(October 26, 2004)- Trainer D. Wayne Lukas announced Tuesday morning at a media luncheon in Dallas that two-time champion mare Azeri will face males in Saturday’s $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge. Read Lukas’ comments, as well as updates on every horse pre-entered for the eight Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships races to be held Saturday at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ announcement to enter Azeri in Saturday's $4 million, 1 ¼ miles Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge at Tuesday’s Media Luncheon:

"This is Texas. The Breeders’ Cup is kind of a ‘Texas Hold ‘Em,’ and we’re going all-in. We’re going to go in the Classic."

(regarding the decision): “It wasn’t easy. A lot of thought went into it. (Owner) Michael Paulson and I really agonized over it. We went over all the pros and cons. We looked at all the situations. It was our unanimous decision. We decided last night we would like to try the Classic."

(regarding her last race, a three-length victory in Keeneland's Spinster on Oct. 10): “That was really a beautiful prep. With all respect to the competition, she had a very, very easy race. She relaxed beautifully. We've been working all fall to try to get her to relax. A lot of people thought that she had to have the lead. She is now relaxing very well; (Hall of Fame jockey) Pat Day was able to take her back. We feel we’ve now got a new dimension. She's as good right now as human hands can make her, and we’re going to swing for the fences. We're going to see what happens. She's already won the Distaff (2002). She's the leading (North American female) money winner of all-time. We'll step out of the box and see if we can do something that has never been done before. We're going to play our queen.”

Tuesday Notes for all eight Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Races:

$4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge

Azeri – See Distaff

Birdstone – For trainer Nick Zito, time is a definite luxury when it comes to training Marylou Whitney Stable’s Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner. Zito has discovered with amazing results that Birdstone performs at his best with a lot of time between races.

After finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby, Birdstone was withheld from the Preakness two weeks later. Zito trained the son of Grindstone up to a sensational one-length upset over Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones in the Belmont Stakes. Without the benefit of a prep, Birdstone came off an 11-week layoff to score by 2 1/2 lengths in the Travers at Saratoga.

“I use the expression with him: Sometimes, you’re dealt certain cards,” Zito said. “You don’t want to throw them in. You still want to play. The cards we were dealt with is that he’s a small horse. He does take this type of training, and it’s the right thing to do for him. And he’s responded both times. Actually, a bunch of times, he’s responded. We want to continue that.

“Two great trainers – Bobby Frankel and Richard Mandella – are taking the same approach. It’s the horse. He’s got to be able to do it, no matter who we are. We could bring Charlie Whittingham down, or Ben Jones, it doesn’t matter,’’ he added. “You have to have the horse. We have the horse.”

Zito said the skin rash on Birdstone’s hip has healed and would not be a concern.

“His bloods are good, and that’s when they run good,” said Zito, noting that he’s had horses with perfect coats run poorly.

Zito sent Birdstone to the track for only a light one-mile gallop Tuesday morning due to the sloppy track conditions.

Bowman’s Band -- Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens watched a fierce rain descend upon Lone Star Park on Monday, and immediately made the decision to move up Bowman’s Band’s final breeze from Wednesday to Tuesday morning. Under jockey Shannon Uske, the 6yo Dixieland Band horse went a mile in 1:39.

“They said it was going to rain again (Tuesday) afternoon, and I didn't want to take any chances,” said Jerkens, known affectionately as “The Chief.” “He raced a few weeks ago (fifth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, Oct. 2), so we gave him a good mile because he is going to run a mile and a quarter on Saturday. He seemed to do it well within himself, so I'm happy. Plus, this gives him three days to get over it.”

Until Bill Mott was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, Jerkens claimed the title of the youngest trainer ever inducted when he was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1975 at the age of 45 (Mott beat him by a few months). He has fashioned his reputation as “The Giant Killer,” for a history of upsets whose victims include five-time Horse of the Year Kelso, Secretariat, Buckpasser and Skip Away.

Regarded by many as the greatest living thoroughbred trainer, Jerkens is nonetheless 0-for-6 in Breeders' Cup appearances.

“Everything is going the way I want it to,” Jerkens said. “But you never know if it is the right thing until they run.”

Dynever – The runner-up in the Meadowlands Breeders’ Cup got a later start to the track than his previous mornings at Lone Star while assistant trainer Christopher Lorieul waited for the main track to dry from Monday’s drenching thunderstorms.

Once out there, Dynever jogged two miles – two laps on the main track – instead of putting in a stronger gallop because of the muddy conditions.

“We wanted to wait until it dried out a bit,” said Lorieul. “He was fine. We just hope there’s a little break in the weather so we can go a little harder tomorrow.”

Trainer Christophe Clement said he was encouraged to hear Lorieul’s report and echoed his hope that Dynever would be able to push a little harder on Wednesday.

The weather delays fit a pattern of bad luck for Dynever this season, one that started with a victory in the San Bernardino Handicap. He seemed poised to build on his third-place run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year, but a foot problem and a bacterial infection knocked him out of major summer races. The connections are hoping to change the luck at Lone Star by staying in the same stall he had when he won the Lone Star Derby last year.

Fantasticat—Trainer Bobby Barnett, a native of Pampa, Texas, manages his stable out of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. and is sending his Classic contender Fantasticat to Lone Star Park later Tuesday afternoon.

“He jogged a mile and galloped a mile this morning. He looks good after his work on Sunday,” said Barnett by phone. He, too, is due in Dallas later today.

Barnett, 55, is no stranger to success. A lifelong horseman, he has won numerous training titles at Churchill Downs, Louisiana Downs and Oaklawn Park. He has even trained a Breeders’ Cup winner: Answer Lively, 1998 Juvenile. Fantasticat will be his fourth Breeders’ Cup starter.

Barnett acquired Fantasticat this spring.

“I’ve had horses for the owners (Russ and Shelda Sherrod) in the past, for a year or so or now. Keith Desormeaux (trainer) had him in Louisiana and the owners wanted to race him at Churchill,” he said of how Fantasticat came to his barn.

“We really hadn’t made a commitment to run in the Breeders’ Cup before the Super Derby. You always have high hopes, but it wasn’t until after the Super Derby that we made the decision to run.”

Fantasticat won the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 25 over a muddy track.

Freefourinternet – The Hawthorne Gold Cup winner was on a Tex Sutton plane from Louisville that landed in Dallas Tuesday morning.

Trainer Mike Maker said the 6yo son of Tabasco Cat would walk the shedrow once he got settled in at Lone Star Park Tuesday, then gallop for the first time on its oval on Wednesday.

Maker said the outcome of Wednesday’s draw for post positions is of no interest to him because of the horse’s late-closing style.

“As far back as we’re coming from, post position won’t be important to us,” he said.

Funny Cide – Trainer Barclay Tagg is not one to seek publicity or over-hype his horses. But Tuesday morning, after Funny Cide breezed a half-mile in 46 4/5 at Belmont Park, Tagg proclaimed that “Funny Cide is doing better than he ever has in his life.”

Now, that’s quite a statement about a horse who, in 2003, won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and who this year, enters the Classic off a victory in Belmont Park's Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“What I'm saying is the truth,” Tagg said. “All I tell is the truth. He's leveled off a little and become more sensible. He is still a very strong and a hard horse to gallop, but Robin (Smullen, assistant trainer) and I have figured him out.”

Last year, Funny Cide beat only one horse – 2002 Classic winner Volponi – in the Classic at Santa Anita. It was, however, a whole different situation. Last year, he came to the Classic with no race between his distant third in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 3 and the Classic on Oct. 25. A cold weather-loving horse, the 100-degree temperature and the smog at Santa Anita didn't help. He was miserable.

This time, he comes to the Classic off a winning effort and he has trained ideally, according to Tagg. Smullen was aboard for Funny Cide’s work on Tuesday, and agrees with Tagg’s assessment.

“He’s happy, he’s relaxed and his respiratory system is all clear,” Smullen said. “Barclay thought that 48 would be too slow today and 46 would be too fast, so we breezed in 46 4/5 and that made everybody happy. Funny Cide is doing everything right, so we just hope he ships OK and runs his race.”

Smullen will arrive with barn help around noon Wednesday, and will be at Lone Star Park to greet Funny Cide when he arrives later in the afternoon. Tagg will remain in New York until Friday.

Jose Santos has the mount on Funny Cide for the Classic

Ghostzapper – Stronach Stables’ Breeders’ Cup Classic hopeful Ghostzapper, a winner of all three of his starts this year, including the Woodward Stakes in his most recent appearance, stretched his legs Tuesday morning at Belmont Park under the watchful eye of trainer Robert Frankel.

The bay colt, a son of Awesome Again bred by his owners’ Adena Springs farm in Kentucky, went to the big oval at approximately 8:30 and jogged a 1 ½ miles. Exercise rider Nuno Santos was aboard.

