Pleasantly Perfect, Six Perfections highlight Breeders’ Cup pre-entries

Pleasantly Perfect, Six Perfections
highlight Breeders’ Cup pre-entries

Six Perfections will try to repeat as a Breeders’ Cup champion (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) Defending Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner PLEASANTLY PERFECT (Pleasant Colony) and last year’s Mile (G1) heroine SIX PERFECTIONS (Fr) (Celtic Swing) are among 101 horses pre-entered for next Saturday’s $14 million Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The 21st Breeders’ Cup will take place at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. Pleasantly Perfect, who owns wins in the Pacific Classic (G1) and Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) this year for trainer Richard Mandella, will square off against 12 rivals in the 1 1/4-mile Classic, including Woodward S. (G1) victor GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again) and three-year-old BIRDSTONE (Grindstone), winner of the Travers (G1) and Belmont S. (G1) in his last two starts. Two former Breeders’ Cup winners highlight the nine-furlong Distaff (G1). AZERI (Jade Hunter), 2002 Horse of the Year and Distaff queen, is cross-entered to both the Distaff and Classic, with the Distaff listed as first preference. The six-year-old mare will likely be a strong favorite against female rivals. Among the 12 Distaff pre-entries is STORM FLAG FLYING (Storm Cat), winner of the 2002 Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Six Perfections was only three when defeating her male rivals
at Santa Anita in 2003, and she returns as a top contender once
again for this year’s Mile. Trained by Pascal Bary, the
French-based filly is one of 19 pre-entries for the
oversubscribed event, which drew the most pre-entries this year.
Only 14 will be allowed to start in any Breeders’ Cup race.

The three-year-old filly OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire])
is cross-entered to both the Turf (G1) and Filly & Mare Turf
(G1). A dual classic winner this year, Ouija Board showed her
class with a fast finishing third in the Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe (Fr-G1) last out. She’d be a heavy favorite in the Filly
& Mare Turf, which attracted 14 pre-entries, and one of the
leading threats for the Turf, which has 11.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) winner KITTEN’S JOY (El Prado
[Ire]) is a major player in the Turf field. The Aidan
O’Brien-trained POWERSCOURT (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), who finished
first in the Arlington Million (G1) before being disqualified,
and Man o’ War S. (G1) hero MAGISTRETTI (Diesis [GB]) are also
top contenders.

The Sprint (G1) attracted 15, including SPEIGHTSTOWN (Gone
West), winner of four straight stakes this season, and OUR NEW
RECRUIT (Alphabet Soup), who captured the $2 million Dubai Golden
Shaheen (UAE-G1) and tuned up for the Sprint with a sharp victory
in the Pirate’s Bounty S. at Del Mar.

The Juvenile (G1) received the fewest pre-entries with eight,
but it is deep with quality. PROUD ACCOLADE (Yes It’s True),
ROMAN RULER (Fusaichi Pegasus), AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet),
SUN KING (Charismatic) and CONSOLIDATOR (Storm Cat) are all
promising youngsters.

The Juvenile Fillies (G1) is oversubscribed by two with 16,
including Grade 1 winners SWEET CATOMINE (Storm Cat), SENSE OF
STYLE (Thunder Gulch) and BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country) and the
top two finishers from the Alcibiades S. (G2), RUNWAY MODEL
(Petionville) and SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band).

BREEDERS’
CUP PRE-ENTRIES

CLASSIC

*AZERI has first preference in Distaff

*BOWMAN’S BAND has second preference in Mile

*FREEFOURINTERNET has second preference in Mile

TURF

*BALTO STAR has second preference in Mile

*OUIJA BOARD has second preference in Filly & Mare Turf

DISTAFF

*AZERI has second preference in Classic

*NEBRASKA TORNADO has second preference in Filly & Mare Turf

MILE

*BALTO STAR has first preference in Turf

*BOWMAN’S BAND has first preference in Classic

*DOMESTIC DISPUTE has second preference in Sprint

*FREEFOURINTERNET has first preference in Classic

SPRINT

*DOMESTIC DISPUTE has first preference in Mile

FILLY &
MARE TURF

*NEBRASKA TORNADO has first preference in Distaff

*OUIJA BOARD (GB) has first preference in Turf

JUVENILE

JUVENILE
FILLIES

**Also-eligibles
listed in order of preference