Harty confident in Robador entering California Cup Classic

Trainer Eoin Harty likes Robador's chances in the $250,000 California Cup Classic Handicap, the most lucrative of ten stakes races for California-breds that will be contested during Cal Cup XVII on Saturday at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park.
The races feature a combined purse value of more than $1.3-million.
Robador, the winner of the 2005 Cal National Snow Chief Stakes, earned consecutive wins in allowance/optional claiming races at Del Mar in his first two starts this season. The Robannier colt enters the 1 1/8-mile Classic off a third-place finish in an allowance/optional claiming race on September 27 at Santa Anita.
"He's training very, very well," Harty said. "He's fit, he's ready, and he ought to run the race of his life."
A career-best effort is what Robador may need to outrun eight foes, including graded stakes-placers Texcess, Top This and That, Cheroot, and Iced Out.
Top This and That, the 5-to-2 morning-line favorite, finished second, 2 1/2 lengths behind Southern Africa, in his previous start in the Ralph M. Hinds Invitational Handicap on September 24 at Fairplex Park. Dan Hendricks trains the Old Topper gelding who was also the runner-up in the Strub Stakes (G2) on February 4 at Santa Anita.
"It's a competitive field," Hendricks said. "But he should fit well with the speed in the race."
Texcess's 16-race winless streak dates back to 2004, when the In Excess (Ire) gelding closed his juvenile campaign by winning the Delta Jackpot Stakes at Delta Downs. Texcess finished second in the Tokyo City Handicap (G3) on April 1 at Santa Anita and the Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) on May 29.
Victor Espinoza will ride Texcess, who will start from the ninth spot in the starting gate.
"It keeps him in the clear," trainer Mike Mitchell said. "He's a big horse with a big stride, and I don't want him to get stopped."
Three-year-olds and older will contest eight of the Cal Cup races. Two $125,000 races for juveniles—the California Cup Juvenile Stakes and the California Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes—will both be run over 1 1/16 miles.
Fillies and mares will contest the $150,000 California Cup Matron Handicap over 1 1/16 miles, the $150,000 California Cup Distaff Handicap, a 6 1/2-furlong race that will be run over the downhill turf course, and the $100,000 California Cup Distance Handicap, a 1 1/4-mile turf race.
Grade 3 winner Areyoutalkintome and Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Da Stoops will clash in the $150,000 California Cup Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong race that drew a field of eight. Grade 1 winner Unfurl the Flag and Grade 2 winner McCann's Mojave are both entered in the $175,000 California Cup Mile Handicap.
Source: www.thoroughbredtimes.com

Hendricks Points Brother Derek to Breeders' Cup Classic

Cecil Peacock's dual grade I winner Brother Derek is being pointed to the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) following his runner-up finish to Lava Man in the $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II), trainer Dan Hendricks revealed. Brother Derek, a California-bred son of Benchmark, exited the Goodwood in top shape, Hendricks said.
"He ran great, and he pulled up great," Hendricks said. "He's back to being really fit so, as of now, we're pointing in (the Breeders' Cup) direction unless something tells us we shouldn't."
Hendricks said that Brother Derek will return to the track later this week. He said plans call for most of the colt's prep work to be done at his Santa Anita base and he would ship to Churchill Downs "about 10 days out."
"We'll play it by ear," Hendricks said. "But (for the Kentucky Derby) we shipped in 10 days before and breezed once over the track. Depending on the weather, we may have to call an audible, but that's the plan as of now."
Brother Derek finished a troubled fourth in the Derby.
Hendricks said that there are several factors involved in the decision to send the colt to the World Championships.
"The only legitimate spot we could run him in out here would be the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT), but I don't really want to run him in a 14-horse field (at Hollywood Park) on the turf," Hendricks explained. "I bet in 100 barns, 95 of them would do the same thing and run in the Breeders' Cup. He trained very well and ran very well in Kentucky; he ran one of the best races of his career at Churchill Downs. In my opinion, we have one of the best 3-year-olds in the country, so how do we not go?"
Brother Derek, who has amassed $1,408,450 from a record of 12-6-1-1, won the 2005 Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) and this year's Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). In addition to his fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, the bay colt was fourth in this year's Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Source: bc.bloodhorse.com

