BREEDERS CUP PREVIEW OF 2002 By Sarah Whitelaw 25 October 2002 |
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Farda Amiga was a surprise winner of the Kentucky Oaks, but the daughter of Broad Brush confirmed that it was no fluke when she won the Alabama Stakes over a strong field. She has not run since and may be ring rusty. Farda Amiga is a very talented filly though and it would be foolish to overlook her. Imperial
Gesture ran second to the ill fated Tempera in the Breeders Cup Juvenile
Fillies last year. The daughter of Langfhur, from Windrush’s second dam,
has lost once this year, when running unplaced in the Kentucky Oaks. She
has won back to back Grade 1’s in the Gazelle Handicap and followed that
up by a solid win in the Beldame Stakes. Godolphin’s filly looks like
she’ll be right there. Summer
Colony was very disappointing when well beaten in the Beldame Stakes, and
if she hasn’t gone over the top she should be in the firing line. Summer
Colony has been running against slightly weaker fields however. It is hard
to know whether her earlier defeat of Azeri will stand up. Kenny
McPeek has had a roller coaster year but his Dehere filly, Take Charge
Lady has been consistently high class. She was a good winner of the
Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on her previous start. She does have ground
to find on Farda Amiga who defeated her fair and square in the Kentucky
Oaks.
1. Azeri 2. Summer
Colony 3. Farda Amiga Mile This race
will depend on the participation of “The Rock”. If Rock of Gibraltar
starts, he should win this race. The son of Danehill has been admirably
classy and consistent this season and has just been accorded respect long
due. He has had a long season though and it is a big ask for him to win
this before he retires to Coolmore Stud. Rock of Gibraltar is the class
act in this field. Stable
companion Landseer, previously a winner of the French 2000 Guineas, was
bitterly disappointing over sprints. Another son of Danehill (from the
family of Triptych, Imagine and Generous), he won the Shoemaker Mile from
Touch of the Blues and Arlington Million hero Beat Hollow on his first US
outing. If The Rock misses the race, Landseer will take all the beating. Beat
Hollow is a four time Group/Grade 1 winner. He was well beaten by Landseer
and there is no reason to think he can turn the tables on his rival. Forbidden
Apple was second to Val Royal in this race last year and ran a cracker in the Arlington Million when he was a little unlucky.
Bred like Turf fancy Denon (by Pleasant Colony out of one of Northfields
best daughters) Forbidden Apple is highly talented and should not be
overlooked. Gossamer
is a full sister to 1994 hero Barathea. Third to the Rock on her last
start, the daughter of Sadler’s Wells needs very soft going to show her
best form and it remains to be seen if she will get that here. Trained
like her brother by Luca Cumani, she will be ridden by Jamie Spencer. A
fluent winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas she has run just twice since. Good
Journey is closely related to 1997 Mile winner, Spinning World and was a
game winner of the Atto Mile against weaker. The son of Nureyev is a good
sort but needs to improve. Boston
Common is an improving three year old who was an impressive winner of the
Jerome Handicap earlier this season. The son of champion Boston Harbor
does meet his elders for the first time though. Out of a Mr Prospector
mare, he is from the family of Singspiel, Rahy, Rakeen and Glorious Song. SELECTION 1. Rock
of Gibraltar 2.
Landseer 3.
Forbidden Apple Juvenile
Fillies This race
has a raging hot favourite in the blue blooded Storm Flag’s Flying.
Unbeaten, the daughter of Storm Cat and 1995 heroine My Flag (by Easy Goer
out of Personal Ensign-winner of the Distaff in 1988) has won Grade 1’s
in her two last starts. Outstanding when cruising home in the Frizette,
the Phipps owned filly was workmanlike when capturing the Matron Stakes
over the highly talented Unbridled filly, Santa Catarina. If she wins she
will wrap up an Eclipse award. Santa
Catarina was desperately unlucky not to win the Grade 1 Debutante Stakes
to the smart Miss Houdini. She then ran second to Storm Flag’s Flying.
