Breeders’ Cup Summed Up

Share This:

Today, we welcome the world back to my old Kentucky home!  Once again, Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY welcomes visitors and viewers from all corners of the earth.   This racetrack continues to take the international spotlight for grand Thoroughbred racing!  Churchill Downs is known  for delivering the “Greatest Two Minutes In Sports” for over 144 years and is now hosting it’s ninth of 35 Breeders’ Cup Events.  The Breeders’ Cup is serving up 2 days of 14 World Championship races with $30 million in purse money.  I just could not help but attend Dawn at the Downs to see the last morning workout before Breeders’ Cup 2018 (BC18) begins!

 

I felt like a true horseman as I crawled out of bed at 4 A.M. yesterday to make my way to the track.  Usually, I don’t get moving much before 8 A.M.  but this was a very special occasion.   I traveled through the dark and rain to be met by more of the same conditions as local and international racing fans filed through the gates of Churchill Downs for a special 6:30 to 8:30 A.M. training event.  Admission was free unless the visitors chose to opt for a fancy hot breakfast.   Over a hundred fans lined the track rail while others stayed in their breakfast rooms.  Meanwhile, over a hundred horses passed over the sloppy track in the rain, very many of them BC18 contenders.  Racing analysts provided expert commentary over the speakers and they were televised on the tremendous flat screen along with live coverage of the track.  The BC18 horses wore special workout towels.  Each were marked with the thoroughbreds name, the race they were entered in and a a color and number that identified them with their race and made them more distinguishable.  The horses weren’t there to pose, they were there to train and it took focus to try to see and single them out.  I am so happy that I had the opportunity to have this up-close experience ahead of BC18.  It helps to make each of the 14 races more special with that visual and present connection.  I hope the pictures and information that I am sharing can do the same for you.

Today, November 2nd is Future Stars Friday!  The first 5 BC18 races will take place on a card of 10 races posting from 12:55 P.M. ET to 4:40 P.M. ET.  Here is a look at these BC18 races:

11/2/18 Race 5- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint – post time 3:21 P.M. ET, purse $1 million dollars, distance 5 1/2 furlongs, listed by post position, horse name and if foreign it’s country in parenthesis:

1. Strike Silver
2. Soldier’s Call(GB)
3. Well Done Fox(GB)
4. Stillwater Cove
5. Bulletin
6. Moonlight Romance
7. Shang Shang Shang -scratched
   
8. Sergei Prokofiev
9. Chelsea Cloisters
10. So Perfect
11. Queen of Bermuda(IRE)
    
12. Pocket Dynamo
13. Big Drink of Water
    
14. Comedy(IRE) -scratched
15. Van Beethoven -scratched
16. Legends Of War-scratched

Race 6- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – post 4 P.M. ET, $1 million dollars, 1 mile:

1. Concrete Rose
2. The Mackem Bullet(IRE)
3. Lily’s Candle(FR)
4. Just Wonderful
5. La Pelosa(IRE)
6. Newspaperofrecord(IRE)
7. Stellar Agent
8. Belle Laura
9. Varenka
10. Pakhet
11. Lady Prancelot(IRE)
12. Summering
13. My Gal Betty
14. East(GB)
15. Pivottina(FR) -scratched
    
16. Winning Envelope -scratched
    

Race 7 – Tito’s Handmade Vodka Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies – 4:40 P.M ET, $2 million dollars, 1 and 1/16 miles:

1. Reflect
2. Serengeti Express
3. Vibrance
4. Restless Rider
5. Cassies Dreamer
6. Baby Nina
7. Jaywalk
8. Sippican Harbor
9. Splashy Kisses
10. Bellafina

Race 8 – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – 5:22 P.M. ET, 41 million dollars, 1 mile:

1. Arthur Kitt(GB)
2. Uncle Benny
3. Much Better
4. Forty Under
5. Line of Duty(IRE)
6. Henley’s Joy
7. Somelikeithotbrown
8. Opry
9. The Black Album(FR)
10. War of Will
11. King of Speed
12. Current
13. Marie’s Diamond(IRE)
14. Anthony Van Dyck(IRE)
15. Tracksmith -scratched
    
16. Order and Law -scratched
    

Race 9 – Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – 6:05 P.M. ET, $2 million dollars, 1 and 1/16 miles:

1. Dueling
2. Mr. Money
3. Derby Date
4. Tight Ten
5. Well Defined
6. Complexity
7. Mind Control
8. Standard Deviation
9. Game Winner
10. Knicks Go
11. Code of Honor -scratched
    
12. Gunmetal Gray
13. Topper T
14. Signalman

When Friday’s races thrill you to your core and you are hungry for more, Saturday, November 3rd will come across with 9 more world champion races on a card of 12.  These races post between 10:45 A.M. ET and 6:22 P.M. ET.  Check out the BC18 races as follows:

Race 3- Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint – 12:00 P.M. ET – $1 million dollars, 7 furlongs:

