Where the View Is From Makes a Difference

The last time I attended the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs I sat in the cheap seats and experienced the crush of the crowd in the bowels of the ancient venue.  The wonderful upgrades to the historic Twin Spires facility create a spectacular atmosphere for those who can afford suites and boxes but have had little impact on the throngs who congregate in the bleachers at the top of the stretch and who place their bets in the catacomb-like space beneath the grandstand. 

This time around I saw the races from a very different vantage point and made by bets in the comfort of the clubhouse.  Jostling for position was left to the jockeys riding the horses.  I obviously had a more enjoyable time this year, but I cannot overcome this powerful feeling that someone will someday rethink the conditions for those loyal fans that support Churchill as enthusiastically as the finely dressed gentile we typically see on television.  When that day comes I will be able to enjoy Churchill Downs without reservation.

Was the Enquirer Covering The Breeders’ Cup?

Another new experience for me this year was to hear reporters from major news outlets talk on their phones to editors and production staff back at the home office.  Now here is the amazing part of what I heard in the one side of the conversations I overheard.  On Friday, these reporters had to work very hard to convince the folks back home that the fight between Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano was not the lead story of the Breeders’ Cup.  Yes it happened, and yes it is newsworthy, but it seems as though sports journalism is no more immune from tabloid sensationalism than other news these days.  By Saturday, it was pretty clear that Calvin regretted his tirade that became so public in the heat of the moment.  The stewards handed down a fine to Borel today and a suspension and fine to Castellano.

A Very Special Historic Moment

History was made on Saturday when Goldikova became the first thoroughbred to win three Breeders’ Cup races.  For the third consecutive year she put her amazing turn of foot on display in crushing an extremely talented field in the Mile Turf event.  In another year, minus the hype of Zenyatta, this story would have received a great deal more attention – publicity that Goldikova and her connections so well deserve.  In a year when other European-based horses did not fare particularly well in the turf races, Goldikova proved for all time just how great she is.  Trainer Freddy Head has announced that if all goes well in 2011 Goldikova will return next year to go for number four.  There is plenty of proof that six-year-old mares can do very well!

Many Firsts This Year

Several years ago at the DRF Horseplayers Forum in Las Vegas, the venerable turf writer and author Andy Beyer quipped during a presentation that he did not have any idea who William Bret Calhoun was.  He did know that Calhoun was statistically dominating thoroughbred racing in Texas and surrounding areas.  Mr. Beyer probably has a better idea who Bret Calhoun is today now that Calhoun won two Breeders’ Cup championships this year, more than any other trainer not named Todd.  Calhoun saddled Dubai Majesty on Friday in the Filly and Mare Sprint and Chamberlain Road in the Turf Sprint on Saturday.  Both were piloted to impressive victories by Louisiana native Jamie Theriot, who like Calhoun was winning his first two Breeders’ Cup races. Without knowing for certain, I would bet a cold one that more than one patron at Donz on the Lake down in Mandeville, La., had money riding on one or both of these winners. 

Last year Stanley Gold trained Jackson Bend for Jacks or Better Farm.  When the “little horse that could” became very successful, Jackson Bend was sold to Robert LaPenta and moved to the barn of Nick Zito.  This year, Gold and Jacks or Better outdid themselves as they brought the undefeated Awesome Feather to the Juvenile Filly race.  She made the trainer and breeder-owner first time BC winners on Friday, and yes they did announce that she would be for sale at the Fasig Tipton auction on Sunday.  She was purchased there by Frank Stronach in the name of Adena Springs for $2.3 million. That is the true definition of instant success. 

One other part of this story that is very satisfying is that Jeffrey Sanchez, the regular rider for Awesome Feather at Calder Race Course, rode her to victory on Friday.  He also piloted Jackson Bend to all of those victories last year before the colt was sold.  Mr. Stronach would do well to keep Sanchez on Awesome Feather!

Speaking of Calder, first-time BC winning training David Fawkes credited that track for the conditioning of Sprint champion Big Drama.  He believes that the deep running surface there produces fit horses when they ship to other tracks.  I must admit that I let this very good three-year-old beat me out of a Pick 4 because I thought Big Drama was stuck on second place.  As he romped to victory going wire-to-wire as the other sprinters chased in futility I knew I had blown it big time.

