Just a couple of minor surprises were in store when pre-entries for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint were announced Wednesday at Santa Anita: Top Kisser is not in the lineup, and Thank You Marylou is.
After Top Kisser won the Grade 3 L.A. Woman at Santa Anita on Oct. 4, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said that owner-breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds intended to supplement the homebred mare for $100,000, but that did not happen.
Eight top-class Europeans, led by defending champion Dank, were among the 17 pre-entries announced Wednesday for the $2 Million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 1 – setting up an intriguing international matchup.
Although American horses are expected to have strength in numbers, with nine pre-entries, led by Stephanie’s Kitten, Dayatthespa, Parranda, and Emollient, the Europeans are the favorites.
They could run two Breeders’ Cup Miles this year.
A remarkable 25 horses were pre-entered in the $2 million Mile, a huge number owing in great part to the fact that one horse – two-time winner Wise Dan – is injured and will miss the race.
Barring late scratches, the Mile will go with a full field of 14 for the first time since 2006, when Miesque’s Approval scored an upset at Churchill Downs. Wise Dan beat nine rivals last year at Santa Anita and eight when he won the 2012 Mile.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Untapable is training so well it is scary. Good timing for Halloween, when she tries to win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.
Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable and multiple Grade 1 winner Close Hatches are the principals among 12 fillies and mares pre-entered in the Grade 1 Distaff, a 1 1/8-mile race that highlights the Oct. 31 card on Breeders’ Cup Friday.
The Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies attracted 15 pre-entries by the Monday deadline. On Wednesday, however, Cavorting was withdrawn from the race.
There isn’t anything seriously wrong with Cavorting. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin just isn’t completely pleased with how she is acting and thinks it best to freshen her for a 3-year-old campaign. Cavorting will be sent to the Ocala area farm of her owner, Stonestreet Stables.
Eight of the nine Saturday Breeders’ Cup races were oversubscribed, but none more so than the $1 million Turf Sprint, which drew a staggering 29 pre-entrants. That means there are actually more horses on the order of preference also-eligible list than the 14 who will be allowed to start in this unique event run on Santa Anita’s about-6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The presence of defending champion Secret Circle, multiple Grade 1 sprint winner Palace, and Hong Kong invader Rich Tapestry, who captured the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in his sparkling U.S. debut, did little to scare away the opposition, as 21 horses were pre-entered Monday for the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Although four of the 21 have given the race second preference, the somewhat unexpected and in many cases late interest in the event all but assures a full field of 14 will go postward in the six-furlong Sprint on Nov. 1.
Among them, trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas, and Todd Pletcher have combined to win a third of the first 30 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. So, it’s only apropos that trio has nearly a third of the 2-year-olds pre-entered for the $2 million Juvenile to be run Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
Baffert, Pletcher, and Lukas train five of the 17 horses pre-entered for the Juvenile, run at 1 1/16 miles. Baffert, Pletcher, and Lukas runners finished one-two-three in last year’s Juvenile with New Year’s Day, Havana, and Strong Mandate.
California, here they come. Despite one fewer race this year than last, and two fewer than two years ago, pre-entries for this year’s Breeders’ Cup are at an all-time high, with 201 individual horses being pre-entered in the 13 Breeders’ Cup races that will be held Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Santa Anita, the Breeders’ Cup announced Wednesday.
Headed by last year’s winner Goldencents, a dozen horses – the maximum number of starters allowed – were pre-entered Monday for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
While race order is subject to change, the eighth running of the Dirt Mile is slated as the second of four Breeders’ Cup races on Friday, Oct. 31. Post time is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Pacific.
