Breeders’ Cup Diaries: BC Eve

The day before the Breeders’ Cup is always a special time; not only are we on the eve of greatness, but there are also so many people that come out in the morning to see the runners taking their exercise in preparation for biggest race of their lives. 

Of course, it helps that dawn at Clocker’s Corner at Santa Anita Park is one of the most stunningly beautiful vistas in all of sports. This morning was particularly sublime, with a crimson sky greeting early risers as horses paraded past. I have not retouched, color corrected or altered the photos below in any way; that’s just how beautiful this morning was.

That was the perfect way to begin what turned out to be quite an athletic morning for me. You see, Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite Shared Belief was rumored to be about to gallop as the sky was brightening, so I hustled with my friend Alicia Wince-Hughes of the Lexington Herald-Leader to try to find him as he came on the track at the very top of the home stretch. One little problem, though: it turned out that our info was bad and he was in fact making his way to the paddock about a half-mile away. No worries, this is why I drag my behind to spin class three times a week: cardio. Alicia and I immediately raced down the entire length of the racetrack, setting the bar pretty high for the sprinters in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup events. Don’t worry: I managed to take a selfie while we were sprinting because I feel that it’s my sworn duty to chronicle my days for you completely:

#tbt to that time this morning that @horseracinghl and I literally had to outrun @SharedBelief to the paddock. pic.twitter.com/22e1DuLvqq
— Penelope P. Miller (@PenelopePMiller) October 30, 2014

Journalism. 
Anyway, as I said, we managed to get to the paddock as Shared Belief was taking a look around and getting used to the place (an activity known as “schooling” in horsey-speak) and he was the perfect gentleman throughout.

I then followed him back to his barn, where he enjoyed a bath and then was walked around until he completely cooled out. When I got up close to him, I was genuinely surprised by how small he is; clearly, though, he’s more than physically capable of running huge races.

I love this little colt’s gutsy running style, and I am so excited to see him compete in what’s sure to be a very memorable Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday. 
But of course, I’m at the Breeders’ Cup to see as many of the best racehorses in the world and share them with you; so, without further ado, here are some of the contenders I saw this morning. As with my other Breeders’ Cup Diaries, I’ll list them in order of the races they’ll be running in over the next two days. 
BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF – FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 7TH RACE
Danny Boy is one good-looking guy, and I loved the way he ran in his last race at Keeneland. He’s a colt who’s improving, which is just where you want to be coming into the World Championships of horse racing. 

Wow, was I ever impressed by the way Startup Nation looks. He’s one of those horses that commands your attention, which is an impressive feat when you’re surrounded by some of the most talented racehorses in the world.

War Envoy has a lot of miles for one so young: he’s raced in Ireland, Britain and France so far in his career. While he’s performed well, he’s really focused on shorter distances and hasn’t won a race since his very first one seven starts ago. 

BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE – FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 7TH RACE 
I was so happy to see Pants On Fire this morning. I mean, I love this horse for many reasons, but let’s be real: that is one hilarious name for a horse. If he does run like his pants are on fire tomorrow, he could easily get a piece of the top three and he looks tremendous up close.

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF– FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 8TH RACE
Isn’t Prize Exhibit a pretty filly? She ran a huge race in her last start in Great Britain, narrowly missing the win by only a neck’s distance. She’s poised for a big run and I’m excited to see what she does tomorrow. 

I also like Lady Eli; she looked like she was having an absolute blast as she galloped out there this morning, and she’s undefeated in her two races leading up to the Breeders’ Cup. 

Flying Tipat has just one win to her credit, but she’s improved in each of her three races to get to this point. It remains to be seen if she can score against a field with this talent, but she looked very eager and athletic as she galloped today.

BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF– FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 9TH RACE 
I had to wait until the very end of training hours to catch Close Hatches galloping, but I’m so glad that I did. I know she threw in an absolute clunker in her last start, but from the looks of her she’s raring to go now and I think she has a great chance tomorrow.