She is the biggest danger to the favourite and most likely to cause the
upset. Bred like Grade 1 winner, Buddha, she is out of a Storm Cat half
sister to Culture Vulture. The Forty
Niner freshman sire, Distorted Humor, has carried all before him this
season and his Grade 2 winning daughter, Humorous Lady represents him
here. She is up against tougher competition here, but her win in the
Astarita Stakes was a game one. Another
leading young sire is Belmont Stakes hero, Touch Gold. He is represented
by the Oak Leaf heroine, Composure. She is well regarded by her trainer
Bob Baffert, also represented by the $1.9 million yearling Atlantic Oean.
She beat the Landaluce winner Buffythecentrefold (a daughter of
Capote) by an impressive three lengths. SELECTION: 1. Storm
Flags Flying 2. Santa
Catarina 3. Composure Juvenile
colts Bob
Baffert has yet to have a winner of this race and last year had the beaten
favourite Officer. His expensive Seattle Slew colt, Vindication looks to
be a very classy sort. He was an impressive winner of the Kentucky Cup
Juvenile by six lengths on his last start. Point Given, an unlucky second
in 2000 to Macho Uno, won that race before becoming Horse of the Year in
2001 for Baffert. Vindication is bred on the reverse cross as Escena (by
Strawberry Road out of a Seattle Slew mare) as he is out of a mare by the
Australian globe trotter. Sky Mesa
is unbeaten after winning the Lanes End Futurity by four lengths. A son of
Pulpit (from the family of Buckpasser, Oustandingly and Officer), Sky Mesa
has been impressive this year. His previous wins include the Hopeful
Stakes (not a good trial for the Breeders Cup) where he defeated the
highly regarded Zavata. Trained by John Ward, Sky Mesa is one of the more
experienced colts in the race. Tomahawk
is the new favourite for the English 2000 Guineas following two seconds in
Group 1 company. Another son of Seattle Slew (who seems to monopolize this
race-Pulpit being a grandson of the 1977 Triple Crown hero) he was second
in the Middle Park to Oasis Dream. The Aiden O’Brien trainee was then
second in the Dewhurst to upset winner Tout Seul. He beat the much vaunted
Trade Fair into third. If he travels well and acts on dirt, O’Brien has
a good chance of winning this race for a second straight year following
Johannesburg’s tour de force. Toccet
was a smooth winner of the Champagne Stakes.
A son of 1998 Classic hero Awesome Again and from his sire’s
first crop, Toccet looks like a good prospect for next year rather than
for this race. Whywhywhy
won the Futurity Stakes impressively on his last start for trainer Patrick
Biancone. Biancone is also represented by the speedy Zavata-who
needs to improve to feature here. Whywhywhy is unbeaten this year. Closely
in bred to Mr Prospector, Whywhywhy is a son of one of US’s most
promising sires in the Gone West sire Mr Greeley. He looks sure to fight
out the feature of one of the days most open races. Hold That
Tiger, a half brother to
Editor’s Note and three parts brother to Juvenile runner up Hennessy,
was a fluent winner of the Grand Criterium on Arc day. He greatly
impressed his jockey, Kieran Fallon, who has been hyping his chances all
week. He defeated a smart field which included dual Group 1 winner
Spartacus and Banks Hill’s smart own sister Intercontinental on that
occasion. A previous Group 3 winner in Ireland he gives O’Brien a very
strong hand in this race. Wando is
bidding to emulate 2000 winner Macho Uno by completing the Grey Breeders
Stakes/Breeders Cup Juvenile double. The son of Langfuhr has been the
subject of some interest following his win in one of Canada’s bigger two
year old contests. He does need to improve to trouble the likes of
Whywhywhy, Sky Mesa and the O’Brien pair of Tomahawk and Hold That
Tiger. SELECTION: 1.
Whywhywhy 2. Sky
Mesa 3.
Tomahawk Sprint D Wayne
Lukas has had a disappointing year by his own high standards. His Kentucky
Derby runner up Proud Citizen broke down, Spain was retired and none of
his other three year olds ever promised to live up to their price tags.
