American Pharoah Headlines Talented Classic Field
Image:
Description:
American Pharoah has been training well leading up to the Breeders' Cup Classic. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic, one of the most highly-anticipated contests in the 32-year history of the event, took shape on Monday when Triple Crown champion American Pharoah was established as the 6-5 morning line favorite after drawing post four in a talent-laden field of 10.
American Pharoah can complete the first Grand Slam by adding the Classic to his stirring triumphs in the spring classics. He showed his readiness for the final start of his career by blistering four furlongs in 46 3/5 seconds at Santa Anita Park. The breathtaking work was considerably faster than what Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert intended.
Baffert said during a conference call after the draw that he was looking for Martin Garcia, his regular workout rider for American Pharoah, to put racing’s superstar through an easy half-mile in, say, 47 or 48 seconds before he ships here to Keeneland Race Course on Tuesday.
When Garcia returned to the barn, Baffert asked what happened to the notion of a rather leisurely half-mile. “It would have been impossible,” Garcia told him.
American Pharoah, looking to rebound from his only defeat of an otherwise brilliant season when he placed second in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course at the end of August, appears to be back in top form. He will have to be.
Baffert described the Classic lineup as “an incredible field. It’s what the Breeders’ Cup is supposed to be, the best horses on the big day.”
Keeneland oddsmaker Mike Battaglia established the brilliant mare Beholder as the second choice at 3-1 after she drew farthest outside in post 10. It would appear that her jockey, Gary Stevens, will have to summon some of her abundant speed early to ensure a good stalking position. American Pharoah is expected to assume his usual spot at the front of the pack and will benefit from the absence of burner Liam’s Map. That colt’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, opted to send him into the Dirt Mile.
Beholder appears to have put her shipping fever well behind her. She blazed five furlongs in 59 2/5 seconds on Monday morning at Keeneland. “We wanted to put a little stress on her to make sure everything is okay,” trainer Richard Mandella said.
BEHOLDER BEFORE HER WORK THIS MORNING
Mandella acknowledged that the showdown with Baffert’s American Pharoah on Saturday has been a long time coming, saying, “There were mornings at Santa Anita when I wanted to say, “Bob, do you want to spin them around once and see what happens?’”
The Classic is far from a match race, though. Whitney winner Honor Code and Tonalist, who repeated in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, merit consideration. Tonalist drew the rail with Honor Code, notorious for biding his time in the early going, will leave from post nine. Frosted, who dueled American Pharoah for much of the mile-and-a-quarter Travers, will start beside the Triple Crown champ in post three at 15-1.
Keen Ice, the only horse to defeat American Pharoah in the last 14 months when he charged home in the Travers, will start from post two at odds of 12-1.
“We’ll have a little of that 12-1, thank you very much,” said Jerry Crawford who heads Donegal Racing as the owner of Keen Ice.
Crawford added, “We know our horse, even though he’s 3, he’s getting better every day.”
Wedding Toast is a tepid 4-1 favorite in a full field of 14 in the $2-million Distaff, the centerpiece of a four-race Breeders’ Cup card on Friday at Keeneland. Jimmy Bell, president of Darley America, was delighted when she drew post seven.
“It’s a very good spot for her to leave from,” he said. “She’s a very handy filly.”
Nyquist, off to a dazzling start as a 2-year-old as he rattled off victories in his first four starts, will have his work cut out for him. He and jockey Mario Gutierrez drew post 13 of 14 in Saturday’s $2-million Juvenile. Greepointcrusader, who will break from post three with Joe Bravo aboard, was made a slight favorite at 4-1.
