BREEDERS' CUP 2011: The Road to Louisville

by Matt Gardner on Sep 13, 2011 2:11 PM EDT in Breeders' Cup

Fifty-two days until the 2011 Breeders' Cup kicks off at Churchill Downs. With time growing shorter and shorter by the day, connections of Breeders' Cup contenders are preparing for their final prep races before heading to Louisville. With an eye on the races ahead of us, I've put together a file summarizing the major stakes action from now until mid-October, along with identifying races that are part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. Additionally, I've updated the Breeders' Cup Historical Payouts file with the results from 2010.

Breeders' Cup 2011 Prep Races

Breeders' Cup Historical Payouts

Some items to take note of going forward, as well as news on current Breeders' Cup contenders:

There are 31 Breeders' Cup Challenge races on the calender between now and mid-October. Those races fall into the following divisions:

Classic (2): G1-Goodwood, G1-JCGC
Ladies' Classic (3): G1-Beldame, G1-Lady's Secret, G1-Spinster
Turf (2): G1-Hirsch Turf Classic, G1-Canadian International
Filly & Mare Turf (4): G1-Flower Bowl, G1-Yellow Ribbon, G1-Prix de l'Opera (FR), G1-EP Taylor
Mile (2): G1-Woodbine Mile, G1-British Champions Mile (ENG)
Dirt Mile (1): G2-Kelso
Sprint (3): G1-Vosburgh, G1-Ancient Title, G3-Phoenix
Filly & Mare Sprint (1): G2-TCOA
Turf Sprint (1): G1-Nearctic
Juvenile (3): G1-Norfolk, G1-Champagne, G1-Futurity
Juvenile Fillies (3): G1-Oak Leaf, G1-Alcibiades, G1-Frizette
Juvenile Turf (2): G1-Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (FR), G1-Dewhurst (ENG)
Juvenile Fillies Turf (3): G2-Natalma, G1-Fillies' Mile (ENG), G3-Jessamine

This coming weekend is a turf racing extravaganza, with eight graded stakes races on the lawn between Belmont, Woodbine, and Arlington Park.

The weekend of Oct. 1st/2nd will feature 10 Grade 1 races in North America, along with five Grade 2s, four Grade 3s, along with seven Group 1 races in France during the Arc festival.

Smiling Tiger, recently 4th in the G1-Pat O'Brien at Del Mar, will not have another race prior to running in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Prayer for Relief, the winner of last weekend's Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, will point to the Breeders' Cup Classic for his next start. That's an ambitious spot for a colt that was allowed to walk through the opening six and eight furlongs in 1:15.49 and 1:40.08. While the Classic division is wide-open this year, Prayer for Relief is going to find things a lot tougher in Louisville.

Shared Property was impressive in winning a highly competitive Arlington-Washington Futurty at Arlington Park on Saturday. A son of Scat Daddy out of a Belong to Me mare (Yoursmineours), Shared Property won his debut in a MdSpWt at Ellis on July 30th.

Gio Ponti will follow the same schedule as last year by targeting the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Uncle Mo will target the Kelso Handicap at Belmont for his next start, with an eye on the Breeders' Cup.

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Comments

Damn, Matt...

you really do good work.

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Sep 13, 2011 6:30 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks

I’m a bit of a spreadsheet nerd, if you haven’t already noticed!

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Sep 13, 2011 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions

"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."

And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace

by Matt Gardner on Sep 14, 2011 2:19 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Chuckle...

I am in the Beatles camp as well….

Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.

by JP Fanshawe on Sep 14, 2011 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions

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