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BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE FOCUS IS ON
CALIFORNIA, IRELAND, FRANCE AND NEW YORK

Seven “Win and You’re In” races are on the line this weekend at tracks in the United States and Europe.

The run-down for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge events are as follows: Morvich Handicap (Oak Tree at Santa Anita, Sept. 30), Diamond Stakes (Dundalk, Ireland Oct. 2), Prix de L’Abbaye de Longchamp (Longchamp, France, Oct. 4), Norfolk (Oak Tree at Santa Anita, Oct. 4), Oak Leaf (Oak Tree at Santa Anita, Oct. 4), Pilgrim (Belmont Park, Oct. 4) and Miss Grillo (Belmont Park, Oct. 4).

MORVICH KICKS OFF OAK TREE AT SANTA ANITA MEET

The $100,000 Morvich Handicap, a “Win and You’re In” event for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, is the feature on Wednesday’s opening day card of the 41st Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet.

The Turf Sprint’s defending champion, DESERT CODE, is among a field of 10 entered in the grade III, which will be run on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. The Morvich will be contested at 6 ½ furlongs, the same distance as the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park Nov. 7.

The Morvich is one of eight races at the 31-day Oak Tree meet that will provide its winner with an automatic starting berth to a designated Breeders’ Cup event at Santa Anita in November.
Following the 2008 Breeders’ Cup, the David Hofmans-trained Desert Code won Santa Anita’s grade III Daytona Handicap over the course. After a loss in the San Simeon over the downhill course on April 18, Hofmans turned the 5-year-old out with an eye on a defense of his title. “He just needed a rest,” Hofmans said. “We wanted to have a fresh horse for this year’s Breeders’ Cup.”
Desert Code, who drew post 6 for the Morvich, enters the race with earnings of $1,088,939 from seven victories in 22 lifetime starts. He was assigned 121 pounds. Among the starters is the defending Morvich champion, CALIFORNIA FLAG, who upset at odds of 22-1 last year.

The complete field for the Morvich, with jockeys and weights and in post position order: CHEROKEE HEAVEN, Brice Blanc, 114; PERFECT ORDER, Joel Rosario, 114; California Flag, Joseph Talamo, 122; STONESIDE, Martin Pedroza, 116; TIZ WEST, Rafael Bejarano, 116; Desert Code, Richard Migliore, 121; FLASHMANS PAPERS, Agapito Delgadillo, 114; TENGA CAT, Mike Smith, 115; BRUCE’S DREAM, Garrett Gomez, 112, and GET FUNKY, Tyler Baze, 116.

Also to be run at the opening week of the Oak Tree meet is the $300,000 Norfolk and $300,000 Oak Leaf, juvenile races that will provide their respective winners with starting berths to the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Both the grade I Norfolk and grade I Oak Leaf have proven to be important preps for the Breeders’ Cup. Last year’s Oak Leaf winner, Stardom Bound, went on to win the Juvenile Fillies. Midshipman, the Juvenile winner, was the runner-up in the Norfolk.

Among the probables for the 1 1/16-mile Norfolk is LOOKIN AT LUCK, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7. Other probable starters are COURT MISCHIEF, DAVE IN DIXIE, JOHN SCOTT, JUNG MAN SCOTT, LUCKY RAVE, PRIVLAGED, PULSION, SMILING, TIGER and STERLING OUTLOOK.

The 1 1/16-mile Oak Leaf likely will attract, among others, Grade I Del Mar Debutante winner MI SUENO.

ALWAYS A PRINCESS, BLIND LUCK, FORBIDDEN PARADISE, IT TIZ, PURE CLASS, AND SOFTLY SINGING are also potential starters.

BELMONT FEATURES SUPER SATURDAY CARD AND THEN SOME

Headed by Saturday’s $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Belmont Park will offer fabulous racing over the weekend with a series of events that, for many horses, will mark their final preps for the Breeders’ Cup.

SUMMER BIRD, the Belmont and Travers winner, will face older horses for the first time in the 1 ¼-mile Gold Cup, a grade I prep for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Trainer Tim Ice has indicated that the Gold Cup will be the 3-year-old’s final race before the Nov. 7 Classic.

Among Summer Bird’s foes will be QUALITY ROAD, the Florida Derby winner and the third-place finisher in the Travers. Suburban winner DRY MARTINI, MACHO AGAIN, a very game runner-up to Rachel Alexandra in the grade I Woodward, SETTE E MEZZO and TIZWAY are also targeting the Gold Cup. ASIATIC BOY is regarded as possible to start.

Four other grade I events on Saturday will spotlight runners with an eye on the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, and the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Respectively, those races are the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational, the $600,000 Beldame, and the $400,000 Vosburgh.

Among those pointing to the 1 ¼-mile Joe Hirsch is the country’s top grass runner and multiple grade I winner GIO PONTI, who captured the Frank E. Kilroe, Manhattan, Man o’War, and Arlington Million in succession this year for trainer Christophe Clement.

The Flower Bowl, a 1 ¼-mile turf race for fillies and mares, is expected to lure, among others, the Clement-trained CARRIBEAN SUNSET AND CRITICISM.

The Beldame, a 1 1/8-mile dirt race for fillies and mares, will likely attract COCOA BEACH and MUSIC NOTE from the white-hot Godolphin Stable, and UNBRIDLED BELLE and CAPTAIN’S LOVER.

