Questions remain for Breeders' Cup Classic

ARCADIA, Calif., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The first day of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita didn't provide much by way of clues for Saturday's big races.

A key question is whether the European horses, more accustomed to running on grass, will perform as well in this year's $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic as they did last year, finishing first and second over the Santa Anita "Pro-Ride" all-weather track.

A pair of top Euros – Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over – will challenge the local team, headlined by undefeated Zenyatta, who will try to wrap up her career undefeated in 14 starts. Twelve of her 13 victories have come on California's artificial surfaces.

The only race on Friday's card that might provide a clue was the $500,000 Marathon, won by Euro invader Man of Iron. And, while he was making his first U.S. start, Man of Iron ran his last three races on artificial tracks in Ireland.

The battle of Europeans vs. Americans also will play out in some of the supporting events on the second day of the Championship card.

The primary supporting feature for the Classic is the $3 million Emirates Airlines Turf, with Europeans representing half the eight-horse field and all of the favorites. Defending champion Conduit returns, fresh from a good fourth-place finish in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last month and is the morning-line choice here. His stablemate, Spanish Moon, won both his starts in France this year for trainer Sir Michael Stoute and is second pick, followed by the 4-year-old filly, Dar Re Mi. Top pick among the Americans is expected pace-setter Presious Passion. Presious Passion won the Clement L. Hirsch over the same course three weeks ago.

The $2 million TVG Turf Mile also is headlined by a European defending champion, Goldikova. The 3-year-old, Irish-bred filly, trained by Freddie Head, won three of her five starts in Europe this summer but got home third in her last outing at Longchamp. Delegator, representing the Godolphin Stable, and Stoute-trained Zacinto also are highly regarded among the Euros while Cowboy Cal, winner of the Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita in his last outing, is among the best of the U.S. contingent.

The only turf race likely to be dominated by American horses is the $1 million Turf Sprint, which will be contested down the unique Santa Anita hillside grass course. The race drew a full and competitive field with no real standouts.

The $1 million Dirt Mile, typically the preserve of the American-trained horses, this year attracted one of the stars from Europe, Mastercraftsman. The Danehill Dancer colt, from the powerful barn of Aidan O'Brien, has won three of six starts this year against top competition. His last win was on an artificial surface at Dundalk in Ireland, clearly a prep for Santa Anita's Pro-Ride track. Bullsbay, winner of the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga, leads the local contingent. An interesting possibility is Godolphin's 3-year-old, Midshipman, who won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, then did not race again until six weeks ago, when he returned to win an allowance race at Belmont Park.

The $1 million Sentient Jet Sprint looks to be just that -- a blazing-fast 6 furlongs. The favorite, Zensational, is riding a six-race winning streak, loves to race on the lead and drew the inside post position, ensuring he will be gunned out of the gate. Canadian-based speedball Fatal Bullet promises to be right with him and the question will be whether those two can avoid running each other into the ground, opening the door for a raft of closers, including Gayego, Capt. Candyman Can and the only foreign entry, British-based Fleeting Spirit, who finished fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

As usual, the $2 million Grey Goose Juvenile and the $1 million Juvenile Turf are wide-open, with big fields of still-developing youngsters.