Breeders Cup Meeting 7th Nov.

The Arc is now behind us and next in store is the Breeders Cup meeting, plenty speculation and plenty great racing still coming our way.

Sea The Stars cut for Classic despite doubts


THE sensational performance of Sea The Stars in the Arc meant that the John Oxx-trained superstar hardened as favourite for the Breeders' Cup Classic - but he is by no means certain to take his place in the $5m Santa Anita showpiece on November 7, according to connections.


"His coat has gone. He's got hairy today and you can see he got warm," said jockey Mick Kinane.

"I don't know what John and the owners have in mind. Does he need to achieve anything more? I don't know. It's questionable.

"He's a phenomenal horse. You'd hate to do anything wrong by him."

Nevertheless, bookmakers were taking no chances, with Coral going 4-5 (from 9-4) for the Classic, and Hills, Paddy Power, VC and Stan James all going 4-6 (from 2, 9-4 or 5-2).

Dar Re Mi's fifth place behind Sea The Stars was one of many other performances at the spectacular meeting that sparked fireworks in the ante-post markets.

Dar Re Mi was already favourite for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita, but was cut to 5-2 for the California contest by Paddy Power and William Hill (from 4 and 7-2), who introduced Shalanaya, winner of the Total Prix de l'Opera, was introduced at 6-1.

Conduit, who finished a place better than Dar Re Mi in the Arc, was cut to 9-4 favourite (from 11-4) for the Breeders' Cup Turf by Paddy Power, who slashed Arc third Cavalrymanto 9-2 (from 12) for the same US race, and runner-up Youmzain to 10-1 (from 14).


In the juvenile contests, Siyouni, one of the Aga Khan's five Group 1 winners during a brilliant meeting for the owner-breeder, was introduced at 14-1 by Totesport for the Stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas following victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

The Aga's Total Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Rosanara was given introductory quotes of 7-1 (Hills), 8-1 (Totesport) and 10-1 (VC) for the Stanjames.com 1,000 Guineas.

The sponsors quoted 12-1 (from 25) and and spokesman Charlie McCann said: "Rosanara would be an awful lot shorterfor the race if she was a confirmed runner given she stumbled coming out of the stalls before giving her ten rivals a beating at Longchamp.

"The French already have a very strong hand in the race given Special Duty did indeed look something out of the ordinary in landing the Cheveley Park at HQ on Friday. "

Totesport make Rosanara 10-1 favourite for the Investec Oaks.

Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird drilled five furlongs Tuesday morning in 1:00.20 under jockey Joe Talamo in preparation for Saturday's Gr. I, $350,000 Goodwood Stakes at Oak Tree, which is to be his final start before taking on the best in the world in the Gr. I, $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Oak Tree on Nov. 7.

Belmont geared up for Breeders' Cup trials


Preview: USA, Saturday 10.15pm (live on ATR)

Belmont Park: Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) 2yo, dirt, 1m

BELMONT PARK hosts another big day of racing, with three Breeders' Cup preps on Saturday's card.

Dublin (Wayne Lukas/Ramon Dominguez) comes into the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, run over 1m for juveniles, off an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, where he also broke his duck at the meeting.

"He's got a pretty good mind," trainer Wayne Lukas said of Dublin. "If he likes the surface - and we don't know that - the configuration of the racetrack should be very much in his favour."

Aspire (Eddie Kenneally/Javier Castellano), a troubled second in the Hopeful, is back to tackle Dublin again.

"Dublin is a real nice horse," said trainer Eddie Kenneally, "and we didn't get beaten too much by him (two lengths).

Homeboykris (Rick Dutrow/Edgar Prado) comes into the Champagne highly rated by his trainer Rick Dutrow. "He had a problem with the bottom of his foot, like a corn," said Dutrow. "He's been training very good for three weeks. I think he's a nice one."

Also on Saturday:

THE Grade 1 Frizette Stakes (9.43pm live on ATR), run over 1m for juvenile fillies, has Grade 1 Matron Stakes winner Awesome Maria (Stanley Hough/Cornelio Velasquez) as its likely favourite.

"She's a very good filly," said trainer Stanley Hough. "She shouldn't have any problems with a mile, and I think she'll go farther."

Nonna Mia (Bruce Levine/Ramon Dominguez) comes into the Frizette off a 12-length maiden win at Belmont Park, following a fifth-placed finish in her debut at Saratoga.

The Grade 1 Jamaica Stakes (7.35pm live on ATR), run for three-year-olds over 1m on turf, has Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes winner Take The Points (Todd Pletcher//Edgar Prado) facing off against Courageous Cat (Bill Mott/Ramon Dominguez), winner of the Grade 1 Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on his last outing.

Decent bit of value at 12/1 for the sprint is Gayego..

Gayego`s Last Run

Yip that was impressive

cheers

Turf betting suspended after Conduit doubt


CORAL have suspended betting on the Breeders' Cup Turf after rumours that last year's winner, and favourite, Conduit could miss the 1m4f contest at Santa Anita next month.

Conduit, last seen finishing fourth in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, could possibly be replaced by Sir Michael Stoute-trained stablemate Spanish Moon.



Conduit still remains as short as 6-4 favourite with William Hill for the Breeders' Cup Turf. However, he has been pushed out to 11-8 from even-money for the race with Victor Chandler, who have cut Spanish Moon into 4-1 (from 6).

Sir Michael Stoute said:


"We are not aware of any problems with Conduit,"

"He was just a bit colicky on Friday night but it has settled down and he has cantered since."

