Breeders Cup

Senior Citizens Ripe for Breeders' Cup

2006-11-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

Entered in this year's Breeders' Cup Championships is a horse who has not let the increasing years of his life affect his racing career. Perfect Drift, still going strong at age 7, has aged like fine wine, continuing to post impressive efforts as Nov. 4 rapidly approaches.

Though Perfect Drift is winless this year, he has hit the board in four of six trips, including the grade I Stephen Foster and grade II Washington Park Handicap and Kentucky Cup Classic. The last mentioned race was the gelding's first attempt on Polytrack. Despite his 15-month drought, the son of Dynaformer has been a consistent money-maker over the years, with earnings of more than $4.6 million. A winner on dirt and turf, and now a runner-up on Polytrack, Perfect Drift seems to favor the dirt, as he has not finished worse than fourth on that surface since the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I).

Winning a total of seven graded stakes in his 41-start career, including the 2003 Stephen Foster, Perfect Drift has been in the money in 17 other added-money contests, the most significant being a third in the 2002 Kentucky Derby (gr. I). He will go into his fifth attempt at a Breeders' Cup trophy after running a strong third in last year's Classic.

Trainer Murray Johnson attributes the gelding's stamina to patient handling and the care of owners Dr. William Reed and his son Bryan of Stonecrest Farm, who let him frolic every winter at their farm near Kansas City. The trainer added that Perfect Drift also had an exceptional bone structure, strong joints and ligaments.

Giving hope to the aforementioned old timers are past Breeders' Cup contenders Kona Gold, Bet On Sunshine, and John's Call, who all posted respectable finishes at ages 6 through 9.
In 1998, Kona Gold made his first attempt at the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) as a 4-year-old and wound up third. Improving his efforts the next year to run second, the bay gelding by Java Gold finally won the race on his third try at six in 2000. Though he finished unplaced in the next two consecutive Sprint runnings, Kona Gold, owned by the partnership of trainer Bruce Headley and Irwin and Andrew Molasky, retired with earnings of more than $2.2 million.

Another overachiever late into his game is Bet On Sunshine. Though the son of My Own Sunshine never won the Sprint in his three attempts, he was one of the two oldest horses to contend for a Breeders' Cup title at age 9. Posting respectable third-place finishes in the race in 1997 and 2000, Bet On Sunshine went at it again in 2001, but quickly faded and wound up unplaced. In spite of that disappointing effort, the Paul McGree-trained gelding continued to race as a 10-year-old and was stakes-placed that year before retiring with earnings of more than $1.4 million for David P. Holloway Racing.

A former claimer, John's Call scored his major win in the 2000 Sword Dancer Handicap (gr. IT), the same year he would make a stab at the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT). Tying Bet On Sunshine as one of the oldest horses to run in a Breeders' Cup Race, the gelding by Lord at War finished third, and then went on to win the Cape Henlopen Handicap as a 10-year-old. He retired from racing with lifetime earnings of more than $1.5 million for owner Trillium Stable and trainer Thomas Voss.

One of the most notable older horses still at his prime as a 9-year-old was Hall of Famer John Henry, who raced before the Breeders' Cup races were established, but became the only horse of his age to win a grade I race. A multiple champion and winner of more graded stakes than any other Thoroughbred (25), the son of Ole Bob Bowers retired in 1985 as the world's richest Thoroughbred with earnings of $6,591,860.Source: bc.bloodhorse.com

Harty confident in Robador entering California Cup Classic

2006-10-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

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.

Six-Time Stakes Winner Lawyer Ron Sent to Pletcher

2006-09-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Lawyer Ron, who finished second in the Super Derby (gr. II) in his last start, has been taken away from trainer Bob Holthus and turned over to Todd Pletcher, Holthus said Friday.An interest in the son of Langfuhr was sold by the Estate of James T. Hines Jr. to Stonewall Farms Racing Div. 1, just prior to the Kentucky Derby Presented byYum! Brands (gr. I). Stonewall Stallions, located near Versailles, Ky. is owned by Audrey and Richard Haisfield.
The move did not come as a shock to Holthus, who said right after the sale that it wouldn't surprise him if the new owners took the horse away from him. But as time went on, he began feeling more secure that he would keep the horse.
"It's happened to other trainers who worked for (the Haisfields), but that's the life of a horse trainer," Holthus said. "Ron Bamberger (executor of the Hines' estate) called me at 11 o'clock (Thursday morning) and told me they had decided to give the horse to Pletcher, and a van would be by to pick him up. Ten minutes later, the van arrived and took him away.
"It was tough, because I picked him out of a field of yearlings when he was 16 months old, and I broke him. He won six stakes with us and is the fifth leading money winner in the United States. You don't think about losing a horse you did that well with. All I can do now is I hope to find another one like him."
Lawyer Ron has won eight of 16 starts for earnings of $1,370,008. Among his victories were the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) and Rebel and Risen Star Stakes (both grade III).
The colt's breeder, James T., Hines Jr., drowned in his home swimming pool just days before Lawyer Ron won the Southwest Stakes. On May 4, it was announced that an interest had been sold to the Haisfields.