His sprinters however have been impressive. The retired Snow Ridge at one
stage looked like the best sprinter in the land whilst Orientate has
carried on where his stable companion left off. Orientate
has been devastating this year. He was an impressive winner of the Forego
Handicap (Gr1) on his last start with last year’s Sprint hero
Squirtle Squirt, well beaten in fourth. The son of Mt Livermore is out of
the Grade 1 winning Cox’s Ridge mare Dream Team (also trained by Lukas). Bonapaw
was a fluent winner of a rather weak Vosburgh - not usually a good pointer
for this race, although Artax completed the double in 1999. The
unfashionably bred son of Sabona has taken his owners around the world and
there would be no more deserving winner even if it is hard to see he
beating the likes of Orientate, Disturbingthepeace, Swept Overboard and
the talented fillies, Carson Hollow and champion Xtra Heat. Disturbingthepeace
has been impressive this year and has won his last three starts-all Graded. The son of Bold Badgett (a full brother to Desert Wine) is
trained by Darrell Vienna. He is lightly raced but highly talented and
should not be overlooked. His connections teamed up to win the Breeders
Cup Juvenile with Gilded Time ten years ago. Disturbingthepeace has won
seven of his 15 starts. Swept
Overboard was flying in this race to run a close up fourth to Squirtle
Squirt last year. The son of the late End Sweep is highly talented as his
fluent win in the Met Mile confirmed but this seems a bit short for the
grey. His trainer won this race in 1998 with Reraise. He, like Squirtle
Squirt, will be looking to end his career on a high as he is also off to
Japan. Kona Gold
won this race two years ago but seems to be over the hill. His stable
companion, the classy Kalookan Queen, seems a bigger threat. Fillies have
a good record in this race and this daughter of Lost Code was impressive
when winning her last start over the colts where she bested the useful
Crafty C.T. and had Swept Overboard more than three lengths back in third. The other
two fillies in the race both have good chances. While Xtra Heat was an
outsider when she was second last year, she will be at much shorter odds
this time around. A champion at three, Xtra has been admirably consistent
through her sterling career, she has been beaten just twice this year. She
thrashed D Wayne Lukas’s smart sprinter Day Trader last time out and is
sure to give a good account of herself. Xtra Heat has won 24 of 31 starts
and has finished unplaced once. Carson
Hollows looks a classy filly and has been once beaten in her career when a
nose second to five time Grade 1 winner You in the Test Stakes. The
daughter of Carson City won the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes and is not lacking
in class. She does need to improve. SELECTION: 1.
Orientate 2. Xtra
Heat 3. Disturbingthepeace Filly and Mare Turf This is
one of the most open and competitive races on the card. Banks
Hill has won just once this year and her run behind Golden Apples in the
Yellow Ribbon suggests she may have lost a step. Still on her second to
Rock of Gibraltar and her Prix Jacques le Marois win she remains a high
class filly. Golden
Apples has been a revelation since coming to the US.
The daughter of red hot Pivotal has been a model of consistency
this season. Her win in the Yellow Ribbon over Banks Hill and the top
class Kingmambo filly Voodoo Dancer make her the filly to beat here. The
absence of the only fillies to beat her this season makes her task that
much easier. Astra has been retired while Affluence misses the race.
A win here would ensure an Eclipse award for the Ben Cecil trainee. Kazzia
has lost once in her career. The daughter of Zinaad won both English
fillies classics before losing badly in the Yorkshire Oaks to Islington.
She won the Flower Bowl Invitational, under Jorge Velazquez, from a flying
Turtle Bow, the latter a much improved Turtle Island filly. However an
abscess has interfered with her preparation. The fact regular rider
Frankie Dettori would rather partner Grandera in the Cox Plate does
suggest a lack of confidence. Islington
was compared to the outstanding Bosra Sham after thrashing a strong field
in the Yorkshire Oaks. The daughter of Sadler’s Wells has been most
impressive this season, with her only defeats coming in the Epsom Oaks and
a fifth in the Arc. It is
hoped her long season has not taken to much out of her. On her best form
Islington would take a lot of beating. Her jockey, Kieran Fallon, is less
than confident of the filly’s chances however. Dublino
is representing the red hot barn of Laura de Seroux who has enjoyed an
outstanding year. A winner of the Del Mar Oaks, the daughter of Lear Fan,
is meeting stronger here. Her rival Megeahertz didn’t compliment the
form when running downfield in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last
week. Another
daughter of Lear Fan is Chopinina. From the family of Nijinsky II, she ran
