Rip Van Winkle retired after 'very slight setback'
 

The brilliant Rip Van Winkle, winner of three Group 1s, including this year's Juddmonte International Stakes at York,has been retired due to a setback, it was announced on Wednesday night.

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse..._campaign=news

Euro's are dropping like flies-either retired or going to Asia/Dubai


Still favorites but damn we have seen Poet's Vision,Makfi,RVW,Fuisse,Canford Cliffs out of the Mile and Arctic Cosmos,Fame and Glory,Redwood,Twice Over all out of the Turf

Agree completely. Had an eye on him since a handicap win @ Ellis in August. Will keep watching closely.

Awaiting confirmation, but Humble and Hungry (Limehouse), who broke his maiden on the Belmont turf last week, is expected to go in the Juvenile Turf. He's trained by Ignacio Correas IV and will be ridden by Olivier Peslier.

I wonder if Tom Proctor will look at running Banned in the Juv Turf. He won a N1X at Kee on Sunday very easily after breaking his maiden handily at Belmont.

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...8/breederscup/


Cape Blanco and Fame and Glory Out

Outlining Ballydoyle's likely team for the Breeders' Cup next month, O'Brien said: "Beethoven is being aimed at the Mile and Bright Horizon will go for the Marathon. Together is under serious consideration for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, while Treasure Beach, who ran third in the Royal Lodge, may go for the Juvenile Turf.

Steve Margolis on ATR Thursday: CASH REFUND, sharp sub :59 worker at KEE this morning, is a go for the Sprint.

DUE DATE would go in the Turf Sprint if he can make what is shaping up as an overflow field..

Have we heard anything about Ravalo?

Still slow

What race would he fit in?

He has had atrocious trips in his last two and would have a shot at a giant price in the turf sprint.

I liked him at Kee because he worked against the race in both of the Saratoga tries, I wouldn't really characterize the 2nd loss to Awakino Cat as an atrocious trip. Chamberlain Bridge is going to be very tough off of that trip at Keeneland.

Scott Lake said on ATR Thursday that Pashito the Che would run in the Sprint if he can make the field. Lake owns an enviable BC Sprint record running 2nd at 49-1 with Thunderello in 2002 (Orientate) at Arlington and 3rd with Shake You Down in 2003 (Cajun Beat) at Santa Anita.

Super Test be damned.

Central City is a horse I fear and know I'll use in the Turf Sprint...

He ran a very nice race at Keeneland and his effort in the Turf Sprint stake on Oaks day might have been the best of all of them.

The thing is Dubb owns Stradivinsky who is going to be entered solely to burn up the speed and set the table for Silver Timber.

Are you saying Stradivinsky cant win?

When he battled through a :21.26 opening quarter and still almost won?

Thats really not that fast at Toga. Its actually about average for those races.

Maybe we will see 2 or 3 of the Sprinters try the Dirt Mile? Right now we got about 18 horses definite to 90%,which means 4 of them are out. The Dirt Mile still has 2 or 3 spots till it is full

I never could have imagined that people would be seriously breaking down a five furlong turf sprint race like a week before it's drawn.

Ya totally - so is a :43.46 half.

The fractions in the Troy were :22.11 and :44.71.

I actually think Grand Adventure is the best horse in the turf sprint now that the filly isn't going. . . Not sure how he'll like 5f though.

25k claimers went 21.37 in the first race that day and the horse that set the pace finished a clear second. You know how firm the turf was that weekend. His effort in the Troy was much more impressive.

I could agree with the argument that he was given a poor ride at Keeneland because his jockey decided to take away his most valuable weapon, which is speed.

I know it was said somewhere, but when are they releasing the Pre-Entries?

Gotta be in by the 25th. So prolly that night

He battled head-to-head with the Pletcher thing all the way around. Obviously the wise guy outlook would be to say that he was running on a crazy-fast speed-favoring course and therefore the performance wasn't as impressive. I'm not buying that - all you have to do is watch the race to realize it was a very big run with things against him.

Everybody knows that "World Championships" is a lie. It's just a label that some publicity flak thought sounded good. Hey, if the US/Canada baseball championship is called the "World Series"...., The Dubai carnival is closer to a World Championship than anything, because it brings together horses from the Far East, Aus/NZ, South Africa, South America, Europe, and North America at a venue that is home to none of them. The BC is lucky if they get a few decent Euros and the odd Japanese horse now and again.

Oh, I thought I read where Catalano pre-entered his fillies, but he must just be doing it early.

If they gotta be in by the 25th, then they won't release them till later in the week after they go through a bunch of paperwork and finalize everything.

Thank you for the info.

Here's my early take for the Turf Sprint...

* Five furlongs is a lot different than 6.5 furlongs like the first two editions. Spell binding take right there, I know.

* Eliminate all the horses who simply aren't very good in relation to the field

* Eliminate all the horses who's best races have come beyond 6fs on turf or on another surface

* Throwout the two or three horses that bettors will inevitably gravitate to.

* That should whittle you down to about four or so horses for multi-wins.

I generally love to single in turf races (unless I happen to hate all the short priced horses) because the tendency of the crowd seems to be to spread in these races. Especially on BC day, where you have a regional mix of locals and multiple foreign shippers.

It's a lot simpler when the edition of the Turf Sprint is at 6.5 furlongs ... my strategy last year was to simply take just two horses .. the horse I deemed the best early speed horse .. and the horse who I deemed the best closer .. and basically hope the race would be run to an extreme .. and it was .. and Cal Flag wired them. That would be a stupid strategy at 5fs though.