Todd Mania Certain to Repeat in 2012

The aforementioned Todd – in this case Pletcher – had himself a nice weekend too, as his charges won three of the four Breeders’ Cup juvenile races.  He sent out a colt and a filly that were sired by More Than Ready, each of which won at last asking on the turf at Woodbine in what turned out to be their final preparations for Breeders’ Cup wins.  More Than Real captured the turf race for two-year-old fillies and Pluck passed nearly the entire field in winning the race for young colts. 

In the Juvenile race on dirt, Uncle Mo left little doubt about his being the best two-year-old colt in training on the main track as he dominated the field in winning the 1-1/16^th mile Juvenile race on Saturday.  Time will tell if he has the “stuff” required to make the classic distances of the Triple Crown races, but he certainly is one impressive looking youngster at this point in time.

When A Million Bucks Goes Thud

Remember Ross Perot and his mention of that whooshing sound.  At Churchill on Friday everyone there and all watching across the country heard the thud of a million bucks hitting the floor at approximately 7:36 p.m. EDT. That is when the gate opened on the Ladies Classic and we all discovered that every nickel bet on Life At Ten was as dead as Bugsy Siegel. 

It is not unreasonable to estimate that at least that much had been bet on the second choice in the race in all of the mutual pools riding on its outcome.  The trainer suspected that something was wrong with her in the paddock, the television commentators pointed out how bad she looked warming up, and veteran jockey John Velazquez admitted after the race that he thought she was off her game.  After the race, trainer Todd Pletcher speculated that she either had an adverse reaction to Lasix or muscle cramps.  Later, it was muscle cramps that emerged as the explanation of a decision – or lack thereof – that produced gastric distress for a whole lot of people.  The only thing that would have made the situation worse is if the horse had been injured racing when she was not physically up to it. 

If You Pick ‘Em, Bet ‘Em

My friend and colleague Ron Correll is a good handicapper.  He picked quite a few winners this weekend – more than any of his TrackSideView cohorts.  After the scratch of Crown of Thorns he pointed us to Dubai Majesty and he liked Dangerous Midge early in the week.  He went to the betting window and wagered on Dubai Majesty for a friend back home.  He convinced me about Dangerous Midge and I listened.  Did he bet either one? No. 

I remember the year at Belmont Park where he picked an exacta in a juvenile race based on pedigree after seeing the names of the runners in the program.  The whole thought process and suggested ticket required less than 60 seconds.  A mutual friend cashed a nice ticket that day on Ron’s suggestions.  Did Ron bet it?  No. 

Now this is the description of one nice guy who gives out tips to his friends but doesn’t bet them himself.  He did mention to me one exacta box that he forgot to bet about one minute before post time in the Juvenile Turf race on Saturday.  I ran to window and bet it for him.  Did he win?  No.  Now this is the description of one unlucky dude.

Zenyatta

I’ve been watching racing for a little less than a decade. This has been a time when some very good three-year-old horses have been retired with the human equivalent of a hang nail.  This has been a time when getting to the breeding shed has meant more to owners than competing on the track.  This has been a time when some trainers have amassed impressive records only to be exposed as cheaters later on.

The human connections of Zenyatta are the epitome of contrast to so much of the sport.  John Shirreffs once took a picture of us with Giacomo on the back side of Churchill Downs when asked if we could get close to the horse.  Believe me, not many trainers greet strangers that way.  He is a gentleman’s gentleman at all times, and in defeat on Saturday he remained so.  Ann and Jerry Moss present themselves in exactly the same confident, humble manner.  The Mosses bestowed a great  gift on all of thoroughbred racing by giving us Zenyatta for another year, and they were supported in that gesture by the horse’s trainer and his staff.  Thank you all for your generosity.

Zenyatta became an icon of the sport to longtime fans and newcomers alike. She is a ham.  She is a bigger-than-life real character in the story of her sport.  She is a champion race horse with skills seldom seen at anytime. For a stone-cold closer to win 19 straight races defies all the logic of handicapping, but she did it. 

