014 calendar preview: JULY! 

The Retired Racehorse Training Project shows us that you don't have to be a rescue to make a big and positive difference in the horse world. The RRTP is working to connect the racing and riding horse worlds, and celebrate the Thoroughbred together, both by helping racing owners market their retired horses to suitable homes, and to riders, by helping them understand their versatile and athletic OTTBs. Shown above as "Mr. July" is Alluring Punch (Two Punch - Alluring Elixir, by Cute the Blues). The 4-year-old gelding was star of RRTP’s 100-Day Thoroughbred Challenge, and is well on his way to a second career in eventing. Online followers of the challenge voted him as the horse they would most want to own.

The RRTP's mission statement is "... to increase demand for retired Thoroughbred race horses as pleasure and sport horses through public events, clinics, training publications, videos and internet tools. Our mission is to facilitate the placement  of retired Thoroughbred racehorses in second careers by educating the public about the history, distinctive characteristics, versatility of use, and appropriate care and training of the iconic American Thoroughbred."

If you have not yet read RRTP President Steuart Pittman's most excellent "Expanding the Market for Ex-Racehorses," I highly recommend it. And when you visit the RRTP's website, be sure to add your own Thoroughbred's pedigree to the Bloodline Brag database, where people can learn more about relatives of their own horses who are succeeding as pleasure and show horses.

If you've followed my RRTP coverage in the TDN and on this blog, you've learned about the hugely-successful Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, held earlier this month at Pimlico, the 2012 Trainer Challenge,  and 2013's 100-Day Thoroughbred Challenge, held earlier in the year.

What's next for the RRTP? Today, they posted the following update on their Facebook page:

• Complete multi-media reports on 2013 TB Makeover and National Symposium
• Establish goals and format for 2014 TB Makeover and National Symposium
• Update Online Databases of Resources for owners, buyers, and sellers (go to retiredracehorsetraining.org to enter your business or group)
• Book Thoroughbred Makeover presence at major US horse expos (see us Nov. 1-3 at Virginia Equine Extravaganza)
• Review outside proposals for print and television production
• Review outside proposals for comprehensive marketing strategy to re-establish the Thoroughbred as America’s horse of choice
• Meet with Jockey Club, TOBA, and US Equestrian Federation to coordinate strategy
• Secure investments from individual and corporate partners to launch 2014 initiatives (go to our web site if you would like to support this work and click on How You Can Help under About Us)

Keep your eye out at the track, at horse expos, and at your local shows for more events from this exciting organization.

 Horses and Hope 2014 Calendar

The RRTP is one of the many organizations featured in my 2014 Horses and Hope calendar. With the help of Gina Keesling of HoofPrints, the 2012 and 2013 Horses and Hope calendars featured stories and photos of hundreds of horses. Thanks to the support of horse lovers everywhere, it raised thousands of dollars for One Horse At A Time, helping hundreds of horses in need directly, and untold others indirectly through increased public awareness. Now that we have two calendars' worth of experience to draw upon, the 2014 version promises to be even more exciting, even more creative, and as always, inspirational and positive.  

Please click here to reserve your copy now for late October/early November delivery 

- Sarah Andrew

Early Breeders' Cup Selections...

-Steve Sherack
  
We’re 18 days out from the Breeders’ Cup and Steve Sherack is already chomping at the bit to head to the windows. Here are some of his early selections for the two-day Championships at Santa Anita.

Classic: Flat Out
   Still going strong at the age of seven, the hard knocking Flat Out (Flatter) merits a very long look at a hefty price in the Classic. The bay’s third-place finish behind Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man in last year’s renewal is much better than it looks on paper--finished third, beaten seven lengths, with a very wide trip over a speed favoring Santa Anita surface. He may’ve bounced a bit (finished a well-beaten third as the 5-2 favorite) when attempting a remarkable GI Jockey Club Gold Cup three-peat following a tough second to loose-on-the-lead winner Alpha in the Saratoga slop off a layoff in the GI Woodward S. Aug. 31. Flat Out’s run some awfully fast races this term--116 Beyer in GIII Westchester win; 107 Beyer in GII Suburban H. tally; and a 109 Beyer when beaten a head in the aforementioned Woodward--and it’s hard not to be looking for someone to pick up the pieces in a race that figures to produce a wicked early pace. More than capable of getting his picture taken if he’s on his game. Note: the last three winners of the Classic--Fort Larned, Drosselmeyer & Blame--all entered off in-the-money finishes in the Gold Cup.

