Breeders’ Cup World Championships Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7

Notes Friday, Nov. 6, 2020

Contact: Notes Team, 859-250-0358

Classic

Authentic, Improbable, – Hall of Fame trainer ’s Breeders’ Cup Classic horses all went to the track Friday morning for routine 1 ½m gallops. Though the approach could change, Baffert said that typically Improbable is the only one of the three who goes to the track the morning of the race. As Baffert sees it, the strategy is rather simple for his trio. “The key is the break,” he said. “They have to break cleanly and get in a rhythm. You want to see these horses get in a nice rhythm early. They breathe better. If they don’t break and they are behind and there is checking, forget it. They get confused. “So they don’t lose too much ground on the first turn. They are way outside, so not to lose too much ground on the first turn they’ve got to make their way down to the inside. Improbable, the break is important for him because he can act up some times. , speed is his weapon, so he ought to be sharp away from there. “If they are right there turning for home, that’s when the class takes over and that’s what you want to see. We’ll see who is the best. That’s what the Breeders’ Cup is about.” Baffert said he has handicapped the race, but wasn’t touting any one of his horses. “I’m a bad . I’m the worst,” he said. “They keep asking me which one in the Classic. I think every day I have a different answer. Today, I don’t have an answer yet. “Max is a horse that is hard to get a line on. Silver Charm was that way. When he trains you watch him and he does what he has to do, but in the afternoon when he comes out of the gate, he’s a stud. He has the heart of a champion and he’s a different horse. We know that Improbable, he just looks beautiful out there. Authentic is full of himself. He’s like spring-loaded and he really looks great. All three of them look really well.”

By My Standards – Allied Racing Stable LLC’s By My Standards did a routine gallop of the main track Friday morning, one day before he contests the $6 million Longines Classic. A stalker in a race filled with tactical speed, the Bret Calhoun-trained son of Goldencents will have to be both good and lucky in order to top what appears to be a wide-open renewal. “I just think we need to have a good trip and obviously a lot of good horses are going here in good form,” Calhoun said. “We can’t have any kind of mishaps or traffic trouble. I think these horses are so close that you aren’t going to be able to overcome a lot and still win. You need an ideal trip. The horse with the best one is probably going to win. “I won’t worry about the rest of the horses too much because there’s speed and an honest pace. Gabe (Saez) will ride our horse accordingly and hopefully he’ll get away sharp and get a good position early sitting off the speed. Tiz the Law, Maximum Security and Authentic will all be in the first group and hopefully we won’t be too far behind.”

Global Campaign – Sagamore Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC’s Global Campaign galloped 1 ½m and walked in the paddock at Keeneland Friday morning for what will likely be his last career start in the Saturday’s Classic. The 4yo son of Curlin employed a front-running style to capture the Monmouth Cup and the Woodward at Saratoga in his two most recent starts, but trainer Stanley Hough doesn’t expect Global Campaign to be involved in the pace Saturday. “The perfect setup for me is if he breaks good and gets good position. I think the speed is on the outside. They might need to use a little bit to get there,” said Hough, whose Classic contender will walk the shedrow Saturday morning. “I’d like to see him in the first three or four horses. I’d like to see him get up there and get inside. I think that’s the best deal.” Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride Global Campaign for the first time Saturday.

Higher Power – Hronis Racing’s Higher Power galloped on the main track at 6:15 Friday morning under Juan Leyva for trainer John Sadler. Sadler said Higher Power would not go to the track Saturday morning during the 5:30-6 training window. Higher Power is looking to improve on a third-place finish in last year’s Classic. “The key for him is a good break that puts him in a stalking position,” Sadler said of the path to success Saturday. “He needs to get a good position going into the first turn and have a good trip.”

Tacitus – Multiple G2 winner Tacitus galloped a circuit of the Keeneland main track in advance of the $6 million Longines Classic. The earner of nearly $3 million seeks his first G1 in his eighth try for trainer Bill Mott and owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, but has placed five times at the top level. Never worse than fourth when tackling the 1¼m of the Classic, he breaks from post one on Saturday under Jose Ortiz. “There’s only one way to win and that’s to finish first and there’s a billion ways to get beat,” Mott said. “I think he’s a horse who you might as well run him in the big races. Even if he gets beat in a Grade 2, by the same token, his style is suited for a bigger field and more pace. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

Title Ready – Charles Fipke’s Title Ready, the highest-priced horse in the Classic at odds of 30- 1, had another easy 1 1/2 m. “He’s training well,” trainer Dallas Stewart said. “We’re excited to run.”

