Another Wet Day for Breeders' Cup Hopefuls
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Big Blue Kitten jogs on a soggy Keeneland track Oct. 27.
For the second day in the past three, the main track at Keeneland Race Course was sealed Oct. 27 because of steady drizzle and occasional rainfall and many of the Breeders' Cup World Championships horses went to the training track that features a synthetic surface.
Keeneland track superintendent Javier Barajas opted not to have the surface harrowed. Main track training hours were reduced by a half-hour, ending at 9:30 a.m.
Obviously, if there had been live racing Tuesday, the main track would have been rated sloppy and the turf course soft. Barrajas said the forecast is for precipitation to continue in some form until early Thursday, Oct. 29. If the weather cooperates from that point until the Oct. 30-31 Breeders' Cup, the turf course condition could be upgraded.
"What I need right now is some wind and sun," said Barrajas, adding that with its high elevation Keeneland does get a lot wind.
Meanwhile, most of the European participants that cleared quarantine were sent to the Polytrack training track Tuesday, with Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) winner and Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) contender Golden Horn impressing most observers with his presence.
Also looking good during her morning gallop over the training track was I'm a Chatterbox, the multiple grade I winner trained by Larry Jones who drew the inside post position for the Longines Distaff (gr. I)
"She thrives on training," Jones said of the Munnings filly he exercises daily. "She fights me if I don't train her."
Despite the soggy condition of the turf course, trainer Wesley Ward sent some of his Cup horses to exercise on grass.