Euros
… the loss of Main Sequence from this year’s Breeders’ Cup, which will be staged at Keeneland for the first time, is a definite setback for the event. From a European point of view, however, it does leave the Turf looking very open indeed. Fabre may feel he has some unfinished business where Flintshire is concerned, and if it looks as though his five-year-old is likely to find at least one opponent too good at Longchamp in early October, it is at least possible that the race in Kentucky will assume greater significance.
And on the NY Times’ Rail Blog, back for the Breeders’ Cup, I take a look at the 10 Euro juveniles pre-entered in this year’s races, including the two very interesting Bernardini buzz babies Biondetti and Theyskens’ Theory. Although I mentioned both were cross-entered in their divisions, I left out that that both have first preference for the dirt races. Trainer Brian Meehan seems quite set on the Juvenile Fillies for ‘Theory,’ but what Godolphin will choose for Biondetti is a little less clear. They’re giving nothing away. Mark Simon, writing in the Thoroughbred Times, speculates that the Juvenile purse and prestige (and a possible championship) will be a factor in their decision. If the two start on dirt, they’ll make four, with Marathon prospects Bright Horizon and Precision Break, the number of Euro contenders running in main track races.
In 2005, the Euros swept the Breeders’ Cup Turf superfecta. Is there any doubt we could see the same this year? At Woodbine on Saturday, Group 2 winner Joshua Tree won the Grade 1 Canadian International by a head over Swedish staker winner Mores Wells. And that wasn’t all: “European-based horses swept the three Grade 1 races at Woodbine on Saturday.” Given how strong European turf form has been in 2010, I suppose it’s a good thing the Breeders’ Cup returns to dirt at Churchill Downs — otherwise the Americans might have been in for serious competition in main track races run over a synthetic surface, as well as the usual beating over grass. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic third-place finisher and two-time Champion Stakes winner Twice Over is one who won’t be challenging Zenyatta again because of the surface: “He won’t go to the Breeders’ Cup as the Prince [Khalid Abdullah] does not want to run him on dirt in America,” said trainer Henry Cecil on Saturday.
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