Breeders' Cup 2013 Saturday Previews

BREEDERS' CUP SATURDAY

PREVIEWS

BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC (G1),

12TH-SA, $5,000,000, 3YO/UP, 1 1/4M, 8:35PM, 11-2

The $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic lost a starter when Ron the Greek was

scratched Thursday due to a foot abscess, but it's still a terrific field of 11

in the 1 1/4-mile race.

Favoritism will belong to Game On Dude, who lost all chance last year when

breaking slowly and wound up a disappointing seventh as the 6-5 favorite. We're

expecting him to break better this year and respect the chances of the

high-class gelding, but there is the opportunity for value with a horse that's

done it before.

1ST -- FORT LARNED was overlooked at 9-1 in last year's Classic following a

well-beaten third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He wasn't the sharpest performer

in his final start for this year's Classic, allowing a sizable lead to shrink

considerably in the final furlong, and has dropped three of five starts this

season (albeit one setback when he lost jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. at the

start).

Detractors believe Fort Larned isn't the same horse this time around and we

welcome that opinion -- the five-year-old is listed at 6-1 on the morning line

and we would love to see his price upward. But we heartily disagree with the

assertion.

Fort Larned earned the top BRIS Speed rating this year for any horse in the

Classic field when posting an impressive 6 1/4-length victory in the June 15

Stephen Foster three starts back, equaling his career-best in last year's

Classic with a whopping 114. Trainer Ian Wilkes eased up in the bay son of E

Dubai's preparation for last year's Classic (a one-paced effort in the Jockey

Club) and did the same this year.

But the trainer knows how to tighten the screws for big races, working Fort

Larned three times in a nine-day period recently, the last two sharp

five-furlong drills, and we expect to see the horse show up with his best

Saturday.

Thursday's card at Santa Anita was favoring speed and that's Fort Larned's

calling card -- he's drawn inside of Game On Dude in post 7 and will break

running with Hernandez. Does he like the track at Santa Anita? Well, he was

cruising while posting fast splits last year (half-mile in :46 2/5 and a mile in

1:34 3/5) and finished full of run. The 10-furlong distance is right up his

alley and we like him wire to wire.

2ND -- GAME ON DUDE can sit second behind the top choice and last year's top

two finishers (Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man) ran like a yo-yo the entire way.

We'll look for the same result this year.

Game On Dude is unbeaten in six starts since the 2012 Classic fiasco,

including major wins at the 10-furlong distance in the Santa Anita Handicap,

Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic, but those races came against suspect

competition. He's facing much better rivals in this spot, but we won't

underestimate the son of Awesome Again's affinity for the track (seven for

eight) and hard-trying nature. He posted a commendable second in the 2011

Classic at Churchill Downs after dueling on the front end.

Mike Smith, the all-time winningest rider in Breeders' Cup history, has the

mount and Game On Dude runs well fresh. We like the move by Bob Baffert to

bypass the September 28 Awesome Again (which the gelding had captured the last

two years) and train him up to the race off of a 69-day layoff. Game On Dude

looks very capable.

3RD -- FLAT OUT will make his third consecutive appearance in the Classic and

finished a sneaky third last year following an extremely wide trip. He entered

the last two Classics off of victories in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, essentially

peaking in those performances, but the seven-year-old horse wound up an even

third in the race this year and that could benefit the Bill Mott charge.

His BRIS numbers are strong and Flat Out will offer some appeal as an upset

candidate (12-1 morning line). We're concerned that could leave himself too much

to do in the stretch, but will look for him to come running late for part.

Others: PALACE MALICE exits a second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and could

sit a good trip just off the speed in the Classic. The three-year-old faces a

tall task against elders in this spot, but his BRIS numbers are on par with most

of these rivals and we won't dismiss him from top three consideration.

DECLARATION OF WAR figures to be finishing up strongly if he takes to dirt for

conditioner Aidan O'Brien. The multiple Group 1 winner has the pedigree to make

a smooth transition (by War Front), but it will be interesting to see how far

back the late runner is during the early stages. We'll still include him

underneath on some tickets. MUCHO MACHO MAN finished second in last year's

Classic and exits a romping victory in the Awesome Again, netting a 113 Speed

rating. However, he seldom strings together massive efforts and doesn't figure

to enjoy the same prime trip that benefited him last year. We won't dissuade any

one from using him underneath, but are inclined to take a stand against.

BREEDERS' CUP MILE (G1),

11TH-SA, $2,000,000, 3YO/UP, 1MT, 7:40PM, 11-2

The Breeders' Cup Mile shapes up as a referendum on defending champion WISE

DAN: will the reigning Horse of the Year repeat, or is an upset brewing?

A glance at the list of previous Mile champs who tried to win two in a row is

instructive. True greats like Miesque, Lure and Goldikova all succeeded, while

good horses of slightly lesser caliber -- Steinlen, Six Perfections, Singletary

and Kip Deville -- failed. (We haven't forgotten Da Hoss, but he wasn't in

consecutive years). There's no argument about which camp Wise Dan belongs in:

the triple Eclipse Award winner has the profile of back-to-back Mile champions,

not "one-termers."

