BREEDERS’ CUP THEY SAID IT
OCTOBER 31, 2006
“With every race, he gets better and stronger. He’s an amazing horse. Right
now, he’s doing as good as he’s ever done. This is going to be his most
difficult task, but he’s up to it.. He’s so versatile that as long as we get a
good run into the first turn, I don’t think (post position is) going to make a
lot of difference with him.”
Tom
Albertrani on Classic (G1) favorite BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy), who has won six
straight starts since dropping his career debut in January
“The 90 days might have been a blessing considering he went to Dubai and
traveled back over here with some hard races over the summer. I’m not Bobby
Frankel or Bill Mott or a guy that tends to do this often, giving a horse 90
days between starts, but since we are doing it, he has really done well,
physically, mentally, everything.”
Kiaran
McLaughlin on INVASOR (Arg) (Candy Stripes) missing a scheduled start in the
October 7 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) due to a fever; three-for-three in the
United States and unraced since the Whitney H. (G1) in early August, Invasor
will enter the Classic off a 90-day rest
“I’m a big believer in the Polytrack. I took my Breeders’ Cup horses there
three weeks ago to train because I think it’s better for them. The horses seem
to be happier on it; the footing is steadier and they give more because of it.
CACIQUE (Ire) (Danehill), for instance, isn’t a good work horse. He’s lazy in
the mornings. But at Keeneland (Sunday) he worked really well. And he worked
alone; I didn’t have to push him with something else.”
Bobby Frankel on
training CACIQUE up to the Breeders’ Cup (G1) at Keeneland; a full-brother to
previous Breeders’ Cup race winners Intercontinental (GB) and Banks Hill (GB),
Cacique will be one of the favorites in the Turf off his smashing victory in the
Man o’ War S. (G1) last time out
“He’s gotten better with age. When he was a young horse, even a
three-year-old, he would get all wound up; he’d be hard on himself. But he’s
learned what it’s all about and he handles himself and his races so much better.
I remember when I worked with (multiple champion) Bayakoa (Arg) (as an assistant
to Ron McAnally). She was nearly crazy as a young horse. But she got better as
she got older and she became a star. This horse has matured just like she did.”
—Eduardo Inda on
Turf entrant T.H. APPROVAL (With Approval); a three-time stakes winner this
season, the five-year-old exits a close second in the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial
Turf Championship S. (G1) at Santa Anita
“What he’s got going for him is that the Turf will be his first race at a
mile and a half this year, and that’s his favorite distance.”
Graham
Motion on 2004 Turf winner BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man), who will enter this
year’s renewal off a victory in the 1 3/8-mile Sky Classic S. (Can-G2) at
Woodbine
“ICY ATLANTIC (Stormy Atlantic) is in there to make sure English Channel
(Smart Strike) has a target to run at. We feel English Channel is much better
when he can go after one horse, and Icy Atlantic can guarantee that.”
—Todd
Pletcher on ICY ATLANTIC’s role
“I think of her in terms of Lava Man (Slew City Slew). He’s the dominant male
in California and I think she’s the dominant female.”
—John
Sadler on Distaff (G1) candidate HEALTHY ADDICTION (Boston Harbor), who has
compiled a 7-4-1-1 mark while competing exclusively in stakes events this year,
including scores in the Lady’s Secret Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) and Clement L.
Hirsch H. (G2) in her last two starts
“I’m not worried about stepping up against older horses. If she goes down
there and gets a hold of that racetrack, she’ll be fine.”
—four-time
Distaff winner Shug McGaughey on PINE ISLAND (Arch), who will make her first
start against older rivals in the Distaff; she captured the Gazelle S. (G1) and
Alabama S. (G1) in her last two outings
“This distance is probably key for her. Running in a one-turn race at Belmont
is more or less like a sprint. Two turns might suit her a little better and
right now she’s doing so well. She’s very consistent, she’s doing good and she
just needs the right trip.”
—Albertrani on
Distaff contender BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country), who finished second by a head
to Fleet Indian (Indian Charlie) in the Beldame S. (G1) at Belmont Park most
recently
“I think he’s a sleeper. It seems that they (others) are discounting him
because of his last race, but he is very sharp right now. Other than him, I
think Aussie Rules (Danehill) is the horse to beat.”
—Marty
Wolfson on Mile (G1) prospect MIESQUE’S APPROVAL (Miesque’s Son), who had a
three-race graded stakes winning streak snapped when finishing a close fourth to
Aussie Rules in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) in his last start
“I just kept him on the grass because he was running good, and there was no
use changing it. He always worked good on the dirt and I said one of those days
I’d have the opportunity to try it. In February, they had a race come off the
turf at Santa Anita and Alex (Solis) said he just aired. I said, ‘wow, this
gives me another option,’ and after the San Simeon (H. [G3]) in April, I haven’t
had him on the grass, and he has won three graded stakes.”
—Art
Sherman, who claimed SIREN LURE (Joyeux Danseur) for $50,000 in May, 2005, on
why he waited to race the Sprint (G1) contender on dirt; the five-year-old
gelding won the Triple Bend Invitational H. (G1) two back and the Pat O’Brien
Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) last out
“She’s very similar to the past two years. The only difference is that she’s
had one less race this year. Hopefully, that will bode well for us.”
—Motion
on FILM MAKER (Dynaformer), who will be back for a third Filly & Mare Turf (G1)
after finishing second in 2004 and third in 2005
“He got some education in that race, and we learned something about Polytrack,
too. There really isn’t a lot to go on, but from the races I’ve seen on
Polytrack so far, you want to be back and make one, strong run.”
—Pletcher
on CIRCULAR QUAY’s (Thunder Gulch) runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Futurity
(G1) at Keeneland; the Juvenile (G1) contender is two for two at Churchill
Downs, winning his career bow and the Bashford Manor S. (G3) under the Twin
Spires
“I am more interested now in the mental aspect rather than the physical. I
think I’ve got plenty of physical. These babies, when they get in front of a big
crowd and the adrenaline gets going, they get into these races, so I want to be
sure I’ve got him right mentally. I think the mental in these big races is like
three-to-one to the physical.”
—D.
Wayne Lukas on preparing Champagne S. (G1) third placer PEGASUS WIND (Fusaichi Pegasus)
for the Juvenile