Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide is far from a clear-cut favorite for America's richest race.
The same could be said of defending Breeders' Cup Classic champion Volponi or Travers Stakes winner Ten Most Wanted.
And Mineshaft, the leading Horse of the Year contender, isn't even running.
The favorite's role for Saturday's $4 million Classic at Santa Anita will probably fall to Medaglia d'Oro, a 4-year-old colt who couldn't win last year's race after a long layoff and comes into this one off the same eight-week break.
"He runs good when he's fresh, and I didn't want to waste a race on him before the big race," said Medaglia d'Oro's trainer, Bobby Frankel. "I think he'll run well."
Welcome to the wide open Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
The centerpiece of the eight-race, $14 million extravaganza, the Classic features a star-studded field of 10.
"That's why this day is so unique: It brings the best horses together from all over," said Julie Krone, who will ride Funny Cide for the first time. "If we win, absolutely Funny Cide will have a chance at Horse of the Year."
Funny Cide isn't alone. Mineshaft is the clear leader for racing's top award with seven wins in nine starts this year, but several Classic scenarios could sway the voters.
Among them are wins by:
* Funny Cide, who finished second in the Wood Memorial and third in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational in addition to his Triple Crown victories.
* Medaglia d'Oro, who has done little wrong in taking three of four starts, with a runner-up finish to Candy Ride in the Pacific Classic.
* Perfect Drift, who beat Mineshaft in the Stephen Foster Handicap and has five victories in seven starts in 2003.
Congaree is another horse to watch. Trained by Bob Baffert, the 5-year-old son of Arazi won the Hollywood Gold Cup and was second to Perfect Drift in the Kentucky Cup Handicap at Turfway Park.
While a speed-favoring track, hot weather and possible heavy smoke hovering overhead from nearby wildfires might affect racing conditions, Baffert said the key to victory is simple: "Who has the heart and the ability. To win it, you have to throw in a huge performance."
Divisional titles are also on the line, starting with trainer Barclay Tagg's quest to snare the 3-year-old male championship for Funny Cide, the popular New York-bred gelding who hasn't run in nearly three months.
Funny Cide was a surprise entry last week. Tagg thought about running Funny Cide in two other New York races, but several strong workouts -- and lobbying from his owners -- convinced him the Classic made the most sense.
"The horse was progressing very well, to the point where Barclay came to realize, 'I might as well take a shot,"' said Jack Knowlton, managing partner for Sackatoga Stable, a group of 10 upstate New Yorkers who own Funny Cide.
A win by Ten Most Wanted could make the colt trained by Wally Dollase the 3-year-old champion.
Seven other Breeders' Cup races will go a long way in deciding champions, and Frankel is in the mix in several divisions. The Hall of Famer leads all trainers with eight entries. Three of them -- Medaglia d'Oro, Sightseek and Aldebaran -- were morning-line favorites.
Frankel's Sightseek is the solid 6-5 choice for the $2 million Distaff, with Got Koko at 2-1 and Elloluv at 9-2. A winner of four straight Grade 1 races, Sightseek has all but wrapped up the older female title.
The Distaff is missing reigning Horse of the Year Azeri, who was pulled out of the race with an injury and may be retired.
The 2-year-old races feature 8-5 favorite Cuvee in the $1.5 million Juvenile, and unbeaten Halfbridled, at 7-5, in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies.
Cuvee, with four wins in five starts, is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Jerry Bailey. Krone is aboard Halfbridled.
In the $1 million Sprint, Aldebaran is the 3-1 favorite with Bailey aboard. Shake You Down, with Mike Luzzi riding in his first Breeders' Cup, is 4-1.
In the three turf races:
* The $2 million Turf brings Sulamani and Storming Home together for the first time since their clash in the Arlington Million. Storming Home finished first, but was disqualified for interference at the wire, and Sulamani was declared the winner. The 3-1 favorite, though, is Falbrav.
* Special Ring tops the 13-horse field in the $1.5 million Mile at 4-1. Frankel's Peace Rules, moving off the dirt for the first time this year, is 6-1. Sarafan was scratched Friday.
* The $1 million Filly & Mare Turf features three Frankel horses -- Tates Creek, Heat Haze and Megahertz -- but Ireland-bred Islington is the 3-1 favorite.