Tiz the Law – Trainer Barclay Tagg smiled Friday morning when he explained what it would take for Tiz the Law and jockey Manny Franco to win the Classic. “Beat the other horses,” Tagg said. Sackatoga Stable’s 3yo New York-bred colt has trained up to the Classic since running second to Authentic in the Sept. 5. A three-time Grace 1 winner this year, he drew post two in the Classic, farther inside in the field of 10 than Tagg had hoped for, which puts more emphasis on a clean start. “He has to break well and get a position,” Tagg said. “I don’t want him to get trapped down on the inside. Then he is going to have to figure that all out. You can make up all kinds of things on how you think it ought to happen, but you’ve got a kid on a 1,000-pound horse going 35 miles an hour in a group it’s pretty hard to make things go just like you’d like them to. You can’t ride them. You can only ride one.” Tiz the Law jogged a half-mile and then galloped a mile Friday morning under exercise rider Heather Smullen. He will go to the track early Saturday morning.

Tom’s d’Etat – As Al Stall Jr. listed all the reasons why Tom’s d’Etat continues to elicit a high level of confidence from him heading into Saturday’s Classic, the veteran trainer took a break from talking about his charge’s talent to point out a certain omen he hopes is in their favor as well. “This is the old Claiborne barn,” Stall said, gesturing to Keeneland’s Barn 66 where Tom’s d’Etat is housed. “The same barn Blame was in.” Ten years ago, Stall shipped Blame out of that Rice Road shedrow and up the road to Downs where the current Claiborne stallion delivered a victory for the ages by besting the previously unbeaten in the 2010 Classic. On the decade anniversary of that infamous triumph, Stall hopes to commemorate the moment by celebrating in the Bluegrass once more as G M B Racing’s Tom’s d’Etat aims to prevail over one of the best Classic lineups in recent years. The commonalities the 7yo son of -- who completed his last bit of fine tuning with a 1 ¼m gallop and paddock schooling session Friday morning -- has with Blame go beyond their trainer and former residence. Like his predecessor, Tom’s d’Etat used wins in the Fayette and Clark last season to announce himself as a force in the handicap ranks and -- as Blame did en route to his road to the Classic -- the bay horse captured the Stephen Foster this year. Where Blame was able to add the Whitney Handicap to his pre-Classic resume, Tom’s d’Etat finished third in his attempt at that race this season when he stumbled badly at the break. Stall feels Tom’s d’Etat’s inauspicious start that day was impacted by race winner Improbable’s fractious behavior near him in the gate. Needless to say, Stall was relieved to see Improbable -- who has had a history of gate issues -- draw four stalls away from his charge in the Classic. “I’m kind of glad Improbable is far away from us,” Stall said. Though Blame had to take down a rival who never had previously been beaten in Zenyatta, Tom’s d’Etat faces a Classic field that ranks among the race’s all-time best in terms of quality and depth. Seven of the 10 entrants are Grade 1 winners including champion Maximum Security, this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, and Belmont and Travers Stakes hero Tiz the Law. “I don’t think anyone has gone into the Classic and said it’s a soft field,” Stall said. “There have been lots of superlatives talking about these horses and I agree. The x factor would be the 3-year-olds where because of the way the Triple Crown laid out this year, they’ve had a nice progression into the race. That’s a little different than in years past. That’s what got my attention. They all seem like they’re in good form. “I think eight out of 10 could win the race. It’s very wide open.”

Distaff

Ce Ce – Bo Hirsch’s Ce Ce galloped under exercise rider Osman Cedeno the morning before her scheduled start in the $2 million Longines Distaff. Trainer Michael McCarthy said training Saturday morning “would be a game-time decision.” McCarthy, who also will send out Speech in the Filly & Sprint and Rushie in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, expects Ce Ce to be prominent early in the 1 1/8m distance. “She is coming out of a hot sprint (the Derby City Distaff on Sept. 5) and I look for her to be forwardly placed,” McCarthy said. “She needs to get a good position going into the first turn and then get a good trip.”