Going back to last year, Ghostzapper has won four straight graded stakes and seven of nine starts overall. His earnings ledger reads $916,120. He will be among the favorites for the Classic, a 1 ¼ mile race that will be his first test at the classic American distance.

Ghostzapper’s two most recent scores – the Woodward Sept. 11 and the Iselin Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Monmouth Park Aug. 21 – were both at nine furlongs, but Saturday’s 10-furlong try will be new territory for the 4yo runner.

“He’s doing good,” noted Frankel. “He’ll be on the track again tomorrow, then he’s on the plane for Texas that afternoon.”

Frankel has four horses leaving New York Wednesday for Lone Star Park and the Breeders’ Cup. He also has two flying from California that same afternoon.

“I feel good about all my horses coming into these races,” the Hall of Fame conditioner said. “I feel a little bit better about some than others, but they’re all doing good.”

Frankel said he’d be making flying arrangements for himself for Wednesday through his travel agent later today. He knew, though, he wouldn’t be into Dallas in time for the Breeders’ Cup draw at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lone Star Park.

Newfoundland – Trainer Todd Pletcher said that he is still undecided who will ride the 4yo Storm Cat colt in the Classic. Newfoundland, who jogged at Belmont Park on Tuesday morning, has a 2-3-1 record from eight starts this year. He was beaten a neck in the Suburban Handicap by Peace Rules and three-quarters of a length by Funny Cide in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“He ran well in both the Suburban and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and both races are a mile and a quarter,” Pletcher said. “He’s a nice horse who runs hard. He has a bit of the Storm Cat personality, and he has a mind of his own, but he is training well and he’s been pretty close at the distance.”

Newfoundland will gallop at Belmont Park on Wednesday morning and then board a plane for Lone Star Park. Pletcher, a Dallas native, will saddle Navesink River at in Aqueduct’s Discovery Handicap on Wednesday afternoon, and then board a later flight for Texas.

Perfect Drift – Trainer Murray Johnson is as interested as everyone else to find out if Azeri will be entered in the Classic instead of the Distaff on Wednesday. The decision will determine if Pat Day will be available to ride Perfect Drift.

“If she runs in the Classic, we’ll go with Kent Desormeaux,’’ Johnson said. “He’s ridden him twice and won on him and knows him. Pat knows him the best. He’s great in the Classic; he’s won four of them. Either way, we’ve got two great riders.

Perfect Drift, who arrived by van from the Trackside Training Center in Louisville on Monday, walked with groom Richard Anderson Tuesday morning before going to the track on Wednesday.

Johnson, who never had raced a horse at Lone Star Park, galloped around the racetrack Tuesday morning.

“He’ll go out with the pony and jog a bit and look around – about what we did with the pony,” Johnson said. “Now that the pony knows (the track), he’ll be familiar with it. Then, we’ll go out and get Perfect Drift familiar with it the next couple of days.”

The 5yo gelding, who has earned more than $2.8 million during his 25-race career, has run in the Classic twice without success, finishing last of 12 at Arlington Park in 2002 and sixth last year at Santa Anita. Johnson is confident that the son of Dynaformer can fare much better Saturday.

“Every year’s tough, but the favorite (Pleasantly Perfect) beat us only a length at a mile and a quarter (in the Pacific Classic) on his home turf. Obviously, this track is going to be different, significantly different than anything he’s seen. I’m lucky. He’s traveled and raced on a lot of different surfaces. That experience factor should help,’’ Johnson said. “We’ve had some bad luck (in the Classic). Maybe the third time, we’ll be lucky.”

Personal Rush — The Japanese representative at this year’s Breeders’ Cup left the quarantine area at 8:30 Tuesday morning to gallop on the main track after arriving from Los Angeles on Monday. Assistant trainer Ken Ando was in the saddle wearing a pink flak jacket to complement the pink hood worn by his mount. The Kentucky-bred, who worked 4f in 50 4/5 at Hollywood Park Sunday morning, will be partnered by Frankie Dettori on Saturday.

“He had a light jog today and schooled at the gate,” said Taki Murayama, speaking on behalf of owner Tomiro Fukami, who was on hand. “Tomorrow he will breeze, possibly five furlongs.”

Pleasantly Perfect — The defending champion got his first look at Lone Star Park Tuesday, galloping once around under exercise rider Crystal Brown. “He was looking around, taking everything in, like he always does,” said Brown alongside groom Humberto Correa in Barn 3C.

“He was a little anxious to get out early, but he’s a very kind and good-natured horse,” said trainer Richard Mandella. “He’s had his works already (at Santa Anita before arriving Monday). He might open-gallop through the stretch, but that’s about it.”

Mandella expressed optimism that the 6yo horse would join Tiznow as the only horse to repeat victories in the Classic. “I’m as confident as I was last year,” said Mandella. “He couldn’t be doing any better than he is now. To do what this horse has done requires a special horse.”

Mandella comes into the race this year off a 69-day layoff in contrast to last year when the horse prepped with a victory in the Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap three weeks before the Classic at Santa Anita.

“My goal is the Breeders’ Cup and the Japan Cup Dirt Nov. 28,” explained Mandella of the training strategy for a double that would make Pleasantly Perfect the richest thoroughbred in history. “My fear was that if I ran him in the Goodwood and Breeders’ Cup, he would be dragging his tongue in Japan. But my biggest desire is to win the Breeders’ Cup first.

“If I hadn’t gone to Dubai, I would have looked for another race somewhere,” said Mandella of a victory in the Dubai World Cup March 27. “He ran the race of his life in Dubai, but when you go there, you have to be careful. Sixty-nine days to come to Texas seems easy compared to that.”

Mandella still had trouble believing he won four Breeders’ Cup races, climaxed by the Classic, last year. “It was the strangest feeling; it still feels like it never happened,” said Mandella of his afternoon in a sort of Twilight Zone.

Mandella added that the sport has a quick sobering effect. “It’s like somebody hits you in the head,” said Mandella. “You get your butt whipped the next day. I had a lot of disappointments with my 3-year-olds this year.”

Mandella admitted that Pleasantly Perfect has taken the edge off an otherwise disappointing 2004. He said that 2-year-old champions and Breeders’ Cup winners Action This Day and Halfbridled should return this winter at Santa Anita after missing most of the year with injuries. “Action This Day just worked three furlongs, and Halfbridled is galloping,” he said of their training progress.

When asked about Horse of the Year chances for Pleasantly Perfect, Mandella answered diplomatically, “He’s my Horse of the Year, but you guys will have to decide. I think the horse has done his own campaign.”

Mandella thought the horse would be positioned in midpack early Saturday. “I think he’s become more professional as he goes along,” said Mandella. “I thought he beat a pretty tough field last year. I don’t know if this year’s field is tougher or not.”

Mandella will saddle his first starter at this track although he recalled shipping two other starters here with an assistant to second-and fifth-place finishes. Pleasantly Perfect, owned by Gerald Ford of Dallas, will be retired to stud at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky next year.

He does know he will have more time to savor another victory. “If he wins Saturday, I will have more time to digest it,” smiled Mandella. “Last year, it all happened so fast.”

Roses in May – Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Roses in May galloped 1½ miles under exercise rider Faustino Orantes after the renovation break Tuesday morning at Lone Star Park.

Roses in May is undefeated in five starts this year and those starts have come at five tracks – Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Prairie Meadows, Saratoga and Turfway Park.

Prairie Meadows is not a regular stop on the road to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but trainer Dale Romans felt the July 3 Cornhusker Breeders’ Cup Handicap was a good spot.

“It was a good race to try his first stake this year,” Romans said. “It was big enough to where it was worthwhile. The Stephen Foster (run June 12 at his home base at Churchill Downs) probably would have been a little much that early, because he had not taken on stakes horses before.”

The only off-the-board finish for Roses in May in his 10-race career was in last year’s Jerome Handicap at Belmont in which he finished sixth.

“He came out of that race with a little injury, but it was no big deal,” Romans said. “He just needed a little more time off (over the winter) and since, he hasn’t missed a beat.”

Roses in May is one of three Classic hopefuls along with Ghostzapper and Fantasticat not to have raced at the Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles.

“The distance is a little concern only because he has not done it before,” Romans said. “I haven’t trained a whole lot different. We did work him out an extra eighth of a mile after the last race (the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway on Sept. 18), so basically he has gone the mile and a quarter.”

Roses in May is scheduled to school in the paddock Wednesday morning.

John Velazquez has the call in the Classic.

$2 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf

Better Talk Now – The Graham Motion-trained John Deere Turf hopeful was scheduled to arrive at Lone Star Park Tuesday evening. Better Talk Now and stablemate Film Maker, were scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. flight to Louisville, where stablemate Dance Away Capote was slated to join them for a flight to Dallas.

Kitten’s Joy – Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Kitten’s Joy returned to the track for the first time since working 5f on the turf Saturday to jog two miles on the main track under exercise rider Faustino Orantes after the renovation break.

