Road to Breeders' Cup 10-13

ROAD TO

THE BREEDERS' CUP

OCTOBER 13

Breeders' Cup hopefuls tune up for main event

by James Scully

AZERI (Jade Hunter), NOTHING TO LOSE (Sky Classic) and PROUD

ACCOLADE (Yes It's True) were among the leading Breeders' Cup

hopefuls to race over the weekend, and we'll take a look at the

preps by division.

Distaff - Azeri overwhelmed her opposition in

the Spinster S. (G1) Sunday with an easy three-length win and

will be a heavy favorite for the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) if

she starts. Owner Michael Paulson and trainer D. Wayne Lukas will

likely cross-enter the six-year-old mare to the Distaff and

Classic (G1).

Azeri earned a strong 107 BRIS Speed rating in the 1 1/8-mile

Spinster, and distance has to be a consideration for her

connections. She doesn't want any part of 1 1/4 miles, losing two

starts back to STORM FLAG FLYING (Storm Cat) in the 10-furlong

Personal Ensign (G1) while earning a pedestrian 94 Speed rating.

The chestnut has tested males already at the wrong distance this

year, finishing up the track in eighth in the Met Mile (G1). Why

make the same mistake twice?

SIGHTSEEK (Distant View) wrapped up a stellar career with a 2

3/4-length romp in the Beldame S. (G1) and one can understand

trainer Bobby Frankel's decision-making even if you don't agree

with it. The five-year-old mare runs her best races at Belmont

Park and the Breeders' Cup isn't held at Belmont this year.

What is difficult to understand is Frankel's campaigning for

championship honors. He's bypassing Thoroughbred racing's

championship because he doesn't want to see Sightseek get beat.

The sport suffers from an image problem of losing its best

performers prematurely, but Sightseek isn't being retired due to

injury. Instead, she's ducking the competition, namely Azeri. How

could Eclipse Award voters reward that can kind of sportsmanship?

Mile - NOTHING TO LOSE stamped

himself a top North American-based contender for the Mile (G1)

with an outstanding 4 1/2-length score in Saturday's Shadwell

Turf Mile (G1). Winner of the Fourstardave H. (G2) in his

previous start, the four-year-old rolled past a strong group of

rivals at the top of the stretch on Saturday and earned his

second straight 105 Speed figure.

The Frankel trainee traveled four or five wide most of the way

and flew home with a final quarter-mile in :23 2/5. Nothing to

Lose has gotten very good presently and looms as a serious threat

for the Mile.

Another good-looking performance was turned in at Belmont on

Saturday from MR O'BRIEN (Ire) (Mukaddamah), who rallied from

just of the pace to win the Kelso Breeders' Cup H. (G2) by 1 1/2

lengths. The five-year-old will be supplemented to the Breeders'

Cup.

Trained by Robin Graham, Mr O'Brien has tackled top company on

the turf all season and all of his losses have come at distances

longer than nine furlongs. Four-for-five at the distance, the

Mile is a perfect fit for the tractable gelding and Mr O'Brien is

one to consider for the exotics.

MUSICAL CHIMES (In Excess [Ire]) took on males in Saturday's

Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile (G2) and rallied gamely in deep

stretch for a nose decision. The top three finishers were

separated by less than a head, and runner-up BUCKLAND MANOR (Bien

Bien) and third-placer SINGLETARY (Sultry Song) will also likely

be entered for the Mile.

A multiple Grade/Group 1 heroine, Musical Chimes owns terrific

BRIS Late Pace ratings and has run big in her last three outings,

winning the John C. Mabee H. (G1) and then missing by only three

parts of a length in the 1 3/16-mile Beverly D. S. (G1). She's at

her best in middle-distance events and will bring strong present

form into the Breeders' Cup.

Buckland Manor may have difficulty getting into an

oversubscribed Mile and it's difficult to envision him carrying

his form forward outside of California. Singletary is a much more

intriguing candidate. After displaying top-class form earlier

this season, the four-year-old was freshened following a head

setback in May's Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). He needed

Saturday's race off the layoff and ran well from off the pace to

just miss. Val Royal (Fr) took a similar path as Singletary when

capturing the 2001 Mile.

Juvenile - Saturday's Champagne (G1) will

likely produce several Juvenile (G1) starters, and PROUD ACCOLADE could give trainer Todd Pletcher his first

Breeders' Cup race winner. The dark bay entered the 1 1/16-mile

Champagne unbeaten from two starts, commendable maiden and

allowance wins at Saratoga, and held AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet)

at bay in deep stretch for a half-length victory.

The dark bay colt advanced four wide on the far turn to reach

the lead in upper stretch and finished quickly to earn a whopping

108 BRIS Speed rating. ROMAN RULER (Fusaichi Pegasus) was

considered the leader of this division in mid-August, but his

last two performances have been far from overwhelming. Proud

Accolade has moved to the fore of the division with a much more

impressive showing in his route debut and better Speed figures

than Roman Ruler.

Hopeful S. (G1) winner Afleet Alex suffered his first career

loss but remains a serious threat for the Juvenile. After rating

off the pace on Saturday, the Tim Ritchey charge offered a good

rally for second, recording a 111 Late Pace rating. Two turns

remains a question, but Afleet Alex looks as talented as any

juvenile in the country.