Dunbar Road – Peter Brant’s Grade 1-winning Dunbar Road put in an easy gallop Friday morning ahead of Saturday’s $2 million Longines Distaff. The Chad Brown trainee will be a rare mid- level price for four-time champion trainer Chad Brown, who is somewhat more accustomed to the pressure of saddling favorites. Dunbar Road is yet another older filly or mare in the Brown barn to keep her optimal 3-year-old form as she has developed — a feat for which Brown humbly commends his team. “It really comes down to your team,” Brown said. “You have a team of extremely talented coworkers from all aspects to help train these horses, from grooms to riders and assistants. Everyone involved has done a really good job. When you combine that with the blueprints I learned from Bobby where we rest the horses when they need it, we aren’t doing vet work on them — we aren’t doing any of that. That’s not part of our program. “I also have the owners who know when to give time when needed and listen to my guidance on where the gas is and where the brake is on the car—as Frankel used to say to me. I now have the horses, the team we’ve trained — they know how to do this and execute this — and the owners with the patience.”

Harvest Moon – Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor’s Harvest Moon galloped on the main track Friday morning and is scheduled to go to the track again Saturday morning before her run in the Longines Distaff that afternoon. With only five races on her resume in career that did not begin until this June, Harvest Moon is the least experienced in the field of 10 and one two 3yos along with Swiss Skydiver. “Hopefully she gets a clean break and positions herself well,” trainer Simon Callaghan said of what he is hoping to see from Harvest Moon.

Horologist – Bill Mott continued preparing Horologist to become a record-extending sixth winner of the $2 million Longines Distaff on Friday morning, galloping a routine circuit of the Keeneland main track. The four-time stakes-winning granddaughter of Classic winner Tiznow hopes to break through at the top level when she takes on G1 winners Monomoy Girl, Swiss Skydiver, Ollie’s Candy, Dunbar Road, Ce Ce and Valiance. “There’s some good fillies in there,” Mott said. “We’re going to need some luck to beat Monomoy Girl. You can say what you want, but when look at the sheets and she’s tough. We’ve won a few of them, I guess, and we didn’t always have the favorite.”

Lady Kate – Anderson Stables’ Lady Kate, fourth in Keeneland’s Spinster Oct. 4, had her customary gallop of about 1m. The 4yo daughter of Bernardini went to the track shortly before abbreviated main track training hours ended at 8 o’clock. “We don’t want to hide a quality filly like her in the dark,” trainer Eddie Kenneally quipped. “We wanted to wait until it gets light so we can see her a little better. She looks fantastic and went well. Winning the Distaff would be a tough assignment, but to get a piece of it would be nice. We need a good clean start and good position in the race. We want a good trip and don’t want to have any excuses.” Lady Kate is scheduled to walk the shedrow under a rider Saturday morning.

Monomoy Girl – 2018 Distaff winner Monomoy Girl completed her preparations ahead of her second Breeders’ Cup start by galloping 1 1/2m with regular exercise rider Fernando Espinoza onboard. She has continued to impress everyone who has watched her strong gallops this week, especially her trainer Brad Cox, who will be sending out his largest Breeders’ Cup contingent to date of eight horses as he seeks to win a championship race for the third straight year. Last year, he won both the Filly & Mare Sprint with Covfefe and the Juvenile Fillies with British Idiom. “Like I said all week, she couldn’t be doing any better,” Cox said. “We’re excited.”

Point of Honor – Eclipse Partners and Stetson Racing LLC’s Point of Honor galloped 1 1/2m at Keeneland in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Distaff at Keeneland. The 4yo daughter of Curlin has finished in the money in 10 of 11 career starts, including five Grade I placings, while employing an off-the-pace style. Trainer George Weaver expects Point of Honor to again sit off the pace in the Distaff under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano. “She’s not going to be able to press the pace. Javier knows her. He’ll just help her out of the gate, get her into a good rhythm and a good spot. Hopefully, the race unfolds in her favor,” said Weaver, whose trainee will walk the shedrow Saturday morning. “It would be nice to have some pace up front, but when you come from behind you also need for horses not to get in your way. A lot of it is left to chance.”

Ollie’s Candy – Paul and Karen Eggert’s Ollie’s Candy was on the track at 5:45 and galloped under Juan Leyva for trainer John Sadler. Sadler said she would not go to the track Saturday morning. Ollie’s Candy will break from nine under Joel Rosario. “She is a little further out than Higher Power (six in the Classic) and that will leave Joel with a lot of choices,” Sadler said. “He can gauge how things are unfolding from there.” Rosario has been aboard Ollie’s Candy for three narrow defeats in 2020. “She's a very nice filly,” Rosario said. “She's been unlucky this year but is very talented. She tries really hard every time. She just gets beat (by slim margins). This is a big race with lots of very talented horses. We'll see how she does.”