$5-million Breeders' Cup ClassicOct. 31, Keeneland Race Course, Race 11, 5:35 p.m. ET1 1/4 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds and olderTV: NBC
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Odds
1
Tonalist
John Velazquez
Christophe Clement
Robert S. Evans
6-to-1
2
Keen Ice
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Dale Romans
Donegal Racing
12-to-1
3
Frosted
Joel Rosario
Kiaran McLaughlin
Godolphin Racing
15-to-1
4
American Pharoah
Victor Espinoza
Bob Baffert
Zayat Stables
6-to-5
5
Gleneagles
Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien
Michael Tabor , Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith
20-to-1
6
Effinex
Mike Smith
James Jerkens
Tri-Bone Stables
30-to-1
7
Smooth Roller
Tyler Baze
Victor Garcia
Lucky Charm Stable
15-to-1
8
Hard Aces
Joe Talamo
John Sadler
Hronis Racing
50-to-1
9
Honor Code
Javier Castellano
Shug McGaughey
Lane's End Racing & Dell Ridge Farm
6-to-1
10
Beholder
Gary Stevens
Richard Mandella
B. Wayne Hughes
3-to-1
$2-million Longines Breeders' Cup DistaffOct. 30, Keeneland Race Course, Race 9, 5:35 p.m. ET1 1/8 miles, dirt, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and olderTV: NBC Sports Network/TVG
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Odds
1
I'm a Chatterbox
Florent Geroux
Larry Jones
Fletcher and Carolyn Gray
8-to-1
2
Frivolous
Jon Court
Vicki Oliver
G. Watts Humphrey Jr.
30-to-1
3
Salama
Julien Leparoux
Charles Lopresti
Maria Santa Stable
50-to-1
4
Stopchargingmaria
Javier Castellano
Todd Pletcher
Town And Country Horse Farms LLC
5-to-1
5
Calamity Kate
Edgar Prado
Kelly Breen
George and Lori Hall
30-to-1
6
My Sweet Addiction
Mike Smith
Martin Jones
Pamela C. Ziebarth
20-to-1
7
Wedding Toast
Jose Lezcano
Kiaran McLaughlin
Godolphin Racing LLC
4-to-1
8
Curalina
Joel Rosario
Todd A. Pletcher
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
12-to-1
9
Stellar Wind
Victor Espinoza
John Sadler
Hronis Racing LLC
12-to-1
10
Yahilwa
James Graham
James Cassidy
D. P. Racing LLC
20-to-1
11
Untapable
John Velazquez
Steve Asmussen
Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
5-to-1
12
Got Lucky
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Todd Pletcher
Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. & Philip J. Steinberg
6-to-1
13
Warren's Veneda
Tyler Baze
Craig Lewis
Benjamin C. Warren
30-to-1
14
Sheer Drama
Joe Bravo
David Fawkes
Harold L. Queen Sr.
9-to-2
AE-15
Peace and War
Joel Rosario
Graham Motion
Qatar Racing
$2-million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup JuvenileOct. 31, Keeneland Race Course, Race 9, 4:10 p.m. ET1 1/16 miles, dirt, colts and geldings, 2-year-oldsTV: NBC/TVG
PP
Horse
Trainer
Jockey
Owner
Odds
1
Conquest Big E
Mark Casse
Shaun Bridgmohan
Conquest Stables, LLC (Ernie Semersky & Dory Newel)
30-to-1
2
Riker
Nicholas Gonzalez
Jesse Campbell
Tucci Stables
15-to-1
3
Greenpointcrusader
Dominick Schettino
Joe Bravo
St. Elias Stables, Brooklyn Boyz Stables & MEB Stables
4-to-1
4
Unbridled Outlaw
Dale Romans
Mike Smith
Albaugh Family Stables
15-to-1
5
Cocked and Loaded
Larry Rivelli
Jose Ortiz
Richard Ravin & Patricia's Hope, LLC (Vince Foglia)
12-to-1
6
Rated R Superstar
Ken McPeek
Calvin Borel
Radar Racing
15-to-1
7
Brody's Cause
Dale Romans
Corey Lanerie
Albaugh Family Stables
7-to-2
8
Tale of S'avall
Barclay Tagg
Cornelio Velasquez
Charles E. Fipke
30-to-1
9
Exaggerator
Keith Desormeaux
Kent Desormeaux
Big Chief Racing
6-to-1
10
Ralis
Doug O'Neill
Javier Castellano
Reddam Racing
12-to-1
11
Isotherm
George Weaver
Jose Lezcano
Matthew Schera
20-to-1
12
Swipe
Keith Desormeaux
Victor Espinoza
Big Chief Racing
15-to-1
13
Nyquist
Doug O'Neill
Mario Gutierrez
Reddam Racing
9-to-2
14
Waterloo Bridge (IRE)
Aidan O'Brien
Ryan Moore
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor
30-to-1
AE-15
Siding Spring
Mark Casse
Gabriel Saez
Gabe Grossberg
AE-16
Tom's Ready
Dallas Stewart
John Velazquez
GMB Racing, LLC