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Breeders' Cup Preview: Current fields and what to expect from each race

185 horses are entered in the championship races, including Thoroughbred racing's biggest names, like California Chrome and Distaff.

By Robert Kieckhefer, UPI Racing Writer
American Pharoah storms to victory in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. Can California Chrome repeat that feat in next month's renewal at Santa Anita? (Breeders' Cup photo)
American Pharoah storms to victory in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. Can California Chrome repeat that feat in next month's renewal at Santa Anita? (Breeders' Cup photo)

Some of the best races in the history of the Breeders' Cup World Championships will be on the program Nov. 4 and 5 at Santa Anita, with chances for equine immortality on the line.

The $6 million Classic has California Chrome, who continues his quest to become the world's all-time leading money-earner. The $2 million Distaff features undefeated 3-year-old superstar Songbird against the likes of Beholder and Stellar Wind.

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The $2 million Mile on the grass might be the toughest race of the lot with superior performers from all over Europe and the United States.

In all, 185 horses were pre-entered for the Championship races, including 38 from outside the United States.

Here's a preliminary rundown, based on pre-entries announced Wednesday by Breeders' Cup. Some horses are cross-entered in two races and the final fields won't be drawn until next week. All races are Grade I.

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$6 million Classic

Wow.

California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Dubai World Cup winner, seeks his sixth straight win in this 1 1/4-miles capper to two days of world-class racing. He's the favorite, having defeated most of the others pre-entered here.

The major question mark is Arrogate, a late-bloomer trained by Bob Baffert for Juddmonte Farms who jumped up to win the Grade I Travers Stakes by 13 1/2 lengths in course-record time over a good field with a staggering speed figure. Was that a fluke or can he repeat the performance?

Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is back. He entered the Derby undefeated and hasn't come close to a victory in three starts since then.

There's plenty of other talent if California Chrome doesn't fire. Graded stakes winners all are Effinex, Frosted, Gun Runner, Hoppertunity, Keen Ice, Melatonin and Shaman Ghost. Win the Space has been a persistent pursuer of California Chrome in two of his last three starts and finished third in both of those.

Irish training guru Aidan O'Brien has entered Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winning filly Found, who won last year's Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, and Highland Reel, the 2015 winner of the Grade I Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park and Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase and the 2016 King George at Royal Ascot. Neither Found nor Highland Reel has ever raced on anything other than turf. Both, in fact, are cross-entered in the Turf, but O'Brien has listed Found as "first preference" for the Classic.

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$2 million Longines Distaff

This is a race two years in the making and among the most-anticipated of the two-day event -- at least for American fans.

Stellar Wind and Beholder, both Eclipse Award winners from past years, represent the older set in this year's Distaff with Beholder looking to turn the tables after two defeats at the hands of Stellar wind.

The undefeated and really never challenged 3-year-old Songbird out to prove she is among the best fillies of all time with a 12th straight win. She certainly is likely to face a sterner test than ever before.

The prospective field includes four other Grade I winners and a wild card in Corona Del Inca, a 5-year-old mare bred and raced in Argentina who qualified for her first North American start through the Breeders' Cup Challenge program.

$4 million Turf

This is another clash of titans.

Flintshire, a globetrotter who was moved to America for this season, has won three of his last four starts on the East Coast but couldn't catch front-running Ectot in the Grade I Turf Classic over yielding ground at Belmont Park last month, finishing second. Ectot is back for another try.

Assuming O'Brien sends Found and Highland Reel in this event, they will be among the favorites.

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Grade I Arlington Million victor Mondialiste is here. So is Grade I Canadian International winner Erupt. Da Big Hoss, winner of four straight, including the Kentucky Turf Cup, will try to improve on last year's sixth-place finish. Ashleyluvssugar will have the home-course advantage with a win in the Grade II John Henry Turf Classic at Santa Anita in her previous start.

$2 million Mile (turf)

Here's another great international field -- possibly one of the best ever assembled for any Breeders' Cup race Twenty-three are pre-entered with many cross-entered in other races.

The likely runners include Alice Springs, a three-time Group 1 winner for O'Brien this season; Tepin, whose long winning treak ended when she finished second to Photo Call at Keeneland early this month; Limato, a Group 1 winner this year in both France and England; Home Of The Brave, with two wins and two second-places from four starts for the Godolphin Racing team this year in England and Hit It A Bomb, who won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf but failed to fire in three starts in Ireland and England this season.

