Events / Timeform / 24 October 2008 / 1

Red the Timeform opinion on a host of the hottest races from Santa Anita for the 25th running of the Breeders' Cup.

Santa Anita plays host to the 25th Breeders' Cup World Championships beginning on Friday.

This year's meeting has been extended further to incorporate fourteen races, with the five fillies' events run on the first day and the remaining nine races taking place on Saturday. The European raiders left empty-handed from Monmouth Park 12 months ago but there's plenty of cause for optimism this time around, with a whole host of familiar names prominent in the betting for some of the contests.

Aidan O'Brien is five Group 1 wins away from a place in the record books for most in a year by an individual trainer and he's assembled a superstar team in California. He's represented by two runners in the big one itself, the Classic (Sat 23.45 BST), worth $5,000,000, and run, as all the non-turf races are for the first time this year, on the artificial surface Pro-Ride.

Between them Henrythenavigator and Duke of Marmalade are responsible for nine of O'Brien's twenty-one Group 1 wins this season but odds of [8.0] and higher for each are understandable when you consider they face the mighty Curlin, the overwhelming favourite and highest US-trained money earner of all time who is attempting back-to-back wins in the race.

The other European representative, Raven's Pass, finally got the better of Henrythenavigator in the QEII last time and both shape as though they'll stay the extra two furlongs. Two with experience of the Santa Anita circuit are Casino Drive and Well Armed, the former is unbeaten and open to further improvement after just three starts. He too will relish the step up in trip.

O'Brien's first runner of the meeting will be Heart Shaped in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (Fri 21.15 BST). The daughter of Storm Cat is easy to back but is not without a chance of running into a place, shaping as though the step up in trip would suit when a staying-on fifth in the Cheveley Park last time. The unbeaten Maram who accounted for Freedom Rings by a neck in a Grade 3 at Belmont earlier this month looks a worthy favourite and she will improve again.

Sir Michael Stoute has two runners at the meeting, with Visit making her final start for the trainer in the Filly & Mare Turf (Fri 22.35 BST). Attempting to follow in the footsteps of Islington, who won this race in 2003, Visit finished third to Halfway To Heaven in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket last time and there's a good possibility she could reverse the placings here, with the race likely to become something of a tactical affair. Halfway To Heaven is best at this trip with an emphasis on speed, so with just her and Folk Opera as the known front runners in the field there's unlikely to be much pace on. Course and distance specialist Wait A While has had this race on her agenda all year and is one who make take the initiative early.

The shortest-priced favourite of the whole meeting is Zenyatta, who bids to extend her unbeaten record in the Ladies' Classic (formally the Distaff) (Fri 23.15 BST). She easily beat Hystericalady by three and a half lengths over course and distance in the Grade 1 Lady's Secret last time and may have further improvement in her yet. Should she fail to give her running then this race could turn out to be Godolphin's best chance of a winner - they are represented by Music Note and Cocoa Beach. The former is closest to the division leader in terms of form but it's hard not to be impressed by the way Music Note has been winning her races, albeit much less tougher than this, and she could get the pace she requires to swoop late.

While there are several variants of the Sprint for fillies and mares and turf performers this year, the Breeders' Cup Sprint (Sat 22:15 BST) is still very much the main event. Just nine line up for the race, and typically for one of this nature there's little separating them on Timeform ratings. It's worth noting that from the few representatives in the last decade that three-year-olds have a good record in the race and with that in mind it could be worth siding with Fatal Bullet. The gelding shot into contention for this with an impressive success in the Kentucky Cup Sprint last month, never headed and recording a seven-and-three-quarter length success. He may well improve further. The first three in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes over course and distance last month meet once more, Cost Of Freedom an impressive winner on that occasion on what was his graded stakes debut.

The Breeders' Cup Turf (Sat 23:00 BST) looks as intriguing as ever. Soldier of Fortune, joint-third in the Arc last time, has had a relatively light year in comparison with a lot of other runners from his stable and should be thereabouts with Red Rock Canyon likely to set a suitable gallop for him. The drop back in trip is unlikely to trouble the St Leger winner Conduit, who showed good speed when winning the final English Classic of the year and he's worth consideration, while the leading American challenger, Grand Couturier has looked better than ever of late, notably when a wide-margin winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont last month, a race won by English Channel before he was successful at the Breeders' Cup 12 months ago.

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1. Bernard | 25 October 2008

   Hi Lads very informative article.

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