ESPN to Have Coverage of Breeders' Cup Prep Races

2006-09-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

With the 2006 Breeders' Cup World Championships five weeks away, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association will launch the "Emirates Airline Countdown to the Breeders' Cup" series this Saturday on ESPN. Scheduled for three consecutive Saturdays, the shows will present key prep races to sort out the contenders from the pretenders for racing's championship day.
Scheduled for Saturday is live coverage of the grade I, $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship and the grade I, $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, both from Oak Tree at Santa Anita; the grade II, $250,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap from Belmont Park; and the grade II, $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic from Turfway.
In addition to coverage of the races, Saturday's show will also present a preview of several internationally-based horses expected to compete in the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.
Sept. 30, 4-6 p.m. ET, ESPN:
Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (gr. IT)--the Richard Mandella-trained The Tin Man, winner of last month's Arlington Million (gr. IT), heads a likely six-horse field that also includes T. H. Approval, who is coming off wins in the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT) and Sunset Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT). The Tin Man is currently fourth in the John Deere Turf (gr. IT) Division of the Breeders' Cup World Championships Poll. Artiste Royal, who was second in the Del Mar Handicap, also will run, as will Don Incauto, Fantastic Spain, and Quinquin the King. The 1 1/4-mile race for horses three years old and up is part of the John Deere Turf Division.
Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT)--The Todd Pletcher-trained Wait a While, the country's premier 3-year-old turf filly who is currently third in the Emirates Airline Filly and Mare Turf Division of the Breeders' Cup World Championship Poll, heads back to Southern California where she won the grade I American Oaks in July. Wait a While is on a three-race win streak, having triumphed in the Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT) at Saratoga, following the American Oaks (gr. I) and the Sands Point Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont prior to the race at Hollywood Park. Set to challenge Wait a While is Dancing Edie, who won the grade I John C. Mabee Handicap at Del Mar in July. Rounding out the field are Bond Deal, Candy Factory, Life Live, Memorette, Singalong, and Three Degrees. The 1 1/4-mile contest for fillies and mares three years old and up is part of the Emirates Airline Filly and Mare Turf division.
Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT)--Ashkal Way, who has won four of five starts in the U.S., including the Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga, squares off with Meteor Storm, who has not raced since last December when he won the W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) at Calder. Other possible competitors include Art Master, Baron Von Tap, Drum Major, Free Thinking, Old Fortune, T.D. Vance, and Friendly Island. The one-mile turf contest is part of the NetJets Mile division.
Kentucky Cup Classic--Perfect Drift, preparing for an unprecedented fifth run in the Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I), seeks his first win of the year following a fourth-place effort in last month's Pacific Classic (gr. I). Challenging Perfect Drift will be Premium Tap, winner last time out at odds of 31-1 of the grade I Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga; and Good Reward, who followed a second-place finish behind Lava Man in the Pacific Classic with a fifth-place effort in the Brooklyn Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT). Other starters should include Gouldings Green, Greeley's Galaxy, and It's No Joke.
Hosting from Oak Tree at Santa Anita will be Kenny Mayne, joined by analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss and reporter Jeannine Edwards. Reporting from Belmont Park will be Joe Tessitore and Hank Goldberg. On hand at Turfway Park will be Kenny Rice and Quint Kessenich.

Top pair consider Breeders' Cup Classic

2006-09-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Strong Contender ran perhaps the best race of his career last Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, giving his connections a reason to consider a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.
And that is what they are doing right now, thinking about it, John Ward Jr., who trains Strong Contender for John Oxley, said Tuesday.

