Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Breeder's Cup Races & Results

October 27, 2007

Curlin Wins BC Classic
Curlin put the finishing touches on a championship season with a stirring stretch run and splashed his way to victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Saturday. The race was marred in the final yards when European star George Washington broke down and was euthanized on the track.

Curlin, the Preakness winner, moved into contention around the final turn and swept past Hard Spun and Lawyer Ron before a cheering crowd that had endured a rain deluge most of the day.
In a meteoric rise to stardom, Curlin capped a sensational campaign by once again defeating Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense as well as leading older horse Lawyer Ron and all his other 3-year-old rivals. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Curlin won for the sixth time in nine starts and has never been worse than third.

English Channel wins BC Turf
Drawing away to a seven length lead in the stretch, English Channel captured the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf with apparent ease after stalking pacesetter Fri Guy through the first mile of the 1 1/2 mile race. Shamdinan edged out Red Rocks by 3/4 length for second. Better Talk Now, another 3/4 length behind Red Rocks, was fourth in the field of eight.

English Channel ($8), trained by Todd Pletcher, finished the race over soft turf in 2:26.96 with John Velasquez aboard. Odds-on favorite Dylan Thomas finished off the board.

Ginger Punch Takes BC Distaff
Ginger Punch fought off a copy of body blows from Hystericalady in the upper stretch, then turned back that challenger and a late run from Octave to capture the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff in a driving, three-horse finish on Saturday at Monmouth Park. Ginger Punch, fighting bravely along the rail, beat Hystericalady by a neck, with the late-running Octave another neck back in third. Lady Joanne was fourth in the field of 12.

Ginger Punch ($11) completed 1 1/8 miles on a muddy track in 1:50.11. Bobby Frankel trains Ginger Punch for Frank Stronach. Rafael Bejarano was aboard.

Ginger Punch has now won 5 of 8 starts this year, three of them Grade 1 races, including the Go for Wand and Ruffian Handicaps. She was not an original nominee to the Breeders' Cup, and thus had to be supplemented for $180,000.

Kip Deville Upsets in BC Mile
Kip Deville came off the inside turning for home and then blew past Cosmonaut in mid-stretch en route to a one-length victory over favored Excellent Art in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile at Monmouth Park. It was one length back to Cosmonaut, who got third by a neck over Nobiz Like Shobiz.

It was the third win from seven starts this year for Kip Deville, who earlier this year won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Handicap at Santa Anita and the Grade 2 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland.

Under Cornelio Velasquez, Kip Deville covered the mile in 1:39.78 over soft turf and returned $18.40 to win. Kip Deville is owned by a partnership headed by International Equine Associations Holdings Inc. and is trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. Kip Deville was supplemented to the Mile at a cost of $300,000.

Midnight Lute Takes BC Sprint
Midnight Lute gave trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Garrett Gomez their second Breeders' Cup win on Saturday with a powerhouse victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Racing from well behind a hot early pace after breaking last, Midnight Lute started passing horses on the far turn, came into the stretch with a full head of steam, and blew past Idiot Proof just past the sixteenth pole to win by 4 3/4 lengths.

Idiot Proof, part of the early pace with Talent Search and Commentator, ran on gamely for second, but was no match for Midnight Lute, who had turned in an equally impressive performance winning the Forego Handicap in his most recent start.

Idiot Proof's number was left up after an inquiry and jockey's objection concerning the stretch run. Idiot Proof crossed in front of Talent Search, but stewards ruled that Talent Search would have finished third in any case. Midnight Lute, a son of Real Quiet owned by Mike Pegram, paid $7 to win.

Lahudood Prevails on soggy Turf
Lahudood validated her upset victory in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational with a three-quarter-length victory over Honey Ryder in Saturday's $2 million Filly and Mare Turf. Passage of Time finished third with the previously undefeated Nashoba's Key fourth. The F&M Turf, contested over a yielding grass course, was marred when European invader Simply Perfect bore out badly around the second turn, eliminating Precious Kitten and Arravale in the process. Simply Perfect was eventually pulled up by jockey John Murtaugh after racing along the outside fence down the backstretch.

Alan Garcia put up a picture-perfect ride aboard Lahudood, who is owned by Shadwell Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Lahudood covered 1 3/8 miles in a very slow 2:22.75 over the boggy course and paid $25.40.

War Pass Romps in BC Juvenile
War Pass took the same approach as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, Indian Blessing, had a little more than a half-hour earlier, and enjoyed the same results, recording a resounding front-running victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Saturday at Monmouth Park. Pyro, who was a gaining second on War Pass when they last met in the Champagne Stakes, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths, finished second again. But this time, the difference between these two was a decisive 4 3/4 lengths. Pyro, however, was easily second-best, finishing 12 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher, Kodiak Kowboy. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Tale of Ekati in fourth.

War Pass completed the 1 1/16 miles over sloppy footing in 1:42.76. He paid $6.40 as the favorite, and combined with second choice Pyro for a $25.20 exacta.

Indian Blessing is Just That
Any doubts about Indian Blessing's ability to carry the speed she displayed winning the Frizette Stakes at Belmont last month around two turns were dispelled with her 3 1/2-length win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Taking the lead from the start, the 9-5 favorite led the field of 13 around the track through fractions of 23.2 seconds, 46.2, and 1:10.3. She finished the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:44.73.

Indian Blessing paid $5.40 to win. Backseat Rhythm finished second, a half-length ahead of Tasha's Miracle. The win was the third of the day for jockey Garrett Gomez, who won the Miss Woodford Stakes aboard Coco Belle and the Select Stakes with Cobalt Blue.

Cornithian romps in BC Dirt Mile
The up-and-down career of Corinthian finished on a high note Friday at Monmouth Park as the 4-year-old son of Pulpit splashed his way to a 6 1/2-length victory over Gottcha Gold in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Gottcha Gold, who set the pace, held second by 8 1/4 lengths over Discreet Cat, the 3-2 favorite, who never got untracked in the slop. Discreet Cat finished a head in front of Wanderin Boy, who was followed in the order of finish by Lewis Michael, Xchanger, Park Avenue Ball, and High Finance. Forefathers scratched to run in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Corinthian, owned by the Centennial Farms and trained by Jimmy Jerkens, covered the mile and 70 yards in 1:39.06 and returned $9.40.

Corinthian added the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to victories in Metropolitan Handicap and Gulfstream Park Handicap. It was his sixth victory from 12 career starts and he earned more than $1.2 million. He is being retired to stud.

Nownownow upsets BC Juvenile Turf
Nownownow launched a ferocious late rally down the center of a soggy Monmouth Park turf course to post a 12-1 upset Friday in the inaugural running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park.

With Julien Leparoux posting the first Breeders’ Cup of his career, Nownownow won by a half-length over another late closer, Achill Island, the 5-2 favorite in the one-mile race. Nownownow is trained by Francois Parisel, who recently took over the stable of Patrick Biancone.

Maryfield relishes slop
Maryfield again displayed her affinity for an off track when she rallied strongly on the far outside to win the inaugural $1-million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park on Friday.

The two favorites, La Traviata and Dream Rush, dueled each other into defeat, with Dream Rush coming through on the inside to set early fractions of about 21.20 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 44 seconds to the half. That set the table for closers, with Maryfield coming home about six paths off the fence, as Miraculous Miss scooted up the rail. Miss Macy Sue, still another late-runner finished well between horses for third. Maryfield also benefited from the sloppy conditions, running her record to four wins from five starts on wet tracks. She paid $18 to win and was timed in 1:09.80.