BC: Familiar Storylines Highlight, Mar Cup

[Kasept]

By Steve Byk
Derby Trail.com
At the Races and Beyond

Breeders' Cup, the day that racing likes to bill as its' greatest, once again offered the stories that regularly thrill, and all too frequently chill, those that are captivated by the intoxicating game. Saturday at Churchill Downs, stunning upsets, heroic efforts and a tragic breakdown demonstrated all the passions and pathos and range of emotions that keep horse lovers coming back whether hardened punters or starry-eyed admirers of the pageant.

With the day moving inexorably towards a showdown between Bernardini and a host of possible upsetters, the breakdown of the Phipps' Pine Island entering the backstretch in the Distaff, brought the joyful element of the preceedings to a grinding halt. And as the ambulance reached the stricken Alabama-Gazelle winner and shaken Javier Castellano, co-favorite Fleet Indian was being pulled up with an injury by Jose Santos. While Fleet Indian's mishap turned out only to be career-ending, Pine Island's quickly turned out to be life-ending.

Up to that point in the day, a typical parade of intriguing and stunning results had the crowd of 75,000 in a happy mood on a day that turned out be chilly, bright and pleasant. And while the public might not have known it, much of the events which were to unfold had been seriously influenced before the first horses entered the gate. Track management had earlier in the day scraped the track which resulted in a hard, dry surface that would heavily impact any of the day's main track results, and may have contributed to the day's most unhappy result.

DREAMS COME TRUE

To get things started, Frank Calabrese's Dreaming of Anna kicked off the festivities with a wire-to-wire Juvenile Fillies performance that quickly placed her alongside the long line of dominant winners in the event here like Flanders and Silverbulletday.

Word had clearly spread on the special qualities of the Rahy daughter who was bet down to 5-2 by post time and justified investors with aplomb. Under Rene Douglas, the Wayne Catalano-trained chestnut burst to the lead at the break and utilized a day long inside bias that propelled her the 8.5 furlongs. After shirking a dogged Appealing Zophie a half mile into the race, the winner then answered the Todd Pletcher-trained twin threat of Octave and Cotton Blossom down the stretch. She went on to win by a burgeoning 1.5 lengths as much the best; Octave and Cotton Blossom followed with Appealing Zophie staying on determinedly, while second choice Cash Included never threatened.

Out of a Broad Brush mare and still undefeated in 4 starts, Dreaming of Anna immediately gave her thrilled 78 year old owner dreams of Derby glory. But unlike many frequently-rumored filly rose blanket aspirants, this certain Juvenile Filly Eclipse Award winner already proved her mettle versus colts when she wired the Gr. III Summer on the Woodbine lawn. Her two grass victories further enhance her resume as an uniquely gifted baby girl. Her performance set a good tone for the day.

'SENSE' EARNS 'STREET' CREDIBILITY

When it was the boys' turn, the race style was completely different with pacesetters Principle Secret and Pegasus Wind setting quick fractions and relinquishing the lead after three quarters to another Pletcher pair, first and second choice Circular Quay and Scat Daddy. But unbeknownst to Team Todd house riders Garrett Gomez and John Velasquez, local character Calvin Borel was flying up the rail from the back of the pack on the Carl Nafzger-helmed Street Sense.

Off the turn, Borel and the son of Street Cry came screaming through a generous inside opening and stunningly distanced the field down the stretch to win by a widening dozen lengths in an effort startlingly similar to that of Arazi here in 1991. It would turn out to be the first of six straight open length heroics on the day before the Classic's thrilling hystrionics. The winner paid a handsome $32.40 which became a typical mutuel as the afternoon progressed.

Owned and bred by James Tafel, Street Sense is the kind of Juvenile winner one likes to see having run four times in top company and always acquitting himself well. For Nafzger, the win marked a return to Breeders' Cup glory last enjoyed with Unbridled in the Classic at Belmont in 1990. While Street Sense hadn't displayed the style and pizazz of this effort previously, he had been bested only by Unbridled Express, Officer Rockett, Got the Last Laugh, Great Hunter and Circular Quay while posting a 1-1-2 mark. The finish in fact was simply an inverted reshuffling of the trifecta in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland on October 7. Scat Daddy ran an even fourth behind the trio, while Norfolk winner Stormello held on gamely for a check.
,
OUIJA BOARD AN UTTER TREASURE

The Filly and Mare Turf was joyfully captured by Lord Derby's precious Ouija Board, a mare who in the twilight of her career can only be described as a treasure. Rarely in this sport are we treated to a performer who nearly never disappoints. Despite a career-threatening injury and non-stop globe-trotting, the Ed Dunlop-conditioned daughter of Cape Cross continues to bring an "A" game to every Grade or Group I gathering.

Her heroics marked her second BC title in three years, and only an endlessly wide trip chasing Intercontinental from post 13 at Belmont in '05 prevents her from being the first victor of three straight Cup trophies. Frankie Dettori, gaining the first of two grassy glommings on the day, utilized the same under cover, off the pace style that has seen him score three times as her pilot.

Trusty Film Maker, herself building a curious F&M Turf history (3/0-2-1), muscled through horses at the top of the stretch but could do no better than follow the victress home as she did at Lone Star in 2004. Yet another Pletcher pair were third and fourth as Honey Ryder closed to pass stablemate Wait a While late.

WAKING UP THE 'ECHO'

While the mutuels had been lucrative through the first three events, the fireworks started in earnest with the Sprint. Doug O'Neill, who had won the card's sprint stake opener, sent Ancient Title runner up Thor's Echo postward as the 7th choice (15-1). After gaining early position from the rail slot, Thor's Echo took command by the half mile mark and never looked back, fully capitilizing on the inside highway.

This Swiss Yodeler gelding, who came into the race looking like a bounce candidate off his best career figure 4 weeks earlier, had regularly distinguished himself in top company. Placements behind horses like Bordonero, Proud Tower Too and Attila's Storm in races like the Malibu, Dubai Golden Shaheen and Sunshine Millions Sprint for owners Royce and Suarez Racing marked Thor's Echo as eligible for success, but like Cajun Beat and Kona Gold, the 4yo bay had yet to make a splash at the game's highest level.

Pletcher's Friendly Island, the plucky NY bred, was second at 58-1, while Calder stalwart Nightmare Affair was third at 29-1.
With 4-1 Bordonero checking in 4th, the Superfecta returned $113,900, the trifecta $10,611 and the exacta $955. Favorite Henny Hughes struggled early with the footing, found himself snowed under early anf never launched a bid finishing last.