HorseRacing Central September 26, 2008

BREEDERS’ CUP HERE WE COME …

The 2008 Breeders’ Cup is just four weeks away with Santa Anita prepared to showcase the dazzling two-day event that starts Friday, Oct. 24. This will be the first year that the horses will be running over a synthetic surface.

There are 18 significant Breeders’ Cup prep races this weekend split among Belmont, Turfway and Santa Anita and local racing fans will be able catch them all via simulcast. Talk about a Super Weekend! It’s the fans’ opportunity to watch the final prep races and get a final look at the contenders prior to Breeders’ Cup Day.

BELMONT PARK

Five Grade 1 stakes are part of an 11-race program on Saturday with the headliner being Curlin in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup that will go at 2:52 p.m. With a victory, Curlin will top the $10 million mark in career earnings to surpass the amazing record of $9,999,815 held by Cigar for almost 15 years. Should Curlin win at Belmont, he next race will be the Breeders’ Cup Classic and a long-awaited showdown with Big Brown.

Four other key Grade 1 stakes at Belmont on Saturday include the $600,000 Beldame (1:40 p.m.) with the champion mare Ginger Punch listed as the heavy favourite; the $600,000 Flower Bowl (1:13 p.m.) featuring Mauralakana, winner of five of six this year; the $400,000 Vosburgh (1:46 p.m.) and the $600,000 Turf Classic (2:19 p.m.) with Grand Couturier the early favourite.

The action continues Sunday with four more stakes: the $75,000 Home of the Free for turf sprinters and the “Win and You’re In” juvenile turf races: the $150,000 Miss Grillo for fillies; the $150,000 Pilgrim for colts and geldings; and the $250,000 Kelso for the best turf milers.

TURFWAY PARK

A considerable amount of horsemen have opted to go with poly-track prep races for the Breeders’ Cup instead of conventional dirt races and Turfway provides that option with five big Saturday stakes.

They are, in order of starting times, the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies (12:48 p.m.); the Grade 111 $100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint (1:21 p.m.) with Fatal Bullet from Bear Stables entered; the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies (1:55 p.m.); the $100,000 Distaff (2:29 p.m.) with Bear Now as one of the top choices; and the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic ((3:02 p.m.).

SANTA ANITA

The busiest track of them all this weekend will be Oak Tree at Santa Anita with six Grade 1 stakes on the agenda. It starts with the $250,000 Clement Hirsch (2:00 p.m.) featuring Out Of Control and Spring House. Undefeated Zenyatta (seven-for-seven) gets her toughest test challenging Jerry Hollendorfer’s Hysterical Lady in the $250,000 Lady’s Secret (2:30 p.m.). The sprinters follow in the $250,000 Ancient Title (3:00 p.m.) with synthetic track specialist Street Boss as the probable favourite. Two-year-old fillies are up next in the $250,000 Oak Leaf (4:00 p.m.) with recent winners Vacare, Black Mamba and Wait A While all likey to take a lot of support. The $400,000 Yellow Ribbon (4:30 p.m.) goes just before the final big stakes on the program: the $500,000 Goodwood (5:00 p.m.) with headliners Well Armed, Mast Track and Surf Cat.

Sunday at Oak Tree the Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds offers a purse of $250,000 and also on the card is the $200,000 Oak Mile.

HALL OF FAME SIGHTING

It’s always an adventure swinging through Jerome’s at Hastings because you never really know who might be on the premises chatting it up with the patrons. I had the pleasure of running into Hall of Fame rider Pat Day who was in town for a visit with our pal Bryant McAfee, chairman of the Winners’ Foundation and secretary-treasurer the HBPA. Day looks in super shape and says there’s a reason: “I have to ride on Oct. 18 at Santa Anita against the likes of Chris McCarron, Gary Stevens and Angel Cordero and I need my A-game to maintain bragging rights with one more victory.”

HASTINGS STILL BUZZING

With regular racing resuming at Hastings this weekend, there’s still a buzz in the air over Krazy Koffee’s stirring win in the $250,000 BC Derby. Trainer Cindy Krasner is indicating that Krazy Koffee’s will likely make his next start in the $100,000 Premiers on Oct. 12. True Metropolitan and Spaghetti Mouse are also being pointed to the Premiers.

The $125,000 Ballerina goes on Oct. 11 and BC Oaks winner Blue Sky Holiday as well as Delta Colleen winner Against the Sky are both expected to enter.

FRASER DOWNS A BUSY PLACE

Fraser Downs goes to a three-day week beginning Thursday, Oct. 2. For the month of October races start at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

An extra race has been logged for this Saturday as only four 3-year-old fillies will do battle in the $17,400 Arbutus Final. It goes before the first regularly-scheduled race on the card.

The B.C. Standardbred Breeders Society has its annual sale set for Sunday, Oct. 5 in the Cloverdale Agriplex at 1:00 p.m. A total of 68 horses are on the block. Who knows? You could be taking home a future stakes winner!