Uncle Mo Tops Record 193 Breeders' Cup Pre-Entries
Led by the outstanding filly Havre de Grace, 2010 Juvenile Champion Uncle Mo, international superstar So You Think (NZ), three time Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti and three-time TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile Champion Goldikova (IRE), a record 193 horses—including 29 from overseas—have been pre-entered for the 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
The 28th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global event, consisting of 15 races and purses totaling $26 million over the two-day event, will be held at Churchill Downs for a record eighth time on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. The Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, an open race for 2-year-olds run at six furlongs, has been added to the Breeders’ Cup program this year, and will be the first race on Championship Friday.
The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on ABC/ESPN and in more than 130 foreign countries.
The climactic event of the Breeders’ Cup is the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 ¼ miles on the main track. Following last year’s epic battle with Blame edging out the previously unbeaten mare Zenyatta, this year’s Classic features another sensational female star in the 4-year-old filly Havre de Grace, who will compete against the best male dirt horses in the world in her quest for the Horse of the Year title.
Owned by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm and trained by Larry Jones, Havre de Grace has captivated the racing scene this year with five victories in six starts, including a powerful win over male rivals in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, Havre de Grace, a daughter of 2005 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Saint Liam, won the Azeri and the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn, the Obeah at Delaware Park and recently the Beldame at Belmont Park. Her only defeat came when finishing second in the Delaware Handicap in July. She is seeking to become just the second female to win the Classic (Zenyatta, 2009).
Mike Repole owns two 3-year-old Breeders’ Cup Classic pre-entrants in Uncle Mo, winner of last year’s Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, and Travers Stakes winner Stay Thirsty, both trained by America’s leading trainer Todd Pletcher. Uncle Mo was the future book Kentucky Derby favorite after a 3-for-3 juvenile campaign but was beaten at 1-10 in Aqueduct’s Grade I Wood Memorial in April and then scratched days before the Derby with what was eventually diagnosed as a liver infection. The son of Indian Charlie resurfaced at Saratoga in the Grade I King’s Bishop and ran a strong second, and he then blitzed the field in Belmont’s Grade II Kelso on October 1, running a mile in a sterling 1:33.82. Uncle Mo, who is 5-for-7 lifetime, will attempt 1 ¼ miles for the first time. Stay Thirsty emerged from his more heralded stablemate’s shadow during the summer, when he was second in the Belmont and then won the Grade II Jim Dandy and Grade I Travers at Saratoga.
Uncle Mo is one of eight returning or former Breeders’ Cup Champions pre-entered. The others are Big Drama, California Flag, Chamberlain Bridge, Eldaafer, Goldikova, Midday (GB) and Shared Account.
Among the top older males pre-entered for the Classic are Diamond Pride, Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable and Bernie Schiappa’s Game On Dude, who won the Santa Anita Handicap in March and returned there earlier this month to capture the Goodwood Stakes. The 4-year-old son of 1998 Classic winner Awesome Again, is trained by Bob Baffert, who is seeking his first Classic win. Game on Dude will be ridden by Chantal Sutherland, who will look to become the first female rider to win the Classic.
Preston Stable’s Flat Out was the first of the Classic horses to arrive at Churchill when he settled in on October 12. The 5-year-old son of Flatter earned an automatic starting position into the Classic by winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park for trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey. Flat Out, who also won the Grade II Suburban Handicap in July, is one of 35 pre-entered horses to qualify for this year’s Breeders’ Cup through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series.
Castleton Lyons’s 6-year-old Gio Ponti, has been pre-entered in both the Classic and the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile. Gio Ponti comes into the Breeders’ Cup off a stirring win in the Shadwell Turf Mile. Gio Ponti finished second to Zenyatta in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita and was second to Goldikova in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Dato Chin and Yahaya Tanku’s So You Think could also point to the Classic for trainer Aidan O’Brien. The 5-year-old son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf winner High Chaparral (IRE) has been an international superstar, winning eight Group I events in Australia, England and Ireland. This year, So You Think has won three Group I races—the Tattarsalls Gold Cup, the Coral Eclipse and the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes.
This year’s Classic pre-entrants also include the last two winners of the Belmont Stakes in 2010 victor Drosselmeyer, who is owned by WinStar Farms, Inc., and this year’s winner, George and Lori Hall’s Ruler on Ice.