1. Selcourt
2. Miss Sunset
3. Happy Like a Fool
4. Kirby’s Penny
5. Golden Mischeif
6. Chalon
7. Syke Diamonds
8. Mia Mischeif
9. Stormy Embrase
10. Highway Star
11. Finley’sluckycharm
12. Anonymity
13. Marley’s Freedpm
14. Shamrock Rose
15. Dream Pauline -scratched
    

Race 4 – Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint – 12:38 P.M ET, $1 million dollars, 51/2 furlongs:

1. Ruby Notion
2. Bucchero
3. Hembree
4. Vision Perfect
5. Disco Partner
6. Rainbow Heir
7. Lost Treasure(IRE)
8. Chanteline
9. Stormy Liberal
10. Havana Grey(GB)
11. World of Trouble
12. Richard’s Boy
13. Will Call
14. Conquest Tsunami
15. Insta Erma -scratched
    

Race 5 – Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile – 1:16 P.M. ET, $1 million dollars, 1 mile:

1. City of Light
2. Trigger Warning
3. Isotherm
4. Seven Trumpets
5. Awesome Slew -scratched
   
6. Seeking the Soul
7. Firenze Fire
8. Bravazo
9. Giant Expectations
10. Catalina Cruiser

Race 6 – Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf – 2:04 P.M. ET, $2 million dollars, 1 and 3/8 miles:

1. Fourstar Crook
2. Thais(FR)
3. Wild Illusion(GB)
4. Paved
5. Princess Yaiza(IRE)
6. Sistercharlie(IRE)
7. Smart Choice(ARG)
8. Fuhriously Kissed
9. A Raving Beauty(GER)
10. Magic Wand(IRE)
11. Mom’s On Strike
12. Santa Monica(GB)
13. Athena(IRE)
14. Eziyra(IRE)

Race 7 – TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint – 2:46 P.M. ET, $2 million dollars, 6 furlongs:

1. Whitmore
2. Promises Fullfilled
3. B Squared
4. Warrior’s Club
5. Imperial Hint
6. Always Sunshine
7. Distinctive B
8. Limousine Liberal
9. Roy H

Race 8 – Breeders’ Cup Mile – 3:36 P.M. ET, $2 million dollars, 1 mile:

1. One Master(GB)
2. Next Shares
3. Happily(IRE)
4. Polydream(IRE) -scratched
   
5. Oscar Performance
6. Almanaar(GB)
7. Expert Eye(GB)
8. I Can Fly(GB)
9. Hunt(IRE) -scratched
   
10. Catapult
11. Lightening Spear(GB)
12. Analyze It
13. Gustav Klimt(IRE)
14. Mustashry(GB)
15. Divisidero
16. Clemmie(IRE)

Race 9 – Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff – 4:16 P.M. ET, $2 million dollars, 1 and 1/8 miles:

1. Champagne Problems
2. Abel Tasman
3. La Force(GER)
4. Mopotism
5. Wonder Gadot
6. Verve’s Tale
7. Midnight Bisou
8. Vale Dori(ARG)
9. Wow Cat(CHI)
10. Blue Prize(ARG)
11. Monomoy Girl

Race 10 – Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf – 4:56 P.M. ET, $4 million dollars, 1 1/2 miles:

1. Talismanic(GB)
2. Enable(GB)
3. Channel Maker
4. Robert Bruce(CHI)
5. Magical(IRE)
6. Arklow
7. Glorious Empire(IRE)
8. Liam the Charmer
9. Quarteto de Cordas(BRZ)
10. Hi Happy(ARG)
11. Sadler’s Joy
12. Waldgeist(GB)
13. Hunting Horn(IRE)

And finally, race 11, the Breeders’ Cup Classic – 5:44 P.M. ET, 46 million dollars, 1 1/4 miles:

1. Thunder Snow
2. Roaring Lion
3. Catholic Boy
4. Gunnevera
5. Lone Sailor
6. Mckinzie
7. West Coast
8. Pavel
9. Mendelssohn
10. Yoshida(JPN)
11. Mind Your Biscuits
12. Axelrod
13. Discreet Lover
14. Accelerate
15. Collected -scratched
    
16. Toast of New York -scratched
    

I hope everyone enjoys BC18 as much as I will.  If you are attending, feel free to share pictures and experiences in the comments.  If you are watching on television, tune in.  TVG will host the undercard on 11/2 from 9:30 A.M. to 3 P.M. ET.  Then, flip to NBCSN or TSN2 to continue watching until 7 P.M.  Start with TVG again on 11/3 for the undercard from 9:30 A.M. to 1 P.M. ET.  NBCSN and TSN2 take over coverage from 1 P.M to 3:30 P.M. ET and then NBC will cover the races live from 3 :30 to 6:00 P.M. ET!  There will be Facebook Live and Periscope moments as well as coverage on the Breeders’ Cup App and on http://breederscup.com

Share This: