Top Contenders for the Breeders' Cup Classic
by Patricia Woo | Nov 2 2009
The biggest and richest race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships is the $5M Breeders' Cup Classic. The 1 ¼-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up is the showpiece of the meet at Santa Anita Park and has attracted some of the top names in horse racing. With big names like Zenyatta, Summer Bird and Mine That Bird set to compete head-to-head, this year's Breeders' Cup will be a race you do not want to miss.
Up until a few days ago, trainer John Shirreffs was still on the fence about which race Zenyatta would line up for; she was initially pointed to the Ladies' Classic to defend her title. But her connections - Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss - see bigger things for their 5-year-old mare, who has an amazing record of 13 consecutive wins thanks in large part to her explosive finishing kick. Just in 2009, she is 4-4-0-0 and has earned $630,000. A win in the Classic would be an incredible feather in this Street Cry mare's cap, and with her solid final work on Oct. 31 with jockey Mike Smith aboard - a 6-furlong move in 1:12 2/5 at Hollywood Park, Shirreffs has all but confirmed that Zenyatta will compete in the Breeders' Cup Classic. She would be facing males for the first time in her career and she would be stretching out to 1 ¼ miles, but Shirreffs is confident that neither of these things will be factors come race day.
Summer Bird has had an incredible year - and what better way to round out 2009 than with a win in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Trainer Tim Ice has seen his protégé go from relative unknown (sixth in the Kentucky Derby) to top contender for Horse of the Year (winner of the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes). The 3-year-old son of Birdstone will again be teamed with jockey Kent Desormeaux, and despite the fact that Summer Bird has never raced on a synthetic track, he has proven to be an adaptable competitor, and that, along with his versatile running style, will make him difficult to beat.
Since his eye-catching Kentucky Derby win in May, the other son of Birdstone, Mine That Bird, has flown under the radar. Has reality finally set in for this Chip Woolley trainee or is there another perfect trip awaiting this potential value bet for horse bettors? Jockey Calvin Borel was reserved about Mine That Bird's affinity for the Pro-Ride track after the Goodwood Stakes on Oct. 10 (in which Mine That Bird finished sixth) but Woolley contends that his horse simply needed more distance - another 1/8 mile, to be exact - to be competitive. And he will get that distance in the Classic, along with the benefit of several works at Santa Anita Park, which could equate to another big race for this small horse.
In addition to Zenyatta, the Breeders' Cup Classic has attracted other top horses from other divisions. A leader in the Turf division, Christophe Clement's 4-year-old Gio Ponti will contend the Classic. And Einstein, the Helen Pitts-trained 7-year-old who is a champion on a variety of surfaces, will also line up for Friday's richest race. The European presence is also strong, bolstered by the unexpected win of Kentucky-bred but England-based Raven's Pass last year, and includes Mastercraftsman, Twice Over and Rip Van Winkle. Also expected are Colonel John, Quality Road, Bullsbay and Richard's Kid.
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