1ST -- WISE DAN deserves his short odds as the most likely winner over the

entire two-day Championships. But for a last-minute deluge that switched the

Shadwell Mile onto the Keeneland Polytrack, he would have brought a 10-race

winning streak into the Mile. According to Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez,

the powerful mover just couldn't get traction on the synthetic surface riddled

with puddles, and had to settle for second to the loose-on-the-lead SILVER MAX.

That outcome was unthinkable had the race stayed on turf, so it shouldn't have a

bearing here.

For the previous 14 months, Wise Dan had been literally unbeatable. He

crowned his 2012 Horse of the Year campaign with a record-setting triumph in

this race. By scorching in 1:31 3/5, he broke both Santa Anita's course mark and

the Breeders' Cup Mile stakes record. The Charlie LoPresti charge extended his

sequence through his first five outings this season, including substantial

weight-bearing exploits in the Firecracker and Fourstardave Handicaps. Wise Dan

not only won the September 15 Woodbine Mile for the second year in a row, but he

set a course record over the E.P. Taylor turf by blitzing in 1:31 3/5.

LoPresti revealed that Wise Dan was "mad" after his shock loss in the

Shadwell Mile, and that insight into his personality should make his opponents

all the more worried. The future Hall of Famer has posted a couple of sharp

half-mile works at Keeneland, and last week, he blew out in blistering time at

the end of a routine gallop, suggesting that he's sitting on a big rebound

effort.

Last year at Santa Anita, Wise Dan faced a stiffer European challenge and an

inside draw. This time, the internationals have more questions to answer, and

Wise Dan will be in the clear throughout from post 8.

2ND -- OBVIOUSLY, third to Wise Dan in the 2012 edition, has been pegged at a

high 10-1 on the morning line after his implosion in the City of Hope Mile. But

the talented front runner had an excuse that day: he reportedly exited his

subpar fourth with gravel in a hoof. It's plausible considering that he opened

up before uncharacteristically weakening, and getting swamped by NO JET LAG and

HE BE FIRE N ICE.

Until the City of Hope, Obviously had been six-for-seven at a mile, his lone

loss the aforementioned third here a year ago. The Mike Mitchell charge had also

been heavily favored in six of his last seven, again except for the 2012 Mile,

making Saturday's odds an outlier.

Mitchell has conceded that they've gotten the tactics wrong of late. Instead

of trying to rate him on the front end, or chase the pace, connections have

realized that they were taking away his biggest weapon -- his raw early speed.

Obviously is going to be turned loose from the gate on Saturday, in a bold

catch-me-if-you-can tactic. He can take this field a long way if at his best,

and his two recent bullets over the course imply that he is.

3RD -- OLYMPIC GLORY has stellar European form, which would ordinarily cause

him to be rated more highly here. Yet the Richard Hannon trainee has a couple of

knocks against him: he wheels back just two weeks after a new career high in the

Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot, and he is a candidate to blow the turns, after

failing to corner well at Longchamp twice this year.

On paper, Olympic Glory's not quite as compelling as the 2012 European

invaders, Excelebration and Moonlight Cloud, neither of whom put their best foot

forward at Santa Anita. Perhaps significantly, Excelebration was also coming

back on short rest from a similarly-impressive triumph in the QE II.

But despite those caveats, Olympic Glory is simply too dangerous to discount.

By Choisir (also the sire of Obviously), he brings a sparkling career record of

10-6-3-0. The addition of blinkers woke him up in the QE II, where he rolled to

a 3 1/4-length conquest of a Group 1 field. The margin was inflated because of

the desperately soft ground, but he's capable on much better going as well. In

August, he nearly caught Moonlight Cloud in course-record time in the Prix

Jacques le Marois at Deauville. If he can run up to that level around two turns,

he's a threat, and in light of the question marks around him, his odds could

drift.

OTHERS -- SILENTIO could crash the exotics at a big price of 20-1 on the

morning line. Never off the board in five local starts, the Gary Mandella colt

captured the Sir Beaufort last December, got up for third in the Arcadia, and

missed by a whisker in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile. Silentio was clearly below his

best when last of five behind Wise Dan in the Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland

(where he found himself in the unaccustomed position of leading early).

Resurfacing from a 4 1/2-month layoff in the August 25 Del Mar Mile, he was a

close third to Obviously and He Be Fire N Ice, and ought to move forward with

that under his belt. Silentio has been training briskly over the Hollywood

Cushion Track, and promises to outperform his odds on Saturday.

ZA APPROVAL, a half-brother to 2006 Mile upsetter Miesque's Approval, is an

admirably consistent type from the Christophe Clement barn. Runner-up to Wise

Dan in the Woodbine Mile and to Obviously in the Shoemaker Mile back in June, Za

Approval has scored his signature wins at the Grade 3 level (the Appleton, Red

Bank and Knickerbocker last out). The firm-turf lover will get his preferred

conditions and is another to include in the exotics.

SILVER MAX has never won unless he's on the lead, and barring something

unforeseen happening with Obviously, we just don't think that he has the gears

to outpace Obviously early. NO JET LAG and HE BE FIRE N ICE took advantage of

Obviously's flop to run one-two in the City of Hope. They created an excellent

visual impression along with a superb final time (1:31 4/5), and a repeat of

that would put them squarely in the mix. Yet this is a far tougher assignment,

and we're taking a more cautious view of both.

