October 11, 2016 Contact: Jim Gluckson 212-230-9512 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the last 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 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 notification service. California Chrome’s Daunting Shadow, a Distaff for the Ages and The Presence of Tepin Make for a Tantalizing 33rd Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entered fields to be announced on Wednesday, October 26 With all but one of the 81 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races completed, as part of a series that started in January in Cape Town, South Africa and ends Wednesday in Lexington, Kentucky, the book of contenders that is 33rd Breeders’ Cup is all but complete. Within its pages contain a bevy of racing superstars, including stalwarts CALIFORNIA CHROME, BEHOLDER, SONGBIRD and TEPIN, all who are sure to make racing’s championship weekend November 4-5 in Arcadia, California one of the most anticipated in the event’s rich and storied history. Any discussion of this year’s 1 ¼-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic and Horse of the Year clearly begins with California Chrome, who has, somewhat amazingly for a horse who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness at 3, blossomed as a 5-year-old for trainer Art Sherman. The son of Lucky Pulpit is undefeated in six starts and seemingly better than ever, as evidenced by his two most recent “Win and You’re In” grade I wins in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar in August and Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita October 1, which both garnered him an automatic starting berth into this year’s Classic. California Chrome, who is owned in partnership by Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm, is 15-for-24 lifetime in a Hall of Fame career, with a North American earnings record of $13.4 million, and will likely be odds-on to better his third-place finish in the 2014 Classic at Santa Anita. Godolphin’s FROSTED rates as the East Coast’s leading Classic contender, as he earned a berth into the race with his win in Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Whitney (GI) in August for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The 4-year-old son of Tapit also earned a berth into the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with his win in Belmont Park’s “Win and You’re In” Metropolitan Handicap (GI) in June but is more likely to run in the Classic. Frosted is 6-for-18 lifetime and will need to rebound from a surprising odds-on loss in Saratoga’s Woodward (GI) September 3 to have a chance at posting the upset. Together, California Chrome and Frosted won three of the eight automatic qualifiers for the Classic, and they’ll meet Tarabilla Farm’s MELATONIN, who earned a berth into the race with his “Win and You’re In” Gold Cup at Santa Anita (GI) in his last start, which came June 25 in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (GI). The speedy 5-year-old son of Kodiak Kowboy battled foot issues after the race but has been training great for David Hofmans and is 5-for-13 lifetime, which includes a win in the track and distance Santa Anita Handicap (GI) in March. Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s HOPPERTUNITY earned the last Classic berth with his win in Saturday’s “Win and You’re In” Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI, see race recap below) at Belmont. The 5-year-old son of Any Given Saturday has finished behind California Chrome three times this year, including a third in the World Cup, but has run well at the 1 ¼ miles and could add to a 6-for-22 lifetime record that has seen him earn over $3.5 million. Joseph Sutton’s BRADESTER, who won the “Win and You’re In” Stephen Foster (GI) at Churchill Downs in June for trainer Eddie Kenneally, is more likely for the Dirt Mile, while Big Chief Racing and Head of Plains Partners’ EXAGGERATOR, who won the “Win and You’re In” Haskell Invitational (GI) at Monmouth Park in July for trainer Keith Desormeaux, has been taken been retired. Tri-Bone Stable’s homebred Effinex, who was second in last year’s Classic at Keeneland and was second to Hoppertunity in the Gold Cup, is also expected for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, as is his stablemate, Stronach Stable’s homebred SHAMAN GHOST, who upset Frosted in the Woodward, while Kaleem Shah’s DORTMUND, who has been second or third to California Chrome in his last three starts for Baffert and most recently was second in the Awesome Again, could also try the favorite one more time in the Classic, or possibly reroute to the Dirt Mile. The 3-year-olds have proven to be a mixed bag and have taken turns beating each other all year, but the group could have a potential superstar in Juddmonte Farms’ ARROGATE, who set a Saratoga track record when he won the Travers (GI) by 13 ½ lengths, while getting the 1 ¼ miles in 1:59.36 August 27 for Baffert. The son of 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Unbridled’s Song made his stakes debut in the Travers and simply ran the field off their feet to move his lifetime record to 4-for-5. Whether Arrogate can back up that performance remains to be seen, but his brilliant early speed could pose a direct hindrance to California Chrome. Reddam Stable’s NYQUIST, who won the Kentucky Derby but has struggled since for trainer Doug O’Neill, is still under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, as is Winchell Racing’s fellow 3-year-old GUN RUNNER, who was third in the Derby and most recently second in Park Racing’s Pennsylvania Derby (GII) September 24 for trainer Steve Asmussen, though both are more likely to run in the Dirt Mile, should they show up at Santa Anita. Longines Distaff Could be Best Ever How good is this year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, you ask? Consider that SONGBIRD, the undefeated reigning 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and 2-year-old filly champion, could be no better than third choice on the morning line. That’s because stalwarts STELLAR WIND and BEHOLDER, champions in their own right, could dominate the betting when they renew their budding rivalry in the 1 1/8-mile Distaff. Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind has forged to the division lead in her last two starts for trainer John Sadler, as she’s beaten Beholder in both “Win and You’re In” races; Del Mar’s Clement L. Hirsch (GI) in August and Santa Anita’s Zenyatta (GI) October 1. Both wins earned her an automatic starting berth into the Distaff, a race the 4-year-old daughter of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin finished second in last year at Keeneland. Stellar Wind, who was voted champion 3-year-old filly last year, is 7-for-11 lifetime and would earn another championship with a Distaff win. Spendthrift Farm’s Beholder may enter with a three-race losing streak, but she hasn’t ducked a challenge this year for trainer Richard Mandella, as she’s sandwiched her second-place runs to Stellar Wind with a second to California Chrome in the “Win and You’re In” TVG Pacific Classic (GI) at Del Mar in August. The 6-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in 2012 and the Distaff there the next year to cap off a pair of championship campaigns, and she won another divisional title last year in a surefire Hall of Fame career that has seen her win 17-of-25 career starts. Stonestreet Stable’s CAVORTING has answered every question trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has asked of her this year. The 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini was thought to be a one-turn sprint specialist early in her career, which included a fourth-place finish as the favorite in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita, but has taken her game to new heights this year. Cavorting earned a pair of Distaff berths in her last two starts, Belmont Park’s “Win and You’re In” Ogden Phipps (GI) in June, and Saratoga’s “Win and You’re In” Personal Ensign (GI) August 27, but really garnered attention in the latter, as it was her first two-turn attempt and came at 1 1/8 miles too. Cavorting is 8-for-13 lifetime and would also likely win a championship with a Distaff win. Fox Hill Farm’s Songbird has proven nothing short of extraordinary in her career for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, as she’s not only undefeated in 11 starts, but has won them by a combined 60 ½ lengths. The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro will tackle older fillies and mares for the first time in the Distaff, but her stunning performances this year, including a trio of recent lopsided grade I wins in Saratoga’s Coaching Club American Oaks in July and Alabama in August and Park Racing’s Cotillion September 24, say she should have no problem bridging the gap.