Distaff: Authenticity
   Well into her 6-year-old season, Padua Stable’s Authenticity (Quiet American) remarkably continues to still show signs of improvement. The bay arguably ran a better race in defeat than victorious champion Beholder did over a speed-favoring strip in the GI Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sept. 28, coming from the back, and making a strong middle-move into slow fractions as that one was allowed a very easy early lead. Authenticity has never been better (earned a career high 104 Beyer in the Zenyatta), and she should get a much more level playing field with a faster pace very likely in the Distaff. She should fall well under the radar here, especially if the streaking sophomore Princess of Sylmar decides to make the trip to California. Extra sixteenth of a mile can’t exactly hurt her chances, either.

Juvenile: Strong Mandate
   Willing to give the impressive GI Hopeful S. winner Strong Mandate (Tiznow) another shot if the price is right (there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be, right?) in the Juvenile following his puzzling seventh in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont Oct. 5. The well-bred son of millionaire Clear Mandate (Deputy Minister) just never seemed interested from the git-go that day, and reported home 10 1/4 lengths adrift the unbeaten Havana. Expect the handsome bay to be a lot closer to the pace in his two-turn bow at Santa Anita with a likely rider change. If stablemates Will Take Charge, Oxbow, and Skyring have taught us anything this season, it’s that the Lukas runners are quite capable of bouncing back with big performances following well-beaten defeats. 

Juvenile Fillies: She’s a Tiger
   The distance is an obvious major concern, but if Hall of Famer Gary Stevens can save enough in the tank for the stretch, the speedy She’s a Tiger (Tale of the Cat) has the talent to see this thing out. The long-striding 3/4-sister to classy sprinter Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger) ran her heart out in a narrow defeat when negotiating two turns for the first time in the GI Chandelier S. over this course Sept. 28, and she should certainly move forward with that experience under her belt if her best-of-50 five-furlong bullet in :57.80 at Santa Anita Oct. 13 is any indication.

F/M Sprint: Book Review
   Gary and Mary West colorbearer Book Review (Giant’s Causeway), a very impressive heroine of the GII A Gleam H. at Hollywood in July, was really struggling with the track in the early going of the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga Aug. 23, and she still came charging home to fall only a head short of Dance to Bristol. She’s done very little wrong in three prior tries at Santa Anita (3-1-2-0), including a narrow tally over Reneesgotzip and My Miss Aurelia in the 2012 GI La Brea S., and she figures to get plenty of pace to run into here. Produced by an unraced half-sister to GISW Irish Smoke, Book Review has been training up a storm for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert since returning home (six furlong bullet in 1:12.80 at SA Oct. 7), and has run some of her best races when fresh. Very hard to knock.

Retired Racehorse Training Project Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium: Day Two

If you saw the the Day One photos, you got an idea of the atmosphere of the Retired Racehorse Training Project's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium on October 5 and 6 at Pimlico. On Day Two, the showcase of talented trainers, innovative speakers, and beautiful, game, and classy horses continued.

Kids and Their Ex-Racehorses

Cyclone Larry, star of Secretariat

 The last time I saw fan favorite Stud Muffin was at Saratoga in 2008...

Look at him now!!!  Heather Carlson with Stud Muffin

Emily Kocubinski and Victory Money

The Cross Country Course: United States Eventing Association, with Erin Sylvester and Jessica Bortner-Harris

Allie Knowles with Lord Darby

Cathy Wieschoff with Armelda

Jennifer Selvig with Hopscotch Ali

The Hunter Ring

Jessica Morthole with Katzimo  

Rebecca Bowman with Dinaka

 The Hunt Field: Masters of Foxhounds Association
 David Loman with Daddy's Gabs
 Lara Knight with Rob's Rock
 Nikki Eggyed with Symphonic Cat
 Suzanne Wepplo with Bold Vindication

Nuno Santos and Ken's Kitten

By popular demand, and with apologies for my oversight in the Day One photo coverage, here is a photo of Prodigioso, the "Everglades horse," and Robin Hannah. You can read their incredible story in Susan Salk's Off Track Thoroughbreds blog.

 - Sarah Andrew