Swiss Skydiver – Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver will be making her 10th start of 2020 at her ninth different track. After beginning the year with a fifth- and third-place finish, the 3yo Daredevil filly has been nearly flawless, winning five of seven starts with two seconds. Included in these wins are “Win and You’re In” victories in the Alabama and Preakness, which earned her automatic berths to the Longines Distaff and Longines Classic, respectively. Trainer Kenny McPeek feels she has done enough this season to be in the running for Horse of the Year honors. “I would like people to at least consider it, especially with the fact that she’s raced all year,” McPeek said. “That is a big deal. It is why they call Horse of the Year. She’s just been hickory all year. I think if she puts in another solid performance Saturday, you have to consider it.” Swiss Skydiver and jockey Robby Albarado, who has been on her every morning this week, followed their normal routine of being among the first on the track and jogging once around before a 1m gallop.

Valiance – The winner of the Spinster at Keeneland galloped 1 3/8m under Amelia Green and is scheduled to walk the barn Saturday morning. “She had good energy,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “To win we need a lifetime best performance and a perfect trip. Hopefully, she gets away from the gate cleanly and gets into a good rhythm. That seems to be what she does best. We will try to replicate the trip she had in the Spinster.” The 4-year-old Tapit filly is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz and CHC Inc.

Juvenile Turf Sprint

Trainer Wesley Ward on the scratch of Amanzi Yimpilo (IRE) – “When she got off the plane from winning in California, she had a nick on her leg. We treated it and hoped it would get better in time and it didn’t, so it wasn’t worth the risk. Blame the Booze will run (after drawing in from the also-eligible list).”

FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF

Ivar (BRZ) – It has been 18 years since trainer Paulo Lobo was on the Breeders’ Cup stage and then, just as now, he has a lot of confidence in his runner. Lobo’s lone Breeders’ Cup starter was , who had the misfortune of running into eventual Horse of the Year in the Distaff. Farda Amiga finished second 5 lengths in back of Azeri but still earned divisional honors as champion 3yo, “I was very confident in Farda Amiga, but on the other hand, I knew she was running against a champion,” Lobo said. “Azeri, I thought she could have won the (Breeders’ Cup) Classic that year. She was rolling on the lead … the first three-quarters in 1:09 and change.” Lobo is equally enthused about the chances of Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I’s Ivar (BRZ) in Saturday’s $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF. “I have a strong feeling about him delivering a big performance tomorrow,” Lobo said of Ivar, who was made the morning line favorite for the Mile off a dominating victory over the course in last month’s Shadwell Turf Mile. “There are a lot of Grade 1 winners in there and I just hope for a good trip.”

Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf

Starship Jubilee – It didn’t take long for trainer Kevin Attard to understand that some folks at Keeneland appreciate Starship Jubilee, his 7yo mare with the rags-to-riches story, who will run in the Filly & Mare Turf. Twice claimed early in her career, the Florida-bred has developed into a star with Attard. Twelve of her 19 career wins in 38 starts have come in stakes. Two of those victories were in Grade 1 races, including the most recent, the Woodbine Mile against males Sept. 19. “As soon as she hit the track there were a couple of people out there and they said, ‘Hey Starship Jubilee. I’m rooting for you,’ "Attard said. “It’s nice to hear and you really kind of savor that moment and realize that the following and the backing that she has generated over the years.” Attard and his partner Soli Mehta claimed Starship Jubilee for $16,000 in February 2017 at Gulfstream. Attard’s father, Tino, was the trainer of record when she reeled off three straight wins at Gulfstream in March and April. Moved to Woodbine in suburban Toronto and officially in the care of Kevin Attard, Starship Jubilee promptly won two Grade 2 races, the Nassau and the Dance Smartly. The one-time mediocre turf sprinter thrived in routes on grass. In 29 races – never at less than a mile – she has compiled a 16-4-3 record in 29 starts and earned $2,052,519. She has won three Sovereign Awards as the top Canadian turf female and is Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year. In November 2018, Attard and Mehta offered the then-5yo mare for sale at auction at Keeneland. When bidding stopped at $425,000, below her reserve price, the owners decided to continue racing her. Within a day, though, they completed a sale with Bonnie Baskin’s Blue Heaven Farm, a Versailles, Kentucky, commercial breeding farm managed by her son Adam Corndorf. Attard suggested that Blue Heaven run the mare a few more times before being bred to Medaglia d’Oro in 2019. That mating ended up being put on hold for two seasons as she has won eight of 13 starts and earned more than $1.5 million. This year, Starship Jubilee. has won five of six starts, including the Ballston Spa at Saratoga, a race that included champion . After running fourth in the Diana -- her first time off the board since December 2018 -- at Saratoga on Aug. 23. She rebounded with the 1-length victory in the Woodbine Mile. “Huge win, beating the boys in the Woodbine Mile,” Attard said. “It was a pretty gutsy performance on her part. She ran really well. She came out of the race in good shape. She’s training great. “It was a decision to either run against the males here in the Breeders’ Cup Mile or in the Filly and Mare Turf at a mile and three-sixteenths against fillies. We elected to take the filly route. The mile and three-sixteenths should be up in her wheel house. She’s been going a mile and a quarter. No race is easy, that’s for sure.”