Jazil Ruled Out of Breeders' Cup Contention

Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Jazil won't run in the Breeders' Cup Classic -Powered by Dodge (gr. I) at Churchill Downs next month, with the goal now the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) next year. Jazil recently returned to training after recovering from a bruised bone in his right hind leg.
"He's galloping every day, doing great; and we hope to work him in the near future," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Tuesday during a conference call.
The BC Classic, though, is out.
"It's too close to try the Breeders' Cup," McLaughlin said five days after declaring top older horse Invasor out of Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) at Belmont Park due to a slight fever.
Jazil, owned by Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stable, finished fourth in the Preakness (gr. I) before winning the Belmont on June 10 in his last race. After injuring his right cannon bone in mid-July, Jazil missed the Travers Stakes (gr. I).
"I was in Lexington last month with Sheikh Hamdan, and he told me `don't get in a hurry. Don't push him. Let him tell you when he's ready'," McLaughlin said. "I think the Dubai World Cup (March 24) would be a very important goal for both Invasor and Jazil. And one of them, or both of them, will point that way."
Invasor also is owned by Shadwell Stable.
Without Invasor in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Preakness and Travers winner Bernardini will likely be the overwhelming favorite in what is shaping up as a small field.
Among others under consideration for the prep for the BC Classic on Nov. 4 are European-based Dylan Thomas, Andromeda's Hero, and Sun King.

Bernardini, Lava Man ready for Classic preps on Saturday

With multiple Grade 1 winner Invasor (Arg) out of Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, the connections of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Bernardini are not sure from where their top competition will come.
Four-year-old Invasor, who boasts three straight Grade 1 wins in North America this year, was pulled from consideration for the race after he spiked a fever on Thursday. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said the Candy Stripes colt would be trained up to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on November 4 at Churchill Downs.
As Bernardini prepares for his first start against older horses, trainer Tom Albertrani said the A.P. Indy colt appears ready to deliver his best. After losing his maiden debut, Bernardini has rolled to five straight victories including a 5 ¼-length rout in the Preakness. He enters off a 7 ½-length romp in the Travers Stakes (G1) on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course.
"He's doing as well now as he was before the Travers," Albertrani said. "I think with every race he has matured."
Albertrani said beating Invasor could have earned Bernardini more stature but without that challenge they still expect to face accomplished rivals such as Irish classic winner Dylan Thomas or, possibly, Grade 2 winners Sun King or Wanderin Boy from Nick Zito's stable.
McLaughlin described Invasor's setback as minor.
"He spiked a 103-degree fever on Thursday and he had a high white cell count," McLaughlin said. "He's doing a lot better and we plan to gallop him on Wednesday. If this had happened two weeks before the race, we would have made the Jockey Club Gold Cup. It just happened at an inopportune time."
Also on Saturday, Lava Man will start in the Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita Park in his final prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Lava Man has won six stakes in his six starts this season, all in Southern California. While the six-year-old Slew City Slew gelding has failed to hit the board in his only three starts outside of California, assistant trainer Dennis O'Neill thinks Lava Man is capable of delivering a top effort at Churchill Downs this year.
"As he's gotten older, he's become a much different horse—even compared to just a year ago," O'Neill said. "If he's good enough, he'll do what he has to do."
In other Breeders' Cup Classic news, McLaughlin confirmed that Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Jazil is too far behind in his training to make the Breeders' Cup Classic but that the Seeking the Gold colt will be pointed to the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in March.
In preparing for a start in the Travers, Jazil suffered a bruised right hind cannon bone.