Lone Star Park was saturated with more than 2 1/2 inches of rain Monday afternoon and more rain is forecast for the week, which means a soft turf is possible for Saturday’s $2 million race.

Kitten’s Joy has won on courses labeled good, firm and yielding, and trainer Dale Romans said course condition should not be a worry Saturday.

“He ran over a soft turf for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (Oct. 2 at Belmont Park) and it didn’t bother him,” said Romans, who will be saddling his first Breeders’ Cup starters this year.

Kitten’s Joy, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, has won six stakes at six tracks this year, including a foray from his home base at Churchill Downs to Colonial Downs for the Virginia Derby in July.

“The race was for a half a million, and that is good enough reason right there to run,” Romans said. “It was a lot of money and a good prep for the Secretariat (which he won five weeks later at Arlington).”

Romans said Kitten’s Joy’s best attribute is his mind.

“He’s very quiet and he lets you do whatever you want to do with him. He’s very smart,” Romans said. “He has always been like that. We knew he was a good horse when we started breezing him on the turf, but you never know if they are going to make it to this point.”

Kitten’s Joy is scheduled to gallop Wednesday morning and school in the paddock.

Magistretti – Trainer Patrick Biancone watched the Man O’ War winner jog 1¼ miles and “play” in the gate and paddock. Biancone was ponying Magistretti’s Juvenile Fillies stablemate Sense of Style and following the 4yo colt around the Lone Star track.

Biancone joked when asked what it would take for Magistretti to win, answering “run faster than the other ones.”

Then, more seriously, he said he liked Magistretti’s chances. “He’ll be what, the second favorite? He’s not a real outsider.”

Of both his Breeders’ Cup starters he said, “I’m happy so far.”

Mustanfar – The New York-based first or second-place finisher in his last four graded stakes starts galloped 1 1/8 miles on the Belmont Park main track in his first trip back to the oval following a Sunday morning workout on the turf course for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

The 3yo NetJets Mile hopeful has two wins and two seconds since turning to grass racing this spring after a second-place run in the Tampa Bay Derby had him on the Triple Crown trail for part of the spring.

“He’s never run over a course that wasn’t firm, although there was some give to the course at Keeneland when he won last time out,” said McLaughlin after hearing of the thunderstorms that swept through the Dallas area Monday. “He breezed over a good course Sunday, but I just don’t know how he’ll do if the course is soft. Hopefully, at this point, we won’t have to worry about it.”

Ouija Board — Trainer Ed Dunlop is due in Dallas Wednesday afternoon to supervise final preparations for Lord Derby’s Epsom and Irish Oaks winner. The homebred daughter of Cape Cross arrived Monday afternoon at the Lone Star Park quarantine barn and her blood is expected to be given the all-clear by the USDA lab in Ames, Iowa, Wednesday about 8 a.m.

Kieren Fallon will ride her on Saturday and is expected to get on her Friday morning as well after he competes in the International Jockeys’ Challenge Thursday afternoon at Lone Star Park.

“She traveled really well, drank a lot on the flight, and has been eating,” said Robin Trevor-Jones, Dunlop’s traveling head lad. “She’ll jog tomorrow and then we’ll see from there.”

Ouija Board has a first preference in the Turf but Trevor-Jones speculated that she might contest the Filly & Mare Turf instead. “I wouldn’t guarantee it but yesterday’s Racing Post said they were edging toward the fillies’ and mares’ race,” he said. “We’d be a bit worried if it turned soft, but we know how good she is and that’s very, very good. She’s proven on fast ground.”

Powerscourt – The well-traveled 4yo son of Sadler’s Wells was bedded down in the quarantine barn Tuesday morning after arriving Monday afternoon with the rest of the European contingent.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien was due in Tuesday afternoon to oversee final preparations of the five runners he has sent to Lone Star for this year’s Breeders’ Cup races.

Powerscourt, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, was a close-up third last out in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 11. In August, the colt finished first in the Arlington Million, but was disqualified and placed fourth for lugging in through the stretch. He’s also raced in England and Germany this season.

Jamie Spencer, who has been the regular rider this year, will have the mount in the Turf.

Request for Parole – The United National Invitational winner walked Tuesday morning at trainer Stanley Hough’s Belmont Park barn before boarding a flight for Texas just before noon eastern.

After winning the United Nations at Monmouth Park this summer, Request for Parole has lost three straight each time over a yielding course. The heavy rains Monday at Lone Star threaten to frustrate Hough’s plans to give his 5yo son of Judge T C a chance to bounce back on firm ground in Saturday’s Turf.

“The rain doesn’t help, but in general that course is supposed to be very firm and should dry out pretty quick,” said Hough. “We’re sort of counting on that to help us along and give us a shot in there.”

Request for Parole worked 5f over the Belmont Park turf course Monday in 1:03.

Star Over the Bay — The 6yo gelding galloped one mile at Hollywood Park under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez. He will be flown to Texas Wednesday morning. Trainer Mike Mitchell is expected to arrive Tuesday evening.

Strut the Stage – The 6yo son of Theatrical arrived at Lone Star Tuesday morning after a flight from Kentucky. He galloped a mile around the all-weather training track at Keeneland before boarding the plane. Strut the Stage had his final drill for the Turf last Saturday at Woodbine, breezing 6f in 1:15.

Trainer Mark Frostad is due to arrive at Lone Star late Tuesday afternoon after a flight from Toronto.

Frostad said Corey Nakatani will be aboard Strut the Stage in the Turf. Nakatani rode the horse one time, in April 2001, and won an allowance race at Keeneland aboard the Sam-Son Farm runner.

Strut the Stage captured the 1 ½ miles Niagara Handicap at Woodbine in September, but finished seventh last out in the 11f Sky Classic Handicap on Oct. 2.

$2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff – Presented by Nextel

Ashado – The class of this 3yo Saint Ballado filly was demonstrated with a gutsy second-place finish in the Juvenile Fillies last year at Santa Anita. Despite the hot weather and poor air quality caused by smoke from fires in the San Gabriel Mountains, Ashado gave it her all in that race.

“The conditions were the same for all the horses that day,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, after Ashado jogged Tuesday morning at Belmont Park. “She happened to catch Halfbridled on her home track that day, and she still ran a big race. It was hard on her, but she showed her class by coming right back to Aqueduct to win the Demoiselle.”

Since then, Ashado has won four of seven starts with two seconds and a third. She has won two important races – the Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Park’s Coaching Club American Oaks and figures one of the key players in Saturday's $2 million, 1 1/8 miles Breeders’ Cup Distaff, presented by Nextel.

“She is really a pleasure to be around,” Pletcher said. “She has never been worse than third, and she is not one of these fillies that only runs well at a certain track. She's run well at Belmont, Saratoga, Santa Anita, Aqueduct, Keeneland, Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs and Philadelphia Park. She ran well in the Breeders' Cup last year after shipping across country. She is so professional, and she has shown her class from the moment she came to the racetrack.”

Ashado will arrive with the rest of Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup runners on Wednesday afternoon. Pletcher will saddle Navesink River in Aqueduct's Discovery Handicap later Wednesday afternoon, and then catch a flight to Lone Star Park.

John Velazquez, New York's leading jockey, has the mount in the Distaff.

Azeri – The 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri arrived at Lone Star Park at 9:50 Tuesday morning after a flight from Louisville, Ky., and settled into Barn B1 under the watchful eye of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“Everything went fine and she will go to the track in morning, early,” Lukas said.

Hall of Famer Pat Day is scheduled to ride.

(During the Tuesday Media Luncheon, Lukas announced his intention to enter the homebred 6yo in the Classic on Wednesday morning.)

Bare Necessities – The 5yo Silver Deputy mare, riding a seven-race losing streak, was scheduled to board a flight from Louisville to Dallas Tuesday afternoon.

Because of the flight and a van ride to Kentucky from Chicago Monday, trainer Frank Kirby gave her Tuesday off.

Kirby said the Paseana Stakes winner probably would walk Wednesday and then jog and gallop Thursday and Friday. Schooling in the gate and paddock also are on her agenda heading into Saturday’s Distaff.

Elloluv – The 4yo daughter of Gilded Time went back to the track Tuesday morning to jog a mile at Hollywood Park following Monday’s “walk” day following her bullet 7f workout Sunday at trainer Craig Dollase’s Southern California base.

The filly will ship to Texas on Wednesday.

Hollywood Story – The 3yo daughter of Wild Rush, who finished fourth in the 2003 Juvenile Fillies as a maiden, galloped 1 ¼ miles Tuesday morning at Hollywood Park. She will travel by plane to Lone Star Park Wednesday, with an estimated late-morning arrival time.

Trainer John Shirreffs said the filly “is doing very well. She hasn’t run in a while, but she’s been training well.” Because she hasn’t run since July, the trainer said, her two 7f bullet works at Hollywood were by design.

