Thoroughbred Beat

THOROUGHBRED BEAT

OCTOBER 19, 2005

by James Scully

New York - Kentucky, California, Illinois and Canada have all hosted

the Breeders' Cup and the championship event will take place in New Jersey in

2007. Rotating it from track to track in North America makes sense, but Belmont

Park serves as the crème de la crème among hosts. The reason is simple -- its

climate and size (no tight turns) favors foreign shippers. The

Breeders' Cup returns for the fourth time to Belmont next Saturday with full

fields and competitive races all but assured in most events, and this year's

Breeders' Cup will truly be a World Championship event. Top conditioner Aidan O'Brien will once

again be a strong presence from Ireland, and at least 20 European-based runners are expected

to compete. Even the

Juvenile (G1), which will contain the unbeaten American sensation

FIRST SAMURAI (Giant's Causeway), could attract three youngsters from overseas.

The European contingent looks strong and will provide a boost to the festivities

in 2005.

Sweetness - SWEET TALKER (Stormin Fever) ran big at Churchill Downs

this summer, winning the Edgewood S. and an allowance race prior to a runner-up

showing in the Regret S. (G3) in mid-June. Freshened by Helen Pitts, the

sophomore filly returned to the races in late September with a victory in the

Washington Breeders' Cup S. at Laurel Park in preparation for Saturday's Queen

Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1). Dismissed as the longest shot in the

seven-horse field at 18-1, Sweet Talker rallied to the lead leaving the far turn

and dug in gamely between rivals in deep stretch to post a nose decision in a

three-horse photo. The improving turf specialist now owns a 7-5-1-1 mark on the

sod.

Karen and Gorella - Ryafan was the last overseas shipper to win the

Queen Elizabeth in 1997, but the nine-furlong turf event always has an

international flavor, with former European-based runners Barancella (Fr) (Acatenango),

Maiden Tower (GB), Zenda (GB), Golden Apples (Ire) and Blue Moon (Fr) all making

an impact over the last five years with top three placings in the prestigious

event . KAREN'S CAPER (War Chant) and GORELLA (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB])

furthered the trend this year, both making their U.S. bow at Keeneland with an

outstanding performance. Karen's Caper rallied boldly to a narrow lead on the

far outside right before the wire and lost strictly on the bob to Sweet Talker. Gorella also closed well through the stretch run, looking like she might sneak

through on the rail for the victory prior to falling short by a head in the

extremely tight finish. July's American Oaks (G1) at Hollywood Park and the

Queen Elizabeth are both restricted to three-year-old turf fillies, and they're

two of the best races in the United States. The last two winners of the Queen

Elizabeth, RISKAVERSE (Dynaformer) and FILM MAKER (Dynaformer), are both headed

to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and Saturday's race will likely

possibly yield a couple of starters.

Giant - ARAGORN (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) became the latest graded

winner from the world's hottest young sire, notching his first stakes score by a

nose in Saturday's Oak Tree Derby (G2). Trained by Neil Drysdale, the chestnut

set a swift pace under Pat Valenzuela in the 1 1/8-mile turf test, running his

second quarter in :22 2/5 and the first three-quarters in 1:09 1/5. Aragorn, who

survived a stewards' inquiry, battled back gamely when challenged in the stretch

and received a 100 BRIS Speed rating in his second U.S. start, improving his

overall mark to 7-2-2-1. Giant's Causeway continues to produce stakes winner

after stakes winner and is poised to have a major influence upon this year's

Breeders' Cup from his first two crops.

Great hands - Rafael Bejarano guided Sweet Talker to an upset in the

Queen Elizabeth and is in the process of running away with the jockey title at

Keeneland, booting home 17 winners, seven more than his nearest challenger, from

the first eight programs of the 17-day meet. The 23-year-old notched his 1,000th

win on Thursday in his fourth year of riding and is obviously one of the top

up-and-coming jockeys in Thoroughbred racing. A native of Peru, Bejarano won his

first race in 2002 at River Downs and owns riding titles at five Kentucky

tracks (Churchill, Keeneland, Turfway, Ellis and Kentucky Downs). "I am very

happy to have gotten my 1,000th career victory," Bejarano said. "Now it is time

to start over, and I am only 23. Wow. I hope I can ride for another 40 years,

and maybe catch Laffit's (Pincay) record."

Class act - Neil Howard also reached a career milestone at Keeneland

last week, recording his 1,000th career victory when saddling Soul Search (A.P.

Indy) to an allowance score on Wednesday. Longtime trainer for prominent owner

William S. Farish, the 56-year-old conditioner wasn't handed the keys to a new

sports car when beginning his career at River Downs in 1979. Howard worked his

way up and has never forgotten where he came from, remaining

down to earth and humble despite training a plethora of stars, including Horse

of the Year Mineshaft, Preakness (G1) winner Summer Squall and Kentucky Oaks

(G1) heroine Secret Status. "Not everyone is fortunate enough to train for the

Farish family," Howard said in another characteristic display of humility. "If I'm not winning, it's not because I'm not getting the stock."

Howard wins because he's a good trainer, and he's easy to root for because he's

even a better person.