BC Mile J

BREEDERS' CUP

PREVIEWS

An intriguing group of 11 turf specialists will travel one mile over the

Santa Anita lawn in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). Defending

champ KIP DEVILLE (Kipling) disappointed with an uncharacteristic fifth-place

effort in the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) last out but could still go favored in this

test for Richard Dutrow. While we feel that the five-year-old is still a prime

threat in here if he's right, we must look elsewhere for a winner.

WHATSTHESCRIPT (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]) has been superb since transferring

to the barn of John Sadler for his 2008 campaign, and the talented turf star

looks poised for a score on this day. A top performer since the day he arrived

in the United States, the four-year-old began his season with a runaway romp in

the American H. (G2) at Hollywood Park in June and, following a runner-up showing in

the nine-furlong Eddie Read H. (G1), the bay rolled home in the Del Mar Mile H.

(G2), signaling that this trip is his ideal one. The Irish-bred has posted some

fine morning drills while being freshened for this test and is a two-time winner

over this lawn. We especially love the fact that the colt is a stellar 5-4-0-0

at this distance.

The unquestioned class of this race is dual Group 1 heroine GOLDIKOVA (Ire) (Anabaa)

for trainer Freddie Head. The sterling bay sophomore has reeled off a trio of

consecutive group scores, the last pair in Group 1 company, including a

monstrous effort in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1) last out over

Europe's best. The three-year-old has never been worse than second at this

distance, is arguably the top miler in Europe and brings in champion pilot

Olivier Peslier to ride her in this affair. We view the lass as a serious

proposition in this one.

California-lover PRECIOUS KITTEN (Catienus) lost all chance in the Breeders'

Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last season when pushed out toward the grandstand

at Monmouth, but the Bobby Frankel trainee will surely have better luck this go around.

The dark bay five-year-old has won her last four outings in the Golden State,

all pretty handily and against the ladies, but will encounter the opposite sex

on this day. Although she's the second best miss in this field, our feeling is

that she can run with anything else in this field when she's on the top of her

game, and we view her as a prime top-three threat if she gets the right trip

just off the pace.

The well-bred U S RANGER (Danzig) is allegedly something of a head case for

conditioner Aidan O'Brien, but the talented four-year-old fits well with this

field from a talent standpoint. The multiple stakes winner is winless in seven

tries this year but has faced the best in his division, and he counts three

placings, including a pair in Group 1 company. While this field is more

evenly-matched than superb, a colt like this who is battled tested makes a great

amount of sense in his U.S. debut, and his price should be fair as well. The

tactical four-year-old should be within range throughout this contest.

WAR MONGER (War Chant) has often hinted that he may be something special in

the making, but the Bill Mott trainee has yet to elevate to a higher status while

hanging late in his last pair of races. The bay four-year-old looked like the

proverbial freak with his impressive Sunshine Millions Turf S. at Gulfstream to

begin his four-year-old campaign, but the colt hasn't won since while burning a

lot of greenbacks. The bay has good positional speed and usually stays on for a

piece, so we find him as a valuable exotics player, but we won't place him in

the top slot due to his win-shy nature.

We think highly of the training ability of Richard Dutrow and his results

speak for themselves, but we can't understand why Kip Deville has had only three

races this year when he's been perfectly sound according to his connections. The

grossly talented gray has been the best turf miler in the United States for some time,

and his performances have been as visually impressive as one could hope for, but

that last showing at Woodbine scares us in a big way. There is much to like

about Kip Deville, his perfect mark over this course, fine tactical speed and big

closing kick and his 13-9-1-0 mark at this distance, but we simply won't take a

small price on a horse who isn't as sharp as he was one year ago, even if this

field is easier on paper than that of a year ago.

The erratic SHAKIS (Ire) (Machiavellian) has strung together a trio of smart

performances for Kiaran McLaughlin, including a late-running score in the

Bernard Baruch H. (G2) at Saratoga three races prior. The eight-year-old is not

a true miler and hasn't faced the top turf animals in the states as of late, so

we define the chances of him winning long. However, the pace in this one should

be lively, and he could conceivably rally for a minor share with his best.

AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) is 0-3-0 from four tries on the lawn and has two

seconds from as many tries at the distance. The most recent of those came on the

turf in the Wickerr S. at Del Mar, where the Craig Dollase charge rallied for

second by a nose. The five-year-old chestnut is a hard-knocking runner who

usually manages to grab part no matter where he's placed.

BOLD CHIEFTAIN (Chief Seattle) was a strong second in the Del Mar Mile two back and is a superb 9-5-3-0

on the lawn, but the smart

five-year-old has never won a graded race and has found a difficult spot in

which to do

so. The consistent California-bred is very tactical and could potentially

complete the trifecta or superfecta at huge odds if a few of the others fail to

fire.

DAYTONA (Ire) (Indian Ridge) peaked at the beginning of the year but hasn't

looked like the same horse in his last pair for Dan Hendricks. The speedy

chestnut appeared untouchable through the latter stages of 2007 to this summer, but

the four-year-old has not impressed as of late and comes into this in

questionable form. We'd place the gelding a lot higher in here if it weren't for

the abundance of pace signed on in here.

THORN SONG (Unbridled's Song) earned his biggest win in his last, when wiring

a useful bunch in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) for Dale Romans. The gray

Kentucky-bred was a nice winner of the Firecracker H. (G2) earlier in this

campaign and has won three of his four attempts at this distance, but he's a cut

below in our mind and he's likely to have some company on the lead, as well.

We're not fond of his chances in here.