Shirreffs voiced some concern over the possibility of an off track for the Distaff, saying the only time the filly has encountered such a track came in this year’s Kentucky Oaks, in which she finished fifth after a troubled trip that found her bumped at the start and checked at another time in the race.

However, he tempered his concern with this comment: “The good part is that she has a good way of going. She doesn’t pound the ground hard, which should help her if the track is a little off.”

Hollywood Story, owned by Southern California theater mogul George Krikorian, will be accompanied to Texas by Shirreffs’ assistant, Michelle Jensen. Shirreffs is scheduled to arrive late Thursday.

Indy Groove – The winner of the Autumn Leaves Stakes at Mountaineer Park jogged a mile Tuesday morning over the sloppy Lone Star oval as she headed one day closer to her Saturday date in the Distaff.

The daughter of A.P. Indy walked the shedrow for a second day Monday following a 5f workout Saturday in 59 2/5.

Jockey Mark Guidry has the mount for Saturday.

Island Fashion – Everest Stables’ homebred Island Fashion, the well-traveled, multiple stakes winner who will compete in Saturday’s Distaff at Lone Star Park, had her final bit of West Coast exercise Tuesday morning when she galloped 1 ¼ miles under exercise rider Jenny Jonson.

The roan 4yo by Petionville went to the Santa Anita track at approximately 8 a.m. as trainer Marcelo Polanco looked on.

“She handled it all well,” Polanco said, “and she’s ready to head to Texas. She’s got a flight very early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.”

Polanco, a 43-year-old native of Santiago, Chile, who has trained on his own in the United States for the past 10 years, had a flight headed to Dallas Tuesday afternoon.

The trainer did admit that he was hoping for a “fast” track for Island Fashion on Saturday. “She doesn’t much like it wet,” he stated. “Her race in Japan (the Yasuda Kinen at a mile on a “good” turf course) told me that. She wants it ‘fast,’ and so do I.”

Island Fashion, a winner of six races and $1,637,970, will be ridden by Kerwin John in the Distaff.

Nebraska Tornado — Jockey Jerry Bailey has lined up three European mounts for Saturday — Aubonne in the Filly & Mare Turf, defending champion Six Perfections in the Mile, and Nebraska Tornado in the Distaff.

Khalid Abdullah’s runner also has a second preference in the Filly & Mare Turf but speculation is that the homebred daughter of Storm Cat will contest the Distaff.

“The owner has (Bobby Frankel-trained) Light Jig in the Filly & Mare Turf so they could be thinking of running Nebraska Tornado in the Distaff,” said Alastair Donald of the International Racing Bureau.

Trainer Andre Fabre is not expected for the Breeders’ Cup. His wife, Elisabeth, is due to arrive in Dallas on Thursday to saddle Nebraska Tornado and Diamond Green in the Mile.

Society Selection – Like stablemate Bowman’s Band, who will run in the Classic, Society Selection had her scheduled Wednesday work moved to Tuesday morning, and Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens was happy with her move.

The 3yo Coronado’s Quest filly went 7f in 1:26 under jockey Shannon Uske, who also worked Bowman’s Band on Tuesday, as well as Mile contender Artie Schiller for Jerkens’ son, trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

“I was just afraid that it would rain as hard as it did on Monday and that the track wouldn't be right,” Jerkens said. “But they did a nice job on the track, and the filly seemed to handle it well.”

Although Uske is doing the daily work, jockey Cornelio Velasquez will have the mount in the Distaff.

“She went very well today,” Uske said. “The track was muddy, but it was harrowed and she didn't seem to have any problem.”

Stellar Jayne – Two-time Grade I winner Stellar Jayne arrived at Lone Star Park at 9:50 Tuesday morning and settled in at Barn B1.

The gray daughter of Wild Rush, who will be ridden by Robby Albarado in the Distaff, is scheduled to go to the track early in the morning.

Storm Flag Flying – The 2002 Juvenile Fillies winner went to the racetrack for the first time Tuesday morning after arriving from New York on Sunday. The 4yo filly, whose behavior hasn’t always been exemplary, jogged over the illuminated, sloppy racetrack without incident.

“She was perfect. She walked through the gap and stood and watched the fountain in the infield for 10 minutes, turned, jogged the wrong way and came back,’’ said Buzz Tenney, assistant to trainer Shug McGaughey.

“She’s obviously matured since she was a 2-year-old,” Tenney added. “You don’t worry about her now, but you know she’s got it in her. She’s no problem now. She handled everything this morning like Kelso or Forego.”

Storm Flag Flying is the daughter of 1995 Juvenile Fillies winner My Flag, who is the daughter of 1988 Distaff champion Personal Ensign. McGaughey saddled all three for their Breeders’ Cup victories.

Tamweel – Trainer Wayne Catalano said that his Distaff hopeful Tamweel jogged a mile Tuesday morning at Keeneland.

The 4yo Gulch filly was scheduled to leave Louisville at 4 p.m. Tuesday to fly to Lone Star.

Catalano, who never has saddled a Breeders’ Cup starter, plans to be at Lone Star in the morning, Rene Douglas, who is winless on eight Breeders’ Cup rides, has the call on Tamweel.

$1.5 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile

Antonius Pius – The 3yo colt by Danzig, part of the powerful Aidan O’Brien-trained stable, arrived late Monday afternoon on the plane carrying the European-based contenders to Lone Star Park. He will remain in quarantine until Wednesday morning. O’Brien was scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon.

A stakes winner as a 2yo, Antonius Pius is still looking for his first victory of 2004 after seven starts. His best recent showing was a third, beaten just one length, in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Regular rider Jamie Spencer will be aboard the colt Saturday in the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Artie Schiller – It's a Father/Son Breeders’ Cup for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and his dad, Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens. The elder Jerkens has Bowman's Band for the Classic and Society Selection for the Distaff.

Jimmy, however, will saddle Artie Schiller in the Mile. While his father is 0-for-6 in the Breeders' Cup, this will mark Jimmy's first Breeders' Cup start. He has a good one in Artie Schiller, a 3yo El Prado colt who breezed 5f in 59 4/5 under jockey Shannon Uske on Lone Star Park's muddy main track Tuesday morning. In the Mile, jockey Richard Migliore will ride Artie Schiller, who has won five of seven starts this year.

Artie Schiller’s work was planned on the turf course for Wednesday morning, but was changed because of the threat of more rain Tuesday afternoon.

“I was going to stand him in the gate, but the weather was so uncertain, I went ahead and breezed him on the main track,” Jimmy Jerkens said. “It rained yesterday, but it looked like they packed the track down pretty good last night and this morning, they cut it up a little bit. It was muddy, but after the harrowing it looked to be in pretty decent shape. I was too afraid that there wouldn't be any turf works on Wednesday and I didn't want to take any chances, so we gave him his breeze. It's no big deal; he's done that before.”

Jerkens said he would likely school Artie Schiller in the gate Thursday and then take him to the paddock that afternoon.

Jerkens was low-key about having the opportunity to win a Breeders’ Cup race along with his father, who is notorious for not wanting to stray too far from New York.

“I really haven't given it too much thought," he said. "I think I've been taught to go day by day, race to race and hope that things works out.

“Really, I’m just happy to be with my father outside the gates of Belmont Park.”

Blackdoun/Special Ring — Trainer Julio Canani, who has won the Mile twice with closers Silic and Val Royal, has two entrants this year with pacesetter Special Ring and stretch-runner Blackdoun.

The horses are coming up to the race with different approaches. Special Ring, a 7yo gelding, has raced only once since finishing eighth in the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Mile, winning the Eddie Read Handicap in July at Del Mar.

Blackdoun, a 3yo French import, also has not competed since Del Mar but raced and won three times at that meet, most recently in the Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6.

Blackdoun jogged once around the main track Tuesday after arriving here Monday from California with assistant Miguel Delgado, who has worked for Canani for 17 years.

“I like Blackdoun; Julio likes Special Ring; you never know,” said Delgado when asked about the race.

Special Ring walked at Santa Anita after working 5f there Monday in 58 3/5, according to foreman Martin Landeros. He will be flown here on Wednesday. Canani was scheduled to arrive Tuesday night.

Diamond Green – The 3yo son of Green Desert, trained by Andre Fabre, arrived at Lone Star late Monday afternoon with the rest of the European contingent.

Fabre’s wife, Elisabeth, will arrive Thursday to supervise the colt’s training.

Diamond Green is winless in six starts this year, but has run second four times, including the Prix Jacques le Marois when he nosed Antonius Plus for the place. As a juvenile, Diamond Green won all three of his starts.

Frankie Dettori will ride Diamond Green for the first time Saturday.

Domestic Dispute – Trainer Patrick Gallagher is still looking for a jockey for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but said Tuesday morning from his Santa Anita base that he is considering several riders for the assignment.

