September 27, 2016 Contact: Jim Gluckson 212-230-9512 Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter Advisory: This is the 7th 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. Santa Anita Opens, Headlines Worldwide Challenge Weekend Along With Belmont, Chantilly and Nakayama The waiting is over. The time to separate the contenders from the pretenders for the 33rd Breeders’ Cup is here. The opening of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., along with Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, Chantilly Racecourse in France and Nakayama Racecourse in Japan, kicks off the first of two decisive Breeders’ Cup Challenge weekends, as no fewer than 11 “Win and You’re In” qualifiers will take place Saturday and Sunday, with 12 more lined up for next weekend. When the dust settles, nearly every one of the 13 Breeders’ Cup races will have defined fields, including the $6 million Classic, which will see the likely heavy favorite, CALIFORNIA CHROME, take center stage Saturday at Santa Anita in the $300,000 “Win and You’re In” Awesome Again (GI), which will award the seventh of eight automatic berths into this year’s race. Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Awesome Again will be shown live (5:30-8:00 p.m. ET) on NBCSN as part of a “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In Series - presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing” telecast that will also feature Grade 1 Challenge races from Santa Anita and Belmont Park (see race previews below). The Awesome Again figures to be another showcase California Chrome, who is owned in partnership by Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm. The 5-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit has been scintillating while winning all five starts this year, which includes earning a Classic berth in a romp over Beholder in Del Mar’s “Win and You’re In” TVG Pacific Classic (GI) August 20 for trainer Art Sherman. California Chrome also won the Dubai World Cup (GI) at Meydan in March, which added to a resume that already counted victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2014, and figures about 1-5 when he looks to add to his North American record of over $13.2 million in earnings and puts his 14-for-23 career record on the line in the Awesome Again. With such an imposing favorite lined up, few are willing to take on California Chrome, though Kaleem Shah’s DORTMUND will give him another go. The 4-year-old son of Big Brown has taken on the favorite in his last two starts for trainer Bob Baffert, and was second, beaten just a half-length in Del Mar’s San Diego (GII) in July though he was a modest third, beaten a decisive 7 ¼ lengths in the Pacific Classic. Dortmund, who won the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in 2015, is 8-for-12 lifetime. Baffert will also start HOPPERTUNITY, who was third to California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup and fourth in the Pacific Classic, while graded stakes winners HARD ACES and POINT PIPER are possible for the Awesome Again, as is WIN THE SPACE. Beholder-Stellar Wind Rematch Highlights Four Challenge Races on Awesome Again Card While California Chrome and the Awesome Again will garner the majority of the attention at Santa Anita, the undercard hardly takes a back seat, as the four additional Challenge races will award automatic starting berths into the Breeders’ Cup. The Zenyatta (Longines Distaff), Rodeo Drive (Filly & Mare Turf), FrontRunner (Sentient Jet Juvenile) and Chandelier (14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies) will all prove critical in advancing several contenders to the Breeders’ Cup, especially since three of the four will be held over the same distance as their respective Cup race. The budding rivalry between Spendthrift Farm’s two-time Breeders’ Cup winner BEHOLDER and Hronis Racing’s champion 3-year-old filly STELLAR WIND will be renewed in the $300,000 Zenyatta (GI). Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Zenyatta has a match race feel to it, as dual Breeders’ Cup champion Beholder, a 6- year-old daughter of Henny Hughes who won the Juvenile Fillies over the track in 2012 and Distaff there in 2013 for trainer Richard Mandella, and Stellar Wind, a 4-year-old daughter of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin, who was second in the Distaff last year at Keeneland for trainer John Sadler, cast a big shadow over the rest of their prospective rivals. The pair have met twice this year, with Beholder winning the Vanity (GI) at Santa Anita in June, and Stellar Wind turning the tables to take the “Win and You’re In” Clement Hirsch (GI) and earning a bid into the Distaff July 30 at Del Mar. Combined, Beholder, who is 17-for-24 lifetime, and Stellar Wind, who is 6-for-10 lifetime, are remarkable 16-for-18 at Santa Anita. The presence of both Beholder and Stellar Wind is sure to keep the field size of the Zenyatta to a minimum, and only Stonestreet Stable’s TARA’S TANGO, a 4-year-old daughter of 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Champion Unbridled’s Song who won the Santa Margarita (GI) over the track in March for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, is the only other confirmed starter. The Rodeo Drive, run over the same course and 1 ¼-mile distance as the Filly & Mare Turf, figures to draw a large field, with Ramona Bass’ AVENGE the likely favorite for Mandella. The 4-year-old daughter of War Front has progressed through the ranks this year and moved her lifetime record to 5-for-11 when she won the John Mabee (GII) at Del Mar September 4. Stablemate MAJESTIC HEAT could offer a stiff challenge off her win in the Solana Beach at Del Mar August 14, while FRENZIFIED, GENEROSIDADE, REAL SMART, SOBRADORA and ZIPESSA are also expected for the Rodeo Drive. The $300,000 FrontRunner and Chandelier, both run at the same 1 1/16 miles that the Sentient Jet Juvenile and 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies will be run, will likely have two heavy favorites for trainer Bob Baffert, with the majority of both fields testing two turns for the first time. Kaleem Shah’s KLIMT will be tough to beat in the FrontRunner, as his decisive wins in Del Mar’s Best Pal (GII) in August and Futurity (GI) September 5 have left little doubt who California’s top 2-year-old is. The son of Quality Road is 3-for-4 lifetime and figures as an odds-on choice. MIDNIGHT PLEASURE, a well-beaten third in the Futurity for trainer Shelbe Ruis and PLUM DANDY, who broke his maiden August 25 at Del Mar for Simon Callaghan, are also expected, while GORMLEY, OOPPER WALLAH, SILVER ASSAULT and STRAIGHT FLYER are possible for the FrontRunner. The $300,000 Chandelier will showcase Ahmed Zayat’s homebred AMERICAN CLEOPATRA, a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile who is a full-sister to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah who won her debut at Del Mar in July then was second as the favorite in their Debutante (GI) September 3 for Baffert. CHAMPAGNE ROOM, who was third in the Debutante for trainer Peter Eurton, will test the favorite again, while turf stakes winner WITH HONORS for Keith Desormeaux and impressive debut winner ZAPPERCAT for Richard Baltas, are also expected for the Chandelier. Belmont’s Hirsch and Vosburgh to Offer Automatic Bids While the majority of the “Win and You’re In” action at Belmont Park will be the following weekend, Saturday’s stakes laden card sees the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (GI) and $350,000 Vosburgh (GI), which will award automatic starting berths into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf and TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint, respectively. The Hirsch, run at 1 ½ miles, will likely have the heaviest favorite of all the Challenge races in Juddmonte Farm’s homebred FLINTSHIRE (GB), a 6-year-old son of Dansili (GB) who is undefeated and untested in three starts this year for trainer Chad Brown. The former globe-trotting group I winner began his career in Europe for trainer Andre Fabre and was second in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in 2014 before coming to Brown for a 2016 campaign. Flintshire hasn’t disappointed, winning Belmont’s Manhattan (GI) in June and Saratoga’s Bowling Green (GII) in July and their “Win and You’re In” Sword Dancer (GI) August 27, to secure a berth into the Turf and move his lifetime record to 8-for-22, with earnings over $8.8 million. Flintshire’s stablemate, Klaravich Stable’s MONEY MULTIPLIER, who was second in the Sword Dancer as well as the local Man O’ War (GI) in May and “Win and You’re In” United Nations (GI) in July, will try again, as will TWILIGHT ECLIPSE and GRAND TITO, who were 3-4 in the Sword Dancer, respectively, while ECTOT is also expected for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The Vosburgh, run at six furlongs, will see Green Lantern Stable’s A.P. INDIAN try and further his status as the nation’s leading sprinter, as he goes for his fifth straight stakes win for trainer Arnaud Delacour.