2012 Breeders' Cup: Thoughts On The Pre-Entries

The 2012 Breeders' Cup pre-entered fields are out! Some races look extremely deep and competitive, while other came out on the thin side in terms of numbers and depth. Below are random quick thoughts on the pre-entries:

• The Juvenile Fillies is quite thin this year with only nine pre-entries, three of which have first preference in the Juvenile Sprint, meaning we could see a field of just six for this race. Ouch.
• The argument that there are too many juvenile turf races is hard to make when both races repeatedly overflow with entries year after year. The Juvenile Turf drew 19 pre-entries, the Juvenile Fillies Turf drew 18.
• The Turf rebounded this year with 14 pre-entries, although three have first preference in other races); this race has been a bit so-so the last few years.
• Dullahan pre-entered the Classic, as many of us expected. Time will tell whether that's a good move by the connections or not. If all the horses with 1^st preferences go in other races, the Classic will have a field of 12 in the starting gate.
• The Mile looks like just a fantastic race with the addition of Excelebration (IRE) to challenge Wise Dan. Trailblazer (JPN) and Turbo Compressor will likely go in the Turf but that still leaves a very nice field of 11 in the Mile.
• One of the weaker Dirt Mile fields we've seen the last few years, in my opinion, as four horses in the field have 1^st preference in other races. We could see a field of just nine by the time race day rolls around.
• Like the Juvenile Fillies, the Juvenile is pretty thin this year. I don't think that's a huge surprise if you've been following the 2yo races this summer and fall. At this point in the season, the juvenile crop doesn't look very deep on the main track. That certainly can change in the spring but, right now, the situation is fairly thin.
• The Turf Sprint is overloaded with 17 pre-entries. It should be a wild one on the downhill turf course this year.
• The Sprint bounced back this year with 16 pre-entries (only one with 1^st preference in another race). Last year's race saw only nine horses enter the starting gate.
• Of the "new" races, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, the Filly & Mare Sprint, the Marathon, the Juvenile Turf, and the Turf Sprint all drew a minimum of 14 pre-entries. The Juvenile Sprint (10) and the Dirt Mile (11) to draw fewer than 14.