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux had a call, but also had one on Musical Chimes if she was to run. Her trainer, Neil Drysdale, announced Monday that the filly would tackle males in the Mile. Domestic Dispute is cross-entered in the Sprint, but Gallagher affirmed Tuesday that the 4yo son of Unbridled’s Song would run in the Mile, his first preference.

Domestic Dispute, who won Santa Anita’s Strub Stakes and finished sixth in the Dubai World Cup earlier in the year, walked the shedrow Tuesday following his 5f turf workout in 1:02 1/5 on Monday at Lone Star.

Gallagher is scheduled to arrive at Lone Star Wednesday on a flight from Southern California, but doesn’t expect to be at the post-position draw.

Freefourinternet – See Classic

Honor in War – The Grade 1 stakes winner galloped Tuesday morning over Keeneland’s Polytrack training surface while trainer Paul McGee is resigned to the fact that his 5yo will probably not get a chance to join the field for the Mile on Saturday.

The son of Lord At War is second on the preferred list and will need two defections by Wednesday’s post-position draw in order to get into the race. If they do get lucky, McGee says they will catch the final flight out of Kentucky on Thursday. If space does not open up in the Mile, Honor in War will be pointed for the River City Handicap at Churchill Downs Nov. 21.

Mr O’Brien - Known to his trainer as simply “Mister,” the handsome chestnut gelding had a great out-of-stall experience at Lone Star Park on Tuesday morning. His conditioner, Robin Graham, spent most of the morning with Mr O’Brien either on the track, on the horse path, or in the barnyard. It’s one of the benefits of coming to the Breeders’ Cup with just one runner.

“I like to let him just be a horse,” she said as Mr O’Brien grazed outside his barn later in the morning. She tries to treat her 20 horses back at Pimlico the same way.

Earlier, the Irish-bred went to the track for a gallop, but not before standing still for several minutes just watching all the action around him. Graham sat atop him without her hands on the reins, a show of confidence in her horse. The two seem to communicate through mental telepathy.

“Some people think horses are stupid, but he knows what’s going on,” said Graham. “He wants to win. He used to get anxious and wear himself out, but he’s learned how to settle down. Some horses just need time. I can’t make them run any faster, but I hope what I do with them makes them as good as they can be.”

Getting Mr O’Brien back on the turf has helped him mature, Graham thinks. She acquired the son of Mukaddamah at the end of October last year and he won two stakes on turf this May, including the Dixie Handicap at Pimlico. He did not race on grass at all in 2003.

Tuesday morning, Graham also took Mr O’Brien to the paddock. “We just walked around and gave him something different to look at. He doesn’t need to school there. He ran in the Dixie at Pimlico on Preakness Day … if he can survive that (crowd), he’s fine anywhere.”

Musical Chimes – Sheikh Maktoum al Maktoum’s Musical Chimes, winner of the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile over colts in her most recent start Oct. 9, put in her final bit of exercise for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile – where she again will face male rivals – Tuesday morning at Hollywood Park under regular exercise rider Debra Biggs.

The daughter of In Excess trotted 1 1/16 miles “the wrong way” on the Hollywood training track with Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale looking on.
“I’m very pleased with her progress,” noted the conditioner, who already has six Breeders’ Cup wins to his credit. “She’ll ship to Texas early in the morning (Wednesday) on a Tex Sutton flight.”

Drysdale will ship to Texas, too, on Wednesday, though under other arrangements than his horse.

Drysdale was asked if his charge, who’ll be handled by Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux, would be bothered by a less than “firm” Lone Star turf course, given the rain that has fallen in Dallas this week with more predicted to come.

“No, quite the other way,” the trainer stated. “She handles a wet turf course very well. She won the French Guineas (Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in 2003 at Longchamp) on a yielding course and she shouldn’t be bothered by the weather conditions at all.”

Nothing to Lose – Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Nothing to Lose, a 4yo colt who has brought home a paycheck in 12 of his 13 lifetime starts, did some leg stretching Tuesday morning at Belmont Park in preparation for his next start, the Breeders’ Cup Mile this Saturday at Lone Star Park.

The son of Sky Classic (a three-time participant in the Breeders’ Cup himself with his best effort being a second-place finish in the 1992 Turf) galloped 1 ¼ miles at Belmont Park with exercise rider Jose Cuevas. Nothing to Lose will have John Velazquez aboard.

After a bit more exercise Wednesday morning, trainer Robert Frankel will ship Nothing to Lose and three of his stablemates from New York at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon. He’ll ship two other runner from California the same day and be off to Texas himself on a separate Wednesday flight.

“He’s coming up to the race right,” the Hall of Fame conditioner offered concerning his homebred turf runner. Nothing to Lose boasts six wins – four in graded stakes – and earnings of $809,210.

Royal Regalia – The Stronach Stables runner just walked under the shedrow Tuesday morning with trainer Justin Nixon holding the shank.

The 6yo gelding, who is one defection shy of drawing into the Mile, had his final drill Monday when he breezed 5f on the turf course in 1:03 2/5.

Royal Regalia is ranked first among those not selected for the Mile, and needs one defection to draw into the main body of the race Wednesday.

“All we can do now is cross our fingers and hope we make it into the race,” Nixon said. “He’s ready to roll.”

Nixon said Jorge Chavez will ride if Royal Regalia runs.

Silver Tree – Trainer Bill Mott said the Bernard Baruch Handicap winner came out of Monday’s work “fine” and was hand-walked Tuesday around the shedrow in Mott’s Churchill Downs barn.

Clockers caught Silver Tree in 47 1/5 for 4f Monday, though assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy timed him more than second slower.

The 4yo colt will ship to Texas Thursday.

Singletary — The 4yo colt may have a better chance in the Mile this weekend than his namesake’s team in the National Football League.

Mike Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears and currently an assistant coach with the Baltimore Ravens, travels to Philadelphia this weekend for a game between the Ravens and unbeaten Eagles on Sunday.

“Billy (majority owner Billy Koch Jr.) talked to Mike on his cellphone this week,” said trainer Don Chatlos Jr., on Tuesday. “The team will be on a train Saturday afternoon, and he’s making sure they have a television on it so he can see the race.”

Chatlos, a Chicago native, and Koch, who attended Northwestern University there, named the colt after the star linebacker of the 1980s. “Mike coaches high-profile players like Deion Sanders and Ray Lewis on the Ravens,” said Chatlos. “He told them that they may be all-stars, but they don’t have a horse named after them.”

Singletary walked his stall Tuesday after arriving from California Monday and will go to the track for the first time Wednesday. “I’m worried about the weather,” said Chatlos. “We’ve been able to take him back this year, but he’s never run on the wet before.”

Chatlos also hopes for some luck in the draw for posts. “Horses have won twice in 81 races from posts 10 and out at this distance on the turf,” said Chatlos.

Six Perfections – Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner arrived at Lone Star late Monday afternoon on the flight carrying the European-based contenders. She will be in quarantine until Wednesday morning.

Pascal Bary, who trains the 4yo filly by Celtic Swing, is due to arrive Tuesday afternoon.

Last year, Six Perfections rolled through the stretch under Jerry Bailey for a stunning victory at Santa Anita. Bailey will again be aboard.

Six Perfections, winless in three starts this year, was second in both the Prix d’Ispahan in May and in the Prix Jacques le Marois in her last start on Aug. 15.

In the latest betting with British bookmakers, Six Perfections is listed as the 9-2 favorite in the Mile.

Soaring Free – The winner of the Atto Mile last out arrived at Lone Star Tuesday morning on one of the flights coming from Kentucky. Trainer Mark Frostad was slated to come later in the afternoon from his base at Woodbine.

The Sam-Son Farm runner, who comes into the Breeders’ Cup with five straight victories this year, galloped over the all-weather training track at Keeneland Tuesday morning before boarding the plane. He had his final breeze for the Mile last Saturday at Woodbine, drilling 5f in 1:00 4/5.

Todd Kabel, who has been aboard in all Soaring Free’s victories this year, will have the mount again.
Soaring Free contested the pace in last year’s Mile at Santa Anita, but tired to finish fifth behind Six Perfections.

Whipper – The 3yo colt, who’s bred right for Saturday’s Mile, was bedded down in the quarantine barn after arriving late Monday afternoon with the other European-based contenders.

Trainer Robert Collet was scheduled to arrive at Lone Star on Tuesday afternoon.

Christophe Soumillon, the colt’s regular rider this year, will have the mount.

Whipper, who won the Prix Jacques le Marois in August beating 2003 Mile winner Six Perfections, was fifth last out in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Whipper was sired by Miesque’s Son, who is out of Miesque, a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

$1.5 million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Afleet Alex – The Hopeful Stakes winner walked the shedrow Tuesday morning after turning in a sizzling 5f workout in 58 2/5 seconds over the Lone Star racing surface on Monday.