On Saturday, the storybook ending that many hoped for was not written as the last chapter of Zenyatta’s racing career, but as always she ran her heart out.  As pointed out by my colleague Ron Correll, after the race she appeared to head toward the winner’s circle because that was part of her reason for coming over to the track. In the true winner’s circle of horseracing – those lasting images of a fading fall day that are etched on our hearts and in our minds forever – I will always see Zenyatta.  She will be flanked by John Shirreffs, Ann and Jerry Moss, held on a tether by her groom Mario Espinoza.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mike Smith is brave enough to get aboard thoroughbred race horses almost every day of his life.  It is dangerous business that requires athleticism, strength, courage and skill.  When he broke into tears in the press room following the heart stopping Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs he shed tears for all of us who love the sport he represents.  He realized how close he had been to being part of a moment of racing immortality.  He blamed himself for the loss and stated what many who saw the race believe – some days the best horse does not win.

Zenyatta doubters, most of whom regularly display a haughtiness that annoys me, would be wise to refrain from any I-told-you-so commentary.  There is no doubt here and in the minds of those who saw this race that Zenyatta is one of the great thoroughbred race horses of the modern era and of all time.  She ran the race that she always runs, spotting the field double-digit lengths and closing from out of the clouds. Today she finished a head short of the horse that has been the very best in the classic division this year.  What Mike Smith believes is that if he had somehow timed the ride only the slightest bit differently Zenyatta would have won.  He knows that his mare closed between three and four lengths in the final eighth of a mile.

The owner of Blame, Seth Hancock, announced that Blame will be retired to stud after this win.  He also used the press conference to campaign for his horse to be Horse of the Year – an honor that Blame probably will win.  Zenyatta will go another year not winning that honor, but she is without a doubt the most popular American horse to race in recent years.   If this were Hollywood, she would accept a lifetime achievement award.  In an era where longevity is undervalued, Zenyatta is the epitome of something the sport lost a long time ago.

Last year after the Breeders’ Cup, Zenyatta’s owners Jerry and Ann Moss announced that she would be retired.  Her trainer John Shirreffs kept her in training, and it became evident to him and the owner that she was fit and ready for another campaign.  She was brought out of retirement and campaigned lightly in preparation for the defense of her Breeders’ Cup Classic crown. 

 Some have described last year’s field as sub-par, but there was no talk of that this year.  There have been a few rumblings about a trip to Dubai in the spring of 2011, but time will tell whether that will happen or not.  She has millions of fans who will continue to adore her for a long time to come.  A victory in the Breeders’ Cup would have been the best ending to her career but that did not happen.  The second-best outcome was for her to race like the champion she is, and she delivered on that score for the 20^th time.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Goldikova’s owners, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer said at Keeneland Monday that 5-year-old old race mare would remain in training in 2011 and return to defend her Breeders’ Cup Mile title. Goldikova would be seeking an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in the Grade 1 race in 2011.

“That’s the only real objective that she has,” said Alain Wertheimer of the Breeders’ Cup four-peat, who also bred the mare along with his brother.

“We decided to keep her in training because she’s in great shape,” he continued. “The other reason is that if more older horses are kept in training, it’s good for the public because they get used to seeing them and there’s a good chance of it bringing (more) people to the racetrack. If you only keep them one year, people don’t see them enough; they don’t get attached. I think it would be good if more people were able to do that. I understand for colts because there is a lot of money involved. But when you have a big stable and have a good mare, there’s no reason not to try to keep her in training.”

Irish-bred Goldikova is an Eclipse Award winner and a European champion. She became the first horse in Breeders’ Cup history to win an event three times Nov. 6 when she captured the Mile at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.  The 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships also will be held at Churchill Downs.

The Wertheimer brothers are attending the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Freddy Head trains the 5-year-old daughter of Anabaa and he also confirmed that she would run in 2011.

“Absolutely she will race again,” Head said. “She took her race very well.”

Goldikova will turn 6 on Jan. 1 and has compiled a record of 15-3-2 from 21 starts in a career that began in 2007. She has earned $6,154,157 and now has won 12 Group or Grade 1 races.

“I’m very excited,” said Head, who also won two Miles riding the filly Miesque. “She still has the same acceleration, the same desire. She is very happy.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Brain Meehan put the blinkers on Dangerous Midge for his run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and the four-year-old son of Lion Heart rewarded his trainer with his second Breeders’ Cup victory. 

