Breeders’ Cup 2017: Finding this year's breakthrough trainers

They make it look so easy to win at the Breeders’ Cup -- big name trainers like D. Wayne Lukas with his 20 wins, Bob Baffert and his 14, Aidan O’Brien with 11, Bill Mott’s 10, while Todd Pletcher and Shug McGaughey have both won nine. The truth is that it's not quite that simple.

Lots of horses and lots of success around the world don't always translate to Breeders’ Cup victories. Kenny McPeek, John Sadler, and Christophe Clement, for example, have had no luck finding the winner’s circle at the championships. Combined, they have been shut out in 99 tries.

Which big name trainer is in the best position to get his first Breeders’ Cup victory at Del Mar in 2017?

McPeek [28: 0-5-9] has a respectable 50% in the money percentage, but he has only one starter in this year’s Breeders’ Cup with Princess Warrior in the Juvenile Fillies. It's a wide-open race, but still, this doesn’t look like a good spot for McPeek.

This should be the year for Sadler [39: 0-3-7] to get his first big win with a very strong duo of runners in Stellar Wind (Distaff) and Accelerate (Dirt Mile). Stellar Wind will have to avoid the bad luck that has plagued her in the last two runnings of the Distaff. She will be a single on many people’s Pick 4 tickets on Friday. Sadler could even win two races that day because Accelerate ran a huge race at Del Mar in July, when he beat Arrogate in the San Diego Handicap.

Christophe Clement [32: 0-5-4] has two very talented turf sprinters in Disco Partner and Pure Sensation, but they would have to beat the speedy favorite, Lady Aurelia, to get Clement his first Breeders' Cup victory. He also has Best Performance in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Clement has had his share of close calls. Twice he was second with Gio Ponti, including in 2009, when he was run down by Zenyatta in the Classic. The following year he was beaten by the great Goldikova in the Mile.

Below is a list of other North American-based trainers who are looking for their first Breeders’ Cup wins. They are listed with their 2017 pre-entered horses. Among them is Simon Callaghan, who has a big chance to get a win with Moonshine Memories in the Juvenile Fillies.

Tom Albertrani [11: 0-3-3] Sadler’s Joy (T)

Rusty Arnold [8: 0-0-0] Romantic Vision (D)

Jeff Bonde [7: 0-1-2] Princess Karen (FMS)

Simon Callaghan [6: 0-0-1] Encumbered (JT), Moonshine Memories (JF), Bahamian (J)

Josie Carroll [2: 0-0-0] Ami’s Mesa (FMS)

Catherine Day Phillips [2: 0-0-0] Dixie Moon (JFT)

Mark Glatt [1: 0-0-0] Blackjackcat (M)

Robert Hess Jr. [2: 0-0-1] American Pastime (S), Tell Your Mama (JF)

Brian Lynch [2: 0-0-1] Heart to Heart (M), Oscar Performance (T)

Gary Mandella [7: 0-1-1] Birdie Gold (FMT)

Peter Miller [9: 0-1-1] Calculator (S), Roy H (S), Richard’s Boy (TS), Stormy Liberal (TS)

Ron Moquett [2: 0-0-1] Whitmore (S)

Jorge Navarro [2: 0-1-0] Sharp Azteca (DM)

Michelle Nevin [3: 0-0-1] By the Moon (FMS)

George Papaprodromou [2: 0-0-0] Win the Space (C)

Larry Rivelli [2: 0-0-0] The Tabulator (J)

Antonio Sano [1: 0-0-0] Gunnevera (C)

Jason Servis [3: 0-1-0] Firenze Fire (J)

Michael Stidham [7: 0-0-1] Zipessa (FMT), Moon Dash (FMT)

Rick Violette [6: 0-0-1] Diversity (C)

Tim Yakteen [1: 0-0-0] Big Score (M)

When handicapping the trainers in the Breeders’ Cup, the rookie conditioners should not be ignored, especially this year with the likes of Juvenile favorite Bolt d’Oro and Mind Your Biscuits, now trained by Chad Summers after a runner-up effort last year for Rob Falcone.

Happy Alter – Curlin’s Approval (FMS)

Luis Carvajal Jr. – Imperial Hint (S)

Tim Glyshaw – Bullards Alley (T), Bucchero (TS)

Mick Ruis – Bolt d’Oro (J)

Chad Summers – Mind Your Biscuits (S)

Jonathan Thomas – Catholic Boy (JT)

Rodrigo Ubillo – Highway Star (FMS)