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CURLIN

Defending Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Curlin headlines a cast of 180 horses pre-entered in the 25th Breeders’ Cup World Championships on October 24 and 25 at Santa Anita Park.

The expansion this year from 11 to 14 races produced an average of 12.85 horses per race, a shade better than last year’s average of 12.82 pre-entered horses for the inaugural two-day Breeders’ Cup program at Monmouth Park. The pre-entry total also is a slight improvement from an average of 12.62 pre-entered horses the last time the Breeders’ Cup came to Santa Anita in 2003.

This time, Santa Anita will break new ground with the first Breeders’ Cup races on a synthetic surface, which could account for the seven European-based horses pre-entered in the eight races contested on the main track.

Last year, the ill-fated George Washington (Ire) was the only European-based horse who competed in the seven Breeders’ Cup races on the Monmouth dirt.

Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has two shots for the Classic in five-time Group 1 winner Duke of Marmalade and English and Irish classic winner Henrythenavigator. O’Brien has ten Breeders’ Cup candidates overall, the most for any trainer and a record for a foreign-based trainer.

He could account for the favorite in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), with Soldier of Fortune scheduled to make the trip off a third-place finish in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) on October 5 at Longchamp.

Eleven of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races attracted full fields, including 21 for the inaugural Greg Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a one-mile race with a cap of 12 starters.

The two other new races—the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and Breeders’ Cup Marathon—also lured full fields.

The Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1) drew the smallest group, with only eight pre-entries, but the former Breeders’ Cup Distaff will have plenty of star power with last year’s top two finishers, Ginger Punch and Hystericalady, respectively, set to take on the undefeated sensation Zenyatta.

The Classic overfilled with 16 pre-entries, including two of Curlin’s stablemates, Pyro and Student Council. Curlin, who has never raced on a synthetic surface, will seek to join Tiznow as the only two-time Classic winner.

Courtesy: www.thoroughbredtimes.com

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