The six-furlong Vosburgh will feature the sensational sprinter, FABULOUS STRIKE, a multiple stakes winner and the probable favorite. Another likely Vosburgh starter is MUNNINGS, the winner of Belmont Park’s grade II Tom Fool in July.

The two Breeders’ Cup Challenge races to be run at Belmont Park this weekend are a pair of juvenile turf events, the grade III Pilgrim and the grade III Miss Grillo. Each will be run at 1 1/16 miles and are part of Sunday’s racing card, which also includes the Kelso, a traditional prep for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Among the probables for the Pilgrim are BILLIONS BOY, BRICKLAYER, DEAN’S KITTEN, INTERACTIF, MR VEGAS and SEATTLE MISSION. The Miss Grillo probables are FUZZY BRITCHES, HATHEER, MEHNDI, NEGLIGEE, SMART SEATTLE, TAPITSFLY AND ZODIAC GIRL.

PRIX DE L’ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP PART OF HUGE WEEKEND IN PARIS

The group I Prix de L’Abbaye de Longchamp, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the Turf Sprint, will be run at Longchamp on Sunday, and is part of sensational weekend of racing in Paris. On Saturday, super filly Goldikova will run in the group I Prix de la Foret, her final race before taking aim at a defense of her title in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile. On Sunday at Longchamp, the remarkable Sea The Stars is scheduled to run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Traditionally, the five-furlong Prix de L’Abbaye attracts a large field. Among the probables for this year’s running are FLEETING SPIRIT, the July Cup winner who is being aimed for a run in the Breeders’ Cup, 2007 Abbaye winner BENBAUN, and recent Longchamp winner WAR ARTIST. Others expected to start are 14-time winner TAX FREE and 3-year-old TOTAL GALLERY, a recent runner-up in a group race at Newbury in England.

IRELAND’S DIAMOND STAKES GUARANTEES BERTH TO MARATHON
The Aidan O’Brien-trained MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE), winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, is a likely starter for Friday’s group III Diamond Stakes, a “Win and You’re In” designated race for the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

O’Brien said he is looking at the 11-furlong Diamond Stakes, which will be run on Polytrack at Dundalk in Ireland, as a springboard to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Mastercraftsman was declared from the starting field of last Saturday’s group I Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, a race won by his stablemate Rip Van Winkle.
Mastercraftsman’s potential opponents could include Team Valor’s GITANO HERNANDO, trained in Newmarket by Marco Botti. The 3-year-old returned from a four-month break to easily win a Wolverhampton conditions stakes on Sept. 17.

The Charles O’Brien-trained LORD ADMIRAL, an 8-year-old who most recently finished fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes, is another possible as is NORTHGATE, a conditions race winner at Dundalk last Friday for trainer Joe Murphy.

COUNTDOWN TO THE BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

A list of the upcoming major stakes races this week:

BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC DIVISION

Oct. 3 - $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational at Belmont Park. Run at 1 1/4 miles for 3yos & up.

Oct. 3 - $500,000 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park. Run at 1 1/16 miles for 3yos.

Oct. 3 - $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap at Hawthorne. Run at 1 1/4 miles for 3yos & up.

Oct. 3 - $200,000 All American at Golden Gate Fields. Run at 1 1/8 miles for 3yos & up.

BREEDERS’ CUP LADIES’ CLASSIC DIVISION

Oct. 3 - $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park. Run at 1 1/16 miles for 3yo fillies.

Oct. 3 - $600,000 Beldame at Belmont Park. Run at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares.

EMIRATES AIRLINE BREEDERS’ CUP TURF DIVISION

Oct. 3 - $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park. Run at 1 ½ miles on turf for 3yos & up.

Oct. 4 – Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Run at 1 ½ miles on turf for 3yos & up.

EMIRATES AIRLINE BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF DIVISION

Oct. 3 - $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park. Run at 1 ¼ miles on turf for fillies and mares.

Oct. 4 - Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp. Run at 1 ¼ miles on turf for fillies and mares.

TVG BREEDERS’ CUP MILE DIVISION

Oct. 3 - Prix de la Foret at Longchamp. Run at 7 furlongs on turf for 3yos & up.

Oct. 3 - $150,000 Cliff Hanger at the Meadowlands. Run at 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3yos & up.

Oct. 3 - $150,000 Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap at Hawthorne. Run at 1 mile on turf for 3yos & up.

Oct. 4 - $250,000 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park. Run at 1 mile on turf for 3yos & up.

SENTIENT JET BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT DIVISION

Oct. 3 - $400,000 Vosburgh at Belmont Park. Run at 6 furlongs for 3yos.

BREEDERS’ CUP TURF SPRINT DIVISION

Sept. 30 - Morvich Handicap at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. Run at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf for 3yos & up.

Oct. 4 - Prix de L’Abbaye de Longchamp at Longchamp. Run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf for 2yos & up.

GREY GOOSE BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE DIVISION

Oct. 4 - $300,000 Norfolk at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. Run at 1 1/16 miles for 2yos.

GREY GOOSE BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES DIVISION

Oct. 4 - $300,000 Oak Leaf at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. Run at 1 1/16 miles for 2yos fillies.

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF DIVISION

Oct 4. - Pilgrim at Belmont Park. Run at 1 1/16 miles on turf for 2yos.

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF DIVISION

Oct. 4 - Miss Grillo at Belmont Park. Run at 1 1/16 miles on turf for 2yo fillies.

BREEDERS’ CUP MARATHON DIVISION

Oct. 2 – Diamond Stakes at Dundalk. Run at 1 3/8 miles for 3yos & up