The Kentucky-bred colt is out of the mare Adored Slew by Seattle Slew and is owned by Iraj Parvisi.  The winner was ridden by Frankie Dettori who won his tenth Breeders’ Cup race.

Using a stalking running style that has served well in wins in Great Britain, Dangerous Midge settled just off the pace of Champ Pegasus.  The pair led the remainder of the field from the start to finish.  Champ Pegasus held on gamely until the sixteenth pole in the mile and half race before Dangerous Midge finally passed him within sight of the finish line.  As the field turned for home the rail opened for race-time favorite Behkabad, and although that one distanced himself from those behind him he was not able to catch the front runners.  Winchester closed well to capture fourth.

The fractions set by the two leaders were 24.70, 50.17, and 1:15.91 through the first six furlongs.  They ran the opening mile in 1:40.88 and Dangerous Midge stopped the timer at 2:29.40.

The winner paid $19.00, $9.80, and $5.20.  The 8-1 winner paired with the 9-1 place horse produced a healthy $172.60 exacta and a $523.80 trifecta.

“We’re happy. We know he was quick enough on the straight and Frankie (jockey Dettori) kept him balanced on the bends. He’s talented and has been improving and improving. We’ve always liked this horse and we’ve just been developing him all the way through. This is a big galloping track. I wanted to be one off the lead, so he was ridden perfectly,” said Meehan.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dakota Phone broke dead last and was 15 lengths behind the leaders as the field hit the main track in Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Saturday at Churchill Downs. Unfazed, Dakota Phone and jockey Joel Rosario settled into stride and watched as murderous fractions unfolded in the race.

Hurricane Ike and Morning Line flew through the quarter and half-mile in 22.41 and 44.94. Hurricane Ike was done at six furlongs in 1:09.44 and Morning Line took over. Dakota Phone still was in tenth at this point in the 12-horse field

Morning Line hit seven furlongs in 1:22.09, but the speed was starting to take its toll. Dakota Phone started to move into contention after straightening for home and Rosario pulled the trigger.

Dakota Phone went from third to first in a sixteenth of a mile as he flew down the center of the track. Morning Line tried to fight back but Dakota Phone nailed him shortly before the wire to win by a head. Gayego was another length-and-a-quarter back in third. Cool Coal Man was fourth.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said he finally figured out what to do with Dakota Phone.

“The last time I ran him on dirt (Oaklawn Handicap), I sent him to the lead, which I shouldn’t have done; this horse wants to come from off the pace. This is why he won. He got fortunate and got a good pace up front, and then he got outside and ran them down.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Goldikova dominated an impressive field of turf milers in winning her third straight Breeders’ Cup Mile Saturday at Churchill Downs.  The Irish-bred daughter of Anabaa out of the Blushing Groom mare Born Gold, owned by Wertheimer and Frere, displayed her amazing turn of foot at the top of the stretch, bringing the Churchill Downs crowd to their feet as they cheered the popular favorite on to a 2 length victory over Gio Ponti.

As expected, Sydney’s Candy broke alertly and took the lead, followed closely by Get Stormy and The Usual Q.T.  Tracking through the first turn, jockey Victor Espinoza had his hands full with a head strong The Usual Q.T. before he got that one to settle. 

Sydney’s Candy set very reasonable fractions of 24.02, 47.49, and 1:11.33.  After six furlongs it was clear that the closers were going to have their day, and once Goldikova stuck the lead all doubt about the outcome disappeared. 

Gio Ponti closed gamely but never threatened, and The Usual Q.T. got within a neck of the him by the wire.  Paco Boy, often second to Goldikova in Europe, finished fourth a nose behind The Usual Q.T.  The winner stopped the timer in 1:35.36.

The winner paid $4.60, $3.20, and $2.40 and finished atop the smallest exacta of the Breeders’ Cup this year at $18.20.

Trainer Freddie Head is responsible for Goldikova great performances the last three years.

“It’s quite unreal. She’s amazing, she can do anything. It’s too good to be true. I’m very emotional. I was the first jockey to win this race twice (Miesque 1987-88) with a mare, and now I’m the trainer of a mare winning (this race) three times. It’s unreal. We don’t know how good this filly is. She’s extraordinary. I don’t have words,” Head said.