Afleet Alex will jog a mile and gallop 1 1/2 miles on Wednesday morning in preparation for the Bessemer Trust Juvenile.

Consolidator – Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity winner Consolidator arrived at Lone Star Park at 9:50 Tuesday morning as part of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ three-horse Breeders’ Cup contingent.

Rafael Bejarano is slated to ride Consolidator in the Juvenile. Bejarano was aboard in the Breeders’ Futurity, the Storm Cat colt’s first venture around two turns, Consolidator is scheduled to go to the track early Wednesday morning.

Proud Accolade - There were high expectations for this 2yo Yes It’s True colt before he even raced, and those expectations already have been met. He is undefeated in three starts, and in his last race, he won the prestigious Champagne at Belmont Park.

Proud Accolade is moving forward, and trainer Todd Pletcher hopes he can further excel when he goes to post in the Juvenile.

“He has really developed,” said Pletcher, who had Proud Accolade jog at Belmont Park on Tuesday morning. “He’s an easy horse to train because he does what you want him to do when you want him to do it. He won his first two races by open lengths, then he won the Champagne against a pretty nice horse (Afleet Alex). He's becoming professional and he is training the right way.”

Proud Accolade and the rest of Pletcher’s Breeders' Cup contenders are scheduled to arrive at Lone Star Park on Wednesday afternoon. Pletcher will saddle Navesink River in Aqueduct's Discovery Handicap on Wednesday, and then fly out shortly afterward.
John Velazquez will ride Proud Accolade in the Juvenile.

Roman Ruler – The 2yo son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus jogged 2 miles Tuesday morning at Santa Anita as he limbered up following a “walk” day on Monday.

The expected Juvenile favorite was declared “in good shape” by trainer Bob Baffert as he watched his top 2yo colt during the jog.

The colt will ship to Texas by plane Wednesday morning, and Baffert is scheduled to arrive Wednesday afternoon.

Scandinavia — Stable jockey Jamie Spencer will ride trainer Aidan O’Brien’s runner in the Juvenile as the Susan Magnier/Michael Tabor team tries to emulate Johannesburg’s success in the race at Belmont Park in 2001.

The Kentucky-bred arrived late Monday afternoon on the flight from Shannon, Ireland, and had his blood drawn for testing at the USDA lab at Ames, Iowa. With clearance expected at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the colt should be on the track after the break. O’Brien is expected in Dallas Tuesday afternoon.

Sun King – Trainer Nick Zito hasn’t run a horse in the Juvenile since A P Valentine finished 14th in 2000, prompting some to jump to the conclusion that he wouldn’t run another Kentucky Derby prospect in the race for 2yos.

The veteran trainer, however, has determined that the Juvenile will position Sun King for a strong 3yo season next year.

“I think this will help his development,’’ said Zito after sending the son of 1999 Kentucky Derby winner Charismatic to the racetrack Tuesday morning for an easy one-mile gallop over a sloppy Lone Star racing surface.

Sun King broke his maiden at Belmont in his second career race before finishing a strong third behind Proud Accolade and Afleet Alex in the Champagne Stakes, despite pressing the pace throughout the 1 1/16-mile stakes under jockey Javier Castellano.

“That’s not the style he wants to run. He broke sharp and he figured let’s go on with him,” Zito said. “ It didn’t work out, as we saw.”

Zito has named Edgar Prado to replace Castellano for the Juvenile.

“We’ve been lucky with Prado this year. Nothing against Castellano – he’s riding the filly (In the Gold) in the Juvenile Fillies,’’ Zito said. “Prado’s a top rider. We think this is a horse of the future.”

Prado rode the Zito-trained Birdstone to victory in the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes and will be aboard Marylou Whitney’s homebred colt in the Classic.

Twice Unbridled – The maiden son of Unbridled’s Song worked 3f Tuesday morning in 35 2/5 at San Luis Rey Downs training center in Southern California. It was his final tuneup in preparation for running in Saturday’s Juvenile at Lone Star Park.

“That’s a little faster than I wanted,” trainer Dan Jensen said, “but that doesn’t surprise me. He’s a handful when he works.”

Jensen said his 2yo should benefit from the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Juvenile. In his last race, the colt was squeezed back at the start but closed late to finish fifth, beaten 4 ½ lengths. “The longer they go, the tougher he’ll be,” the trainer said.

Twice Unbridled is scheduled to be flown to Texas on Thursday, and the trainer is scheduled to come on Thursday as well.

Victor Espinoza, ranked third nationally in jockey earnings, will ride on Saturday.

Wilko — Trainer Jeremy Noseda’s representative in the Juvenile arrived in Dallas late Monday afternoon.

Blood was drawn on the horse’s arrival at Lone Star Park for testing at the USDA lab at Ames, Iowa and clearance is expected around 8 a.m. Wednesday when the European shippers will be permitted to go to the track.

Frankie Dettori will have the mount on Saturday.

$1 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Abbondanza – The Maryland-based longshot made his first trip to Lone Star’s track for a mile jog for trainer Tim Tullock. Fellow Maryland-based trainer Robin Graham, who will saddle Mr. O’Brien in the John Deere Turf , was in the saddle.

The wire-to-wire winner of the Gallant Bob Handicap at Philadelphia Park in his last effort Oct. 2 built up a good sweat during his morning exercise, making Tullock glad he shipped the 3yo colt from cooler climes early in the week.

“I’m absolutely glad we got down here early,” said Tullock. “Yesterday when we got in he was in his stall and really quiet. Today he woke up and was much more like himself. He was starting to get a bit of a winter coat. He’s got a great color.”

Bwana Charlie — Sprint contender Bwana Charlie breezed 4f in 47 flat over a muddy track at Lone Star Park on Tuesday under exercise rider Carmen Rosas. It was the second-fastest move of 13 at the distance on the work tab. They went to the track right after the renovation break.

“It was a little faster than they wanted me to go,” said Rosas after the breeze, “but he did it easy. I thought I was going slow the first eighth, because of the mud. But he did it pretty easy, believe me, he was very impressive. He covers a lot of ground and the mud didn’t bother him at all.”

Bwana Charlie has had two starts over sloppy surfaces in the past, a second and a third at Churchill Downs as a 2yo.

Trainer Steve Asmussen was at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning tending to his Kentucky division and seeing that his other runner in the Sprint, Cuvee, was on his way to Lone Star.

Asmussen, by far the winningest trainer in the country this year, is also on his way back to Dallas Tuesday evening.

Cajun Beat – Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Cajun Beat, owned by the partnership of Padua Stables and Joe and John Iracane, took part in some leg stretching Tuesday morning at Belmont Park.

The Grand Slam gelding, now a 4yo, went to the track at approximately 6:30 with veteran exercise rider Jose Cuevas as his pilot. They galloped 1 ¼ miles before returning to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel.

Frankel took over training of Cajun Beat this year and saddled the quick Kentucky-bred for a fourth-place finish in Belmont’s 6f Vosburgh on Oct. 2, the sprinter’s first start in more than six months.

The Hall of Fame trainer will ship Cajun Beat and three other Breeders’ Cup runners from New York on a flight Wednesday at about 1:30 in the afternoon. He’ll follow them to Texas on a separate plane.

Asked if he had any special desires for his horses when the draw is held Wednesday morning at 11 at Lone Star Park, he declined. “Every time I wish for a post for one of my horses it doesn’t happen,” he said. “So I’ve learned to leave it alone. What’s going to happen is going to happen. That’s all.”

Champali — This small horse, named after boxing legend Muhammed Ali, walked the shedrow at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning before leaving at 6:45 headed for Lone Star Park. He was among several Breeders’ Cup contenders making the trip.

Champali is the first Breeders’ Cup starter for trainer Greg Foley, a Kentucky native. He is the son of veteran horseman Dravo Foley and has been in the horse racing business most of his life, save for a year attending Western Kentucky University.

Foley picked Champali out as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale.

“He was an outstanding individual as a yearling,” said Foley. “I feel pretty lucky at the sale every year, but Champali is my best horse. He is my first millionaire. He’s an awful good horse and is so smart that he could talk to you if he could.”

A 4yo son of Glitterman, Champali has amassed earnings of $1,073,794 with an impressive lifetime record of 20-11-2-4.

Clock Stopper — Overbrook Farm’s 4yo gelding Clock Stopper arrived at Lone Star Park from Churchill Downs at 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday and is bedded down in barn C4.

Clock Stopper will be the fourth Breeders’ Cup starter that trainer Dallas Stewart will saddle, although he has worked with very good horses for years, having served under Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas for 11 years. He has also had two Kentucky Derby starters.

Cuvee — Trainer Steve Asmussen was at Churchill Downs to see Cuvee off for his trip to Lone Star Park on Tuesday morning, a journey that several Breeders’ Cup contenders were making.