The top international superstar of this year’s Breeders’ Cup is Alain and Gerard Wertheimer’s Goldikova, who returns to Churchill Downs seeking an unprecedented fourth straight win in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile. The 6-year-old Goldikova has won 14 Grade/Group I races in her career under the care of trainer Freddy Head. Goldikova has won twice this year in five starts, capturing the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan in May and the Prix Rothschild at Deauville in July. Her main challengers are the second-place finishers in the last two editions of the Mile, the 6-year-old Gio Ponti, who was the runner up last year at Churchill Downs and Pamela and Martin Wygod and W.S. Farish’s 5-year-old Courageous Cat, who was second best in the 2009 Mile. This year Courageous Cat has won the Shoemaker Mile and was second in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile.
The $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf at 1 ½ miles is led by another female in the 4-year-old filly Sarafina (FR), winner of three stakes races this year including the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, who trained the inaugural 1984 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Lashkari. Coronation Stakes winner St. Nicholas Abbey (IRE), for trainer Aidan O’Brien, and 2009 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Midday (GB) have also been pre-entered, as has United Nations winner Teaks North.
Championship Friday will include six Breeders’ Cup races, five of which are restricted to females. Friday’s highlight is the $2 million Ladies’ Classic for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, at 1 1/8 miles. This year’s edition is a wide open affair of Grade 1 winners led by the 3-year-old Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty for trainer Bob Baffert; the Bill Mott-trained Royal Delta, winner of both the Black-Eyed Susan and Alabama Stakes; and It’s Tricky, who captured the Coaching Club American Oaks for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The older females are headed by Flaxman Holdings’ 4-year-old filly Aruna who finished strongly when winning the Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland in her last start for trainer Graham Motion; the 6-year-old mare Ask the Moon, who won the Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the fast-closing West Coast mare Ultra Blend.
The 5-year-old mare Shared Account is back to defend her title in the $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf following her stunning 2010 upset at odds of 46-1. Owned by Under Armour chairman Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Farm, Shared Account will face a stellar, international field in this year’s renewal of the 1 3/8 mile race. Her foes include Flower Bowl and Beverly D. winner Stacelita (FR) and the 3-year-old filly Nahrain (GB), who captured the Qatar Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp. Both Sarafina and Midday have also been pre-entered for the Turf.
The $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles is shaping up as an East-West battle of two unbeaten fillies in My Miss Aurelia, a five-length winner of Belmont’s Frizette for trainer Steve Asmussen and Weemissfrankie, who captured the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita.
On Saturday, the male counterpart race to the Juvenile Fillies, the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles, features Norfolk Stakes winner Creative Cause, who defeated the Bob Baffert-trained Drill, winner of the Del Mar Futurity. The Chadds Ford Stable of Phyllis Wyeth has pre-entered the undefeated Union Rags, who dominated the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park by more than five lengths. Union Rags is trained by Michael Matz.
Defending Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Big Drama is back seeking another crown in the 6-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up. Trained by David Fawkes, the 4-year-old has won both of his starts this year. His expected challengers include Shivananda Parbhoo’s 5-year-old Giant Ryan, a winner of six in a row, most recently a front running victory in the Vosburgh; and Amazombie, a fast-closing winner of the Ancient Title at Santa Anita.
Sixteen horses have been pre-entered for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, including Preakness winner Shackleford for trainer Dale Romans, and fellow three year olds The Factor, a winner of four races this year including the Pat O’Brien at Del Mar and Caleb’s Posse, who defeated Uncle Mo in the King’s Bishop at Saratoga, To Honor and Serve and Prayer for Relief, winner of the Iowa Derby, West Virginia Derby and Super Derby.
California Flag, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and last year’s winner, Chamberlain Bridge, have both been pre-entered for this year’s edition at 5 furlongs for a $1 million purse.
Eldaafer, trained by Diane Alvarado, is also back to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon at 1 ¾ miles, the first race on Saturday program.
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A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in each of the 15 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races. Breeders’ Cup Limited has adopted a field selection system to select runners in the event fields are oversubscribed. This system ranks horses in order of preference based on (i) Breeders’ Cup Challenge race winners, (ii) a point system, and (iii) the judgment of a panel of racing experts. The field selection system was implemented following the taking of pre-entries on Monday, Oct. 24, to officially rank the oversubscribed fields. The Racing Secretaries and Directors Panel (the “Panel”) ranked all horses pre-entered in the oversubscribed races. After pre-entry, any vacancies in the fields will be filled by horses in order of panel preference. Entry for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships races will be Monday, Oct. 31 by 10:00 a.m. (ET). At the time of entry, a maximum of 14 horses will be accepted for each race based on the order of preference established at pre-entry.
There will be up to two (2) also-eligible horses for each Championship race. The also-eligible horses will be designated in accordance with the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel’s order of preference for each Championship race that is oversubscribed at the time of pre-entry. Scratch time for all Championships races to be contested on both Championship Friday and Championship Saturday will be 8:00 a.m. ET, Friday, Nov. 4.