Francesca LeDonne Photo

New York connections abound in Breeders' Cup pre-entries

by Ryan Martin

The upcoming Breeders' Cup World Championships, contested from Friday, November 1 through November 2 at Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia, California, will feature a multitude of horses with New York ties.

The Breeders' Cup coincides with Opening Weekend at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will feature the $150,000 Tempted on November 1 and the Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap on November 2. Saturday at Aqueduct, gates will open at 9 a.m., and the first 1,500 guests to purchase a Post Parade program will receive a $5 cash card.

Pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup were announced Wednesday, with 188 individual horses pre-entered across 14 Breeders' Cup races.

The $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic will feature a rematch between the one-two finishers of the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Code of Honor, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey for owner-breeder W.S. Farish, who was elevated to first following the disqualification of Vino Rosso, who is trained by Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable.

A thrilling renewal of the Classic will feature New York-connected horses for Hall of Famer Bill Mott (Elate, Yoshida), Mark Casse (War of Will) and Brad Cox (Owendale).

Belmont Park fall meet-leading trainer Chad Brown has pre-entered 10 horses for racing's year-end showcase. The Three-time Eclipse award-winning conditioner will send out Peter Brant's Sistercharlie, who looks to protect her title in the Filly and Mare Turf. She arrives at the event off a win in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park and will try to become the first back-to-back Filly and Mare Turf victor. Ouija Board was a dual winner of the Filly and Mare Turf in 2004 and 2006.

Brown also will be represented by four-time Grade 1 winner Bricks and Mortar, who is a leading contender for Horse of the Year and could cement such honors with a victory in the Turf. Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence, Bricks and Mortar won the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, as well as the Grade 1 Arlington Million in August, the latter of which was a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Turf. Brown pre-entered Bricks and Mortar as second preference for the Mile.

A five-time winner of the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Brown will send out Grade 3 Miss Grillo winner Selflessly for Klaravich Stables. Last year, Brown and Klaravich teamed up to win with Newspaperofrecord. His other winners in the race include Maram (2008), Lady Eli (2014), New Money Honey (2016) and Rushing Fall (2017).

Brown's other pre-entrants for the Breeders' Cup are Structor (Juvenile Turf); Thais (Filly and Mare Turf); Uni (Mile); Dunbar Road (Distaff) and Wow Cat (Distaff). Impressive maiden winner Princesa Caroline has also been pre-entered in the oversubscribed Juvenile Fillies Turf. She is listed as 17th on the order of preference. Group 1-winner Without Parole lies on the outside looking in for the Mile.

A pair of New York-breds will look to make an impact at the Breeders' Cup, led by Giant Expectations, who has been pre-entered in the Dirt Mile for California-based trainer Peter Eurton. The 6-year-old son of Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions sire Frost Giant has accumulated more than $1.3 million in earnings with graded stakes victories in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien at Del Mar and the Grade 2 San Antonio at Santa Anita, both in 2017. Two starts back, Giant Expectations shipped to Belmont Park to square off against his Empire State-bred counterpart in the Commentator, where he was a narrow second to fellow millionaire Pat On the Back.

Pletcher pre-entered NK Racing's New-York bred Freewheeler in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Bred by John Lauriello, the son of City Zip was second in the Grade 3 Futurity on October 6 at Belmont Park. Freewheeler currently sits at No. 16 in the order of preference by a Breeders' Cup panel of secretaries and racing officials.

A total of 16 Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge races were contested at NYRA tracks in 2019:

All of the racing action will be available on NYRA Bets, including a bevy of multi-race options on both days. Friday's card includes a $500,000 Pick 5 guarantee on races 1-5. There will be a Late Pick 5 on races 5-9 with a $1,000,000 guarantee and an all Breeders' Cup Pick 4 on Races 6-9 with a $1 million guarantee.

On November 2, handicappers will be treated to a $1 million guaranteed Ultra Pick 6 on races 7-12; an All Breeders' Cup Late Pick 5 on races 8-12 with a $2 million guarantee and an all Breeders' Cup Pick 4 on races 9-12.

Race order for "Future Stars Friday" will start with the Grade 2, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (4:12 p.m.); the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf presented by Coolmore America (4:52 p.m.); the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (5:32 p.m.); the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (6:12 p.m.) and the Grade 1, $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (7:03 p.m.).

Championship Saturday kicks off with two undercard races followed by the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (2:55 p.m.); the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (3:33 p.m.); the Grade 1, $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (4:10 p.m.); the Grade 1, $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (4:54 p.m.); the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (5:36 p.m.); the Grade 1, TVG $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (6:20 p.m.); the Grade 1, $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (7 p.m.); the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (7:40 p.m.) and the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (8:44 p.m.).

A closer look at NYRA-based trainers with starters at the Breeders' Cup:

Tom Albertrani is on the bubble with Godolphin's Final Frontier in the Turf Sprint. The 4-year-old son of Ghostzapper, who won the Belmont Turf Sprint in his last effort, is 13th on the order of preference.

Steve Asmussen boasts six pre-entries including Distaff favorite Midnight Bisou, who captured the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps and Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont. Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile winner Mitole, who also captured the Grade 1 Forego, is a top contender for the Sprint. He is also represented by Wicked Whisper (Juvenile Fillies), Shoplifted (Juvenile), Engage (Sprint). His Snapper Sinclair is on the outside looking in for both the Dirt Mile (first preference) and Mile.

Mark Casse will be represented by Grade 1 Preakness winner War of Will (Classic); Perfect Alibi (Juvenile Fillies); Two Sixty (Juvenile Fillies); Peace Achieved (Juvenile Turf) and Got Stormy (Mile). Jack and Noah and Proven Strategies are on the overflow list for the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Juvenile Turf, respectively.

Christophe Clement will seek his first win in a Breeders' Cup race when he saddles Grade 1 winner Decorated Invader in the Juvenile Turf and 11-time stakes winner Pure Sensation in the Turf Sprint.

Gary Contessa will saddle Another Miracle, winner of the Skidmore at Saratoga, in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Brad Cox has five top Breeders' Cup contenders including Owendale (Classic), British Idiom (Juvenile Fillies), Andesite (Juvenile Turf), Covfefe (Filly and Mare Sprint), and Arklow (Turf).

John Kimmel, who sent out New York-bred Bar of Gold to score a 66-1 upset in the 2017 Filly and Mare Sprint, will saddle P.G. Johnson winner Crystalle in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Mike Maker is represented by Chimney Rock in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Zulu Alpha in the Turf.

Carlos Martin will saddle Come Dancing, who will likely be one of the favorites for the Filly and Mare Sprint. Owned by Marc Holliday's Blue Devil Racing, Come Dancing won four of her five starts this season, including the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, a nine-time Breeders' Cup winner, will seek his first victory in the Classic when he saddles Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup victor Code of Honor.

Three-time Breeders' Cup-winning conditioner Kiaran McLaughlin will saddle Dawn the Destroyer (Filly and Mare Sprint) and Lucullan is on the overflow list for the Mile.

Hall of Famer Bill Mott will attempt his third Classic win when he saddles a pair of runners in dual Grade 1 winners Yoshida and Elate (2nd preference Distaff), the latter of whom will look to become the second female to win the Classic since Zenyatta won the 2009 edition. Mott also will be represented by Channel Maker in the Turf.

Ten-time Breeders' Cup winning trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by five horses including Sweet Melania (Juvenile Fillies Turf); Coal Front (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile); Channel Cat (Turf); and Vino Rosso (Classic). New York-bred Freewheeler is 16th on the order of preference for the over-subscribed Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Jason Servis pre-entered Grade 1 Vosburgh runner-up Firenze Fire in the Sprint (first preference) and Dirt Mile, while Shekky Shebaz will hope to draw in to the Turf Sprint.

George Weaver will send out graded stakes placed Our Country in the Juvenile Turf.