CRISTOFORO COLOMBO is some way below Aidan O'Brien's typical runners in this

race. A smart two-year-old who placed to Dawn Approach and Olympic Glory last

season, he hasn't done anything at three to suggest that he can cope with this

group. BRIGHT THOUGHT brings a perfect three-for-three mark over the course, but

was last seen setting a world record for 1 1/2 miles in the March 16 San Luis

Rey. The speedy type returns from an injury-induced layoff and figures to get

burned up early.

BREEDERS' CUP SPRINT (G1),

10TH-SA, $1,500,000, 3YO/UP, 6F, 7:01PM, 11-2

East Coast shippers with no prior experience over the track have done

surprisingly well in past renewals of the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita,

winning three of the four previously contested on dirt. However, we'll go

against the grain and pick an Eastern-based contender who used to call

California home.

1ST -- FAST BULLET wasn't quite ready for prime time when trying the 2012

Sprint off two overnight wins, both of which occurred in the fall of 2011.

However, former trainer Bob Baffert knew there was something special about the

colt, who subsequently dominated allowances foes at Hollywood and then captured

the June 8 True North Handicap at Belmont off a six-month layoff.

Transferred from Baffert to Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas in August, Fast

Bullet was the favored part of an odds-on entry in the August 31 Forego at

Saratoga. However, the five-year-old was outrun to the lead over a sloppy track

and gradually gave way in a discouraging effort.

Likely to see faster conditions while shortening up from seven furlongs, Fast

Bullet appears to have a legitimate chance here if able to repeat his True North

performance. He will also be reunited with Joel Rosario, who guided him to that

Belmont victory.

For fans of pedigree, Fast Bullet's family is replete with Breeders' Cup

influences. His sire, Speightstown, won this race at Lone Star Park in 2004.

Fast Bullet's dam, Renfro Valley Star, is the product of a mating between Dayjur,

who famously lost the 1990 Sprint at Belmont Park after jumping shadows shortly

before the wire, and Brave Raj, who captured the 1986 Juvenile Fillies at Santa

Anita.

2ND -- PRIVATE ZONE shipped east and ran that region's best sprinters off

their feet in the September 28 Vosburgh for trainer Doug O'Neill. Seizing

an uncontested lead, the gelding successfully fought off a challenge from JUSTIN

PHILLIP to win by a neck.

A champion in Panama prior to his re-importation, Private Zone has now won

two straight after going through a string of second-place finishes over this

circuit last winter. He was the runner-up in the $100,000 Damascus on the 2012

Breeders' Cup undercard, and occupied the same slot in the Vernon O. Underwood, Malibu and Palos Verdes.

As favorably as the track helped front runners a year ago, Private Zone is

far from being the only one here with early foot. Regardless of how the track is

playing, he will need to fight off not only speedy rivals but also closers who

will undoubtedly be aided by fractions he will help set.

3RD -- GENTLEMEN'S BET was bumped early and was conceding racing experience

over Keeneland's Polytrack when beaten into fourth as the favorite in last

month's Phoenix, but the Ron Moquett trainee should be well suited by a

return to dirt.

The four-year-old turned in some powerful efforts over the summer, cruising

by more than five lengths in a Churchill Downs allowance before taking down the

streaking Delaunay in the $122,000 Iowa Sprint H. at Prairie Meadows. He

couldn't quite hold off the closers JUSTIN PHILLIP and BAHAMIAN SQUALL in the

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga after getting involved in a speed duel,

but his third-place effort was commendable nonetheless.

Back on his preferred surface and making his second start off a layoff, we

expect to see more from this potentially overlooked shipper.

OTHERS -- JUSTIN PHILLIP has enjoyed a career season while taking the

Vanderbilt and Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, but the Steve Asmussen trainee

struggled to contend over this surface last winter and might not be a fan of it.

The Bob Baffert-trained SECRET CIRCLE was impressive winning a

course-and-distance allowance on October 14, 18 months after running a distant

second to stablemate Bodemeister in the Arkansas Derby in his previous outing.

The Eddington colt has never finished worse than second in eight starts and won

the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint at Churchill two years ago. We'll see how he

handles the tougher competition this time.

SUM OF THE PARTS, dueled into submission by eventual winner and champion

TRINNIBERG in last year's Sprint, is back for another try after turning in a

repeat victory in the Phoenix at Keeneland on October 4. While much more

formidable on synthetic surfaces, the speedy Speightstown colt only missed by

three lengths last year and could hang around a long time again if the track is

similarly speed-friendly.

Last year's winner TRINNIBERG has fared poorly in two of three starts since a

trip to Dubai, while THE LUMBER GUY has run below par since his runner-up finish

here a year ago.

BREEDERS' CUP TURF (G1),

9TH-SA, $3,000,000, 3YO/UP, 1 1/2MT, 6:22PM, 11-2

The Breeders' Cup Turf has historically pitted North America's finest against

high-class internationals, and Saturday's renewal is in keeping with that

standard.

Two of the top contenders have unfinished business from a year ago: POINT OF

ENTRY was a troubled runner-up to LITTLE MIKE in the 2012 Turf, while English

filly THE FUGUE was a bottled-up third in the Filly & Mare Turf. Each would be a

worthy winner, with the ever-attractive storyline of righting a wrong.