Turf Sprint

Bombard – At 7, Raydelz Stable’s homebred Bombard is ready for his Breeders’ Cup debut in the Turf Sprint. This is the fifth season that the gelded son of War Front has been in the care of Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. He made the first 14 starts of his career on California, but showed that he could ship and run well with a dead-heat second in the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Sept 12. Bombard and Front Run the Fed hit the wire at the same time, a neck behind Imprimis. That trio will meet again in the Turf Sprint. “He’s one of our favorites in the barn,” Mandella said. “Just an old war horse who is like a pet now and ran a terrific race in the sprint at Kentucky Downs. He’s a good horse. He could have a good day.” Mandella also trained Bombard’s dam, Witty, owned by Raydelz. Injuries have had an impact on Bombard, who has some lengthy gaps between starts in his career. The Turf Sprint will be his fourth start of 2020, the most in a year since 2016. “He’s had some minor issues, but nothing that kept him out completely,” Mandella said. “You just have to stop and fix him and come back again. He’s responded every year really well. It might be his best this year.” Typically, Bombard is in front early, but Mandella said he is versatile. “He’s fast enough to go to the lead, but depending on how fast the other horses are he can rate, too,” Mandella said. “Going this distance, at 5 ½ there is not a lot of thinking involved. Just open the gates and go.”

Overseas Report

One Master (GB) (Mile) was scratched Thursday afternoon on veterinary advice. She is now likely to be retired with her trainer William Haggas saying she has been “an absolutely brilliant mare.” Order of Australia (IRE) (Mile) now lines up in place of One Master and will be ridden by French champion jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot. Christophe Soumillon who was scheduled to ride but failed a COVID-19 test and will not be riding at the World Champioships. Tarnawa (IRE) (Turf), trained by Dermot Weld, is another mount Soumillon was due to take. She will now be ridden by Irish champion jockey Colin Keane. French challengers Sealiway (FR) (Juvenile Turf) and Go Athletico (FR) (Juvenile Turf) were the first horses to leave the European quarantine barn and head out on the training track. Both horses did light exercise in preparation for their runs this afternoon. John Gosden’s trio again went onto the training track together and did a strong canter. Lord North (IRE) (Turf) led and was then followed by Terebellum (IRE) (Filly & Mare Turf) and Mehdaayih (GB) (Turf) in behind. All three looked in fine conditions heading into their races tomorrow. Kameko (Mile) came out by himself and again showed real presence out on the training track. He did a light canter under the watchful eye of his trainer Andrew Balding. Jessica Harrington was at the training track to watch her three horses’ exercise. Cayenne Pepper (IRE) (Filly & Mare Turf) was ridden by race day jockey Shane Foley who reported the filly to be “all good; she seems well.” Devilwala (IRE) (Juvenile Turf) and New Mandate (IRE) (Juvenile Turf) were both again led onto the training track by trainer Ralph Beckett who was on a pony. The had a walk around the track in preparation for their races this afternoon. Safe Voyage (IRE) (Mile) had a trot on the training track ridden by race day jockey Jason Hart. His trainer John Quinn was on hand and said, “he’s grand, looking forward to the race now.” Aidan O’Brien’s horses went onto the main track and did a canter. Morale was high in the O’Brien camp with travelling head lad Pat Keating reporting all to be well. “The horses traveled over great and settled in fine. They had a look out on the main track again this morning and there were no issues.” Glass Slippers (Turf Sprint) and (Mile) went out onto the turf track together. Race day jockeys Tom Eaves and Colin Keane both rode and were happy with their horses. Kevin Ryan was trackside and said, “she’s in great shape. I’m very happy with her as is Tom. The ground was perfect on the turf course, so we’re all set for tomorrow.” Colin Keane reported “Siskin is fine, great form.” The final horses to train were German challenger Donjah (GER) (Turf) and (FR) (Filly & Mare Turf).

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