Bland previous race records for Breeders’ Cup Turf contestants makes it an exciting engagement
Nobody in the Grade 1, $3,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Turf is coming off a win and among the 9 contestants only the son of Dynaformer, Brilliant Speed is coming off a second place finish in the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap.
The 2009 winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, 5-year-old mare Midday has switched from Filly and Mare Turf after running in the race for 2 consecutive years to Breeders’ Cup Turf. She finished second behind Shared Account in the 2010 edition
of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
The Breeders’ Cup Turf is crowded with European invaders, and one of them is the 5 to 2 favourite Sarafina and the French bred 4-year-old filly is coming off a distant seventh place finish in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc deTriomphe at Longchamp France.
Another overseas contender is the son of Montjeu St Nicholas Abbey who was also contesting in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc deTriomphe at Longchamp France as he finished 5th in the race.
The European invaders have made 37 % of the field, but these turf runners have gone on to win the race 10 times out of the past 14 races. So, their presence in the race is a threat to the American runners, and the US entrants are Dean’s Kitten, Teaks North,
Stately Victor and Brilliant Speed.
Two other overseas contestants are Await the Dawn and Sea the Moon. Await the Dawn was initially a Breeders’ Cup Classic contender, but after everything was said and done, the son of Giant’s Causeway wounded up here.
The 4-year-old Aidan O’Brien trained colt is a multiple group stakes winner, but he is coming off a 3rd place finish in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York. He finished behind Twice Over and the Breeders’ Cup Turf rival Midday in
the 1 5/16 mile race.
The lightly raced Sir Michael Stoute trained 3-year-old colt, Sea the Moon, has won over at 1 ½ miles in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur at York, and seems to handle any type of turf footing but the son of Beat Hollow is coming off a 3rd place finish
in the Group 1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster.
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