Stars loss puts Zenyatta top of Breeders' Cup bill

BREEDERS' CUP organisers saluted the achievements of Sea The Stars and switched focus on promoting their meeting around unbeaten mare Zenyatta after learning that Europe's champion would not be contesting the Breeders' Cup Classic.


With the retirement of Sea The Stars and Rachel Alexandra, the leading performer in the United States this year, also missing the Santa Anita meeting, local horse Zenyatta, winner of the Ladies' Classic a year ago, is the fixture's major draw.

Breeders' Cup officials will now hope that the mare, who claimed her 13th straight win on Saturday, will be targeted at the Classic rather than take another shot at the race she won a year ago.

After witnessing Sea The Stars' victory at Longchamp, Breeders' Cup president and CEO Greg Avioli claimed the presence of the colt at Santa Anita would have added 10,000 to the crowd and $10 million to betting turnover if he were to end his career in the Classic.

On Tuesday he said: "Sea The Stars has had an extraordinary year by any measure and we wish his connections the best and thank them for the careful consideration of the Breeders' Cup.

"We remain focused on the 26th Breeders' Cup world championships and the strong fields scheduled to compete, including the sensational undefeated mare Zenyatta, the best horses in training in the US and an outstanding contingent of international runners that will try to match the success the European horses enjoyed last year.

Queally set for Classic ride on Twice Over


TOM QUEALLY's breakthrough season could end in the most sparkling fashion after it was revealed he is set to retain the ride on Twice Over should the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes winner line upin the Breeders' Cup Classic.


Queally, who is also pencilled in to partner Henry Cecil-trained stablemate Midday in the Filly & Mare Turf, was aboard Twice Over at Newmarket, where the four-year-old held off Mawatheeq and Sariska to claim a first Group 1 victory.

Twice Over, a 16-1 shot for the Classic with Victor Chandler, and Midday will now join the Breeders' Cup Marathon-bound Father Time at Santa Anita, where Cecil will be attempting to secure his first win atFlat racing's world championships.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, said: "Twice Over is in very good form and he'll hopefully go to America in very good form as well.

"He hasn'traced on an artificial surface before, but I don't think that would be a great concern, and we wouldn't be taking him unless we thought he could run a big race.

"At the moment, I'd say that Tom will ride Twice Over and Midday with Eddie Ahern on Father Time.

"Ryan Moore will be on Zacinto, but I'd imagine he'll ride Conduit in the Turf, so I'm discussing with Prince Khalid about a jockey for Spanish Moon."

Septimus ruled out of Breeders' Cup Marathon

RETIREMENT for top-flight stayer Septimus moved a step closer after Aidan O'Brien on Wednesday ruled out the eight-time winner from the Breeders' Cup Marathon, for which he was favourite, at Santa Anita next month.

A multiple Pattern-race winner, who achieved Group 1 success when landing the Irish Field St Leger by 13 lengths last season, Septimus has not raced since finishing 18th of 24 in the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington a year ago.

He returned sore from Australia and was given plenty of time to recover with a view to an autumn campaign this year.
O'Brien, who retired his number-one staying star Yeats this month, told Racingpost.com on Wednesday evening: "It has been decided not to send Septimus to California for the Breeders' Cup Marathon, and he's not going to run this year."

Dettori replaces Queally on Fleeting Spirit


FLEETING SPIRIT, beaten in controversial circumstances in the Prix de l'Abbaye, will seek compensationin next month's $2m Breeders' Cup Sprint over 6f at Santa Anita, with Frankie Dettori taking over from Tom Queally.

Andy Stewart - half of The Searchers ownership partnership with BHA chairman Paul Roy - said: "Nothing againstTom, who I'm sure will be champion jockey one day, but we have been thinking of Frankie for some time.

"He rode Fleeting Spirit when she won first time at Nottingham, and since we have confirmed he won't be required by Godolphin, we booked him today."

Fleeting Spirit will also be entered for the $1m Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, over 6.5f, but Stewart explained: "She's never run on an artificial surface, but she trains on it at home, and we're going where the money is."

Trainer Jeremy Noseda blasted the French stalls team after the Abbaye, accusing them of ignoring his requests over how and when to load the filly.

Craftsman could go for Dirt Mile to avoid Rip


MASTERCRAFTSMAN could yet be switched to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to avoid taking on stablemate Rip Van Winkle in the Classic in 11 days time, trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed on Monday.

The announcement filtered through to a small number of bookmakers who immediately installed the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner as 5-2 favourite, usurping previous market leader Capt. Candyman Can.

O'Brien has seven runners mapped out for the trip to Santa Anita next week and confirming Mastercraftsman's options he said: "We've put Mastercraftsman in two races.

"We had to indicate a preference for one race and we nominated the Dirt Mile for him although we still have the option to change our preference if we want to. Both he and Rip Van Winkle are in good form."

Outlining his other plans for the two-day Breeders' Cup meeting, O'Brien said: "Lillie Langtry will run in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (November 6) and on the same day Man Of Iron, who has won a couple of races over one mile and three furlongs at Dundalk, will run in the Marathon."

Beethoven, shock winner of the Group 1 Jumeirah Dewhurst Stakes, and Alfred Nobel, the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner, are being aimed at the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the Saturday when Viscount Nelson will contest the Juvenile Turf.

Rip Van Winkle is as short as 11-8 favourite for the $5 million Classic over 1m2f, for which Mastercraftsman is a best-priced 12-1 chance to go one better than Henrythenavigator and Giant's Causeway, who both finished second in the Classic.