At the same time, perennial underdog Little Mike aims to join High Chaparral

and Conduit as the only two-time winners of the Turf. But at the risk of

overlooking his merit once again, it's worth noting that this race is littered

with dethroned champions. No fewer than seven have been unceremoniously toppled,

most recently 2011 hero St Nicholas Abbey last year, and we can't escape the

notion that Little Mike will fall victim to the overbearing trend.

1ST -- THE FUGUE enters in career-best form for her astute trainer John

Gosden, who sent out Royal Heroine to beat males in the inaugural Mile and Dar

Re Mi to finish third in the 2009 Turf. The Fugue races for the same connections

as Dar Re Mi. Both distaffers were multiple Group 1 winners, but The Fugue

brings an even stronger resume to Santa Anita than Dar Re Mi, already boasting a

victory over males.

Last time out, the four-year-old daughter of Dansili steamrolled triple Group

1 winner Al Kazeem and Irish Derby victor Trading Leather in the Irish Champion

at Leopardstown. Not only is that an impeccable piece of form, but it was

accomplished in a most commanding manner.

The Fugue steps up from 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/2 miles here. While the longer

distance would have been cause for pause a year ago, she proved herself at this

trip two starts back in the Yorkshire Oaks. Cantering all over the opposition

and making some fine fillies look second-rate, The Fugue bolted up by four

lengths in a fast time at York.

An ultra-reliable sort, The Fugue has been unplaced only twice in 12 career

starts, with excuses in both. When making her second career start in the 2012

One Thousand Guineas, she was compromised by being struck into by a rival, but

still managed to finish fourth. Her other blip was a last in the July 6 Eclipse,

after which she returned a dirty scope. Otherwise, The Fugue has been

rock-solid. She promises to avoid costly traffic trouble from post 7, and can

become the first female since Miss Alleged (1991) to carry off the spoils.

2ND -- POINT OF ENTRY is a short price for a horse returning from a condylar

fracture, but then again, it's very unlike Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey

to attempt such an audacious comeback. We'll trust McGaughey's opinion and

expect him to run close to his best.

Arguably North America's top turf horse at this distance, Point of Entry has

won seven of his last eight starts. His lone reverse in this time span came in

this race last year. Shuffled farther back early than customary, he flew late,

but just failed to collar Little Mike in record-setting time. Had he carved out

his usual trip from within striking distance, it's highly likely that Point of

Entry would be here as the defending champion, not a vengeance-seeker.

The royally-bred son of Dynaformer has won both of his 2013 outings off

layoffs, underscoring his ability to fire fresh. In the February 9 Gulfstream

Park Turf, he quickened in dazzling fashion to outkick Animal Kingdom, at a

nine-furlong trip that should have favored that Kentucky Derby/Dubai World Cup

winner. After a slightly longer four-month holiday, Point of Entry captured the

June 8 Manhattan Handicap, despite the yielding ground that he doesn't like. He

exited that game effort with his aforementioned injury, but has been training

with gusto of late.

3RD -- INDY POINT looked like an above-average winner of the local prep, the

John Henry Turf Championship, for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. Both of

Mandella's Turf winners have come here at Santa Anita, Kotashaan (1993) and

Johar (dead-heat in 2003), and the 10-year cycle could be operative again.

The Argentinean import brought strong credentials from his homeland, albeit

mostly on dirt. He won his turf debut in the Jockey Club 130 Aniversario

over 1 1/4 miles, and in his only ensuing try on the surface, he finished a solid

second in the 1 1/2-mile Carlos Pellegrini -- South America's equivalent of the

Arc. That was especially commendable considering that he was a three-year-old,

and the winner, Going Somewhere, is currently competing in Group 1s in France.

Indy Point has won two of three since joining Mandella. After easily

accounting for the Wickerr in his U.S. premiere, he flopped in the Arlington

Million, but exited his uncharacteristic non-effort lame. He got back on track

in the John Henry, stopping the clock in 1:57 2/5 for 1 1/4 miles, and figures to

deliver once more.

OTHERS  -- MAGICIAN has the look of a possible bomb for Aidan O'Brien,

based on his impressive scores in the Dee Stakes and Irish Two Thousand Guineas

back in May. His subsequent disappointment in the St James's Palace is a total

toss, since he had sustained a setback that should have ruled him out.

LITTLE MIKE showed a new dimension by winning the 2012 Turf from just off the

pace, and he reverted to stalking tactics to upset the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

in his latest. Either way, Little Mike tends to seize the occasion if the

principals fail, and he usually doesn't pull off back-to-back surprises. The

Dale Romans veteran could employ his more typical front-running style this time,

unless the outclassed SKYRING or the declining TEAKS NORTH decide to take up the

running.

BIG BLUE KITTEN encountered costly trouble in the Joe Hirsch, or else he

would have nipped Little Mike at the line, and the Chad Brown pupil warrants

respect as the winner of the United Nations and Sword Dancer. Still, his

ascendancy has an opportunistic look, in the absence of Point of Entry.

Stablemate REAL SOLUTION has been performing at a high level (being awarded the

Arlington Million via disqualification and finishing third in both the Manhattan

and the Joe Hirsch) but has evinced a tendency to hang in deep stretch.