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The same could be said of defending Breeders' Cup Classic champion Volponi or Travers Stakes winner Ten Most Wanted.
And Mineshaft, the leading Horse of the Year contender, isn't even running.
The favorite's role for Saturday's $4 million Classic at Santa Anita will probably fall to Medaglia d'Oro, a 4-year-old colt who couldn't win last year's race after a long layoff and comes into this one off the same eight-week break.
"He runs good when he's fresh, and I didn't want to waste a race on him before the big race," said Medaglia d'Oro's trainer, Bobby Frankel. "I think he'll run well."
Welcome to the wide open Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
The centerpiece of the eight-race, $14 million extravaganza, the Classic features a star-studded field of 10.
"That's why this day is so unique: It brings the best horses together from all over," said Julie Krone, who will ride Funny Cide for the first time. "If we win, absolutely Funny Cide will have a chance at Horse of the Year."
Funny Cide isn't alone. Mineshaft is the clear leader for racing's top award with seven wins in nine starts this year, but several Classic scenarios could sway the voters.
Among them are wins by:
* Funny Cide, who finished second in the Wood Memorial and third in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational in addition to his Triple Crown victories.
* Medaglia d'Oro, who has done little wrong in taking three of four starts, with a runner-up finish to Candy Ride in the Pacific Classic.
* Perfect Drift, who beat Mineshaft in the Stephen Foster Handicap and has five victories in seven starts in 2003.
Congaree is another horse to watch. Trained by Bob Baffert, the 5-year-old son of Arazi won the Hollywood Gold Cup and was second to Perfect Drift in the Kentucky Cup Handicap at Turfway Park.
While a speed-favoring track, hot weather and possible heavy smoke hovering overhead from nearby wildfires might affect racing conditions, Baffert said the key to victory is simple: "Who has the heart and the ability. To win it, you have to throw in a huge performance."
Divisional titles are also on the line, starting with trainer Barclay Tagg's quest to snare the 3-year-old male championship for Funny Cide, the popular New York-bred gelding who hasn't run in nearly three months.
Funny Cide was a surprise entry last week. Tagg thought about running Funny Cide in two other New York races, but several strong workouts -- and lobbying from his owners -- convinced him the Classic made the most sense.
"The horse was progressing very well, to the point where Barclay came to realize, 'I might as well take a shot,"' said Jack Knowlton, managing partner for Sackatoga Stable, a group of 10 upstate New Yorkers who own Funny Cide.
A win by Ten Most Wanted could make the colt trained by Wally Dollase the 3-year-old champion.
Seven other Breeders' Cup races will go a long way in deciding champions, and Frankel is in the mix in several divisions. The Hall of Famer leads all trainers with eight entries. Three of them -- Medaglia d'Oro, Sightseek and Aldebaran -- were morning-line favorites.
Frankel's Sightseek is the solid 6-5 choice for the $2 million Distaff, with Got Koko at 2-1 and Elloluv at 9-2. A winner of four straight Grade 1 races, Sightseek has all but wrapped up the older female title.
The Distaff is missing reigning Horse of the Year Azeri, who was pulled out of the race with an injury and may be retired.
The 2-year-old races feature 8-5 favorite Cuvee in the $1.5 million Juvenile, and unbeaten Halfbridled, at 7-5, in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies.
Cuvee, with four wins in five starts, is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Jerry Bailey. Krone is aboard Halfbridled.
In the $1 million Sprint, Aldebaran is the 3-1 favorite with Bailey aboard. Shake You Down, with Mike Luzzi riding in his first Breeders' Cup, is 4-1.
In the three turf races:
* The $2 million Turf brings Sulamani and Storming Home together for the first time since their clash in the Arlington Million. Storming Home finished first, but was disqualified for interference at the wire, and Sulamani was declared the winner. The 3-1 favorite, though, is Falbrav.
* Special Ring tops the 13-horse field in the $1.5 million Mile at 4-1. Frankel's Peace Rules, moving off the dirt for the first time this year, is 6-1. Sarafan was scratched Friday.
* The $1 million Filly & Mare Turf features three Frankel horses -- Tates Creek, Heat Haze and Megahertz -- but Ireland-bred Islington is the 3-1 favorite.
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