After a two year hiatus, the thoroughbred world championships have returned to the “real” proper surface; dirt. The Breeder’s Cup has come home to Churchill Downs and the excitement has already begun. A record amount of entries have been racing since yesterday and the anticipated finale today will see if history can be made. It’s a return to a racing surface that most people feel is and always has been the best. With the return to Kentucky , the European contingent has made its way stateside and the east coast horses stock once again has risen. There are many stories to unfold today and the winners today will be considered “true” championship horses.
I’ll be honest, the past two years when the races were at Santa Anita on the polytrack, I did well. It was easy to throw out the east coast dirt form and just use the runners who were capable on the synthetic surfaces. The Europeans who ventured westward, did well in main track events. But this year, its back to what the Breeder’s Cup is really all about.
The winners of today’s and yesterday’s races all want a future after their racing years as a sire or breeder if possible. When this concept was introduced in 1984, it was to showcase the best horses in training and give them a stepping stone for the future with their victories. The “poltyrack” syndrome that has taken over the state of thoroughbred racing the past few years has had a negative view on the future of great sires in our sport. When animals of our sport have excelled on the dirt surface for centuries,we now have certain people wanting to change to a quote “safer surface". This changes the whole picture of thoroughbred racing.
While safety issues were the main reason for these changes, not all synthetics have been cooperated. One such track is Santa Anita, with its racing surface recently removed and replace back to natural dirt. So now we return to the track and surface that made the Breeder’s Cup Championship day the event it was; a spotlight on the sport's best athletes.
We’ll see a European invasion on the turf surfaces with the Juveniles, the older marathon runners and one special mare that is out to make history. Goldikova is trying to win three straight Breeder’s Cup Turf Mile races. No horse has ever done that and she’ll attempt to be a perfect “3 for 3”racing in North America . A future star in the making is also showcased today in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile. Uncle Mo is two for two and comes into this year’s two year old race as the best young runner in training. But, the real spotlight and main focus on the events of today come in the last race. Zenyatta will attempt to be the first filly and mare to win two Breeder’s Cup Classic races, both back to back and retired undefeated a perfect 20 for 20 in her career. She’ll be facing her toughest field yet and making her first start at Churchill Downs, only her third start on a natural dirt surface. Will the trip away from her native California and their polytrack, hurt her? Will the competition this year be much stronger than the field she beat last year? And will the long Churchill Downs stretch, hinder her come from behind, late closing kick? The answers will be answered today and the outcome could be a great one or not. Either way, the Breeder’s Cup has returned to what made it best in the past. Natural dirt, full fields from around the world and the “crown jewel” horse of racing trying to make history.
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