TWILIGHT ECLIPSE broke the world record for 1 1/2 miles in the March 23 Pan

American on the Gulfstream turf, and similarly fast conditions could bring out

the best in him. He hasn't been able to beat Big Blue Kitten yet, though.

VAGABOND SHOES and TALE OF A CHAMPION likewise need to improve markedly to

factor.

BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE (G1),

8TH-SA, $2,000,000, 2YO, C/G, 1 1/16M, 5:43PM, 11-2

A full gate load of 14 colts and geldings will chase a $2 million purse and a

likely Eclipse Award championship in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile over 1 1/16

miles, and a couple of the leading candidates from the East have drawn the

widest posts.

1ST -- HAVANA, like prior Todd Pletcher champions Uncle Mo and Shanghai

Bobby, enters the Juvenile undefeated and favored to win.

A 2 3/4-length debut winner at Saratoga in a swift 1:02 3/5 for 5 1/2

furlongs, the son of Belmont Stakes-runner up Dunkirk successfully stretched out

to a mile in the October 5 Champagne, clinging to a neck victory over one

of the East's best juveniles, Honor Code, who is bypassing this race.

The obvious drawback for Havana is that he will have to overcome post 13. To

this point, the gray has been all speed, and if he isn't able to clear he could

be facing an extremely wide trip around the clubhouse turn at the very least. On

the plus side, there isn't a ton of speed inside of him.

Even if he loses a bit of ground, the colt seemingly has enough talent to win

from wherever he's placed. Getting a little dirt in his face and being forced to

rate are lessons that will probably help him in the long term. We'll stick with

him as he looks the best on paper.

2ND -- TAP IT RICH looked excellent taking his debut over a mile on October

12, rallying from 10 lengths back to win going away by 4 1/4 lengths. The Bob

Baffert trainee certainly had some help up front, though, chasing a swift pace

of :22 1/5, :45 4/5 and 1:11.

Whether he gets a similar setup remains to be seen, but the gray has

tremendous upside after that stellar performance. He will need to work out a

trip in this congested field, but might just be able to do so despite his

relative inexperience.

3RD -- NEW YEAR'S DAY, another Baffert trainee, was last seen breaking his

maiden at Del Mar on August 31 going a mile. It was the second career start for

the Street Cry colt, who wound up defeating BOND HOLDER by 1 3/4 lengths. That

rival subsequently landed the FrontRunner over the Juvenile course and

distance by more than two lengths.

The transition to dirt is unlikely to be much of a concern for this colt, and

he certainly drew a much better post than Havana. He figures to be within

striking range throughout breaking from post 4, and seemingly has a bright

future.

OTHERS -- Hopeful winner STRONG MANDATE ran an inexplicably sub-par race

in the Champagne, and was unlucky to draw post 14 here. The monstrous son of Tiznow should appreciate two turns and is certainly capable of rebounding.

The aforementioned BOND HOLDER needed five starts to break his maiden, but

did so in the FrontRunner while making amends for an earlier defeat to DANCE

WITH FATE, the runner-up in both the FrontRunner and the Del Mar Futurity.

MEXIKOMA was an impressive second-out winner for Team Valor International,

taking a one-mile maiden at Delaware Park by nearly 15 lengths. SMARTY'S ECHO,

runner-up in the Breeders' Futurity, is bred to handle the dirt as a son of dual

classic winner and champion Smarty Jones.

BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT (G1),

7TH-SA, $1,000,000, 3YO/UP, *6 1/2FT, 5:05PM, 11-2

Prior winning experience over Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course has

been imperative in the ultimate success of those who've won the Breeders' Cup

Turf Sprint over it, and we see no reason to look away from those contenders in

Saturday's race. Indeed, we expect to see the result look a lot like the 2012

renewal contested over the same course.

1ST -- MIZDIRECTION has been the essence of perfection over Santa Anita's

turf course, winning in all six attempts, including last year's Turf Sprint by a

half-length. Despite entering that race off a layoff of more than five months,

the gray filly was live on the tote, dropping from a morning line price of 20-1

down to 6-1.

Mizdirection continued her winning ways into 2013, taking the Monrovia and Las Cienegas over the Turf Sprint course and distance, and squeezing a

victory in the Buena Vista over a mile in between. Her win streak was

snapped in her latest start, the June 8 Just a Game at Belmont, which was

contested over a soggy turf that was definitely not to her liking.

Trained by Mike Puype and racing for a partnership that includes sports radio

personality Jim Rome, Mizdirection appears to be coming into her title defense

in excellent fashion. She's been firing bullets over this sod for more than a

month, obviously knows how to win off the bench, and shouldn't be hindered much

by post 12 (she won from 11 last year).

2ND -- RENEESGOTZIP finished a solid third behind Mizdirection in this race

last year, and we think she can slightly improve on that here. Making her turf

debut that day, she was outrun for the lead down the hill, made a bid at the

eighth pole, and was simply outrun late by rivals with more experience on the

surface.

That remains her only grass start, but her form this season has been

outstanding. She only got back to racing during the Del Mar meet, posting two

dynamite successes: by 5 1/4 lengths in a stakes-quality allowance and by 4 1/4

lengths in the Rancho Bernardo, both over Polytrack

Perhaps the fastest among those with inside posts, she might be the one

they'll all have to run down.