second to Mile hopeful Good Journey in the Atto Mile. On this form she
should run into the money. Zenda was a good winner of the French 1000 Guineas. She was a good second on her first US start to Riskaverse in the QE Cup at Keeneland. There is not much between the two of them. SELECTION: 1. Golden
Apples 2. Kazzia 3. Dublino Turf High
Chaparral was not at his best for the Arc where he ran a solid third to
Marienbard and Sulamani. The son of Sadler’s Wells looks like he has
improvement in him. The Aiden O' Brien colt looks the one to beat here. Golan won
the King George and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Stakes in July after a ding
dong battle with Nayef. After another battle with that rival where he lost
narrowly at York he was prepared for this race. His trainer, Sir Michael
Stoute, has twice won this race. He was successful with Weinstock owned
Pilsudski in 1996 and four years later with Kalanisi. The four year old
Spectrum colt looks to have had the ideal preparation for this race and
should be right there. Ballingarry
was an impressive winner of the Canadian International on his last start but
looks a second string for the all powerful O’Brien yard. Well beaten by
High Chaparral in the Irish Derby, the son of Sadler’s Wells does look
good enough to run in the money. Denon has
been consistent since winning the Hollywood Derby. By Pleasant Colony out
of the Group 1 winning Aviance (dam of Chimes of Freedom and granddam of
Spinning World) the colt was a good winner of the Turf Classic on his last
start. Trained by Bobby Frankel, the colt looks like he is peaking at the
right time. Beaten twice in succession by With Anticipation, Denon is
coming to form at the right time. With Anticipation is one of North America’s more popular horses. The big grey seven year old was disappointing in this race last year when second favourite. His disappointing run behind Denon in the Turf Classic does not inspire confidence in the son of Relaunch. With Anticipation has won more Grade One races than anyone else in the field and should be respected. SELECTION 1. High
Chaparral 2. Golan 3. Denon Classic There is
no superstar in this event. The three year olds seem to be much of a
muchness and the older horses are what remain of what seemed a strong
division. Evening
Attire has been a revelation this year. The son of 1991 winner Black Tie
Affair won the Jockey Club Gold beating dual Woodward Stakes hero, Lido
Palace. Harlan’s Holiday was well beaten in third. A multiple Graded
stakes winner, he bids to give his trainer, Pat Kelly, his first Breeders
Cup win. Conqueror of Street Cry earlier this year, the grey gelding looks
tough to beat. The three
year olds are highlighted by the ultra consistent Came Home, dual classic
winner War Emblem and Travers hero Medaglia D’oro. Came Home
has lost just once this year and would be a deserving winner here. The son
of Gone West and the smart sprinter Nice Assay won the Pacific Classic
against older horses on his last start when partnered by his new jockey,
Mike Smith. His only loss came when he was sixth in the Kentucky Derby to
War Emblem. Admirably game and classy, Came Home looks unlikely to finish
out of the first three. War
Emblem is arguably the most talented of the three year olds in North
America. A fluent winner of both of Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, his
biggest flaw looks to be his fiery temperament. Always prone to reluctance
at the starting stalls, he is a confirmed front runner. Despite losing
badly in the Pacific Classic, War Emblem’s class makes him dangerous to
overlook. This is his last start before retiring to stud in Japan. Medaglia
D’oro has been much hyped since cantering home 14 lengths in front the
second horse in the Jim Dandy Stakes. He followed that up with a game
neck win in the Travers Stakes over Repent. Repent hardly franked the form
when last in the Jockey Club Gold Cup so it is hard to see Bobby
Frankel’s representative beating the likes of Came Home, War Emblem and
Evening Attire. The handsome son of leading sire El Prado is a talented
and consistent sort and in a sub par year could hold on for the win. His
stable companion, Milwaukee Brew, has been disappointing since winning the
Californian Stakes. The son of inaugural winner, Wild Again, is out of the
Wolf Power mare, Ask Anita, and will
need to improve off his last few efforts. This is a weak edition and he
could run into the money. Hawk Wing
has been the talking horse of the season. Highly talented, the son of
Woodman has been the bridesmaid in four of his five starts this season. A
winner of the Eclipse Stakes over this distance, he was an unlucky loser
of the 2000 Guineas behind his more accomplished stable companion Rock Of
Gibraltar. There is not much to choose between the two on ability. Aiden
O’Brien will be looking to improve on Giant’s Causeway’s
heartbreaking defeat of 2000. SELECTION: 1.
Evening Attire 2. Came
Home 3. Hawk Wing |