Shared Belief, California Chrome, and Tonalist headline Breeders' Cup

An all-star cast of the world’s best horses, including Kentucky Derby and Preakness hero California Chrome, undefeated Pacific Classic winner Shared Belief, Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup victor Tonalist, Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby winner Bayern, and defending European champions Magician (IRE) and Dank (GB) are prominent among a record 174 horses, including 10 also-eligibles, drawn for 2014 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, 33 of them travelling from overseas.

The 31st Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global event, consisting of 13 Grade I races with purses and awards totaling $26 million, will be held at Santa Anita Park for the third consecutive year on Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1. There will be four Breeders’ Cup races on Championship Friday and nine Breeders’ Cup races on Championship Saturday.

The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live by NBCSN and NBC. The $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic will be broadcast live and in primetime on Saturday, November 1 on NBC (8-9 p.m. ET).

Goldencents (Dirt Mile), Ria Antonia (Juvenile Fillies), Magician (Turf), Secret Circle (Sprint) and Dank (Filly & Mare Turf) are the five 2013 winners entered for this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

The $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the climactic event of the Championships, will be run on the main track at 1¼ miles. Since the event’s inception in 1984, 11 winners of the Classic have been voted Thoroughbred racing’s Horse of the Year, and with California Chrome and Shared Belief leading the way, this year’s race could produce number 12.

An overflow field of 15, including one also eligible, was entered marking the first time since 2005 that 14 or more passed the entry box.

Steve Coburn and Perry Martin’s California Chrome took the sports world by storm this year with rousing victories in Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness for trainer Art Sherman. He ran fourth in his bid to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner in the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes. He returned to the races in the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby on September 20, but was a disappointing sixth behind Bayern. California Chrome, a son of Lucky Pulpit, has won 8 times in 14 lifetime starts.

While California Chrome dominated racing during the first half of 2014, Shared Belief has been the big horse during the second half of the season. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Jungle Racing, Alex Solis II, George Todaro and Jason Litt’s Shared Belief was an easy choice for 2-year-old champion as he went undefeated and untested in three starts, which culminated in a 5¾-length win in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park in December.

The son of Candy Ride (ARG) missed the Triple Crown season with lingering foot issues but quickly rose to the forefront of his division after scores over older horses Del Mar’s Pacific Classic in August and Santa Anita’s Awesome Again last out on September 27. Shared Belief, with the Breeders’ Cup’s all-time winningest rider Mike Smith aboard, will put his perfect 7-for-7 record on the line in the Classic and would be odds-on to win Horse of the Year, as well as the 3-year-oldchampionship, with a win.
 

Shared Belief drew post 6 and was installed the 9-5 favorite while California Chrome breaks from post 13 with his regular partner Victor Espinoza in the saddle at odds of 4-1.

Robert Evans’ Tonalist, trained by Christophe Clement, has built an impressive resume of his own and would warrant a long look for both titles with a Classic win. The son of Tapit didn’t break his maiden until January at Gulfstream Park but gained national attention when he upset California Chrome in the Belmont, then secured an automatic berth into the Classic when he beat older horses in Belmont’s Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 27.

Tonalist will break from post 11 and is third choice on the morning line at 5-1.

Kaleem Shah’s front-running Bayern has been a tough competitor all year.  He captured Belmont’s Woody Stephens in June and had dominant wins in Monmouth Park’s Haskell Invitational in July and in the Pennsylvania Derby for trainer Bob Baffert. The son of Offlee Wild finished off the board in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August attempting to carry his speed over 1¼ miles, tiring after showing early speed on a track he did not appear to care for.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens has entered Margaret Bryant’s Travers Stakes winner V.E. Day, and the son of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner English Channel should relish the 1¼-mile distance. The remaining group of 3-year-olds entered for the Classic includes C R K Stable’s Candy Boy, third in the Pennsylvania Derby for John Sadler; and Toast of New York, a synthetic specialist who was second to Shared Belief in the Pacific Classic and a winner of the UAE Derby in Dubai back in the spring for English trainer Jamie Osborne.

The Classic has been won by older horses in 10 of the past 12 runnings, with Curlin in 2007 and   Raven’s Pass in 2008 being the only 3-year-olds to win during that stretch. This year’s group is led by Southern Equine Stable’s 4-year-old Moreno, a son of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper who won Saratoga’s Whitney in August for trainer Eric Guillot, and Gallant Stable’s Majestic Harbor, who rolled to victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in June for trainer Sean McCarthy.

KM Racing Enterprise’s Imperative, who won the Charles Town Classic in April for George Papaprodromou; Godolphin Stable’s  Footbridge, who was third to Shared Belief in the Awesome Again for Eoin Harty; Cigar Street, winner of the Homecoming Stakes at Churchill Downs for trainer Bill Mott;  Thomas Coleman’s homebred Zivo, who won Belmont’s Suburban at 1¼ miles and was second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup for Chad Brown, and Big Cazanova (ARG), a Group I winner in South America last year, round out the entries for the Classic.

Friday’s headline event is the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up. The undisputed queen of the 3-year-old fillies is Ron Winchell’s homebred Untapable, who has dominated her rivals in all five starts against her peers this season for trainer Steve Asmussen.

The daughter of Tapit won her first four starts of the year, including Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Oaks in May and Belmont’s Mother Goose in June, by 31 lengths, but then was a disappointing fifth as the favorite behind Bayern in the Haskell at Monmouth Park in July. Untapable rebounded with a tally in Parx Racing’s Cotillion Stakes September 20 and will put her 7-for-10 career record on the line when she tests older fillies and mares for the first time in the Distaff.

Untapable drew post 10 and was installed as 5-2 favorite.

