SPORTS

Breeders' Cup Spotlight: Longines Turf

Jennie Rees
@CJ_Jennie

BREEDERS’ CUP SPOTLIGHT: LONGINES TURF

Golden Horn won the Arc de Triomphe Oct. 4 at Longchamp under Frankie Dettori.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Purse: $3 million.

Division: 3-year-olds & up

Distance: 1 ½ miles on turf.

TV: NBC.

Radio/livestreaming: Horse Racing Radio Network, including 93.9-FM in Louisville and horseracingradio.net.

The favorite:Golden Horn, winner of Britain’s Epsom Derby and France’s Arc de Triomphe, is the best European horse to contest the Turf in some years, his only defeat in eight career starts coming by a head in the Juddmonte International. He’s won on both firm and soft turf but might be more devastating over a firm course. But while English Derby winners have won the Breeders’ Cup, no Arc de Triomphe winner has prevailed in the championship series. The one sure bet is that jockey Frankie Dettori will make one of his famous flying dismounts if the John Gosden-trained 3-year-old colt wins what will be his career finale before going to stud.

News of the day: The classy 4-year-old Postponed, winner of England’s prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, was pre-entered but was declared out after an endoscopic examination following a workout came back “dirty,” indicating potential infection or illness, according to British press reports. Usually when the Breeders’ Cup is in Kentucky, half the field in grass races might be Europeans. But the only other one pre-entered is the 3-year-old filly Found, Ascot’s Champion Stakes runner-up Oct. 17 after finishing ninth in the Arc. There is an Argentine horse, however in the 7-year-old gelding Ordak Dan, who got a free trip to the Turf courtesy victory in a “Win and You’re In” race last May 25, his last start.

American contingent: Big Blue Kitten will no doubt be heavily played by the Keeneland crowd. The 7-year-old horse always seems to be first (Belmont’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, United Nations) or second (Arlington Million by a neck) and will be flying late. Shining Copper, a $62,500 claim by owner Ken Ramsey and who  soon became Big Blue Kitten’s designated “rabbit” to ensure a fast pace, was fourth in the United Nations, third in the Million and fifth in the Turf Classic. While he’ll still be in front, he’s also in it to try to win on his own rights.

   Slumber, like Big Blue Kitten and Shining Copper is trained by Chad Brown, has exchanged victories with Big Blue Kitten but needs turf on the firm side.  Arlington Million winner The Pizza Man is a really cool 6-year-old gelding whose only defeat this year is by fast-flying head in Keeneland’s Shadwell Turf Mile.

Da Big Hoss, a $50,000 claim by Louisville’s Skychai Racing partnership, is unbeaten in three starts for his new connections and earned a shot at the Turf by taking Kentucky Downs’ $600,000 Kentucky Turf Cup. Red Rifle and Twilight Eclipse always seem to get a piece of the payday, while Big John B is among the best of a weak group in California.

  Worth knowing: Eighteen of the 31 runnings of the Turf have been won by European-based horses, one year in a dead heat. Four others, including last year’s winner Main Sequence, started out in Europe. Among the biggest trends identified by Crushing the Cup (proghandicap.com) are that going  to wire to wire at this distance at Keeneland is almost impossible, a win at 1 ½ miles is almost a must, as is being a Grade I winner.

  • Jennie Rees