SUN KING (Charismatic) ran well in his stakes debut and has

earned a shot at the Juvenile. Last year, Zito refused to run

leading two-year-olds Eurosilver (Unbridled's Song) and Birdstone

(Grindstone) in the Juvenile, costing each one a chance at

championship two-year-old honors, but he says he'll consider

sending Sun King to Lone Star.

Sun King rallied from off the pace for a strong maiden win on

September 17, earning a triple-digit Speed rating, and was

flattered when the runner-up from that event, PATRIOT ACT (A.P.

Indy), returned to finish second in Saturday's Breeders' Futurity

(G2). In a change of tactics, Sun King was up close from the

start in the Champagne and was beaten less than two lengths at

the finish. He looks like the type that will keep getting better

and better, and could be much more dangerous reverting to rating

tactics on October 30.

CONSOLIDATOR (Storm Cat) received a perfect trip stalking

Cradle S. (G3) winner Bellamy Road (Concerto) in second through

the opening six furlongs of the Breeders' Futurity and when the

favorite quit on the far turn, he assumed the lead and coasted

home to a two-length decision. The Breeders' Futurity came up

much weaker than the Champagne and may not have much effect upon

this year's Juvenile.

Runner-up Patriot Act doesn't figure to win the Juvenile as a

maiden, but the Neil Howard-trained colt could be any kind in the

future. Now 3-0-2-1 in his career, he left himself with too much

to do from far off the pace in his stakes bow but rallied gamely

to be a clear second. Look for him to keep improving.

Juvenile Fillies - SENSE OF STYLE (Thunder

Gulch) brought an unbeaten record and was considered the division

leader entering Friday's Alcibiades S. (G2), but the Patrick

Biancone lass was bottled up on the rail through the far turn and

into the stretch, and eventually faded to fifth. It was a major

disappointment for her backers, but this might be a race to draw

a line through with the trouble she faced.

RUNWAY MODEL (Petionville) closed from off the pace for her

first stakes win, defeating a game SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band) by

a head. The former had shown good promise finishing second in the

Arlington-Washington Lassie (G3) and Bassinet S., and she earned

a solid 97 Speed figure for the Alcibiades. Sharp Lisa was

coming off a 6 1/2-length debut maiden win at Calder and ran a

huge race in her first start for trainer Doug O'Neill.

The Frizette (G1) produced a major player for the Juvenile

Fillies in BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country). The Tom Albertrani-conditioned

miss rallied boldly to win by three parts of a length and figures

to appreciate the added distance for the Juvenile Fillies.

Balletto owns a fine late kick and has suffered only one setback

from four career starts, finishing second by a length to Sense of

Style in Matron S. (G1).

Sprint - CHAMPALI (Glitterman) doesn't get

much respect, but he's an honest, top-class sprinter who loves to

win. On Friday, he turned in another first-rate performance to

win the Phoenix Breeders' Cup (G3) by three parts of a length. A

winner of four of his last five starts, the Greg Foley

representative recorded a superb 110 Speed figure and figures to

be overlooked on Breeders' Cup day. He could carry his form

forward with another strong performance at Lone Star.

LADY TAK (Mutakddim) earned a Breeders' Cup berth with

a two-length tally in Sunday's Gallant Bloom H. (G2), and

distaffers have performed very well against males in the Sprint.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Lady Tak has posted Speed ratings of

110 and 106 from her last two starts. The speedy miss is peaking

at the right time of the year.

PT'S GREY EAGLE (Pleasant Tap) surprised his rivals at

nearly 30-1 to win Sunday's Ancient Title Breeders' Cup H. (G1),

and he'll be a big outsider once again in the Sprint. It's

difficult to make a case for the three-year-old there, but note

Craig Dollase trained another three-year-old who came on the end

of the year to win the Sprint from practically out of nowhere.

Just like Reraise in 1998 (he won the Kentucky Cup Sprint [G2]),

Pt's Grey Eagle earned his first graded stakes win in the race

before the Breeders' Cup.

Classic/Turf - BALTO STAR (Glitterman) held

off the late-running DYNEVER (Dynaformer) for a half-length

victory in Friday's Meadowlands Cup (G2) and will now head to

either the Turf (G1) or Classic (G1) for Pletcher. A six-year-old

gelding, Balto Star is probably better suited for the grass.

Dynever has been highly rated all season, but things haven't

come together as expected for the four-year-old. He didn't finish

quickly in the Meadowlands Cup, but it was his first start off a

layoff and he could continue to show more next time. Last year's

Classic third-place finisher, Dynever gets part often and could

come running late again this year for a small prize.

MUSTANFAR (Unbridled) took to the 1 1/2-mile distance well

with an authoritative three-length victory in Saturday's Sycamore

Breeders' Cup (G3), overhauling his rivals at the top of the

stretch with a powerful finish. The three-year-old colt will face

a titanic class hike in the Breeders' Cup Turf, but he looks like

a grass horse with a bright future.

Most of the Breeders' Cup prep races are over, but the Queen

Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland and Hawthorne Derby

(G3) still remain. Both will be held Saturday.