Jockey Olivier Peslier had his thoughts on who is the best.

Right now, she is the best filly in the world. First my filly and now it’s (up) to Zenyatta. I didn’t want to ask too much of her (early). She was wide on the turn but after that she relaxed behind the pace. On the last turn, she was flying and she kept running. I don’t know the words to describe what it feels to ride a champion like that.”

Head said that Goldikova would be heading back to France and didn’t want to talk about next year.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – They say that good things come to those who wait.  On Friday, trainer Bret Calhoun and jockey Jamie Theriot each won their first Breeders’ Cup race when Theriot guided Dubai Majesty to victory in the Filly and Mare Sprint.  On Saturday, they teamed up for a second BC title, this time with six-year-old Chamberlain Bridge in the Turf Sprint. 

The winner is owned by Carl R. Moore Management LLC.  He is the son of War Chant, out of the Temptation mare She’s Got Class and was bred by Eugene Melnyk in Kentucky.

The winner came from far off the pace.  Central City broke sharply and led the field through opening fractions of 21.59, 44.60, and 56.53.  Central City was joined on that lead by Stradivinsky and Bridgetown.  With those fractions to shoot at the closers made their moves down the lane, with Chamberlain Bridge striking the lead by the sixteenth pole and cruising home 1 1/2lengths ahead of the game Central City.

The California-based Unzip Me finished 1¼ lengths behind that one, a nose ahead of fourth place finisher Bridgetown.  The winner returned $15.80, $8.20, and $5.60.  The exacta paid $156.20 and the trifecta returned $1,393.60.

Calhoun praised Theriot for a brave ride to overcome the inside post position. 

“He found a seam late. Going down the backside he was retreating like I thought he would do and I was absolutely concerned. I didn’t think he had much chance and the horses in front of him were not opening up (a hole) for him. This was great,” Calhoun said.

Theriot said that once he got Chamberlain Bridge to the open on the outside the speedy horse turned on the afterburners on the way to the win. Theriot also noted that he had not asked the horse for his all last out at Keeneland in the hope of saving something for the Breeders’ Cup.

“It was great. He’s a horse that doesn’t like to be on the inside, so I just worked my way out and worked my way out,” Theriot said.

Chamberlain Road was making his 31^st lifetime start and his eighth of 2010.  Twenty-five of those races have been in the short turf sprint like the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.  His victory here was his 14^th at the distance. 

Calhoun had been very open in the days leading up to the Breeders’ Cup about an abscess on the foot of Chamberlain Road.  He noted that the abscess healed quickly, and he became increasingly confident as the race neared that the injury would not affect the horse.

“I’m glad we found the foot (abscess) early in the week and it drained really well,” Calhoun said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Big Drama was the first out of the gate in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and was never headed as he ran away to a length-and-half victory in the six-furlong race Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old son of Montbrook set fractions of 21.34 and 44.55 for the half-mile with Cash Refund, Atta Boy Roy and Smiling Tiger giving chase. Big Drama opened his margin to more than two lengths rounding the turn and just had to hold on as the closers tried to cut into his lead.

Hamazing Destiny was leading the charge with Smiling Tiger keeping him company. Big Drama hit the five-eighths mark in 56.42 and showed no signs of slowing down. He hit the wire in 1:09.05 one-and-a-half-lengths in front of Hamazing Destiny. Smiling Tiger was a head behind Hamazing Destiny and Supreme Summit was another neck behind that.

Big Drama is owned by Harold Queen and trained by David Fawkes. Eibar Coa gave him his winning ride.

Queen pointed out how well Calder (South Florida) horses were doing at the Breeders’ Cup.

“Awesome Feather (Juvenile Fillies) won yesterday and Big Drama did today.”

Big Drama came into the Sprint off a second in the Grade 1 Forego on Sept. 4 at Saratoga. He was beaten by Here Comes Ben who is running later the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Fawkes was asked about the drawing the rail again after he expressed concerned about it following the post-position draw on Tuesday.

“I wanted him off the rail and he (jockey Eibar Coa) floated him off the rail. He did everything perfectly. He went wire-to-wire; how about that?

Coa emphasized the concern with the rail.

