November 2, 2010
Jim Gluckson
Undefeated Zenyatta Draws Post Eight in Breeders’ Cup Classic;
Highlight of Breeders’ Cup World Championships Friday & Saturday
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Undefeated 6-year-old mare Zenyatta drew post position eight for Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs as she bids for her 20th career victory facing 11 male rivals as the 8-to-5 morning line favorite in the 1 ¼ miles test, including Blame, Quality Road and Lookin At Lucky.
The 27th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, racing’s most prestigious global showcase, consisting of 14 races with purses totaling $26 million over the two-day event, will be held on Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6. The Breeders’ Cup races will be televised live on ABC/ESPN and viewed in more than 130 countries.
A complete list of Breeders’ Cup entries is available at
www.breederscup.com.
A record total of 172 horses, four of them on ‘also-eligible’ lists, was entered in the Breeders’ Cup races, including 21 from Europe and two from Japan. There are six defending or former Breeders’ Cup champions entered, led by Zenyatta, who became the first female to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic when she rallied to victory last year at Santa Anita Park.
Trained by John Shirreffs for owners Jerome and Ann Moss, Zenyatta posted the 19th victory of her perfect career winning the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park on Oct. 2. Saturday’s Classic is expected to be the last race in the brilliant career of the charismatic daughter of Street Cry.
Bidding for a third consecutive Breeders’ Cup victory is Wertheimer et Frere’s French-trained 5-year-old mare Goldikova (IRE) defending her 2008 and 2009 victories in the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita for trainer Freddie Head as she breaks from post 10 in a field of 11 as the 6-to-5 morning line favorite.
Goldikova’s rivals include Castleton Lyons’ 5-year-old Gio Ponti, runner-up to Zenyatta in the Classic at Santa Anita last fall and America’s Eclipse champion turf runner of 2009. Trained by Christophe Clement, Gio Ponti was also pre-entered in the Classic this year, but his connections opted for the Mile and he will break from post 3.
Juddmonte Farms’ Workforce (GB), the English-bred 3-year-old who won Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp this year, has been made the 7-to-5 morning line favorite in a field of eight for the $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf. His challengers in the 1 ½ miles grass course event include H.H. The Aga Khan’s 3-year-old Behkabad (FR), who finished a troubled fourth in the Arc.
A field of 11 fillies and mares was drawn for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic 1 1/8-miles race to climax the Friday program which will conclude under the lights for the first time in Breeders’ Cup history with a 7:30 p.m. ET post time.
This wide-open edition of the Ladies’ Classic will match leading 3-year-old fillies Blind Luck and Havre de Grace against accomplished older fillies and mares Life At Ten and Persistently. Mark De Domenico and partners’ Blind Luck won the Kentucky Oaks over the track and 1 1/8-miles distance and was installed the 9-to-5 morning line favorite.
Four other former Breeders’ Cup Champions return for the 2010 event – Juddmonte Farms’ Midday (GB) bidding for a repeat in the $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf; Augustin Stable’s Forever Together, who won that same race in 2008; Augustin Stable’s Informed Decision, defending her title in the $1 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint; and Hi Card Ranch’s California Flag, winner of last year’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo, 4 ¾ lengths winner of the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park following a 14-length debut victory for trainer Todd Pletcher and Jay Em Ess Stables and partners’ Hopeful Stakes winner Boys At Tosconova are the favorites in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles at 7-to-5 and 2-to-1, respectively, in a field of 10 going 1 1/16 miles.
The $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile has drawn a wide-open field of 11 with Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s 3-year-old Morning Line, winner of the Pennsylvania Derby in his last start, established the lukewarm ‘morning line’ favorite at 7-to-2 breaking from post 10.
An intriguing longshot at 20-to-1 in the Dirt Mile is Double Eagle Ranch and partners’ 4-year-old Mine That Bird, bidding for his first victory since drawing off to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby here by 6 ¾ lengths when trained by Chip Wooley. The Birdstone gelding’s campaign this season has been guided by all-time leading Breeders’ Cup winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Complete list of Breeders’ Cup World Championship Races
Friday, November 5, 2010;
First Post 2:00 p.m. (ET); First Breeders’ Cup Race 4:10 p.m. (ET)
· $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon
Field of 12, Morning line favorite is Awesome Gem at 7-to-2.
· $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Field of 14 with one also-eligible, Morning line favorite is Winter Memories
at 2-to-1.
· $1 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Field of 14 with two also-eligibles, Morning line favorite is Rightly So at 3-to-1.
· $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
Field of 13, Morning line favorite is A Z Warrior at 7-to-2.
· $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Field of 11, Morning line favorite is defending champion Midday at 6-to-5.
· $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic
Field of 11, Morning line favorite is Blind Luck at 9-to-5.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
First Post 12:05 p.m. (ET); First Breeders’ Cup Race 1:50 p.m. (ET)
· $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Field of 13, Morning line favorite is Master of Hounds at 9-to-2.
· $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Field of 12, Morning line favorite is Girolamo at 3-to-1.
· $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Field of 14 and one also-eligible, Morning line favorite is Silver Timber at 4-to-1.
· $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Field of 10, Morning line favorite is Uncle Mo at 7-to-5.
· $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile
Field of 11, Morning line favorite is Goldikova at 6-to-5.
· $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Field of 13, Morning line favorite is Morning Line at 7-to-2.
· $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf
Field of eight, Morning line favorite is Workforce at 7-to-5
· $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic
Field of 12, Morning line favorite is Zenyatta at 8-to-5.
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