3RD -- UNBRIDLED'S NOTE entered the 2012 Turf Sprint, for which he was the

mild 9-2 favorite, off a turf debut score in the Eddie D. He ran a winning

race, but found Mizdirection slightly better.

Subsequently victorious in the course-and-distance Joe Hernandez H., the

Steve Asmussen trainee was put back on dirt several times before and after

without winning. He returned to grass to defend his title in the Eddie D on

September 27, but might have been a tad rusty when falling a half-length short

of CHIPS ALL IN.

While certainly capable of moving forward second time off the layoff,

Unbridled's Note will have to overcome post 14 here after drawing 13 a year ago.

OTHERS -- CHIPS ALL IN is another course-and-distance specialist with tallies

in the Eddie D and the April 20 San Simeon this term. He's an obvious

threat, but hasn't won back-to-back since his juvenile days in 2011.

CARACORTADO finished a close fourth in the Eddie D, which was his first

outing in nearly 16 months, and could move forward off that tightener. BOAT TRIP

is improving rapidly and just missed pulling off a 7-1 upset of the Eddie D by a

nose.

Among the shippers, HAVELOCK has shown a tremendous closing kick at times, in

particular at Keeneland, where he won the Woodford by two lengths last out

after trailing by nearly eight lengths turning for home.

BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE

SPRINT (G1), 6TH-SA, $1,000,000, 3YO/UP, F/M, 7F, 4:21PM, 11-2

A divisional championship has been clinched in five of the first six runnings

of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, so there will be a lot riding on the

outcome of this $1 million, seven-furlong dash for fillies and mares.

1ST -- JUDY THE BEAUTY, a smart performer who has hit the board in all 12

career starts, makes her first Breeders' Cup appearance here and enters at the peak

of her powers. Owned and trained by former Eclipse Award-winning apprentice

jockey Wesley Ward, the four-year-old Ghostzapper filly exits the Thoroughbred

Club of America at Keeneland, which she won by a length.

The TCA was the first graded stakes win for the filly, who's carried her form

wherever she's traveled, including trips to France and Canada as a two-year-old.

The race at Keeneland was contested over Polytrack, and though she has never

recorded a win on dirt, second-place finishes in races like the Gallant Bloom Handicap, Spinaway, Princess Rooney Handicap and Prioress suggest that

surface is not much of an issue.

Class-wise, Judy the Beauty stacks up well. In addition to handing defending

champion and last year's Filly & Mare Sprint winner GROUPIE DOLL a defeat at

Keeneland last time, she was a sharp second in the 2012 Gallant Bloom to Dust

and Diamonds, who ran second to Groupie Doll in this race a year ago. In other

words, Judy the Beauty could have been in the mix for a minor award here last

season. She's a better filly this time around, and is our selection to pull off

the minor upset.

2ND -- DANCE TO BRISTOL, who is based at the old Bowie racetrack in Maryland

with trainer Ollie Figgins III, has enjoyed a busy campaign. In

nine starts this term, the four-year-old has won seven and run second twice. Her

seven race-win streak this year included scores in the Ballerina, Honorable

Miss Handicap and Bed o' Roses Handicap, two of which were over seven-eighths of

a mile.

Dance to Bristol exits a second-place finish in the September 21 Gallant

Bloom, which she lost to Cluster of Stars by five lengths. That New York-bred

rival is still undefeated and would have been one of the favorites here if her

connections had chose to run.

Dance to Bristol was simply beaten by a better filly that day, and perhaps

bettors should have been tipped off to a possible upset as her Bowie works

weren't quite as sharp entering that race as they had been before the Ballerina.

She's been back to firing bullets in the Maryland woods, and should be respected

here despite her lack of experience over the surface.

3RD -- GROUPIE DOLL turned in an extraordinary effort to win this race with

relative ease last season, overcoming a wide draw and trip over a track that was

tilted in favor of front runners. She drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths, and was

rightfully awarded the championship of her division.

Things have not gone as smoothly for the five-year-old this season. Kept out

of action until August due to undisclosed ailments, she was only third in the

Gardenia against a modest group in her comeback. She seemed better than

ever when making a wide, winning bid in the Presque Isle Downs Masters while setting a track record, but she disappointed in the Thoroughbred Club of

America last time, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Judy the Beauty.

Groupie Doll could prove us wrong and win again, but she just doesn't seem to

be entering this race as strongly this time. An odds-on choice in 2012, she

probably won't be that short of a price here, but it's still hard to take short odds on what seems like a vulnerable favorite on paper.

OTHERS -- BOOK REVIEW won the La Brea over this course and distance last

December, and has finished first or second in an abbreviated four-race campaign

this term. She followed up a score in the A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood with a

head loss to Dance to Bristol in the Ballerina at Saratoga on August 23, and is

the kind that  seems to run well fresh. She'll have a chance for one of the

major checks if the track is playing fairly.

TEDDY'S PROMISE has won five of nine over the Santa Anita strip and three of

eight going seven furlongs. She's done quite well at the "Great Race Place" this

season, taking the Santa Monica, L.A. Woman and Kalookan Queen, and

finishing second in the Las Flores. However, there are still class concerns

given her eighth-place effort in the 2012 Filly & Mare Sprint despite setting

the pace over a speed-friendly surface.

BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE TURF

(G1), 5TH-SA, $2,000,000, 3YO/UP, F/M, 1 1/4MT, 3:43PM, 11-2

Saturday's 15th renewal of the Filly & Mare Turf revolves around two key

questions: will LAUGHING really be allowed to commit highway robbery for the

fourth straight time, and will DANK duplicate her stunning victory in the

Beverly D.?

Although either outcome would be logical, we're inclined to go in a different

direction. Precisely because Laughing looms as the lone front runner on paper,

her rivals ought to be alive to the danger, and ready to employ counter-methods.

And as explosive as Dank was at Arlington, that performance surpassed anything

she'd done before in Europe, so it wouldn't be a surprise if she comes back to

earth a bit here.

1ST -- French-based ROMANTICA, a Juddmonte Farms homebred out of 2001 Filly &

Mare Turf star Banks Hill, checks all of the proverbial boxes: a 10-furlong

specialist who loves quick conditions, brings a high level of European form, and

can stalk and pounce.

Trained by the masterful Andre Fabre, who also conditioned Banks Hill,

Romantica has an arguably stronger European resume than Dank. The Galileo filly

captured the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville two starts back, comfortably

defeating a high-class rival in Dalkala. Romantica was likewise more

accomplished than Dank as a sophomore. After finishing second to Ridasiyna in

last season's Prix Chloe, Romantica emphatically turned the tables on that Group

1-winning foe in the Prix de la Nonette.

Both of those major victories came at about this distance. Indeed, Romantica

is three-for-four at 1 1/4 miles, including a score in the April 29 Prix Allez

France at Chantilly, where she toted the co-top weight of 128 pounds.

Romantica is a model of consistency, as her 10-4-2-2 record attests. She

turned in her only unplaced efforts in the past two runnings of the 1 1/2-mile

Prix Vermeille, both on unsuitably soft ground. Seventh in the September 15

renewal last time out, Romantica was beaten 10 lengths by Treve -- no disgrace

considering how Treve went on to manhandle the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe field.

Back on much better turf and at her preferred distance here, Romantica has

plenty of appeal at 6-1 on the morning line. Regular rider Maxime Guyon will try

to work out a sensible trip, without getting buried, from post 2.

2ND -- DANK is the one to beat if she's able to deliver another jaw-dropping

effort for Sir Michael Stoute, who trained Islington to a 2003 Filly & Mare Turf

victory here at Santa Anita.

By Dansili (a full brother to Banks Hill and also the sire of Laughing), Dank

was useful at three, when her highlight was a victory in the Atalanta.

But she has improved markedly as a four-year-old. Three-for-four this campaign,

Dank outdueled Chigun in the May 5 Dahlia, placed a grinding third in the

one-mile Duke of Cambridge at Royal Ascot, and easily landed the July 21 Kilboy

Estate on her return to nine furlongs.

The August 17 Beverly D. marked her first attempt beyond that trip, and she

looked better than ever. Slamming MARKETING MIX and drawing off by 4 1/4

lengths, Dank nearly broke the Arlington course record in by far her biggest

career win. She has been freshened since then with an eye toward this race. She

has a potentially tricky draw in post 1, and in light of The Fugue's desperate

hard-luck story on the inside last year, stable rider Ryan Moore will probably

have to extricate her from a pocket.

3RD -- MARKETING MIX, last year's Filly & Mare Turf runner-up, hasn't been

seen to best effect in her last pair. But her crafty connections -- trainer Tom

Proctor and Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens -- can engineer a turnaround.

While Marketing Mix was no match for Dank when fourth in the Beverly D., that

wasn't a fair reflection of her ability. She was cutting back substantially in

trip from her good-looking score over males in the 1 1/2-mile Sunset Handicap,

and simply lacked her typical finishing speed in the circumstances.

Marketing Mix did much better next time in her title defense in the September

28 Rodeo Drive over this course and distance. Yet unlike last year, when a hot

pace played right into her hands, this time the Rodeo Drive turned into a

sit-and-sprint. A dash to the wire like that will favor one with a superior turn

of foot, and TIZ FLIRTATIOUS just outkicked Marketing Mix in a bang-bang finish.

That was reminiscent of how she lost the 2012 Filly & Mare Turf, thanks to the

late zip of Zagora.

If Marketing Mix is content to let Laughing try to steal it, or if she moves

in tandem with the likes of Romantica, Dank and Tiz Flirtatious, she'll get

outkicked again. But given her cruising speed and proven stamina, Stevens might

well take the initiative, make an early move on Marketing Mix, take the sting

out of the closers, and dare them to run her down.

OTHERS -- There's precious little to choose between TIZ FLIRTATIOUS and

Marketing Mix, as evidenced by their trading narrow decisions in the May 27

Gamely and the Rodeo Drive. Tiz Flirtatious has such a ferocious late kick off a

slow pace that she stands to benefit most if the Filly & Mare Turf serves up

another early crawl.