“We weren’t happy about the post position, so we knew we had to work on that. But on our side was the fact that he always gets out of the gate good and has speed to get good position. Today, he broke sharp and we got the lead and kept going. He did everything on his own to the stretch. When the rest started coming to me, he just pushed harder and won.”

Big Drama rewarded his back with $12.40, $7 and $5. The exacta paid $254.80 and the trifecta returned $2,396.60.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Pluck, a two-year old son of More Than Ready out of the Fort Wood (SAF) mare Secret Heart, showed explosive turn of foot down the lane in the one mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on his way to a 1 length victory Saturday at Churchill Downs. 

Bred and owned by Team Valor International, Pluck became the second offspring of More Than Ready to win a Juvenile Turf race in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup.  Friday, More Than Real won the similar race for fillies.  Both juvenile turf winners are trained by Todd Pletcher and were ridden by Garrett Gomez.

The race got off to bad start when Rough Sailing slipped and fell on the first turn throwing jockey Anna Napravnik to the turf. Rough Sailing got up and ran off, and Napravnik was up quickly. Pluck was last at this point and had to avoid the incident.

Madman Diaries, Humble and Hungry, Air Support and Banned were in a tightly bunched group going up the backstretch as the quarter went in 24.01 and the half-mile went in 47.97.

Banned made the first move rounding the second turn to break from the tightly bunched field. Pluck still was last at the eighth-pole and Velazquez split horses to start his winning run.  Post time co-favorite Soldat was inside Banned along the hedge and overtook that one first.

Gomez had Pluck in the middle of the track and the colt motored by everyone to hit the wire in 1:36.98 for the one-mile race. Soldat held second and Willcox Inn was a head in front of Madman Diaries for third.

Following the race trainer Pletcher explained that after watching his horse stumbled at the break and avoiding the fallen Rough Sailing in the first turn that he just hoped that Pluck could get into position to make a good run and hit the board. 

“He stumbled badly at the start and had to maneuver (around) a fallen rider. At that point, you’re just kind of hoping you can regroup and hit the board. He really exploded down the lane,” Pletcher said.

Rough Sailing was van off after the race and it was determined that he broke his right shoulder in the fall. The horse was euthanized following the race.

Napravnik didn’t feel anything wrong with the Rough Sailing before he fell.

“When we went into the turn, I wasn’t bumped or anything like that. The turf was a little bit soft and the turns were tight, so his footing just slipped out beneath him. I feel all right and he got up and galloped away. There was not bumping. He just slipped. It was just something that was unfortunate.”

The winner paid $14.80, $6.60, and $5.00.  He keyed an exacta of $72.00 and a trifecta that paid $1,393.20.

Two scratches were announced Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Trainer Michael Stoute told officials that Workforce, the morning-line favorite in the Emirates Airline Turf (GIT), would not run in the race. Stoute had been considering withdrawing the Gran Prix de l’Arc (FrI) winner for days because of the firm condition of the turf course. Stoute confirmed that to Breeders’ Cup officials about 9:30 a.m.

“The ground has not gone our way. There has been no rain and the ground is firmer than we would like for Workforce,” Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Juddmonte Farms, said.

“We have absolutely no complaints, but the welfare of the horse is paramount. Prince Khalid has always been a great supporter of the Breeders’ Cup and no one is more disappointed that he.”

Typhoon Slew, who was listed at 15-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, also was scratched Saturday morning.

Trainer Mike Maker said Typhoon Slew was showing signs of lameness. He did not specify the nature of the injury.

“We took him to the track this morning and he was fine. I ran over to Trackside (Churchill Downs Training Center) and when I came back the vets had taken him out of his stall and he was lame. So we feel it is best not to run,” Maker said.

The scratch reduces the Juvenile Turf to a 12-horse field. It’s the fourth race on the card and starts the first of eight Breeders’ Cup races.

Crown of Thorns was the only other horse scratched from one of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup races, having been withdrawn from the Dirt Mile on Friday.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Crown of Thorns would be taken to Spendthrift Farm in Lexington Sunday in advance of a surgical procedure on his right front knee.

“He’ll go to the farm tomorrow. Then they’re going to do a small surgery on him to correct a problem he has had behind his knee,” Mandella said.  “We’re going to bring him back and race him. He’s been an unlucky horse, but maybe his luck will turn next year.”