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES– SATURDAY, NOV. 1, 4TH RACE
The only new horse I saw today from the Juvenile Fillies was By the Moon, but she was the right filly to see. What a lovely horse she is, and she’s also demonstrated a very impressive race record in just three starts with two wins and a second to her name. Plus, look at the smiles on her people: that’s the look of confidence.

BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF– SATURDAY, NOV. 1, 5TH RACE
So remember way at the beginning of this blog when I mentioned that this was a very athletic morning for me? Here’s part two: when I saw Stephanie's Kitten, she was jogging in the opposite direction from me on her way back to her barn. I was dying to see her, so I had to give chase. This was difficult as she is a racehorse and I am a human who rather prefers chocolate to exercise, but I managed to catch up with her after she slowed down to a walk. She looks great, and I think she’s definitely prepared to get a slice of the pie in Saturday’s race. 

Dayatthespa is one tough cookie, and she’s looking to extend her win streak into three in a row two days from now. This is definitely one of the toughest races she’s ever run in, but she’s a real racehorse who knows how to get to the finish line.

BREEDERS’ CUP TURF– SATURDAY, NOV. 1, 9TH RACE
Finnegans Wake is certainly a looker, but he has a big task ahead of him facing this scarily talented turf field. He’s a big horse and a looker, but I’m not sure that he’s on the same level as some of the other horses here. 

Hardest Core, on the other hand, is my sneaker horse. He was valiant in his victory in the Arlington Million, and Twitter reports indicate that he’s been training like a monster in preparation for this race. He certainly looks the part, and was calm and collected on the track this morning. 

BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT– SATURDAY, NOV. 1, 10TH RACE 
Poor Fast Anna – did you know that this horse is a boy? I mean, I’m sure that he has no idea that his name is a bit confusing, but still. Anyway, he’s one of the most lightly raced horses in this group with only four starts under his belt; but he’s been first twice and second twice, so he’s not without talent. He’s also trained by Kathy Ritvo, who conditioned last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man, so you know this team knows what they’re doing when they come to the World Championships. Physically Fast Anna looks very fit and has the compact frame that suits a sprinter – he’s the aesthetic equal to any of the other horses in this race.

Bourbon Courage – with that name, this horse is pretty much the entire state of Kentucky’s hunch bet. It wouldn’t be a bad wager, either: this horse tries his eyeballs out every time, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him land in the top three on Saturday. Plus, look at the stride on him as he trots – that’s a really good mover.

ODDS AND ENDS
A few things here. One: I ran into my friend Mary Frances Dale this morning modeling hats for a segment that will air on the NBC broadcast of the races. How fabulous is she? I would look out of place in that fascinator and she looks ready for the cover of vogue. Love her! 

If you’re coming out to Santa Anita on Saturday for the Breeders’ Cup, please be sure to stop by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance’s photobooth where you can get a ride on one of the Breeders’ Cup contenders (via the magic of greenscreens and computers) with a $10 donation toward the support of retired racehorses. It’s a ton of fun that supports a great cause, and I cherish the one I did at the Belmont this year. Be sure to stop by right near the John Henry statue near the entrance of the Grandstand! FYI, John Henry is the horse the sculpture between the big fountain and the main building is based on.

Finally, can you believe that it’s only one day until the Breeders’ Cup kicks off at Santa Anita? I’m so incredibly excited to see what happens in the next couple of days!  

CLOCKER’S CORNER POOCH OF THE DAY:
Meet Jake! Jake is an Australian shepherd, and his owner tells me that he’s the most loving and loyal dog around.

Jake also loves Clocker’s Corner more than anywhere else, and he was fixated on the horses as they made their way around the racetrack. Me, too, Jake. Me, too.
 
That’s it for my mornings at Clocker’s Corner – my next two Diaries will chronicle the festivities and sport of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Thanks as always for stopping by, and let me know in the comments who your favorite Breeders’ Cup contender is!