September 20, 2016 Contact: Jim Gluckson 212-230-9512 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the sixth of nine weekly news releases focusing on the horses and races leading to the 33rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5 at Santa Anita. For more information, please visit www.breederscup.com. The Breeders’ Cup will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network. You can follow all the contenders’ activity leading up to the Breeders’ Cup with Equibase’s free “Road to the Breeders’ Cup” Virtual Stable notification service. California Chrome Casts Daunting Shadow Over Prospective Field for Breeders’ Cup Classic Field While equine stars near and far will descend on Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California November 4-5 for the 33rd Breeders’ Cup, there’s little doubt that the main attraction figures to be CALIFORNIA CHROME, who rates as an imposing favorite for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is a little less than seven weeks away. The Classic headlines 13 Breeders’ Cup races that are spread out over two days, totaling $28 million in purses and undoubtedly crowning champions in several divisions. California Chrome, a 5-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit, who is owned by California Chrome LLC, a group comprised of Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm, has shown this year what a horse can do when allowed to grow into himself and reach his physical peak. The results have been nothing short of extraordinary, as the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner is perfect in five starts for trainer Art Sherman, including a tour-de-force in the “Win and You’re In” TVG Pacific Classic (GI) at Del Mar August 20, and rates as an odds-on favorite for Horse of the Year. California Chrome earned an automatic Classic berth in the Pacific Classic, while moving his lifetime record to 14-for-23, which includes a win in the Dubai World Cup (GI) at Meydan in March. He’ll look to add to his North American record of $13.2 million in earnings when he starts next in Santa Anita’s October 1 “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again (GI), which will award the sixth of seven automatic starting berths into the Classic. NBCSN (5:30- 8 p.m. ET) will televise the Awesome Again, and other top qualifying races next Saturday, as a part of the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In – Presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing” program. Godolphin’s homebred FROSTED saw his quest for championship honors take a big hit when he was a modest third at odds-on in Saratoga’s Woodward (GI) September 3 for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, but he already has a Classic berth secured via his win in Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Whitney (GI) August 6. The 4-year-old son of Tapit earned a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Las Vegas Dirt Mile when he won Belmont Park’s Metropolitan Handicap (GI) by 14 ¼ lengths in May and could potentially reroute to that race. Frosted is 6-for-18 lifetime and will very likely train up to the Breeders’ Cup McLaughlin said this week. Tarabilla Farm’s MELATONIN will also likely take the road less traveled to the Classic, as the 5-year-old son of Kodiak Kowboy has not started since earning a berth into the race with a win in the “Win and You’re In” Gold Cup at Santa Anita (GI) June 25. Trainer David Hofmans, who won the Classic in 1996 at Woodbine with Alphabet Soup, indicated Melatonin, who missed some training due to an illness over the summer, would not be ready for the Awesome Again and may have to run in the Classic off works. Melatonin also won the Santa Anita Handicap (GI) in March and is 5-for-13 lifetime. Kaleem Shah’s DORTMUND, who was second, beaten just a half-length by California Chrome in Del Mar’s San Diego (GII) in July, but was a distant third to him in the Pacific Classic for trainer Bob Baffert; Tri-Bone Stable’s EFFINEX, second in the Classic last year behind Triple Crown winner American Pharoah for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and a two-time grade II winner this year, and stablemate SHAMAN GHOST, a Stronach Stable homebred who upset Frosted in winning the Woodward, are also pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Arrogate Gives 3-year-olds a Boost While the 3-year-olds took turns beating each other during the three Triple Crown races, Juddmonte Farm’s ARROGATE’S record-breaking win in Saratoga’s Travers (GI) August 27 stamped him as the “now” horse and a legitimate threat to California Chrome, not only on the front end, but in the winner’s circle. Trained by Bob Baffert, the son of Unbridled’s Song wired the Travers in 