"Coach Cal" Gets in on Breeders' Cup Draw Action

When University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari questions a call at Rupp Arena this season, he may not want the referees to show the tape of the Rood & Riddle Breeders' Cup Post Position Draw.

Calipari served as the celebrity drawing the pills for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) field Oct. 31 at Rupp and, with the first pill, called "seven" for Flightline . Immediately, Keeneland racing secretary Ben Huffman, seated beside the Hall of Fame coach, stopped him and quietly told the coach to turn the pill around. What Calipari thought was a "7" actually was the "4." The coach joked that he couldn't read it.

"We're going to do this together," Calipari said before drawing another number and enlisting Huffman's help the rest of the way. "That's a one, I think."

Calipari said the "six" was readable as it was spelled out on the pill. The six is spelled out to avoid confusion with the "9."

Later, Olympiad   drew post 7. "There's the seven," Calipari said with a chuckle.

Before pulling the first pill, Calipari said Breeders' Cup is a great event for Lexington and noted the quality of the fields for this year's World Championships.