Breeders' Cup Feature

BREEDERS' CUP FEATURE

OCTOBER 31, 2013

Breeders' Cup Saturday

by John Mucciolo

With the Breeders' Cup nearly upon us, we will focus on some potential price

horses that could run big at Santa Anita this Saturday. It has to be noted that

these are not all intended as solely win plays, but also as potentially

long-priced exotics contenders that could help balloon the gimmicks. We tabbed a

pair last year with Mizdirection (Turf Sprint) and Little Mike (Turf), and will

hope to improve on that in 2013.

Classic

It all starts with the big one and Flat Out looks like a play this

year as he flies way under the radar for conditioner Bill Mott. Sent off at a

well-regarded 6-1 last season in this race, the son of Flatter had a severe bias

to rally into but still managed third in what we thought was a sneaky-good

performance that proved he can handle this race track. The bay has not been as

sharp in 2013 as he was in the latter part of 2012, but he's been no slouch

either, winning a pair of graded races with a trio of Grade 1 placings. Third

last out behind a runaway winner in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, this hard-trying

grinder could peak third off the layoff and should get a hearty pace to run into

turning for home. Expect a fine price on the Florida-bred.

We've thought since the summer that Palace Malice was the top

sophomore in the land and we are kind of happy he got dusted in his final prep

for this, when the colt was likely not fully cranked up, thus giving us a better

price for the Classic. Trained by Todd Pletcher, this son of Curlin has posted

formidable BRIS Speed figures of 105, 108 and 105 in his last trio of races in

proving his class, and while he often likes to be close up early, we can see

pilot John Velazquez taking back and running down a speed duel in the stretch.

The bay colt might be an overlay off of his latest showing, when a distant

second in the Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Turf

Much of the attention will go to The Fugue in this race, and rightfully so as

the high-class Euro invader is from an expert barn and comes in with a pair of

smashing Group 1 tallies. But defending champ Little Mike might be the

lone speed in this grassy marathon again and will take some beating if allowed

to set his own fractions for trainer Dale Romans. The gelded son of Spanish

Steps showed a new dimension in rating early before putting in his winning run

in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont last time, and also proved to be very

courageous in fighting off a pair of stern tests in the stretch. We might not

get the 17-1 odds like last season, but the price should be near double-digits

in 2013.

It's hard to tab Point of Entry as a sleeper in any race, but we have

a hunch that the Shug McGaughey trainee might be a bit overlooked in this field

having been unraced since June. The exquisite son of Dynaformer was a fine

runner-up in this tough test a year ago and has done nothing wrong in two starts

since, bagging both, while showing the versatility to be placed anywhere he

needs to in the early going. The bay has been first or second in eight straight

and might even benefit from having a lighter campaign in leading up to this test

for a very good layoff conditioner. If we see 5-1 or more, the rubber band might

come off of the money roll.

Mile

While No Jet Lag was a surprise to many in bagging the City of Hope on

this turf last time, he wasn't to conditioner to Simon Callaghan, who has said

he was one of the top two horses he's had since moving his tack to Southern

California a few years back. The peaking sophomore made a giant leap from

first-level allowance runners to the graded ranks with relative ease, and he

lands in another spot which is likely to produce a very fast early pace to

set-up his late turn of foot. We can't say this son of Johar boasts the

credentials of most of this field, but he's a "now" horse who thrives on this

oval, and the three-year-old will be making his third start since coming

stateside. We have a bit of trepidation, however, after learning that he was

very headstrong in a breeze here over the weekend.

Sprint

Fast Bullet is among the swifter horses in training and could be

sitting on a huge one in his second outing for conditioner D. Wayne Lukas, who

has had a remarkable resurgence in 2013. The lightly-raced five-year-old

finished a solid sixth in this race in 2012 off of a year layoff, and he has

more fitness this campaign that could serve him a lot better at a potentially

huge price. The son of Speightstown didn't handle the slop last time at Belmont

Park in the Vosburgh, but figures to be fully cranked for this on a likely fast

oval for a master conditioner who knows how to get one ready for a big race. The

Kentucky-bred has also proven to win from behind horses, which might come in

handy in this wide-open test, especially if he gets a draw well off the rail.

Juvenile

Horses that win the Hopeful by more than nine lengths rarely get overlooked,

but that is exactly what is happening with the Lukas-trained Strong Mandate

in this field. The precocious son of Tiznow has proven to be able to break fast

from the gate and power home, as well, and we'll give him a pass for his

one-paced run in the Champagne last time, as he should offer a ton of value in

this mostly wide-open field. His :59 five-furlong drill at Santa Anita on

Saturday certainly didn't hurt his chances.

The Patrick Biancone-trained Diamond Bachelor has been a major player

since his debut run when dominating foes in a one-mile turf run at Del Mar, and

the $570,000 two-year-old purchase could be a real danger at a price in making

his dirt debut. The son of War Front has natural speed, seems to have a motor

that can carry him this far at least, and he has not been abused in his training

nor his races leading up to this, hinting that he could pop his best at a price.

The dark bay colt has been training on this dirt oval for more than a month and

we would not waver in making a wager on this Kentucky-bred.

Juvenile Fillies

Frizette vixen Artemis Agrotera was very fast in a dominant debut

score and then showed professionalism in winning at the Grade 1 level in just

her second lifetime race, rating off a slow pace and coming home very fast for

conditioner Michael Hushion. The bay filly by Roman Ruler is bred to run longer

being out of an A.P. Indy mare and has been handy in each of her two lifetime

runs to date, with more possibly on the way following a rapid half-mile bullet

drill at Belmont. The February foal drew the rail, the same starting position as

the winning Beholder last year, we expect big things from the possible

two-year-old champion filly.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Judy the Beauty was a most impressive winner over a pair of synthetic

standouts at Keeneland last time and the Wesley Ward charge could be sitting on

another big one third off the layoff. The four-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper

seemed likely to break through at the graded level after so many big efforts at

the top level of racing, and now that she achieved that goal, we think she looms

a huge chance in a field lacking early speed. The filly has been second in a

trio of Grade 1 races on dirt and lands in a field with a vulnerable favorite.

We think she will get a great trip and might notch her first ever dirt score in

in this affair.

Filly & Mare Turf

Romantica will try to emulate her dam, Banks Hill, who won this race

in resounding fashion in 2001 for sensational French conditioner Andre Fabre.

The Juddmonte homebred is a class act who is a Group 1 heroine and

three-for-four at this distance, and she flies under the radar of her fellow

Euro counterpart, Dank. We honestly don't know a whole lot about this daughter

of standout European sire Galileo other than that she has a sterling pedigree,

is proven at the Group 1 level and that the lass hails from legendary

connections. That is good enough for us.