Breeders' Cup Friday

BREEDERS' CUP

PREVIEWS

The unbeaten and remarkable ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) is the standout

attraction on Friday at Santa Anita, as she headlines a field of eight in the $2

million Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (G1), formerly the Distaff. The John Shirreffs charge hasn't missed a beat

since debuting less than one year ago and has compiled six consecutive graded

tallies, mostly in facile fashion. The sublime four-year-old has a superb stride

and makes up for her lack of early speed by blowing past her rivals in the lane

under Mike Smith. We've run out of superlatives for the filly, but we will say

that she's never faced a field with this much talent. We would feel guilty

giving out an odds-on filly in such an accomplished cast, so forgive us for

trying to beat the superstar.

Godolphin has a pair of fantastic fillies, and we'll tab the impressive COCOA

BEACH (Chi) (Doneraile Court) for the upset. The Saeed bin Suroor-trained dark

bay has done little wrong in her career, compiling a 10-8-1-1 career line, and

was brilliant in running down champion and defending Distaff queen GINGER PUNCH

(Awesome Again) in the Beldame S. (G1) last out after the latter enjoyed a cozy

early lead in slow splits. Cocoa Beach earned a whopping 113 BRIS Late Pace

number in the Beldame, she will have no trouble in negotiating this trip, and we

love her versatility -- she's won from five panels to 1 1/8 miles, over the

turf, dirt and slop, in Chile, Dubai and United States, and drilled a sharp

five-eighths over this surface in preparation for this one. She's special!

Zenyatta is an absolute treat to watch run and is the type of star that this

sport needs. She's a behemoth of a filly who continues to impress just after

you think you've seen her best. There is simply nothing to knock from her corner

and she might even move up more with the added sixteenth of a mile, but we just

felt compelled to give a price as this seems like the only time to try to beat

her.

Ginger Punch has performed at a championship level for some time for Bobby

Frankel, and she, too, would be a worthy winner of this race. The chestnut mare

has finished in the top three in 18 straight starts, and a win here would cement

her as one of the all-time greats, in our opinion. The five-year-old has excellent

early speed, a good turn of foot and a great deal of tenacity and heart,

everything one would want from a champion. Zenyatta already trounced her on her

preferred surface, so we don't see her beating the sure favorite on her home

turf -- but we expect her to fight to the wire.

We have the superb MUSIC NOTE (A.P. Indy) fourth in this race, if that hints

how loaded this cast really is. This Godolphin homebred has exploded onto the

scene in a short time and is a head shy behind Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen Proud Spell

(Proud Citizen) of an unblemished mark this year, racking up easy wins in the

Mother Goose S. (G1), Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Gazelle S. (G1). The

effortless bay is something of a clone of Zenyatta on the East Coast, in the way

she does everything in a hand ride, but this spot will undoubtedly be her most

demanding task, facing these beasts. The surface is a mystery to her, but we

wouldn't tab her for the win if this were on the dirt, either.

CARRIAGE TRAIL (Forest Wildcat) exits a dominant 7 3/4-length romp in the

Spinster S. (G1) for Shug McGaughey to improve her synthetic line to 4-3-0-0.

The peaking five-year-old was an excellent second in the Ballston Spa H. (G2) on

the lawn two back and has never been better, but we fear that the bay will have

a hard time living up to her latest performance off a short rest and a

cross-country jaunt. We fully respect these connections and do not consider this

one a throw-out, but she might need even further improvement to challenge these,

and it seems like a lot to ask in here.

BEAR NOW (Tiznow) has excellent gate speed and is a phenomenal synthetic

filly for Reade Baker, and this wildcard holds the key to the race in our

estimation. The dark bay is almost surely going to lead this field into the

first, and perhaps, the final turn, and how she gets there is the crucial point.

If pressured early, we think that she, and her pace foes, will be hindered for

the stretch run, thus setting it up for the late runners. But, should the

Kentucky-bred dawdle on the front unopposed, she could be there a long way and

get a piece of the pie.

HYSTERICALADY (Distorted Humor) is a brilliant mare for Jerry Hollendorfer,

just missing in this race in 2007 after a furious stretch duel with Ginger Punch. The chestnut miss has

been in scintillating form this campaign, rolling to facile wins in the Molly

Pitcher S. (G2), Delaware H. (G2), Fleur de Lis H. (G2) and Azeri S. (G3), but

it's clear to us that she's significantly less attractive on this surface. As

much as we like her, we don't see it in this affair.

SANTA TERESITA (Lemon Drop Kid) is a fairly consistent performer that would

be a shock to hit the board in here for Eric Guillot. The improved four-year-old

boasts a solid late burst and likes this oval, but have you seen who's in this

race? The smart filly has a nice future, but this is too much.