A TOTAL OF 101 HORSES -- the fewest in five years -- was pre-entered for Breeders' Cup XX on Thursday. The eight-race, $14 million thoroughbred annual will take place on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.
The $4 million BC Classic drew a full field of 14 headed by the returning exacta of champion Volponi and Medaglia d'Oro. Cross-entered into the race was Azeri, who is expected to defend her crown in the $2 million Distaff. Also in are Illinois Derby champ Ten Most Wanted and recent Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Perfect Drift.
ONLY THREE OF THE RACES were subscribed beyond the 14-entrant limit: the Mile (17), the Sprint (15) and the Juvenile (15). Other fields were the Distaff (8), the Juvenile Fillies (14), the Filly & Mare Turf (14) and the Turf (12).
One name familiar to Chicago racegoers set for the $2 million Turf is Storming Home. He's the Neil Drysdale trainee who almost killed Gary Stevens at the spooky end of the Arlington Million last August. Also listed for the Turf is Sulamani, the Irish-bred who was eventually declared the champ of the 2003 Million.
EVERYTHING CAME UP dandy for Todd Pletcher in Stickney when his Lismore Knight drew the rail for the $250,000 Hawthorne Derby (Grade III). Norberto Arroyo Jr. will ship to ride the Woodman 3-year-old in the nine-furlong turf classic on Saturday. Linemaker Jim Miller installed Lismore Knight as the 7-2 morning-line favorite atop the field of 11.
The full Derby field, from rail out (with trainer and odds), includes Lismore Knight (Pletcher), 7-2; False Promises (Tony Granitz), 8-1; Beau Classic (Bob Miller), 20-1; Gentlemen J J (Andrew Leggio Jr.), 4-1; Blue Blood Boot (Terry Knight), 6-1; Buzzle Ways (Jim McCoy), 30-1; Scottago (Hugh Robertson), 12-1; Akatsakat (Bob Gorham), 15-1; Megoman (Charlie Bettis), 10-1; Sir Walter Rahy (Jim Toner), 10-1; and Foufa's Warrior (Lawrence Murray), 9-2.
TRACKING: It was tails in two cities for Larry Rivelli on Thursday. The fast-strike trainer began by remote-controlling the opening double at Hawthorne, worth $32.20. But then Rivelli and the Faber brothers of Dare To Dream Stable watched their Nicole's Dream run out of burgoo as the 5-2 favorite in the $75,000 Clark County at Keeneland.
Under Eddie Baird, Nicole's Dream was cooked three-wide in opening splits of:21.14 and:44.59 in the 51/2-furlong Clark. Jim Baker's On The Fritz ($13.80) won with Arlington survivor Paige's Boo running third at 51-1. Nicole's Dream will likely try to squeeze in one more sprint at Hawthorne before racing secretary Gary Duch rolls up the turf for the winter.
GENE CILIO WAS a morning visitor to the Stickney spa. He later sent out his first winner of the meet in the eighth with No Numbers ($9.60). Eddie Razo --who later looked foolish on Too Clever (5-1) in the ninth -- piloted. ... The riding slump of Chris Emigh continued. Once reliably competitive, Emigh broke Chrome Soldier (3-1) like a dead soldier in the second and ran out aboard Mickey Goldfine's previously unbeaten Dixieland Gulch (3-5) in the eighth.
LARRY STERLING WILL complete a three-day suspension at Hawthorne today. The veteran jockey received the penalty for a DQ on opening weekend but was granted a temporary restraining order in Cook County Circuit Court to stall the sanction. He and attorney Art Engelland then voluntarily dissolved the TRO earlier this week.
FRIDAY DOPPLER: Hawthorne runbacks are making their presence felt in the winner's circle as the fall meet approaches the quarter pole this afternoon. Seven of the 18 winners this week were making their second trip of the session over the local oval. ... Moises Yanez (in races 2, 5, 7 and 10) digs deep today as do Frank Kirby (2, 3, 4, 5 and 8) and Tom Dorris (2, 3, 4 and 6). ... Hugh Robertson drew tough with seventh-race sleeper Rosie's Ransom (12-1).
CACTUS RIDGE -- Bret Calhoun's BC Juvenile hopeful -- will be on display for his final pre-Santa Anita work before Saturday's first race at Hawthorne. ... Agent Oscar Sanchez is shopping new arrival Carlos Deyan. The East Coast import joins Liz Morris and Iram Diego as the apprentices at Hawthorne. Cruz Contreras may be back soon.
