Graham Cunningham's Breeders' Cup Blog

Breeders’ Cup News / Graham Cunningham / 31 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

Graham will be providing updates from Churchill Downs throughout the week

"If the locals have read the signals correctly last year's champion juvenile has his work cut out in the Classic."

The draw for Breeders' Cup 2011 has been made and the atmosphere in Kentucky is building nicely. Graham Cunningham is guesting with the TVG team at Churchill Downs this week and, in part one of his BC blog, he's anxiously awaiting the first appearance of "Her Highness".

Day one at Breeders' Cup 2011 and already there are a few abiding memories. First, there was the splendid sight of the majestic Churchill Downs grandstand and a racecourse already abuzz with horses working under floodlights in the shadow of the twin spires well before 7am.

Second, there was breakfast in the track canteen, where the food is rough and ready and the silence was broken by the track pastor preaching from the gospel of Luke and a burly bloke on the next table picking up a guitar and doing a passable impression of Johnny Cash singing "On The Banks Of The Ohio."

And third, there were the horses themselves.

The mighty Goldikova, or "Her Highness Goldikova" as some locals are calling Freddie Head's mare, will only make her grand entrance to the track on Tuesday morning after completing the mandatory 48-hour quarantine period.

However, there was plenty to divert the attention as the bleary-eyed British media posse conducted their traditional two hours of aimless wandering along the barn area of America's most famous racetrack.

Star home-trained filly Havre de Grace didn't please everyone in her work - trainer Larry Jones said: "I sure wouldn't give it an A". With Uncle Mo attracting similarly downbeat assessments from the TVG analysts after he galloped over the weekend, it could well be that Saturday's Classic is ripe for an upset.

Goldi's former French counterpart Stacelita loped by after excercise sporting the bizarre eyeshield designed to protect her left eye, while Courageous Cat's striking white face set him apart from the crowd as he galloped on the turf ahead of his bid to dethrone her highness in the Mile.

Workouts over, it was time to prepare for the draw ceremony at 13:00 GMT and a live TVG broadcast afterwards designed to pick the bones out of the final fields and their post positions.

However, for those who are only just beginning to attack BC 2011 the following points might be worth noting.

1. That Uncle Mo workout surely wasn't what connections were hoping for. Trainer Todd Pletcher didn't seem too perturbed, but if the locals have read the signals correctly last year's champion juvenile has his work cut out in the Classic.

2. By contrast, all and sundry were raving about fellow Classic contender Flat Out on Sunday. Foot trouble has plagued this lightly-raced five-year-old for much of his career, but he charged down the Churchill straight like a horse who is primed to run the race of his life this weekend.

3. Ladies' Classic hopeful Royal Delta also had the workwatchers purring after her last main blowout before Friday's feature event.

4. Ryan Moore's confirmation as the go-to man on so many Coolmore stars this weekend will surely add fuel to the fire of the rumour suggesting that he is the bext Ballydoyle stable jockey in waiting.

5. Last but not least on day one of this year's BC blog, the way that some American reporters approach European form never ceases to raise a smile.

One experienced local scribe reacted to Goldikova's agonising Prix de la Foret defeat by Dream Ahead by saying she was beaten by "an implausible horse." For the record, that implausible horse has won five Group 1 races from just nine career starts.

Goldikova came back like a lion over a trip which is her bare minimum at Longchamp. Anyone who lays her at [3.25] or bigger as she bids to capture a historic fourth TVG BC Mile is taking a heavy risk this weekend, while the 2009 runner-up Courageous Cat continues to give the impression that he is a great deal better than his current Betfair price of [13.0] and bigger suggests for Saturday's showdown.

Watch the video where Graham Cunnigham and the TVG panel discuss Goldikova's chances of winning a fourth straight TVG Breeders' Cup Mile.