LAUGHING was the subject of a developing story on Friday, as she didn't ship

well, and it's highly questionable if she can turn in a top effort in her

presumed condition. The Alan Goldberg trainee isn't a need-the-lead type, but if she keeps being given it on a

silver platter, she takes it. She capitalized on the

notorious speed bias at Saratoga in both the Diana and the Ballston Spa, then

lulled her rivals to sleep through pedestrian fractions in Belmont's Flower Bowl

Invitational. The Flower Bowl has historically been the most significant prep

for this race, and the form was boosted when runner-up Tannery (Laughing's

stablemate) came back to win Sunday's E.P. Taylor.

QUSHCHI ran a mighty race to get up for fourth in the Flower Bowl, especially

considering her ground loss (she ran 44 feet farther than Laughing, according to

Trakus). A smashing winner of the Waya two starts back, she has bomb potential

for Graham Motion, who sent out Shared Account to stun the 2010 Filly & Mare

Turf. Shared Account was coming off a fifth in the Flower Bowl.

Three-year-olds ALTERITE, EMOLLIENT and KITTEN'S DUMPLINGS look up against it

on form. With Emollient being a fellow Juddmonte homebred with a smattering of

speed when required (as in the Ashland), she could use it to keep Laughing

honest for Romantica. LADY OF SHAMROCK would do well to match her fifth here

last year.

BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES

(G1), 4TH-SA, $2,000,000, 2YO, F, 1 1/16M, 3:05PM, 11-2

Two of the 10 horses entered for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

bring an unbeaten two-for-two mark into the 1 1/16-mile race, and a win by

either would wrap up the Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old filly.

Actually a win by any number in this field would see the Eclipse question

answered, and our top pick is one of only two in the bunch with prior race

experience at Santa Anita.

1ST -- SHE'S A TIGER owns two losses from five starts thus far in her career,

but both were very close on the wire. The most recent came as a head second in

the September 28 Chandelier, Santa Anita's prep for the Juvenile Fillies, and

the other was a half-length runner-up effort in the Sorrento at Del Mar in

August while sprinting.

She's a Tiger didn't seem to have any trouble with the stretch out in the 1

1/16-mile Chandelier, her first time past seven furlongs, and earned very nice

triple-digit BRIS E1 and E2 numbers. That's not all that surprising considering

the Tale of the Cat filly is a half-sister to the speedy Smiling Tiger, who ran

third in the 2010 and 2012 editions of the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Jockey Gary Stevens will have to ration She's a Tiger's speed in the Juvenile

Fillies in the same manner as last year's winner and eventual champion

two-year-old filly Beholder, but the bay miss could very easily lead all the way

home on Saturday.

2ND -- SCANDALOUS ACT will try to win the Juvenile Fillies following the same

path as 2010 heroine Awesome Feather, who kept her career line perfect while

sweeping Calder's Florida Stallion Stakes (FSS) series for fillies en route to a

2 1/4-length victory in the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs.

Scandalous Act doesn't own a perfect mark, throwing in a

seventh-place finish after a poor start in the J J'sdream in late June, but has romped in all four

of her other starts. She completed the FSS by a combined 22 lengths and broke

her maiden by 6 1/2 lengths, all at Calder.

Eduardo Nunez has been in the saddle for all but one of Scandalous Act's

races -- he was forced to miss the mount two back after being thrown one race

prior to getting a leg up on the filly in the Susan's Girl division of the FSS

-- and will take the reins on his first Breeders' Cup mount Saturday.

3RD -- SWEET REASON captured her initial two career starts by a total 12

lengths, including the Spinaway at Saratoga which earned her a field-best BRIS

Speed rating of 103. No other runner in Saturday's field has come close to

posting a triple-digit Speed figure, and a return to that form could easily see

the Leah Gyarmati trainee in the winner's circle.

The biggest question Sweet Reason has to overcome is the distance. The bay

daughter of Street Sense stretched out to a mile in the Frizette last out and

came running to be second on the wire, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. She had a bit of a

bad start, but that shouldn't have affected the late-running miss, and we're

going with the theory she ran out of room and will enjoy the extra sixteenth of

a mile.

OTHERS -- ARTEMIS AGROTERA and UNTAPABLE are the two unbeaten runners in

Saturday's Juvenile Fillies, and either one could keep her mark perfect. Artemis

Agrotera took the Frizette over Sweet Reason last out, but once again we think

the extra distance will benefit the latter miss. Untapable captured the

Pocahontas at Churchill Downs going 1 1/16 miles but was a little green early in

that contest. The Breeders' Cup atmosphere could be too much for the bay filly

to handle at this point.

ROSALIND has proven herself a triple-surface threat in just three races. The

Ken McPeek pupil broke her maiden on Ellis Park's turf, ran third in the

Pocahontas on Churchill's main dirt track, then last out finished second in the

Alcibiades over the Polytrack at Keeneland. The chestnut miss could easily find

herself in contention in the lane on Saturday.

Same thing goes for CONCAVE, who will be trying a conventional dirt surface

for the first time on Saturday. Previously, the bay broke her maiden on

Hollywood's turf before taking the Sorrento on Del Mar's Polytrack. She'll enter

the Juvenile Fillies off a third in the Del Mar Debutante.

SWEET COMPASS beat our top pick in the Chandelier, but the Bob Baffert

trainee's numbers just aren't impressive enough for us to back for the win

though she could make some noise in the top four.