Cuvee worked 4f in 47 4/5 at Churchill Downs on Monday morning in preparation for the Sprint. It was the third-quickest of the day of 54 at the distance.

Asmussen, by far the country’s leading trainer by wins this year, is traveling to Dallas Tuesday evening. He is a frequent flyer, a trainer with divisions in Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York and Illinois. Fortunately, his wife Julie is a flight attendant.

Through Monday, Asmussen-trained horses that have won 451 races this year. To compare, the second-leading trainer by wins, Scott Lake, has won 298 races this year. The record for most winners in a year is 496, held by Jack Van Berg and set in 1976.

Domestic Dispute – See Mile

Gold Storm – The three-time Lone Star Park winner walked trainer Bubba Cascio’s shedrow Tuesday morning, one day after turning in a strong “two-minute lick” on the main track.

The 4yo colt won his first race in May 2003 in a maiden claiming event, and Cascio and his Dallas-based owners Jack Sweesy and Keith McKinney spent $50,000 to bring him to their barn.

“We had been clocking him in the morning and we had seen him stumble really bad at the gate one morning and still get going really quick and start flying,” said Cascio. “We were looking at another horse in the race, but when I saw this horse in there, I said ‘why don’t we take this one with the expensive breeding.”

Gold Storm is a son of Seeking the Gold, who stands in Kentucky for $125,000. While Cascio knew they would be getting a good horse, he doesn’t claim to have known for sure he was getting a future stakes winner.

“There had to have been something awfully wrong, because his price went way down when he was in the sales, then he shows up in a claiming race,” said Cascio. “But he went five-and-a-half in 1:03 and change and that’s when I started thinking we might have something special.”

Gold Storm has gone on to win six more times for Cascio including the Arlington Sprint Breeders’ Cup Handicap and the Straus Memorial at Retama Park.

Kela — The 6yo horse galloped one mile at Hollywood Park Tuesday with exercise rider Jose Alvarez after working there Monday. Trainer Mike Mitchell said Kela will be flown here on Wednesday.

Midas Eyes – Edmund Gann’s sprint specialist Midas Eyes, winner of the Forego Handicap at Saratoga Sept. 4 in his most recent start, continued his preparations toward Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint Tuesday morning at Belmont Park when he galloped 1 ¼ miles.
The bay son of Touch Gold let exercise rider Jose Cuevas steer him through his muscle-stretching at the big New York oval before heading back to the barn of Hall of Fame conditioner Robert Frankel.

Frankel purchased the Florida bred for his longtime client Gann after the colt had scored an impressive maiden victory at Calder as a 2yo in 2002. Last year, Midas Eyes won two stakes in six starts and this year he is a double winner again, including his impressive tally in the Forego.

Midas Eyes will ship from New York with three of his Breeders’ Cup-bound barnmates early Wednesday afternoon.
Frankel will be a New York shipper the same day on a separate flight. The trainer also will be sending two Breeders’ Cup horses to Texas from California on Wednesday. His six runners are the most of any trainer for this year’s 21st edition of the thoroughbred championships.

My Cousin Matt – The Jeff Mullins trainee jogged 1 ½ miles Tuesday morning and was declared “very happy” by his groom, Manuel Navarro.

Navarro acknowledged that the horse was a bit nervous during the flight but settled in well after Monday’s arrival.

Mullins, who won’t be at Lone Star for the race because of his impending real estate move in Southern California, said Monday that the horse would jog and gallop up to the race. He’ll be ridden by Ramon Dominguez.

Our New Recruit — Like Pleasantly Perfect, the 5yo horse is also trying to complete an unprecedented Dubai-Breeders’ Cup double in the same year.

Our New Recruit won the Golden Shaheen Stakes at Dubai the same day as Pleasantly Perfect won the World Cup.

Trainer John Sadler could not be happier the way Our New Recruit is coming up to the Sprint. “After that long a haul, this seems like a breeze,” said Sadler.

“He’s doing really well,” said Sadler of the horse that has run only once since the trip, winning the Pirate’s Bounty Handicap at Del Mar on Sept. 6.

“I gave him a long time off after Dubai, and he came back to win in the fastest six furlongs of the meet over a good horse, Bluesthestandard,” said Sadler.

“I think he’s a horse that has a better style for the Breeders’ Cup than other horses I have run in it,” said Sadler of the stalker.

Sadler, who has developed a number of standout sprinters, finished seventh in 1988 and fourth in 1989 with Olympic Prospect and 11th in 1995 and 10th in 1997 with Track Gal in previous Sprint efforts.

“Olympic Prospect was strictly a front-runner, a tough style, and when I ran Track Gal, it poured rain, and she couldn’t stand up in the mud,” said Sadler. “This horse can handle an off track fine.”

Groom Baltazar Fernandez and exercise rider Jose Lopez admired the chestnut son of Alphabet Soup after he walked shedrow during his first morning here after being flown in Monday from California.

Lopez called the blocky horse “Gordo” (Fat Boy) while Fernandez fed him a carrot. “He’s real sharp,” said Lopez. “He breaks well, but he can wait for other horses.”

Pt’s Grey Eagle – Trainer Craig Dollase sent his Sprint prospect for a mile-long jog Tuesday morning at Hollywood Park, as he prepares to be shipped by plane Wednesday to Lone Star.

The winner of Santa Anita’s Ancient Title Handicap will be ridden by Corey Nakatani on Saturday.

Speightstown – The 6yo Gone West colt, who will be ridden by jockey John Velazquez, remains on schedule for the Sprint and had an easy jog this morning at Belmont Park. He will ship in to Lone Star Park on Wednesday afternoon, along with trainer Todd Pletcher’s three other Breeders’ Cup horses – Newfoundland (Classic); Ashado (Distaff); and Proud Accolade (Juvenile) – while Pletcher himself will leave New York after he saddles Navesink River in Aqueduct’s opening day feature, the Discovery Handicap, and will arrive Wednesday night.

According to Pletcher, Speightstown has been his normal self as he prepares for the Sprint.

“We’re not thinking about division championships or anything else but the Breeders’ Cup right now,” Pletcher said. “Speightstown has been a pretty straightforward horse all year. He lost one race (Belmont's 6f Vosburgh on Oct. 2) on a track that I would classify as ‘dead and cuppy.’ The time (1:09 3/5) was slow for the caliber of those horses.

“Speightstown has run hard all year and he continues to train well, so I hope he runs his race.”

$1 million VO 5 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Aubonne — Beaten just over one length in the Flower Bowl Invitational in her last start, Gary Tanaka’s runner was due to arrive at Lone Star Park from New York Tuesday afternoon about five o’clock.

The German-bred daughter of Monsun has cleared quarantine but she will be stabled in an isolation area of the quarantine barn to facilitate her return trip to France after the Breeders’ Cup.

Trainer Eric Libaud, who is due in Wednesday afternoon, has lined up Jerry Bailey to ride his first Breeders’ Cup runner Saturday.

Film Maker – Trainer Graham Motion reported that John Velazquez will ride the 4yo daughter of Dynaformer for the first time Saturday in the Filly & Mares Turf.

Film Maker was expected to arrive at Lone Star Park Tuesday evening after boarding a plane in New York at 2:30 p.m.

Katdogawn/Moscow Burning — Both 4yo fillies galloped once around the main track with exercise rider Mickey Brennan after arriving from California on Monday.

Jamie Lloyd, 23-year-old assistant to trainer Jim Cassidy, said that Moscow Burning would probably have a short work on the main track Wednesday.

“Moscow Burning will be sitting pretty close, and the ‘Kat’ will be on the outside in the back somewhere,” said the English-born Lloyd of how he pictures the early position of the two Saturday.

“I just hope it doesn’t rain any more,” said Lloyd. “They wouldn’t have caught Moscow Burning in the Flower Bowl (Invitational at Belmont on Oct. 2) if the turf had been firm. Katdogawn is pretty light on her feet but would prefer it firm.”

Danny Geronimo is the groom of Moscow Burning, Jose Garcia the groom of Katdogawn. Cassidy is scheduled to arrive here Thursday from the Tattersalls Sale in England.

Light Jig – Juddmonte Farms’ Yellow Ribbon Stakes winner Light Jig jogged 1 1/8 miles backtracking at Hollywood Park Tuesday morning as she finished up her West Coast preparations for Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf. Exercise rider Humberto Gomez was aboard for the leg stretching.

“She’s doing fine,” said Humberto Ascanio, the right-hand man and West Coast overseer for Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel. “She’s ready to ship and run.”

Light Jig, a homebred by Danehill, raced exclusively in France as a 3yo and exclusively in California this year as a 4yo. She has won five of 13 starts and $537,819.

Light Jig will be joined by stablemate Megahertz on a 3 a.m. plane out of Los Angeles Wednesday headed to Dallas. Ascanio expected them to be bedded down in their Lone Star stalls by noon.

