Pedulla and Ehalt: Debating the Distaff and Classic

Princess of Sylmar (outside) overtook Royal Delta (maroon and white jockey silks) to win the Beldame Stakes on Sept. 28 in their only meeting. (Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
ARCADIA, Calif. — Bob Ehalt and Tom Pedulla became fast friends when they met on their first day at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1971. Bob introduced Tom to Thoroughbred racing soon after that.
They have had their rough moments at the track, with Tom taking exception when Bob repeatedly smacks him on the back with a program as one of their horses launches an all-out stretch drive. Much to Tom’s chagrin and the amusement of onlookers, Bob has been known to call for security as they cashed a $27 triple. They have owned a number of horses together and can often be seen carrying on at the track as if they never left their teenage years.
Their take on the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the Classic:
Distaff
TP: Move over, Goldikova. You’re about to have company. Goldikova is the only horse to win three Breeders’ Cup races, sweeping the Mile from 2008-’10. Royal Delta, two-time defending champion in the Distaff, is poised for a three-peat.
ROYAL DELTA AFTER 2012 BREEDERS' CUP WIN

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
BE: Tom, from now on it should be known that there are three things that are certain in life: Taxes, death and you picking a favorite and trying to persuade me to bet it as well.
After the last few days in California, I can probably add getting stuck in L.A. traffic as the fourth item on that list, but for now let me hear more of your reasoning; not that it’s venturing into virgin territory.
TP: Bob, this looms as the sternest test of her grand career but one of our favorite trainers, Bill Mott, has Royal Delta sitting on the race of a lifetime. How can I be so sure? The works tell the tale. Mott took off the gloves after we watched Princess of Sylmar pull an upset in the Beldame on Sept. 28 at Belmont Park. Royal Delta tore through four furlongs in 46 2/5 seconds, swiftest of 35 workouts at the distance on Oct. 12. That was followed a week later by another bullet work, five furlongs in 59 3/5 seconds, best of 18 that morning at Belmont.
A case can be made for five of the six starters in the Distaff: Authenticity, Beholder, Close Hatches, Princess of Sylmar and Royal Delta. But no one brings a résumé to match that of Royal Delta, a 5-year-old mare with $4,691,126 in earnings based on 12 victories and five second-place finishes in 21 starts. It is unwise to look past those numbers.
Beholder, winner of 5 of 6 starts at Santa Anita, concerns me with all of the speed she possesses. But Mike Smith is smart enough — and Royal Delta is tactical enough — to sit off that before coming with a rush exceeded only by my sprint to cash. Royal Delta, Bob, she is the “Queen of Thoroughbred racing.” Don’t mess with royalty.
Princess of Sylmar closes for second. Authenticity, who has not missed the board in eight starts, can be counted on for third.   
BE: Can’t say you’re that far off base, Tom. Royal Delta should be sharper for the Distaff than she was in the Beldame, and Santa Anita favors her speed.
But hopefully the other jockeys in the race will not fall asleep at the helm and let Royal Delta cruise along on an easy lead. My hope is that Beholder and Royal Delta will engage in a fierce duel on the front end and that will allow Princess of Sylmar to swoop past both of them.
I can see Royal Delta edging Beholder to complete the bottom half of the exacta, but for the top spot, I’m going with “The Princess.”
PRINCESS OF SYLMAR DEFEATING ROYAL DELTA IN BELDAME

Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Classic
TP: Try as I might, I can’t get past the Dude, Game On Dude. We may never understand what went wrong when he was a nonfactor in finishing seventh in last year’s Classic at Santa Anita. But, as we both know from testing each other’s patience, some things must be forgotten and forgiven.
BE: Wait a minute, me test someone patience? You must be confusing me with someone else from our high school days. I’m very easy to get along with, as long as you listen to me. You are probably basing all of this on malicious Twitter reports out of my office that I would not let the Red Sox fans watch the World Series as I took control of the clicker and put on Yankee Classics. Wrong. It was Yankee Magazine. Test someone’s patience indeed!
TP: Regardless of all that, I am focusing on Dude’s six-race winning streak, the big numbers he ran every time, and his 7 of 8 record at Santa Anita. The key will be for crafty Mike Smith, who did not ride him in last year’s Classic, to be willing to sit off Moreno to avoid a ruinous speed duel. He rode him that way in the Charlestown Classic. There is no reason the Dude won’t rate again. Then he’ll put them away. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has yet to win the Classic. This one has his name written all over it.
Palace Malice, a solid second when Ron the Greek ran a monstrous race in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, again looks to be second best. Flat Out, third a year ago, is in for a piece of this. The trusty 7-year-old has not been worse than third in any of his last five starts, consistency you have to love.
BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC PREVIEW

BE: Personally, I’d love to see the Dude win. I admire perseverance.
Yet as much as Santa Anita can be a paradise for front-runners like him, there should be a hotly contested pace that may leave him vulnerable in the final yards.
I can’t see anyone who chases Game On Dude finishing in front of him, so, much to the chagrin of our mutual friend Tree, I’m siding the “The Coach” and going with Will Take Charge.
After winning $1 million races in his last two starts, Will Take Charge looks like a 3-year-old coming of age at the right time of the year – when a championship is on the line.
Plus, he’s 12-to-1 and you know I can’t resist that.
I’ll definitely use Game On Dude in the exacta. He’s too good to bet against in the exotics.
After that, Mucho Macho Man, who seems to like this track, Palace Malice and Paynter are the ones I’ll focus on in the superfecta.
I may not win, but if I do, at least I’ll be richly rewarded. No chalk dust for me. I choked enough last night watching glimpses of Game 6.
$5 million Breeders' Cup Classic
Nov. 2, Santa Anita Park, Race 12, Post Time 8:35 p.m. ET
1 1/4 miles (Dirt), 3-year-olds and older

Post
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Odds

1
Last Gunfighter
Javier Castellano
Chad C. Brown
20-1

2
Paynter
Martin Garcia
Bob Baffert
12-1

3
Planteur
Ryan Moore
Marco Botti
20-1

4
Moreno
Joe Talamo
Eric J. Guillot
15-1

5
Declaration of War
Joseph O'Brien
Aidan P. O'Brien
10-1

6
Mucho Macho Man
Gary Stevens
Kathy Ritvo
5-1

7
Fort Larned
Brian Hernandez
Ian R. Wilkes
6-1

8
Palace Malice 
John Velazquez
Todd A. Pletcher
10-1

9
Game On Dude
Mike Smith
Bob Baffert
5-1

10
Will Take Charge
Louis Saez
D. Wayne Lukas
12-1

11
Ron the Greek
Jose Lezcano
William I. Mott
8-1

12
Flat Out
Joel Rosario
William I. Mott
12-1

$2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff
Nov. 1, Santa Anita Park, Race 10, Post Time 7:35 p.m. ET
1 1/8 miles (dirt), fillies and mares, 3 years old and older

Post
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Odds

1
Street Girl
Angel Castillo
Manuel J. Azpurua
30-1

2
Authenticity
John Velazquez
Todd A. Pletcher
8-1

3
Close Hatches
Joel Rosario
William I. Mott
6-1

4
Royal Delta
Mike Smith
William I. Mott
8-5

5
Beholder
Gary Stevens
Richard E. Mandella
5-2

6
Princess of Sylmar
Javier Castellano
Todd A. Pletcher
9-5