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Breeders' Cup Races Spread Out Over Two Days

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 26, 2007

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The Breeders' Cup kicks off today at Monmouth Park with three $1 million races that give the season-ending championships a second day of racing for the first time in the event's 24 years.

The new races expand the Breeders' Cup to 11 races worth more than $24 million. The eight traditional races will be contested Saturday, including the richest race in North America - the $5 million Classic.
Discreet Cat is the glamour horse Friday in the Dirt Mile, which actually will be run at one mile, 70 yards to accommodate Monmouth's short run from the start to the first turn.

The 4-year-old trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin Racing has abundant international experience. Purchased following a victory in his debut at Saratoga in 2005, Discreet Cat reeled off five consecutive wins for the new owners including Grade 1 victories in 2006 in the UAE Derby in Dubai and the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

He is winless in two starts this year, a campaign compromised by a severe throat abscess. Most recently, Discreet Cat was third in the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park, his first start in six months

'He's really come on since the Vosburgh,' assistant trainer Rick Mettee said. 'The race has really helped him.'
Discreet Cat has the rail with Garrett Gomez set to ride.

In the other Breeders' Cup stakes today, Dream Rush, winner of six of eight races, is the 2-1 favorite in the Filly & Mare Sprint, while Prussian, unbeaten in two starts, is the 3-1 favorite in the Juvenile Turf.

A fan favorite in the Filly & Mare Sprint will be Oprah Winney, a 6-1 choice.

TWO SCRATCHES: Attila's Storm and Dixie Chatter were scratched Thursday.

Attila's Storm was slated to make a third straight appearance in the $2 million Sprint before injuring a left front ankle.

'He has some filling in there and he was a little sore this morning,' trainer Rich Schosberg said. 'It's nothing major, but he's not 100 percent. We are the protectors of these horses and there is no way I could even consider running him.'

In two prior Sprint appearances, Attila's Storm was fourth in 2005 and fifth last year.

Dixie Chatter was flown in from California on Monday for the $2 million Juvenile before spiking a fever Wednesday that persisted into Thursday.

'We've got to err on the side of caution,' trainer Richard Mandella said.

TOUGH TURF: Much of the focus of this Breeders' Cup has centered on the deep and talented field in the Classic, which features Street Sense, Curlin, Hard Spun, Lawyer Ron and Any Given Saturday.

However, the $3 million Turf also offers a stellar lineup that includes two previous winners, Better Talk Now (2004) and Red Rocks (2006), as well as leading U.S. grass horse English Channel, who has done well at Monmouth, having won the last two runnings of the United Nations Stakes on this course.

In this strong group, Dylan Thomas is the horse to beat. At 7-5, the 4-year-old is the shortest-priced favorite in the 11 Breeders' Cup races. He has won four Group 1 stakes in Europe this season, including the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Dylan Thomas arrived at Monmouth on Tuesday night following a flight from Aidan O'Brien's training center in Ireland.

John Murtagh will ride the winner of 10 of 18 career starts from post No. 7 in the eight-horse field.

This will be Dylan Thomas' ninth start of the season, creating hope among rivals that fatigue might catch up with him.

'You don't know until he runs,' Murtagh said. 'Aiden is great at getting them ready. He's got great faith in the horse and I have great faith in him to have a horse ready for the day.'

This will likely be Dylan Thomas' final race. He is slated for retirement at the end of this season.

ALL WET: Check out the mudders during Breeders' Cup weekend.

Rain is predicted for today and Saturday, with the chance of precipitation Saturday very high. Temperatures are expected to range from the upper 50s on today to the upper 60s Saturday.

The Associated Press

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