Handicapper's Edge

Return to Home Page

Phone: (800)354-9206
editstaf@brisnet.com

 
 Printer Friendly Page 

Breeders' Cup also-runs in good order following races

Juddmonte Farms' homebred trio of VENTURA (Chester House), VISIT (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]) and PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]) were doing well Sunday for trainer Bobby Frankel, who missed the Breeders' Cup due to ongoing illness. It was reported during the telecast that the Hall of Famer has checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Ventura was second as the defending champion of the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), while Visit (Filly & Mare Turf [G1]) and Proviso (Ladies' Classic [G1]) ran fourth in their respective races.

"They all came back good," said Humberto Ascanio, Frankel's assistant, Sunday from Hollywood Park.

Garrett O'Rourke, Juddmonte racing manager, offered more details on the trio's future.

"At the moment, we're discussing what to do with them all, whether one might run in the (November 28) Matriarch ([G1] at Hollywood Park), but no concrete decision yet," O'Rourke said.

"Proviso will definitely stay in training next year," O'Rourke said of the four-year-old French import who ran creditably in her second United States start despite being steadied on the first turn. "She will probably get a little breather. She definitely likes the main track and is already proven on grass.

"Ventura will definitely be bred next year," O'Rourke added. "Whether or not she runs in the Matriarch first will be decided in the next couple of days. Visit we're still not sure about."

Frankel, who ranks second in Breeders' Cup earnings among trainers, picked up another $420,000 to lift his total to $13,242,050. D. Wayne Lukas leads with $19,645,520.

John Sadler said that his five Breeders' Cup starters were all doing well Sunday following their engagements over the two-day championship event.

Sadler saddled COST OF FREEDOM (Cee's Tizzy) to be a neck third in a blanket finish in the Sprint (G1) on Saturday, while WHATSTHESCRIPT (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]) could do no better than eighth in the Mile (G1). Sadler's others runners were NOBLE COURT (Doneraile Court) and GET FUNKY (Straight Man), seventh and ninth, respectively, in the Turf Sprint, as well as EVITA ARGENTINA (Candy Ride [Arg]), who ran seventh in the Filly & Mare Sprint.

"I haven't gone over them all all the way yet, but I'd say preliminary reports are good," Sadler said. "They're all going to be fine.

"Whatsthescript seemed to get burned up on the pace. That didn't work out too well. Cost of Freedom ran great. We had high hopes for him and he lived up to them. Right up to the finish I thought he might win it. We're proud of him. Now we're going to get him ready for Dubai. He showed he belongs.

"Noble Court broke slowly and just never got up into the race. Get Funky lived to race another day. Evita Argentina will be back next year. She's only a three (year-old) and I think she'll be a real runner at four.

"They'll all be back to race some more. We'll take our time bringing them back. I'd say we'd probably see them again at the big Santa Anita meeting."

Kenny McPeek never visited the winner's circle with his five Breeders' Cup runners, but the conditioner did manage to finish in the top three with four of them. BEAUTICIAN (Dehere) (Juvenile Fillies [G1]) and BRIDGETOWN (Speightstown) (Juvenile Turf [G2]) ran second in their starts, while NOBLE'S PROMISE (Cuvee) (Juvenile [G1]) and HOUSE OF GRACE (Limehouse) (Juvenile Fillies Turf) came in third in their races. CONNIE AND MICHAEL (Roman Ruler) was the only off-the-board runner for McPeek, filling the eighth spot in the Juvenile Fillies.

The Kentucky-based trainer reported on Sunday that his Breeders' Cup starters came out of their respective races in good order.

"We're proud of all of them the way they ran," McPeek said. "I'd sure love to win one of those trophies for my mantle, but it'll come if they keep racing like that.

"(Beautician) lost a hind shoe either at the gate or during the race. I'm not sure how that affected her, but she's a lovely filly," he continued. "In the short term, we're looking at the (November 28) Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs; in the long term, the Kentucky Oaks (G1), of course.

"(Bridgetown) had no major excuses, but he ran a real respectable race. In the long term, we're looking at the St. James (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot next June."

Conditioner Mary Hartmann was all smiles on Sunday following PRESIOUS PASSION's (Royal Anthem) gusty runner-up effort in the Turf (G1).

"I couldn't be more proud of him," Hartmann said. "He came back great, none the worse for wear. He'll be flying back to New Jersey on Monday. The owners have talked about a race in Hong Kong later this year, but we'll evaluate him when he gets home and make a decision then. We'll definitely be taking him to Gulfstream Park again this winter."

PURE CLAN (Pure Prize) was scheduled to arrive back at trainer Bob Holthus' barn Sunday about 1 p.m. (PST). The multiple Grade 1-winning lass was second in the Filly & Mare Turf, improving on her ninth in last year's edition.

"She ran very well this year," Holthus said. "She had been doing well, but we were a little concerned going into the race because of how poorly she ran last year. She was very good the last eighth of a mile, but if she had started a little sooner she might have won.