"We have had our performance and we're like the guy on the golf tournament that is in the clubhouse with his good score and he's kind of watching everybody else come home," he said. "And that's what we're kind of doing. We're watching closely. We'll just kind of see what happens."
Strong Contender earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 for his win in the Super Derby, the second-highest number of his career behind a 109 for his Grade 2 Dwyer win at Belmont Park. Ward was impressed with Strong Contender's stretch run on Saturday, when in the final sixteenth he rallied for a one-length win over Lawyer Ron.
Ward noted that Strong Contender ran head to head with Costa Rising, put him away, and finally looked up and tuned in on Lawyer Ron. "And when he did," Ward said, "he immediately accelerated to that horse. That seven strides he put in to get to the other horse, I thought was very brilliant."
Strong Contender flew to Kentucky on Sunday, and was scheduled to van from Lexington back to his Belmont base on Tuesday night.
According to Ward, the list of Breeder's Cup horses running well at Churchill Downs after training at Belmont "is pretty significant."
Plans pending for Lawyer RonLawyer Ron flew back to Churchill on Sunday. Trainer Bob Holthus said plans for the colt are still being determined, with a start in the Breeders' Cup not being ruled out as of Monday.

"I would say right now, we're not going to make any decisions for a couple of weeks," Holthus said. "We'll just play it by ear. We haven't picked out a next race for him yet."
Lawyer Ron earned the second-best Beyer of his career, a 105, for his Super Derby. He broke sharply and was between rivals going into the first turn. He darted to the lead soon afterward, running the opening six furlongs in 1:10.85, and the mile in 1:35.51.
"He was just too rank the first part of it," said Holthus. "He just didn't want to relax. He's done that a time or two before."
Lawyer Ron's best Beyer, a 106, came in the Grade 3 Risen Star in January.

Discreet Cat vs. Bernardini unlikely to happen

2006-09-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

BELMONT, N.Y. - The ease and brilliance Discreet Cat displayed winning his comeback race last month at Saratoga had racing fans looking forward to the undefeated 3-year-old facing top-quality competition in the fall.

That anticipation turned to disappointment when Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing, which owns Discreet Cat, laid out a fall campaign that didn't include the Breeders' Cup Classic, but does include Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Jerome Handicap at Belmont Park.
Despite being assigned 124 pounds for the Jerome, Discreet Cat will likely roll to a victory, making him 5 for 5 in his career and raising the volume for Discreet Cat to face Preakness and Travers winner Bernardini and the best older horses in training in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.
Since Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable owns Bernardini, a Discreet Cat-Bernardini meeting is unlikely to happen. Provided Bernardini makes it to the Classic, Discreet Cat will likely target the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 25.

Rick Mettee, who runs Godolphin's New York operation, said this was not the original plan, but it is the right plan. Discreet Cat, who won the UAE Derby by seven lengths in March - beating subsequent three-time U.S. Grade 1 winner Invasor - was being targeted for some of this country's biggest 3-year-old races in the summer before getting sick in June.
"His getting sick screwed up everything," Mettee said. "He would have gone Dwyer, he would have run in a couple of those big summertime races. We would have had a completely different agenda. You might have even seen him in against older horses in one of those races. We have to do the right thing now by him. It might not be a popular thing, but the right move for him right now is the Jerome Oct. 1. That is the right move regardless of where we go the next race."
On Aug. 25, five months after the UAE Derby, Discreet Cat won a third-level allowance race by 11 lengths at Saratoga. He ran seven furlongs in 1:21.53 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 112.
"I don't think I ever saw a horse win at seven-eighths quite that easy," Mettee said. "It was a solid three-other-than. Nobody really stepped up and ran a big race, but on paper it didn't look like that bad a race. It certainly was a lot tougher than his comeback race in Dubai. That would have been like an a-other-than at Philly Park. I thought he might get a little [tired] in the race so, yes, I was a little taken aback by it."
On Monday, Discreet Cat completed preparations for Saturday's Jerome by working five furlongs in 59.67 seconds over Belmont Park's main track. It was the fastest of 25 moves at the distance. Under regular rider Garrett Gomez, Discreet Cat went his first three furlongs in 36 seconds, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.40.

"They have to work a little harder to get through this track, so probably just from training down here he's probably a little fitter horse," Mettee said. "They always seem to blow harder over this track."
Discreet Cat will likely have three or four rivals in the Jerome. Noonmark, runner-up in the Swale, is confirmed. Trainer Pat Reynolds said he may run Valid Notebook, who won a second-level allowance race going a mile here on Sept. 9. Brilliant Son is also possible, according to trainer Chuck Simon. Nick Zito or Richard Dutrow Jr. could each provide a runner as well.

