BC Mile J

BREEDERS’ CUP
PREVIEWS

An intriguing group of 11 turf specialists will travel one mile over the
Santa Anita lawn in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Defending
champ KIP DEVILLE (Kipling) disappointed with an uncharacteristic fifth-place
effort in the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) last out but could still go favored in this
test for Richard Dutrow. While we feel that the five-year-old is still a prime
threat in here if he’s right, we must look elsewhere for a winner.

WHATSTHESCRIPT (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]) has been superb since transferring
to the barn of John Sadler for his 2008 campaign, and the talented turf star
looks poised for a score on this day. A top performer since the day he arrived
in the United States, the four-year-old began his season with a runaway romp in
the American H. (G2) at Hollywood Park in June and, following a runner-up showing in
the nine-furlong Eddie Read H. (G1), the bay rolled home in the Del Mar Mile H.
(G2), signaling that this trip is his ideal one. The Irish-bred has posted some
fine morning drills while being freshened for this test and is a two-time winner
over this lawn. We especially love the fact that the colt is a stellar 5-4-0-0
at this distance.

The unquestioned class of this race is dual Group 1 heroine GOLDIKOVA (Ire) (Anabaa)
for trainer Freddie Head. The sterling bay sophomore has reeled off a trio of
consecutive group scores, the last pair in Group 1 company, including a
monstrous effort in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1) last out over
Europe’s best. The three-year-old has never been worse than second at this
distance, is arguably the top miler in Europe and brings in champion pilot
Olivier Peslier to ride her in this affair. We view the lass as a serious
proposition in this one.

California-lover PRECIOUS KITTEN (Catienus) lost all chance in the Breeders’
Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last season when pushed out toward the grandstand
at Monmouth, but the Bobby Frankel trainee will surely have better luck this go around.
The dark bay five-year-old has won her last four outings in the Golden State,
all pretty handily and against the ladies, but will encounter the opposite sex
on this day. Although she’s the second best miss in this field, our feeling is
that she can run with anything else in this field when she’s on the top of her
game, and we view her as a prime top-three threat if she gets the right trip
just off the pace.

The well-bred U S RANGER (Danzig) is allegedly something of a head case for
conditioner Aidan O’Brien, but the talented four-year-old fits well with this
field from a talent standpoint. The multiple stakes winner is winless in seven
tries this year but has faced the best in his division, and he counts three
placings, including a pair in Group 1 company. While this field is more
evenly-matched than superb, a colt like this who is battled tested makes a great
amount of sense in his U.S. debut, and his price should be fair as well. The
tactical four-year-old should be within range throughout this contest.

WAR MONGER (War Chant) has often hinted that he may be something special in
the making, but the Bill Mott trainee has yet to elevate to a higher status while
hanging late in his last pair of races. The bay four-year-old looked like the
proverbial freak with his impressive Sunshine Millions Turf S. at Gulfstream to
begin his four-year-old campaign, but the colt hasn’t won since while burning a
lot of greenbacks. The bay has good positional speed and usually stays on for a
piece, so we find him as a valuable exotics player, but we won’t place him in
the top slot due to his win-shy nature.

We think highly of the training ability of Richard Dutrow and his results
speak for themselves, but we can’t understand why Kip Deville has had only three
races this year when he’s been perfectly sound according to his connections. The
grossly talented gray has been the best turf miler in the United States for some time,
and his performances have been as visually impressive as one could hope for, but
that last showing at Woodbine scares us in a big way. There is much to like
about Kip Deville, his perfect mark over this course, fine tactical speed and big
closing kick and his 13-9-1-0 mark at this distance, but we simply won’t take a
small price on a horse who isn’t as sharp as he was one year ago, even if this
field is easier on paper than that of a year ago.

The erratic SHAKIS (Ire) (Machiavellian) has strung together a trio of smart
performances for Kiaran McLaughlin, including a late-running score in the
Bernard Baruch H. (G2) at Saratoga three races prior. The eight-year-old is not
a true miler and hasn’t faced the top turf animals in the states as of late, so
we define the chances of him winning long. However, the pace in this one should
be lively, and he could conceivably rally for a minor share with his best.

AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) is 0-3-0 from four tries on the lawn and has two
seconds from as many tries at the distance. The most recent of those came on the
turf in the Wickerr S. at Del Mar, where the Craig Dollase charge rallied for
second by a nose. The five-year-old chestnut is a hard-knocking runner who
usually manages to grab part no matter where he’s placed.

BOLD CHIEFTAIN (Chief Seattle) was a strong second in the Del Mar Mile two back and is a superb 9-5-3-0
on the lawn, but the smart
five-year-old has never won a graded race and has found a difficult spot in
which to do
so. The consistent California-bred is very tactical and could potentially
complete the trifecta or superfecta at huge odds if a few of the others fail to
fire.

DAYTONA (Ire) (Indian Ridge) peaked at the beginning of the year but hasn’t
looked like the same horse in his last pair for Dan Hendricks. The speedy
chestnut appeared untouchable through the latter stages of 2007 to this summer, but
the four-year-old has not impressed as of late and comes into this in
questionable form. We’d place the gelding a lot higher in here if it weren’t for
the abundance of pace signed on in here.

THORN SONG (Unbridled’s Song) earned his biggest win in his last, when wiring
a useful bunch in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) for Dale Romans. The gray
Kentucky-bred was a nice winner of the Firecracker H. (G2) earlier in this
campaign and has won three of his four attempts at this distance, but he’s a cut
below in our mind and he’s likely to have some company on the lead, as well.
We’re not fond of his chances in here.