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The $4 million BC Classic drew a full field of 14 headed by the returning exacta of champion Volponi and Medaglia d'Oro. Cross-entered into the race was Azeri, who is expected to defend her crown in the $2 million Distaff. Also in are Illinois Derby champ Ten Most Wanted and recent Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Perfect Drift.
ONLY THREE OF THE RACES were subscribed beyond the 14-entrant limit: the Mile (17), the Sprint (15) and the Juvenile (15). Other fields were the Distaff (8), the Juvenile Fillies (14), the Filly & Mare Turf (14) and the Turf (12).
One name familiar to Chicago racegoers set for the $2 million Turf is Storming Home. He's the Neil Drysdale trainee who almost killed Gary Stevens at the spooky end of the Arlington Million last August. Also listed for the Turf is Sulamani, the Irish-bred who was eventually declared the champ of the 2003 Million.
EVERYTHING CAME UP dandy for Todd Pletcher in Stickney when his Lismore Knight drew the rail for the $250,000 Hawthorne Derby (Grade III). Norberto Arroyo Jr. will ship to ride the Woodman 3-year-old in the nine-furlong turf classic on Saturday. Linemaker Jim Miller installed Lismore Knight as the 7-2 morning-line favorite atop the field of 11.
The full Derby field, from rail out (with trainer and odds), includes Lismore Knight (Pletcher), 7-2; False Promises (Tony Granitz), 8-1; Beau Classic (Bob Miller), 20-1; Gentlemen J J (Andrew Leggio Jr.), 4-1; Blue Blood Boot (Terry Knight), 6-1; Buzzle Ways (Jim McCoy), 30-1; Scottago (Hugh Robertson), 12-1; Akatsakat (Bob Gorham), 15-1; Megoman (Charlie Bettis), 10-1; Sir Walter Rahy (Jim Toner), 10-1; and Foufa's Warrior (Lawrence Murray), 9-2.
TRACKING: It was tails in two cities for Larry Rivelli on Thursday. The fast-strike trainer began by remote-controlling the opening double at Hawthorne, worth $32.20. But then Rivelli and the Faber brothers of Dare To Dream Stable watched their Nicole's Dream run out of burgoo as the 5-2 favorite in the $75,000 Clark County at Keeneland.
Under Eddie Baird, Nicole's Dream was cooked three-wide in opening splits of:21.14 and:44.59 in the 51/2-furlong Clark. Jim Baker's On The Fritz ($13.80) won with Arlington survivor Paige's Boo running third at 51-1. Nicole's Dream will likely try to squeeze in one more sprint at Hawthorne before racing secretary Gary Duch rolls up the turf for the winter.
GENE CILIO WAS a morning visitor to the Stickney spa. He later sent out his first winner of the meet in the eighth with No Numbers ($9.60). Eddie Razo --who later looked foolish on Too Clever (5-1) in the ninth -- piloted. ... The riding slump of Chris Emigh continued. Once reliably competitive, Emigh broke Chrome Soldier (3-1) like a dead soldier in the second and ran out aboard Mickey Goldfine's previously unbeaten Dixieland Gulch (3-5) in the eighth.
LARRY STERLING WILL complete a three-day suspension at Hawthorne today. The veteran jockey received the penalty for a DQ on opening weekend but was granted a temporary restraining order in Cook County Circuit Court to stall the sanction. He and attorney Art Engelland then voluntarily dissolved the TRO earlier this week.
FRIDAY DOPPLER: Hawthorne runbacks are making their presence felt in the winner's circle as the fall meet approaches the quarter pole this afternoon. Seven of the 18 winners this week were making their second trip of the session over the local oval. ... Moises Yanez (in races 2, 5, 7 and 10) digs deep today as do Frank Kirby (2, 3, 4, 5 and 8) and Tom Dorris (2, 3, 4 and 6). ... Hugh Robertson drew tough with seventh-race sleeper Rosie's Ransom (12-1).
CACTUS RIDGE -- Bret Calhoun's BC Juvenile hopeful -- will be on display for his final pre-Santa Anita work before Saturday's first race at Hawthorne. ... Agent Oscar Sanchez is shopping new arrival Carlos Deyan. The East Coast import joins Liz Morris and Iram Diego as the apprentices at Hawthorne. Cruz Contreras may be back soon.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/horse/cst-spt-odnt17.html