Juddmonte Farms’ Close Hatches was the undisputed divisional leader off a 4-for-4 record this year for trainer Bill Mott, but will need to rebound from an extremely disappointing fourth-place finish at 1-5 in Keeneland’s Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on October 5.

The 4-year-old daughter of First Defence, who was second to Beholder in last year’s Distaff, won Oaklawn Park’s Apple Blossom in April, the Phipps and Saratoga’s Personal Ensign in August to take charge of the division. Close Hatches is 9-for-13 for Mott, who has won the race an unprecedented five times.

Close Hatches breaks from post position in a field of 11 as the 3-1 second choice.

Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stable and Gary Aisquith’s Belle Gallantey, who won Belmont’s Beldame Stakes September 27 for Rudy Rodriguez; Jerry Namy and trainer Philip Sims’ Don’t Tell Sophia, who upset Close Hatches in the Spinster; Hronis Racing’s Iotapa, who won the local Vanity in June and Clement Hirsch at Del Mar in August, and was third in the Zenyatta for John Sadler; and Loooch Racing Stable and Chris Dunn’s Ria Antonia, who upset last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies placed first on disqualification of She’s a Tiger) and was second in the Spinster for Tom Amoss are other leading contenders.

While the Classic and Distaff figure to have deserving and identifiable favorites, the $3 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf and $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf are shaping up as deep and wide open affairs.

The Turf, run over 1½ miles, is led by Juddmonte Farms’ Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Flintshire (GB), trained by Andre Fabre at 7-2. The 4-year-old homebred son of Dansili will be making only his fifth start this season after a major score last year in the Grand Prix de Paris.

Flaxman Holdings’ homebred Main Sequence appears to be the top American contender and has done little wrong in winning all three U.S. starts for trainer Graham Motion: Monmouth Park’s United Nations in July, Saratoga’s Sword Dancer in August and Belmont Park’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (GI) September 27. The 5-year-old son of Aldebaran is 7-for-17 lifetime in a career that started in Europe and has had a nose for the finish line in his three starts this year, as all three wins have come in photo finishes.

Coolmore’s defending Turf champion Magician (IRE) will also attract support for Aidan O’Brien. The 4-year-old son of Galileo, has won just once this year, but has been second in three major races, two in Europe and the Arlington Million. Two other contenders are Michael House’s Big John B, who won the Del Mar Handicap in August for trainer Phil D’Amato and Andrew Bentley’s Hardest Core, who took the Arlington Million August 16 for trainer Eddie Graham. Also meriting respect are Phipps Stable’s homebred Imagining for trainer Shug McGaughey and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Twilight Eclipse for trainer Tom Albertrani.

In addition to Magician, Europe figures to send another formidable foe in Andrew Black and Owens Promotion’s Brown Panther (GB), winner of the Irish St. Leger on September 14 and Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s Telescope (GB), for trainer Michael Stoute, a four-time winner of the Turf, who won the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal Ascot meet and was third in the Juddmonte International at York this summer.

Wise Dan’s defection from the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile has opened up the race considerably as an overflow field of 16 horses (including two also eligible) passed the entry box. Al Shaqab Racing’s Toronado (IRE), who won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer Richard Hannon, leads a strong European challenge in the race as the 5-2 favorite. The 4-year-old son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf winner High Chaparral (IRE) lost the Prix de Moulin de Longchamp by just a head in his most recent start on September 14.

Other top European raiders in the race are Qatar Racing’s Trade Storm (GB), who won the Woodbine Mile September 14 for David Simcock and Wertheimer et Frere’s Anodin (IRE), a full-brother to three-time Mile winner Goldikova (IRE), who was second in the Jacques le Marois (GI) at Deauville in August for Freddy Head and was third to Toronado in the Queen Anne, could also be formidable.

Leading American contenders in the race are: Anthony Fanticola and Joe Scardino’s Obviously (IRE), who won the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in June for Phil D’Amato and has been third and fifth, respectively, in the last two editions of the Mile at Santa Anita.  Braly Family Trust’s Tom’s Tribute, who won Del Mar’s Eddie Read Stakes and Del Mar Mile this summer for Jim Cassidy, is in the best form of his career and looms a major contender as well.

The $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint attracted a wide-open field of 14 plus two also-eligibles bidding to dethrone Mike Pegram and partners’ defending champion Secret Circle:   Antonino Miuccio’s Palace, who won Saratoga’s A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap  in July and the Forego Stakes in August for trainer Linda Rice; Good Friend Stable’s Private Zone, who defeated Palace in Belmont Park’s Vosburgh Stakes September 27 for trainer Alfredo Velazquez; and Yuk Tak Cheung’s Rich Tapestry (IRE), who  came from Hong Kong and upset Secret Circle in winning his U.S. debut in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship October 4 for trainer Michael Chang; and Midwest Thoroughbreds’ homebred Work All Week, who remained undefeated in nine dirt starts when he won Keeneland’s Phoenix Stakes October 3 for trainer Roger Brueggemann.

The $1 million DraftKings Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, run at seven furlongs also is a wide-open contest with trainer Wesley Ward’s Judy The Beauty, who was second in the race last year, leading the way. Other major contenders include Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Artemis Agrotera, winner of the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga in August for trainer Mike Hushion, Eugene Melnyk’s homebred Leigh Court, who won Keeneland’s  Thoroughbred Club of America October 4 for trainer Josie Carroll, Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Midnight Lucky, who dominated Churchill Downs’ Humana Distaff  in May in her only start of the year for Baffert, and Treadway Racing’s Sweet Reason, a one-turn specialist who won Belmont’s Acorn Stakes in June and Saratoga’s Test Stakes in August for trainer Leah Gyarmati.