$2 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade I)
Three-Year-Olds and Up 1 ½ Miles (Turf)
Friday, October 29, 2004
Better Talk Now – If things go according to plan, Better Talk Now won’t be grabbing anyone’s attention during the early running of the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf. “A good honest pace will help him. He needs to relax and settle back. I’d be concerned if he was close to the pace early. That’s not his style,” said trainer Graham Motion, who was optimistic that his 5yo gelding’s rivals won’t let likely front-runner Star Over the Bay be too comfortable on the lead. Late-running horses like Better Talk Now are susceptible to traffic as well as pace, but Motion is hopeful that jockey Ramon Dominguez won’t find it too difficult in an eight-horse field to get a good trip aboard the Sword Dancer Invitational victor. Motion, who also will saddle Dance Away Capote (Juvenile Fillies) and Film Maker (Filly & Mare Turf) Saturday, will be making his first appearance on the Breeders’ Cup stage. “Obviously, it’s a big thrill to be here with three horses I think have shown that they belong here. Having done all this, I hope they all run respectable races,” said Motion, a successful trainer at East Coast tracks. “We didn’t just come here for the beer.”
Kitten’s Joy – Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s morning line Turf favorite galloped 1 ½ miles on the grass and stood in the gate Friday morning at Lone Star with exercise rider Faustino Orantes up. Kitten’s Joy and Classic stablemate Roses in May are scheduled to school in the paddock with the horses for Friday afternoon’s first race. Kitten’s Joy, who will represent trainer Dale Romans’ first Breeders Cup starter, will break from post four under John Velazquez. “He will do whatever you want him to do,” Romans said of Kitten’s Joy. “I just want Johnny to be able to be comfortable with him and kind of leave it up to him. “If they are going real slow, we will try to be closer. If they are going real fast, he will sit way back. It is going to be important for Johnny to realize what the pace is.” Velazquez has ridden Kitten’s Joy only once, a dominating victory in his previous start in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Magistretti – The Patrick Biancone trainee, on the board in each of his three starts since he left Europe for the United States, galloped 1 ½ miles and visited the paddock at Lone Star Park Friday. “They look great,” assistant trainer Cyril Desplanques said, referring to Magistretti and Juvenile Fillies starter Sense of Style.
Mustanfar – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin worked for D. Wayne Lukas as an assistant for seven years and learned all about winning by jetting into town just before a big race. He will try to emulate his former boss when he sends the winner of the Sycamore Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland into the Turf. Mustanfar galloped 1 ¼ miles Friday morning on his second day in Texas. McLaughlin was on hand for the first time in his first visit to Lone Star. “He looks great and the facility looks great,” said McLaughlin. “So far the trip has gone just as we planned by coming in right on top of a race which I think was the right move with all the rain this week. Working for Wayne Lukas for all those years. He was always successful coming in just before.” The son of Unbridled’s trip has been uneventful so far, but not his 3yo campaign which included a see-what-we’ve-got start in the Palm Beach Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park that featured Saturday’s race favorite Kitten’s Joy. He went back to the main track and took steps toward the Triple Crown series after finishing second in the Tampa Bay Derby and fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes. In his last start on dirt – an allowance race at Belmont - May 14, he ended up running against eventual Massachusetts Handicap winner Offlee Wild. From there he went back on the turf, but the run of poor racing luck continued. “He’s been really unlucky all year,” said McLaughlin. “He was five wide in the Palm Beach and the jock lost the stick at the eighth pole, but only got beat three lengths to Kitten’s Joy. He’s run very well all year, but it’s just been one thing or another, but he’s never really run a bad race.”
Powerscourt — Coolmore supremo John Magnier, whose wife, Susan, will send five horses into Saturday’ Breeders’ Cup, three of them in partnership with Michael Tabor, one in partnership with Mrs. Richard Henry, and her own Powerscourt, was on track Friday morning. “I’m here to listen to Aidan (trainer O’Brien), and he thinks our best chance of a winner is Powerscourt,” Magnier said. He’s a serious horse. With the rest of them we’re just hoping. It’s not the kind of year where we’d be disappointed if we didn’t win. If it happens, it happens. “The course is good … it’s like a modern golf course where you can pour rain on it and the water just goes down and through.” Powerscourt cantered on the turf course Friday morning under stable jockey Jamie Spencer, who will ride the son of Sadler’s Wells on Saturday.
Request for Parole – After three straight losses over yielding turf courses, trainer Stan Hough will be closely following weather reports in the hours before his Grade I winner starts in the Turf. “We’re just hoping we get a firm course,” said Hough on his first morning at Lone Star. “We’re kind of up against it against some of those horses, but maybe if we can get a firm course we can move up on some of those European horses and get ourselves a chance against a horse like Kitten’s Joy.” The 5yo’s Friday regimen included a 1 ½-mile gallop and a paddock schooling session prior to the first race on the Lone Star card.
Star Over the Bay — Members of G Racing, which co-owns the 6yo gelding with two other California owners, were out in force to watch him gallop 1 1/8 miles on turf under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez. About 15 members of the 45-member syndicate were visible in the stable’s red and black colors. “I couldn’t get credentials for all of them,” said stable founder Sean Gerson. “The other 30 will be watching Saturday in groups from California to Las Vegas.” Gerson formed the stable in January by selling 100 shares for $3,000 each. He is the largest shareholder with 25 shares. One member wore a T-shirt with the words on the back: “Star Over the Bay’s To Do List.” Below it in order were the names Sunset Handicap, Del Mar Handicap and Clement Hirsch Stakes, all followed with a checked rectangular box. Below the three was the name Breeders’ Cup Turf, followed by an unchecked rectangular box. It is the horse’s last order of business following victories in the aforementioned trio. “We’ll be clear coming for home,” predicted Gerson of the front-running horse. “They’re going to have to come catch us. “Mike (trainer Mike Mitchell) couldn’t have the horse in better shape,” said Gerson of his first Breeders’ Cup starter. “This is a dream come true for me, but I can’t imagine how emotional Carl (co-owner Carl VanBurger) might get. He’s been in the business 45 years.”
Strut the Stage – The 6yo son of Theatrical, who will make his first Breeders’ Cup appearance Saturday, galloped 1 ¼ miles on the main track at Lone Star Park Friday morning. The Sam-Son Farm runner has started just three times this year, winning the Niagara Handicap at Woodbine in September before finishing last of seven in the Sky Classic Handicap on Oct. 2. Trainer Mark Frostad will change riders for the Turf, naming Corey Nakatani to take over for the big race. “Corey has ridden here, so he knows the track,” Frostad said. “He’s an aggressive rider, which will help, and he’s won on this horse before.” Nakatani rode Strut the Stage to victory in an allowance race at Keeneland in 2001.