1:59.36, shattering a track record that was set in 1979. Arrogate, who is 4-for-5 lifetime, is expected to train up to the Classic. Paul Reddam’s Kentucky Derby winner NYQUIST and Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners and Rocker O Ranch’s EXAGGERATOR will look to get untracked in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Derby (GII, see preview below) at Parx Racing after disappointing recent runs. The former, a son of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo, was fourth in both the Preakness and “Win and You’re In” Haskell Invitational (GI) at Monmouth Park in his last start July 31 for trainer Doug O’Neill, and will look to find the form that won him his first eight career starts, including the Florida Derby (GI) at Gulfstream Park in April, in addition to a 2-year-old championship that was cemented with a win in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in October. Exaggerator, a son of 2007 Classic winner Curlin, earned a Classic berth with his Haskell win, and also won the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in April, but was 11th in the Travers, further fueling speculation that he needs a off-track, like he got in the in all three grade I wins this year, to run his best race. Distaff Could be One for the Ages The prospect of BEHOLDER and CAVORTING, the two best older fillies and mares in the country, taking on undefeated 3-year-old sensation SONGBIRD, has the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff shaping up as one of the most anticipated renewals in the race’s history. Throw in older grade I winners STELLAR WIND, CURALINA, FOREVER UNBRIDLED and 3-year-old CATHRYN SOPHIA, and the Distaff is shaping up as a can’t-miss race. Spendthrift Farm’s Beholder will look to win her third Breeders’ Cup race, whether she takes the likely path and runs in the Distaff, or surprises and runs in the Classic for trainer Richard Mandella. The 6-year- old daughter of Henny Hughes has been at the top of her class since winning the 2012 Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, the same spot where she annexed the Distaff a year later. Beholder, who is 17-for-24 lifetime in a Hall of Fame career, will look to stop a rare two-race losing streak, including a second to California Chrome in the “Win and You’re In” Pacific Classic at Del Mar August 20, when she tries to earn and automatic starting berth into the Distaff and win the “Win and You’re In” Zenyatta (GI) for the fourth straight year at Santa Anita October 1. Stonestreet Stable’s Cavorting is arguably the clubhouse divisional leader off three straight wins, including two in a row in “Win and You’re Ins” for the Distaff in Belmont Park’s Ogden Phipps (GI) in June and Saratoga’s Personal Ensign (GI) in her last start August 27. The 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini is 8-for-13 lifetime for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and showed a new dimension when she won the Personal Ensign in her first start at two turns and at the Distaff’s 1 1/8-mile distance. Fox Hill Farms Songbird has barely lifted a hair in winning her 10 career starts by a combined 54 ¾ lengths for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro will look to pull off a Beholder- like double, as she won the Juvenile Fillies last year at Keeneland en route to championship honors. Songbird, who summered in Saratoga and won the Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) in July and the Alabama (GI) in her last start August 20, will look to continued her streak in Saturday’s Cotillion (GI, see race preview below) at Parx Racing. Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind, who won the 3-year-old filly championship after running second in last year’s Distaff at Keeneland and beat Beholder to earn a Distaff berth in the “Win and You’re In” Clement Hirsch (GI) at Del Mar July 30 for trainer John Sadler; Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Curalina, who won Churchill Downs’ La Troienne (GI) in May for trainer Todd Pletcher, Charles Fipke’s homebred Forever Unbridled, who won Oaklawn Park’s Apple Blossom (GI) in April and was a close third in the Personal Ensign for trainer Dallas Stewart and Cathryn Sophia, who won the Kentucky Oaks (GI) in May at Churchill Downs and will tackle Songbird in the Cotillion for trainer John Servis, are also prospective starters for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Euro Transplant Flintshire Leads American Turf Hopes, Tepin Again Looms Large in Mile Juddmonte Farm’s homebred FLINTSHIRE (GB), who began his career in Europe, has blossomed in America with trainer Chad Brown and is the clear-cut divisional leader as the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf nears.