I think you're seriously overrating it but we can agree to disagree. The Troy was a better effort and made him a very good play in the closing day race.

Turf sprint at SA was incredibly unfair to shippers from other tracks. The hillside course is so different from anything they had ever seen, as well as having to cross the main track, another strange, new thing. Horses and riders with hill experience had such a big advantage that all you had to do was handicap among them to find the winner.

I read that they will likely enter. Getting in is another story, but in a division where the winners of the stakes races have not been particularly impressive, I agree that he could be very dangerous.

I love this approach too Doug..

Additionally on the same theme, have utilized singles in the sprints in general with good results, especally recently (i.e. Midnight Lute, Ventura, Maryfield).

Hold Me Back wasn't nominated for the Gr 2 Fayette at KEE later this month.

Are they intending to run him in the dirt marathon - or is he being freshened for another spell binding campaign next year?

He's now officially my least favorite horse.

THURSDAY WORKOUTS

Court Vision *Mile Aqueduct Six Furlongs 1.20:66
Cozy Kitten Juvenile Turf Keeneland Five Furlongs 1.04:20
Girolamo Sprint Belmont Park Four Furlongs 48:85
Here Comes Ben Dirt Mile Keeneland Six Furlongs 1.12:00
Jaycito *Juvenile Hollywood Park Six Furlongs 1.12:80
Major Gain Juvenile Keeneland Five Furlongs 1.03:60
Smiling Tiger *Sprint Hollywood Park Four Furlongs 46:40
Unzip Me Turf Sprint Hollywood Park Five Furlongs 1.05:80
Willcox Inn Juvenile/Juvenile Turf Keeneland Five Furlongs 1.03:60

On the Breeders' Cup worktab

Multiple Grade 1 hero SMILING TIGER (Hold That Tiger), winner of the Ancient Title S. (G1) last out, drilled a bullet four furlongs in :46 2/5 over Hollywood Park's Cushion Track on Thursday. The Jeff Bonde trainee is readying for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

DANCING IN SILKS (Black Minnaloushe), who will go for a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Sprint off a sixth in the Ancient Title, logged three-quarters in 1:13 1/5.

Norfolk S. (G1) winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) contender JAYCITO (Victory Gallop) covered six furlongs in 1:12 4/5.

Dual Grade 1-placed RIVETING REASON (Fusaichi Pegasus), who could try the Juvenile without a win to his name, worked five-eighths in 1:00 2/5.

Multiple Grade 3 vixen UNZIP ME (City Zip), recent winner of the Senator Ken Maddy H. (G3), strolled through five furlongs in 1:05 4/5 in advance of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G2).

Multiple Grade 1 veteran COURT VISION (Gulch), winner of the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) most recently, clocked three-quarters in 1:20 3/5 on the firm turf at Aqueduct. The dark bay five-year-old is gearing up for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on November 6.

ARCH SUPPORT (Arch), second in the Miss Grillo S. (G3), readied for the November 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) with a seven-furlong grass move in 1:35 3/5.

Vosburgh S. (G1) victor GIROLAMO (A.P. Indy), fifth in the Forego S. (G1) while making his seasonal bow two back, traveled four furlongs on Belmont Park's fast dirt training track in :48 4/5 for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

On the fast main dirt at Belmont, Grade 2 runner-up and Greenwood Cup S. fourth GABRIEL'S HILL (A.P. Indy) logged five-eighths in 1:02 in advance of the Breeders' Cup Marathon (G3) on November 5.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) hopeful TIZWAY (Tiznow), a five-length victor of the Kelso H. (G2) and third in the Metropolitan H. (G1) in his last two, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 on Saratoga's fast Oklahoma dirt training track.

Grade 3 queen FIRST PASSAGE (Giant's Causeway), fifth in the Ballerina S. (G1) when last seen in August, covered a half-mile in :50 on Calder's fast dirt. Trainer Marty Wolfson is preparing the four-year-old lass for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Kentucky Oaks (G1) third TIDAL POOL (Yankee Gentleman), hoping for a berth in the Filly & Mare Sprint, worked a half-mile in :48 4/5 on a fast track at Churchill Downs. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee took to the track after the renovation break and posted fractions of :12 4/5 and :24 3/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03 2/5. Tidal Pool has been unplaced in her past three, most recently finishing eighth in the first division of the grassy Riskaverse S. at Saratoga.

Probably have to take Where's The Remote out of any BC consideration after his dismal performance.

BRISNET HANDICAPPER'S EDGE: O'Brien also revealed that last year's Dewhurst S. (Eng-G1) hero BEETHOVEN (Ire) (Oratorio [Ire]) will run in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on November 6. The bay sophomore is exiting a sixth behind Gitano Hernando (GB) (Hernando [Fr]) in the October 1 Diamond S. (Ire-G3).

Royal Lodge S. (Eng-G2) third TREASURE BEACH (Galileo [Ire]) is being aimed at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2), while BRIGHT HORIZON (Galileo [Ire]) will go for the Breeders' Cup Marathon (G3).

Silver Flash S. (Ire-G3) and Fillies Mile S. (Eng-G1) runner-up TOGETHER (Galileo [Ire]) is "under serious consideration" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2), according to O'Brien.

Come on Steve-this is OLD News. Check Post #87:D:p