UPI horse racing weekend preview

Breeders' Cup pre-entries, the Cox Plate in Australia, 2-year-olds in England and the Japanese St Leger -- all on this week's Thoroughbred racing menu.

Meanwhile, a diverse clutch of stakes races around North America keep the meter ticking while the Breeders' Cup draws ever nearer.

Draw near unto this account:

Breeders' Cup

A record 201 horses, including 38 from overseas, are pre-entered for the Breeders' Cup World Championships Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

The 13 Grade I races offer purses totaling $26 million. Four of the races will run on Friday and nine on Saturday, all televised by NBCSN and/or NBC.

Among the 201 are the winners of all three of this year's U.S. Triple Crown races as well as the winners of the Pacific Classic, Awesome Again Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby. The European contingent is led by defending Breeders' Cup winners Magician and Dank and also includes a first-ever entry from Hong Kong, Rich Tapestry.

The climactic $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic looks like a showdown for the 3-year-olds with many older horses retired during the course of the season. Both 3-year-old and possibly Horse of the Year honors could be on the line as Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome squares off against the expected favorite, the undefeated Shared Belief. Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby winner Bayern also is in this, trying to extend his speed to 1 1/4 miles. Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Tonalist, UAE Derby winner Toast of New York, Travers winner V.E. Day, and Candy Boy also represent the 3-year-old set. Among the elders, there are Zivo, who has jumped up from the ranks of New York-bred optional claimers, Whitney winner Moreno and the consistent Prayer for Relief.

Disappointing absences are two-time and reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who will miss the Mile with an injury, and Beholder, winner of the 2012 Juvenile Fillies and 2013 Distaff, out after spiking a fever.

Nonetheless, the lineup is solid, deep and interesting.

Australia

Fawkner is a general favorite for Saturday's Group 1 Cox Plate at Mooney Valley after drawing barrier No. 4 in a full field of 14. The top European hope, Adelaide, was stuck out in No. 13 -- not a kiss of death but a potential disadvantage. Side Glance drew gate 7 and Sacred Falls is in No. 9 for the 2,040-meters, weight-for-age event. Adelaide, following the retirement of dual-derby winner Australia, is the key player for the Coolmore combine in Ireland. "It's a tough ask," said Coolmore's Tom Magnier. "But if you are not in it, you can't win it." Fawkner comes off a victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes, preceded by a narrow runner-up showing in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

Friday night's Group 1 Manikato Stakes drew internationally top-rated sprinter Lankan Rupee, who has something to prove after recent setbacks, defending champion Buffering and Terravista, among others. Craig Newitt, who will ride Lankan Rupee, said barrier No. 9 isn't the best, "especially when you have the top chances drawn favorably." Buffering is No. 4; Terravista, No. 7. But Newitt said Lankan Rupee has shown no signs of sorness in his recent works and appears "right back to his best."

England

Doncaster on Saturday hosts the final English Group 1 of the year, the Racing Post Trophy for 2-year-old entire colts and fillies. Among those to watch -- but at this point, aren't they all? -- are Elm Park and Celestial Path. The former, trained by Andrew Balding, is a Phoenix Reach colt who has won three straight races, including the Group 2 Royal Lodge in his last outing. Celestial Path, a Footstepsinthesand colt, has won both his starts for conditioner Sir Mark Prescott. We'll add Coolmore's Royal Navy Ship, an American-bred colt by War Front who won his only previous start with some authority. His stablemate, Jacobean, finished second behind Royal Navy Ship after hesitating at the break and the High Chaparral colt deserves another look.

The second All-Weather Championships season kicks off Oct. 30 at Lingfield Park. The series has added a 3-year-old Sprint division to the six run last season. The program involves all five of England's all-weather courses - Lingfield Park, Southwell and Wolverhampton, which are owned by ARC, plus Chelmsford City and Kempton Park. Tony Kelly, ARC Managing Director Tony Kelly said, "We are out to prove that all-weather racing can be as competitive, compelling and attractive as racing on turf in the UK. Last season proved that quality horses will run if the race program is sufficiently attractive and we fully expect to see that trend continue this year. Over time, we hope to raise the profile of this part of our sport for all its participants." As with last year, the final events will run on Good Friday, which this year falls on April 3, at Lingfield Park in Surrey.

Japan

Sunday's 75th running of the Group 1 Kikuka Sho, or Japanese St Leger, at Kyoto is the final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown. But the crown is not to be worn this year as the first two legs were split between Isla Bonita and One and Only. One and Only returns for Sunday's race but Isla Bonita is being pointed instead to the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) on Nov. 2. To the World looks to improve on second- and fifth-place finishes in the first two Triple Crown races. There are a couple more up-and-coming types to watch here.

Up With the Birds, the Woodbine-based runner-up in the Oct. 11 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park, has accepted an invitation to contest the Group 1 Japan Cup in Tokyo on Nov. 30. Trainer Malcolm Pierce said the 4-year-old Stormy Atlantic colt will train up to the race and likely will fly to Tokyo about two weeks ahead. Up With the Birds finished second in last year's Queen's Plate, won the Breeders' Stakes and also accounted for the Group 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park. He finished fourth in the Grade I Arlington Million this summer.

Belmont Park

Saturday's $200,000, Grade III Bold Ruler, at 7 furlongs on the main track, got seven prospects including River Rocks, who finished second to Vyjack in the Grade II Kelso last time out. Also here are Cease, Romansh, Salutos Amigos and Confrontation. Cease, a 7-year-old War Chant gelding, was claimed for $25,000 in his last start by trainer Jason Service and gets in at 112 pounds.

There likely is money to be made in Saturday's $100,000 Chelsey Flower Stakes for 2-year-old fillies going 1 mile on the grass. There's a field of 11 with three more main-track-only prospects.

Sunday's $200,000, Grade III Turnback the Alarm Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles is a week ahead of the actual time change so don't get confused and miss it!

Keeneland

It's time, already, to say goodbye to Keeneland's fall meeting, which next year will be extended to include the Breeders' Cup World Championship races. Meanwhile, Saturday's $200,000, Grade II Hagyard Fayette Stakes at 9 furlongs attracted a field of eight, among them last year's Illinois Derby winner Departing and the Chicago-based Mister Marti Gras. Long River finished third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup in his last start at long odds and Stephanoatsee was fourth in that heat. Both are by A.P. Indy. Coltimus Prime won the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie two starts back. Code West comes off a second-place finish in the Downs at Albuquerque Handicap in New Mexico.

Santa Anita

Saturday's $100,000, Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 mile on the turf drew a full field, including Queen's Plate winner Lexie Lou. She, however, comes off a last-place finish in the Grade II Canadian Stakes on the Woodbine Turf and faces some tough rivals here.

Delta Downs

While some top European 2-year-olds are heating up at Doncaster on Saturday, some American juveniles eyeing next year's U.S. Triple Crown are getting going down in Louisiana. Saturday's $200,000 Jean Lafitte for 2-year-olds going 1 mile is the local prep for the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Nov. 22. While the Churchill Downs points system stripped this race of its de facto "win and you're in" status for the Kentucky Derby, the Jackpot still is an important precursor to the 2015 classics. The Jean Lafitte drew a field of eight, including one each from trainers Steve Asmussen, Al Stall Jr. and Tom Amoss.

Friday's $100,000 My Trusty Cat Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs got nine, including Sandy's Song, who ships in from California after breaking her maiden on the third try at Los Alamitos. She's by First Samurai out of an Unbridled's Song mare.