"No decision has been made yet (by owner Lewis Lakin), but she may run again next year."

MAGICAL FANTASY (Diesis [GB]), who won three straight Grade 1 turf stakes in Southern California before the Breeders' Cup, missed third by a nose and a neck in a three-way photo in the Filly & Mare Turf and will enter the sale with earnings of $1,099,231.

"She left this morning for the Fasig-Tipton sale in Kentucky Tuesday," trainer Paddy Gallagher said.

Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, reported that both CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]), eighth in the Dirt Mile (G1), and BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision), third by just three parts of a length in the Juvenile Fillies, came out of their races in good order.

"Chocolate Candy came back in good shape; didn't run a whole lot," Ward said. "He probably will get some time off, and then probably look for some easy spot next year to help him get his confidence back."

"The filly came back perfect," he continued. "We were very happy with her performance. She got bumped around a bit early in the race but she fought through it. She was wide coming into the stretch and probably lost as much ground as she was beaten by.

"She may go next in the (December 20) Starlet (G1) at Hollywood Park, but, for sure, we'll be mapping out a campaign for that we hope will put her in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) next year."

Richard Mandella was happy with the nose second posted by CROWN OF THORNS (Repent) in the Sprint, but ended up (jokingly) threatening the owner of the colt, B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm.

"Crown of Thorns ran a wonderful race," Mandella explained. "I thought I was a winner. I was rooting hard. But he showed what kind of horse he really is. Afterwards the owner and the farm manager gave me a hard time. They told me they were going to take him home and turn him into a breeder. I said 'No way!' I told them if anyone came by the barn to take that horse I'd shoot 'em.

"He's only a three-year-old and he's yet to show how good he really is. They took Mr. Hughes' young horse Into Mischief away from me last year when he'd just run in the Malibu (G1) and put him out to stud. And I didn't want them doing something like that again. So I slapped my hand on their table and said you can't have him and they just laughed. They were having some fun with me, and I'm going to keep him and try to do some more good.

Mandella's other Breeders' Cup runner, LORD SHANAKILL (Speightstown), didn't do as well as his stablemate, finishing 12th in the Turf Sprint.

"They both came back fine," Mandella said. "Lord Shanakill is likely headed off to stud. I don't know that for a fact and I'm not saying it is true, but it sounded like it was going that way. And I'm not sure if he'd be going to Kentucky or back over to Europe. I guess that's to be decided.

"And how about Zenyatta? Isn't she something? What a wonderful, wonderful thing she is for racing," he enthused. "We had a very good day of racing here before her. But her big finish took it from very good to great. She is so special.

"And I want to salute (trainer) John Shirreffs for the training he did. We might have seen one of the great training jobs of all time there. I take off my cap to him. John and I have our differences over the politics of synthetic tracks (Mandella in favor, Shirreffs against), but when it comes to horsemanship, I'm with him all the way. He is very, very good at what he does and he did an exceptional job with that mare. She's a good thing for racing and he is to be saluted for what he did."

The well-traveled CANNONBALL (Catienus) will continue to add to his passport following a third in the Turf Sprint on Saturday for trainer Wesley Ward.

"He's going to leave Friday for Hong Kong," Ward said of the international globetrotter, who will make his next start in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1) on December 13. "After Hong Kong, he will go to Australia to run in the Coolmore Lightning Stakes ([Aus-G1] at Flemington) on January 30. Then it will be back to Royal Ascot next year."

The four-year-old gelding was shipped to the Royal Ascot meet in England in June, finishing second by a neck in the Golden Jubilee S. (Eng-G1)

Ward said that BECKY'S KITTEN (Kitten's Joy), ninth in the Juvenile Turf, will be shipped to Florida and pointed to the Tropical Park Derby (G3) at Calder on January 1.

Not everyone came out of their Breeders' Cup race in the same condition they entered. Reade Baker reported that BIOFUEL (Stormin Fever), who ran fourth by just 1 1/2 lengths in the Juvenile Fillies (G1), had swelling in one of her legs.

"Biofuel got banged up a little bit and has some swelling in a leg," Baker explained. "She got roughed up at the eighth pole. I think she was very unlucky and should have done better. She was as unlucky as any horse on the day. She'll go to Kentucky now and get a bit of time off. Then she'll go over to Palm Meadows and get ready for her main goal -- the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Baker gave a much better update on FATAL BULLET (Red Bullet), last year's Sprint runner-up who finished sixth by only 2 1/2 lengths in this year's edition.

"Fatal Bullet came out of it fine. He'll get some time off in Kentucky, then go up to Ontario and be ready for opening day at Woodbine next year."


 


Send this article to a friend

 

 

Turn you phone into a mobile OTB with TwinSpires.com!

Find the Thoroughbred stars of tomorrow in Calder's Juvenile Showcase on August 28.

SARATOGA Pick of the Day with wagers  click here

Bet on Arlington Park!

save during August on the Wizard's best products!!!

Wizard Blog daily for Del Mar and Saratoga!