Look for Californians Midnight Storm, Obviously, Om, Vyjack and What a View plus raiders from the east, Miss Temple City, Ironicus, Tourist and Ring Weekend. All of them are proven top-level competitors.

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$2 million Filly & Mare Turf

The 1 1/4-miles run that starts on the hillside turf course features distaffers from as far afield as Japan and Peru among the pre-entries as well as some of the top European fillies and mares.

Alice Springs has won two straight Group 1 events for O'Brien in England and Ireland but is more likely to go in the Mile. Seventh Heaven and Queen's Trust were 1-2 in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks. Spectre comes from a Group 1 second-place finish in France. Kitcat comes from Chile but finished a good second in a local trial on Oct. 8. Nuovo Record comes from Japan with a string of sub-par recent efforts there and in Hong Kong.

None of that is to dismiss the U.S. brigade, including Grade I winners Al's Gal, Avenge, Catch a Glimpse, Lady Eli, Photo Call and Sea Calisi. Some very good horses will finish off the board in this race.

$2 million Turf Sprint

Twenty-eight were pre-entered here with several cross-entered.

Among the mob is last year's winner, Mongolian Saturday, who didn't fire at all in four overseas starts after the Keeneland triumph -- reportedly because of a serious ulcer that took a while to diagnose and longer to cure. Back in the pink and back in the Bluegrass earlier this month, he stormed to victory in the Grade III Woodford at Keeneland.

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The others need to be winnowed down for the final draw before a serious look is in order.

$1 million Las Vegas Dirt Mile

Dortmund, who was second to California Chrome in the Grade I Awesome Again in their last outing, looks to be favorite among 12 pre-entered here, some of whom probably will run elsewhere. The 4-year-old Big Brown colt has been chasing American Pharoah and California Chrome for two years and should have a chance to shine here. There's plenty of competition though with the likes of Gun Runner, turf specialist Midnight Storm, Texas Chrome, Tom's Ready and Vyjack.

$1.5 million TwinSpires Sprint

There are some impressive winning streaks on the line for this 6-furlongs dash. A.P. Indian has won five straight, most recently the Grade II Phoenix at Keeneland. Defront has taken four in a row, capped by the Grade I King's Bishop at Saratoga. Joking ran his streak to four with a win in the Grade I Vosburgh at Belmont Park. Lord Lelson has won four in a row including two Grade I events in California. Delta Bluesman has won five of six, the only loss to A.P. Indian at Saratoga. In all, nine are pre-entered in this scramble.

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$1 million Filly & Mare Sprint

A big field is on tap, with a couple cross-entered in the Distaff. The prospective starters are a well-matched bunch and, if there's a standout, it might by Haveyougoneaway. She has scored three straight wins including the Grade I Ballerina in her most recent outing. Tara's Tango and Enchanting Lady represent the California contingent and last year's winner of this event, Wavell Avenue, returns with only one intervening win.

$1 million Juvenile Turf

This normally is dominated by the Europeans. This year, there are only three Euros, but they include some talented runners. Aidan O'Brien brings Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst runner-up Lancaster Bomber and group stakes winner Intelligence Cross. Interestingly, both are by War Front, rather than O'Brien's front-line troops, most of whom are by Galileo. Rodaini comes from England where he won four straight before a mishap at the start of his latest. The North American contingent includes stakes winners from Chicago, New York, California, Kentucky and Ontario.

$1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf

A huge field here includes Aidan O'Brien's second-best 2-year-old filly, Hydrangea, who twice has finished second to stablemate Rhododendron. There are so many other promising fillies it's folly even to try to sort them out before the field is set.

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$2 million Sentient Jet Juvenile

Another puzzle here with four Grade I winners and several runners-up from those same races among the 12 pre-entries. Classic Empire might be among the ones as he's won all three races where the jockey stayed aboard (he lost Irad Ortiz Jr. at the start of the Grade I Hopeful). Gormley and Klimt have been battling it out in the California preps and local runners often have a leg up in these.

$1 million 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies

There are five Grade I winners among the 12 pre-entries for this event, indicating either a glut of top-level races in this division or a nice spread of the geographic talent. Either way, it's going to be a tough puzzle for the handicappers.

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