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Originally Posted by Hwjb
I can't profess to know a great deal about the European horses that ran in the Breeders' Cup, let alone the Americans but, having watched the races, some things stand out:
Breeders' Cup Marathon...aside from the fact that this is arguably the most preposterously named race ever conceived (BC 2m4f race, anyone?), the Europeans were always likely to have the better horses, the fact that a horse who essentially is a handicapper wound up winning it devalues the race and the Breeders' Cup as a whole. A poor recruit to the Breeders' Cup franchise.
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint...again a nothing of a race. Relatively speaking these were poor horses, the best of them, Fleeting Spirit, doesn't stay what is laughingly called a Sprint (6.5f???...at least she wasn't asked to see out the 7f that is the fillies and mares version...begs the question of whether the only way they can justify having three sprint races over the two days is by having them over distances which aren't sprints). Diabolical, a horse who this season has been shown up in Group 2 company, and arsed in Group 1 company, shaped like the best horse on the day, racing a bit too close to a ludicrous gallop. The winner, whose name I can't remember, was flattered.
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile....another race which detracts from the event as a whole, providing horses with easier options. The horse with the stand0out form, Well Armed, shaped as if amiss, his run too bad to be true. The winner, Albertus Maximus, probably hasn't needed to run above 123 or so to beat an ordinary field (given the Group 1 status).
Breeders' Cup Mile...a better race than the preceding event, and the winner was better than the winning margin, too, absolutely tanking over the rest of the field turning in, when not getting a run, sprinting clear when the gap arrived; the runner-up sets a solid standard and the French filly rates an above-average winner of the race, at the same time highlighting the fact that Zarkava, who essentially wanked over her in the French Guineas, is (or was) and exceptional filly. US Ranger is a dog of the highest order.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile...Midshipman is a horse I associate with low-grade races at Wolverhampton, but the American version is clearly a good deal more classy. That said, the fact that he's beaten Sirenia runner-up Square Eddie doesn't fill me with confidence that this was a stellar renewal, in fact it almost certainly wasn't, the horse with the best form, Bushranger, never likely to be suited by this sort of trip (connections, with a view to breeding, evidently running him more in hope than expectation), and not running his race.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf...Donativum had his claims well advertised by Crowded House earlier in the day and, whilst not one of the best, anyone who didn't back him needs shooting! Haha! Westphalia didn't do anything wrong yet still looked like an absolute hound whilst doing it.
Breeders' Cup Sprint...A fine training performance to get Midnight Lute, who has evidently had problems, back to win the race again. He looked a cut above last year and showed here that he's the best sprinter in the world (allowing for the fact that the Aussies will probably come up with something to show me wrong), beating the gallant Fatal Bullet with a bit to spare. The "pro-ride" surface did seem well suited to closers, but I don't think that any of those that raced close up had any excuse other than going a mite too fast.
Breeders' Cup Turf...Conduit always looked to have more pace than your average St Leger winner and he proved as much under the best jockey in the world, Ryan Moore giving him a faultless ride. At the same time the jockeys on Better Talk Now and Grand Couturier deserve banning for a length of time, their efforts verging on non-trying, giving the respective horses no chance (I appreciate the fact that the latter may have been unsuited by the ground, but that doesn't excuse a shockingly misjugded ride). Query re Red Rock Canyon: surely you shouln't be allowed to run a pacemaker in a supposed World Chamionship race?
Breeders' Cup Classic...if the synthetic surface is a true leveller then they shouldn't have races on the turf, and I only say that having backed Raven's Pass to win the Mile several months ago! This is the horse who looked a superstar at the back-end of last season and has belatedly proved as much, first when beating Henrythenavigator at Ascot and, more so, here, showing himself to be the best Flat horse in the world. Henrythenavigator ran well but the second half of 2008 has emphasised the fact that he's simply not as good as the winner for all early-season impressions, whilst Curlin had every chance, ran his race, simply not as good as at this time last year/in Dubai in March, the different surface certainly no excuse, beaten by better horses. Understandable that connections of Casino Drive would want to make it a test, but he's clearly no front runner.
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