Field Of Dreams
October 18th 2008 06:32
“If you build it, they will come.”
(photo: 2007 Danny Johnston/Associated Press)
It may have been a cinematic reference to another sport - baseball - but the introduction of the new synthetic track at Santa Anita has created great interest from trainers of European horses who now believe that the synthetic surface (instead of dirt) greatly improves their chance of success.
A record of 35 foreign horses were pre-entered in the 14 races - worth over $US25.5 million - over the two day carnival.
The $US5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic has attracted a full field of 14 entries, which includes the reigning champion Curlin, Duke Of Marmalade, Henrythenavigator, Raven’s Pass, and the unbeaten Japanese horse (though very much from a US family of renown) Casino Drive.
In addition to a compromise racing surface, the banning of the use of steroids (already the case in Europe) has given confidence to overseas entries that they will be competing on a level playing field (Of Dreams). Much more emphasis and recruitment also took place outside of the US in lead up to this year. The result is a feature race with as much intrigue and interest as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Curlin will be looking to join Tiznow as the only other back-to-back winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It is a great pity that Big Brown is now unable through retirement to contest this great race - but the depth of the field is remarkable and there are many different scenarios and possibilities:
Will Curlin be as effective on this synthetic track? Or will he be not quite as good as on dirt - but better than he is on turf?
With the abject failure of Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes it appears more than probable that Casino Drive would have won the 2008 Belmont Stakes and given his dam Better Than Honour (2007 US Broodmare Of The Year and the dam of Belmont winners Jazil [2006] and Rags To Riches [2007]) the record of three Belmont winners in a row. Casino Drive has only had the one start since his Peter Pan Stakes victory and subsequent shock scratching from the Belmont - and he returned to the US to easily win a Grade 2 (Group 2) race at Santa Anita on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface. Unlike several of the European contingent - Duke Of Marmalade in particular - he is coming into this feature race fresh and with improvement, and not at the end of a long campaign.
Aidan O’Brien is searching feverishly for more Group One victories. A three-pronged attack on the Melbourne Cup in Australia, and a bevvy of his quality thoroughbreds now in the US. Duke Of Marmalade will be ideally suited by the distance (10 furlongs) of the Breeders’ Cup Classic - and Henrythenavigator should relish the increase in distance and firm ground. These are horses of the highest quality - and with Henry's last start conqueror, Raven's Pass, also engaged there is every chance that a European horse will fill (some major or minor) part of the placings.
The 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic:
Curlin to battle an overseas invasion
(photo: 2007 Danny Johnston/Associated Press)
It may have been a cinematic reference to another sport - baseball - but the introduction of the new synthetic track at Santa Anita has created great interest from trainers of European horses who now believe that the synthetic surface (instead of dirt) greatly improves their chance of success.
A record of 35 foreign horses were pre-entered in the 14 races - worth over $US25.5 million - over the two day carnival.
The $US5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic has attracted a full field of 14 entries, which includes the reigning champion Curlin, Duke Of Marmalade, Henrythenavigator, Raven’s Pass, and the unbeaten Japanese horse (though very much from a US family of renown) Casino Drive.
In addition to a compromise racing surface, the banning of the use of steroids (already the case in Europe) has given confidence to overseas entries that they will be competing on a level playing field (Of Dreams). Much more emphasis and recruitment also took place outside of the US in lead up to this year. The result is a feature race with as much intrigue and interest as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Curlin will be looking to join Tiznow as the only other back-to-back winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It is a great pity that Big Brown is now unable through retirement to contest this great race - but the depth of the field is remarkable and there are many different scenarios and possibilities:
Will Curlin be as effective on this synthetic track? Or will he be not quite as good as on dirt - but better than he is on turf?
With the abject failure of Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes it appears more than probable that Casino Drive would have won the 2008 Belmont Stakes and given his dam Better Than Honour (2007 US Broodmare Of The Year and the dam of Belmont winners Jazil [2006] and Rags To Riches [2007]) the record of three Belmont winners in a row. Casino Drive has only had the one start since his Peter Pan Stakes victory and subsequent shock scratching from the Belmont - and he returned to the US to easily win a Grade 2 (Group 2) race at Santa Anita on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface. Unlike several of the European contingent - Duke Of Marmalade in particular - he is coming into this feature race fresh and with improvement, and not at the end of a long campaign.
Aidan O’Brien is searching feverishly for more Group One victories. A three-pronged attack on the Melbourne Cup in Australia, and a bevvy of his quality thoroughbreds now in the US. Duke Of Marmalade will be ideally suited by the distance (10 furlongs) of the Breeders’ Cup Classic - and Henrythenavigator should relish the increase in distance and firm ground. These are horses of the highest quality - and with Henry's last start conqueror, Raven's Pass, also engaged there is every chance that a European horse will fill (some major or minor) part of the placings.
The 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic:
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