Fairplex sets handle record

2006-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Fairplex Park registered handle records for the second consecutive year when its 16-day meet concluded on September 24. Total handle increased 2% to $113,854,950 for a daily average of $7.11-million.
Jeff Mullins won the training title with 17 wins from 43 starters, while Martin Pedroza won the jockey title for the eighth year in a row with 27 winners from 122 mounts.

Strong Contender finishes fast in Super Derby

2006-09-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

Strong Contender might have given his connections a reason to consider a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic after he overtook favorite Lawyer Ron and went on to a one-length win in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.
It was another 6 1/2 lengths back in third to Louisborg.
The Super Derby is the richest race of the meet and was one of five stakes on a card worth more than $1 million. Robby Albarado rode Strong Contender, and also captured three other stakes: the $200,000 Louisiana Downs Breeders' Cup, the $75,000 Donnie Wilhite Memorial, and the $100,000 Juvenile.
Strong Contender ($7.60) broke last in the field of seven 3-year-olds, and moved into contention in the first turn. He tracked the pace set by Lawyer Ron, who broke well and overtook early leader His Eyes in the first turn. Strong Contender settled in fourth, as Lawyer Ron ran the opening half-mile of the 1 1/8-mile race in 46.77 seconds and six furlongs in 1:10.80.
Strong Contender began his bid on the final turn, entered the stretch three wide, came to Lawyer Ron inside the final furlong, and went on, covering the distance over a track rated fast in 1:48.60.
Strong Contender races for owner John Oxley and trainer John Ward Jr. He earned $300,000 for his fourth win in seven career starts, boosting his bankroll to $621,000.
Point Determined, the 5-2 second choice, never reached contention and finished last of seven.
The Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.
- Kingship ($3.80), trained by Ronny Werner, powered to a 3 3/4-length victory over Electric Chant in the Wilhite, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. It was the second stakes win for Kingship, who earlier this year won the Grade 3 Arlington Classic.
- Birdbirdistheword ($14.20) made a sweeping move to the lead into the stretch and held off the charge of Going Ballistic to win the $100,000 Juvenile by a half-length. The 1 1/16-mile turf race was the first stakes on the card. Birdbirdistheword, trained by Ken McPeek, covered the distance in 1:42.93.
- Brownie Points ($14.20) surged through the stretch for a one-length win over Aly's Vow in the $200,000 Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks. It was another neck back in third to favorite Charming N Lovable. Brownie Points stalked the pace in fourth and rallied from along the inside for the win. Luis Quinonez rode the winner for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

E Z Warrior to skip Champagne, Breeders' Cup

2006-09-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (G3) winner E Z Warrior will bypass the Champagne Stakes (G1) on October 14 at Belmont Park and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) on November 4 at Churchill Downs. The Exploit colt has not worked since he developed a sore shin in late July at Del Mar, which forced him to miss the Best Pal Stakes (G2) on August 13.
"He's galloping right now, he's going to be breezing soon, and we were trying to see if we could make the Champagne, but I didn't want to rush him," said Bob Baffert, who trains the Exploit colt for Ahmed Zayat's Zayat Stables. "Mr. Zayat said to just to take care of him and be patient."
Baffert mentioned the December 16 Hollywood Futurity (G1) as a possible objective for E Z Warrior, who won his debut by 1 3/4 lengths on June 18 at Hollywood Park and the Hollywood Juvenile Championship by 2 3/4 lengths on July 4.
Zayat will instead turn to Got the Last Laugh for the Champagne, said Sobhy Sonbol, the vice president of Zayat Stables.
Got the Last Laugh finished in a dead-heat for first with Officer Rocket (GB) in the Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (G3) on September 10 for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Zayat and Baffert plan to run maiden winner Malt Magic in the Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes (G2) on October 8 at Santa Anita Park.
The Cherokee Run colt scored a 9 1/2-length victory in a one-mile maiden event on September 4 at Del Mar in his third career start.
Trainer Chris Paasch confirmed on Tuesday that Best Pal winner Principle Secret would start in the Norfolk rather than the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G1) on October 7 at Keeneland Race Course.
In other Breeders' Cup-related news, Baffert said Grade 2 winner Too Much Bling would train up to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
The three-year-old Rubiano colt has not raced since his victory in the Carry Back Stakes (G2) on July 15 at Calder Race Course. He worked five furlongs in :57 out of the gate at Santa Anita Park on September 20.
"I was going to run him [at Santa Anita], but he runs so hard and puts so much into his races that I think he'll be better off going into the Breeders' Cup fresh," Baffert said. "He worked really nice the other day