September 15, 2015 Contact: Jim Gluckson 212-230-9512 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the 5th of nine weekly news releases focusing on the horses and races leading to the 32nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31 at Keeneland. For more information, please visit www.breederscup.com. The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on NBC and NBCSN. You can follow all the contenders’ activity leading up to the Breeders’ Cup with Equibase’s free “Road to the Breeders’ Cup” Virtual Stable Virtual Stable notification service. American Pharoah, Honor Code, Beholder, Gleneagles Headline Prospective Breeders’ Cup Classic Field DIVISIONAL UPDATES With Triple Crown winner American Pharoah back in the fray for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, stretch running sensation HONOR CODE, superstar mare BEHOLDER and leading international 3-year- old GLENEAGLES (IRE) leading the way, the Breeders’ Cup’s first visit to Lexington and Keeneland Race Course will be a can’t-miss event October 30-31. The Classic headlines 13 Cup races that are spread out over two days, totaling $26 million in purses and undoubtedly crowning champions in several divisions. While the race for 3-year-old Champion was long ago decided, Ahmed Zayat’s homebred American Pharoah no doubt heads to Keeneland with a chip on his shoulder after suffering just the second defeat of his brilliant career, when last seen in Saratoga’s Travers (GI) August 29. The son of Pioneerof the Nile blitzed through the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont for trainer Bob Baffert to become the sport’s 12th Triple Crown winner and somehow looked even better when he won one of seven automatic starting berths into the Classic in Monmouth Park’s “Win and You’re In” William Hill Haskell (GI) after a brief freshening in July, but couldn’t hold off fellow Classic contender KEEN ICE late in the Travers and finished second. And while the defeat was a stunning one—American Pharoah was 1-5 on the toteboard—it did little to diminish a legacy that will come to a close in the Classic, when he puts his 8-for- 10 record on the line while facing older horses for the first time. Standing in American Pharoah’s way will be Lane’s End Racing and Dell Ride Farm’s Honor Code, who has progressed steadily through the ranks this year for trainer Shug McGaughey and answered any lingering doubts about his ability to get two turns when he ran down a loose LIAM’S MAP to earn a classic berth in Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Whitney (GI) August 8. The son of A.P. Indy earned a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile earlier this year when he won Belmont Park’s “Win and You’re In” Metropolitan Handicap (GI) in June but clearly has his sights set on a much bigger prize. Honor Code, who is 6-for-9 lifetime, will likely prep for the Classic in Belmont’s October 3 Kelso (GII), though there’s an outside shot he runs the same day in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI), which is also a “Win and You’re In” for the Classic. Regardless, McGaughey is hoping he holds his form through the end of October. "Nothing is ever a definite with racehorses, but the Kelso is my preference,” McGaughey said. “I'm hoping that he runs the way he's been running and we can move forward to the Breeders' Cup from there." Spendthrift Farm’s Beholder has essentially distanced herself from the rest of the fillies and mares in the country and she did the same to best males in California by 8 ¼ lengths when she earned an automatic Classic berth in Del Mar’s “Win and You’re In” TVG Pacific Classic (GI) August 22 for trainer Richard Mandella. The 5-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes is a dual champion (2-year-old filly in 2012 and 3- year-old filly in 2013) and has already won two Breeders’ Cup races; the Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in 2012 and the Distaff in 2013. Beholder has won five straight, is 14-for-19 lifetime in a surefire Hall of Fame career and will prep for the Classic when she tries to win Santa Anita’s September 26 Zenyatta (GI) for the third straight year. The Zenyatta is a “Win and You’re In” for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a race Beholder already qualified for with her 7-length win in Del Mar’s “Win and You’re In” Clement L. Hirsch (GI) in August. Teresa Viola Racing Stable’s Liam’s Map lost a heartbreaker in the Whitney, as he set an extremely hot pace and led every step but the last, but rebounded with an easy win in Saratoga’s Woodward (GI) September 5 for trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old son of 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Unbridled’s Song has come to hand quickly, as he had won just an allowance race entering the year, and his blend of speed and stamina makes him a major factor in the Classic, and a potential worrisome pace adversary for American Pharoah. Liam’s Map is 5-for-7 lifetime, and while Pletcher indicated he could run in the Dirt Mile, the Classic is the much more likely spot when he makes his next start. Robert Evans’ TONALIST has been a bit snake bitten in four starts this year for trainer Christophe Clement, but the 4-year-old son of Tapit is at home going 1 ¼ miles and rates a serious stretch danger. Last year’s Belmont winner won the Westchester (GIII) at Belmont in his comeback in May but has lost his last three, running second to Honor Code in the Met Mile and third to him in the Whitney, which sandwiched a second-place run in Belmont’s Suburban (GII) in July. Tonalist, who was fifth in the Classic last year at Santa Anita, is 5-for-13 lifetime and will prep for this year’s race in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Hronis Racing’s HARD ACES won the “Win and You’re In” Gold Cup at Santa Anita (GI) in June for trainer John Sadler but his form has come under question since. The 5-year-old son of Hard Spun, who upset the Gold Cup but was left in Beholder’s wake when sixth in the Pacific Classic, will try to get untracked in Santa Anita’s September 26 “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again (GI), which is the sixth Classic qualifier. John Oxley’s NOBLE BIRD won the first “Win and You’re In” race for the Classic, Churchill’s Stephen Foster (GI) in June, but was recently sent to the sidelines for the remainder of the year with a hip injury, according to trainer Mark Casse. Keen Ice Leads the Way Among the Remaining 3-Year-Olds While Donegal Racing’s Keen Ice doesn’t have the resume that American Pharoah has, he rates the “now” horse off his shocking Travers victory at the Classic’s 1 ¼-mile distance and has come into his own in his last two starts for trainer Dale Romans. The son of 2007 Classic winner Curlin was a fringe player on the Triple Crown Trail this winter but picked up the pace a bit when third in the Belmont, then made waves with a closing second in the Haskell. Dismissed at 16-1 in the Travers, he ran down a softened up American Pharoah nearing the line and moved to 2-for-11 lifetime. Keen Ice will take the road less traveled and go straight to the Classic off his Travers win. Godolphin’s homebred FROSTED did the dirty work in the Travers, pressing American Pharoah for much of the 1 ¼ miles before relenting in deep stretch and finishing third for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The son of Tapit won Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial (GI) in April and was fourth in the Derby and second in the Preakness, but appears to be behind not only American Pharoah, but also Keen Ice, at this point of his career. Frosted, who is also 2-for-11 lifetime, has been entered against three year-olds again in this Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G2). Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels and trainer Keith Desormeaux’s reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner TEXAS RED will head to the Classic off a very disappointing fifth as the second-choice in the Travers. The son of Afleet Alex looked to be American Pharoah’s main danger after he won the local prep, the Jim Dandy (GII) in July, but was done early in the Travers. Texas Red is 3-for-9 lifetime and picks a tough time to try older horses for the first time in the Classic. Gleneagles Looms the Classic Wildcard The Coolmore conglomerate has never shied from a challenge, so it should be no surprise that they plan to run their star European miler Gleneagles in the Classic, as opposed to the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The 3- year-old son of Galileo (IRE) has yet to face older horses or run past a mile, not to mention run on dirt, but his resume is impeccable for trainer Aidan O’Brien, as he’s 7-for-9 lifetime, with wins in this year’s 2000 Guineas (GI) at Newmarket and Irish 2,000 Guineas (GI) at The Curragh in May and St James’s Palace (GI) at Royal Ascot June 16 and he would bring that much more substance to a Classic that is already brimming with star power.