Ascanio, who has worked for Frankel for nearly 30 years, said he’d catch a plane to Texas on Friday and expected to be bedded down for the weekend’s events early Friday evening.

Megahertz – Michael Bello’s multiple stakes winner Megahertz, the tiny-but-tough mare who was a fast-closing fifth in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf, turned in her final drill for the this year’s edition of that event Tuesday morning at Hollywood Park in California.

With exercise rider Marco Ramirez in the tack, the British-bred mare by Pivotal worked 5f in 1:01 3/5 at about 9 a.m. on the Inglewood oval.

“She went very well,” said Humberto Ascanio, the right-hand man and longtime assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel who oversaw the move. “Bobby said he wanted her to go in about 1:02, but he was pleased when I called him and told him about it. She’s ready to go and we like where she is right now.”

Megahertz will be making her first start in more than four months, but Frankel has said he believes the smallish chestnut will respond favorably to the freshening she has received. The trainer also noted that Corey Nakatani, currently among the nation’s top 10 riders for earnings, would handle the mare for the first time.

Megahertz has 10 wins – including six graded stakes – in 26 career starts with earnings of $1,431,594.

Nebraska Tornado – See Distaff

Ouija Board – See Turf

Riskaverse – The Flower Bowl winner galloped with a pony and without a rider at Belmont Park Tuesday. Trainer Pat Kelly said she went about 1 1/8 miles.

Kelly said the fact that the Filly & Mare Turf starts on the turn makes him worry about the possibility of drawing outside.

“I don’t particularly want to be to the far outside,” he said. “Inside would be better when breaking on the turn.

“(But) nobody is going to be going very fast going a mile and three-eighths.”

The 5yo mare ships to Texas on Wednesday.

Shaconage – The two-time stakes winner over her Churchill Downs home turf galloped 1½ miles over the main track Tuesday morning and is set to join the afternoon flight from Kentucky to Texas.

“We galloped her to take the edge off before the flight,” said trainer Mitch Shirota. “She felt really good. She’s in pretty good shape.”

Shirota will also be on the flight. He said he hopes to gallop at Lone Star Wednesday and turn in a blow-out breeze on the turf Thursday.

“She’s pretty fit. I just want to give her a chance to put her feet on that turf,” he said.

Super Brand – The former South African star galloped 1 1/8 miles over the Belmont Park main track to continue her preparations for Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin breezed her over a ‘good’ Belmont Park turf course Sunday. She will join her barnmate Mustanfar on Wednesday’s flight from New York to Texas.

Wonder Again—Assistant trainer Emmanuel “Manu” Davy took Wonder Again out for a 1 ½ mile jog at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

“I originally planned on galloping her today, but I don’t know the track well enough here. There was a lot of rain last night. But the jog today, it made her feel good and she came back happy,” he said.

Davy later took her to the paddock for a schooling lesson at 11 a.m. The mare is known as a nervous sort, but she has been nothing but calm since arriving at Lone Star on Oct. 19, according to the assistant. She has schooled in the paddock every other day since her arrival.

Trainer Jimmy Toner said of the early arrival date, “We didn’t want to chance anything. We’re trying to cover all our bases and sent her in early. We’re right on schedule and I’m glad she got there early.” Toner, however, will not be in Texas until late Wednesday and will not be in attendance at the post position draw.

This race will mark Toner’s fourth Breeders’ Cup start. He already has saddled one winner: Soaring Softly, 1999 Filly & Mare Turf, for the same connections, the Phillips Racing Partnership (Joan and John Phillips). Like Soaring Softly, Wonder Again is a homebred and a full sister to Grass Wonder, the 1997 champion 2yo colt in Japan and multiple graded stakes winner in that country.

Yesterday — Last year’s third-place finisher in the Filly & Mare Turf arrived at the Lone Star Park quarantine area late Monday afternoon and was bedded down after having her blood drawn for testing at the USDA lab at Ames, Iowa. Results of the tests are due back around 8 a.m. Wednesday at which time the daughter of Sadler’s Wells will be permitted to go to the track.

Stable rider for the Coolmore/Ballydoyle operation, Jamie Spencer, will have the mount Saturday. Trainer Aidan O’Brien is scheduled to arrive in Dallas Wednesday afternoon.

$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Balletto – At Belmont Park, the Frizette Stakes winner worked 5f under jockey Aaron Gryder in 59 4/5 in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Saturday.

“It was a very impressive work for her,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “She appears to be on the top of her game.”

The daughter of Timber Country flies to Texas Wednesday, as does Albertrani.

As for the draw for post positions Wednesday, he said, “If I had my wish, I’d probably like the 6 or 7. But with this filly, it’s not much of a difference. She doesn’t have much speed. She breaks slow and puts herself in position.”

Culinary – Arlington-Washington Lassie winner Culinary was on the track to jog 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Rolando Rodriguez. It was the El Amante filly’s first trip back to the track after working 5f Saturday in 1:01 2/5.

Rigo Rosas, assistant to trainer Michael Stidham, said the filly is scheduled to school in the paddock Thursday and visit the starting gate Friday as part of her preparations for the week.

Stidham is scheduled to return to Lone Star on Wednesday from Keeneland.

Carlos Marquez will ride Saturday.

Culture Clash – Everest Stables’ homebred Culture Clash finished her West Coast preparations for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a 1 ¼ mile gallop Tuesday morning at Santa Anita.

The Petionville filly went about her business at approximately 7:45 with exercise rider Jenny Jonson aboard and trainer Marcelo Polanco a most interested observer.

Polanco said he was very happy with his young filly’s demeanor and felt she would give her a good account of herself in Texas.

Culture Clash flies to Lone Star early Wednesday morning on a plane taking several California horses, including her stablemate Island Fashion. Both will be ridden by Kerwin John on Saturday.

How does Polanco think his charge might handle a possible “off” track on the weekend?

“Her breeding tells me she’ll like the ‘off,’ ” the trainer said. “She’s never been on an ‘off’ track, but I think that breeding and her professional style will work to her advantage. It wouldn’t bother me at all if it was wet for her.”

Dance Away Capote – The Graham Motion-trained 2yo filly was scheduled to join her stablemates Better Talk Now and Film Maker on a Dallas-bound plane in Louisville late Tuesday afternoon.

Ramon Dominguez has retained the mount aboard Dance Away Capote, who was beaten by less than a length in a fourth-place finish in the Alcibiades at Keeneland.

Higher World – The daughter of Peaks and Valleys, who arrived from Toronto on Sunday, galloped once around the main Lone Star oval Tuesday morning with exercise rider Lisa Champion aboard.

Trainer Mark Casse, who is stabled at Woodbine, is due to arrive Wednesday afternoon.

Owned by Sea Soft Stable, the roan filly broke her maiden sprinting at Woodbine in August and last out on Oct. 3 won the Mazarine Stakes at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies distance of a 1 1/16 miles.

Casse said that Patrick Husbands, who has been aboard in all three of the filly’s starts, will be down from Woodbine to take the mount Saturday.

In the Gold – The 2yo daughter of Golden Missile galloped a mile in her first visit to the Lone Star racing surface Tuesday morning.

Trainer Nick Zito’s only Breeders’ Cup success from 21 starters came in the Juvenile Fillies with Storm Song at Woodbine in 1996. In the Gold is coming off a third-place finish in the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, in which he finished only a head behind winner Runway Model.

“I think she’s a quality filly,” Zito said. “She could have won the Alcibiades with a little luck.”

Javier Castellano will retain the mount aboard Live Oak Plantation’s chestnut filly.

Mona Lisa – The 2yo daughter of Giant’s Causeway, who will be trying to break her maiden in the Juvenile Fillies, arrived Monday afternoon with the European contingent and will be in quarantine until Wednesday morning.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who sent five runners for this Breeders’ Cup, was due to arrive at Lone Star Park Tuesday afternoon.

Mona Lisa was beaten a nose in her most recent maiden try in August, and last out faced winners in the Fillies Mile at Ascot, where she finished fourth after encountering traffic problems in the straight.

Regular rider Jamie Spencer will be aboard Saturday.

Play With Fire – The Matron third-place finisher galloped 1 ¼ miles at Belmont Park Tuesday morning and was scheduled to take an afternoon flight from New York to Dallas.

Play With Fire has won a piece of the purse in each of her four starts, but her only victory came in her maiden start.

To win the Juvenile Fillies, trainer Mark Hennig said, it will take “probably her best effort to date.

“The two turns ought to help. She always seems to keep coming, so the distance ought to help, but it’s going to take the best race of her career for her to win.”

Quiet Honor – After drawing into the Juvenile Fillies, trainer Paula Capestro was on the fence Tuesday as to whether to actually enter Quiet Honor.

Because the filly “worked a little flat” on Sunday, Capestro had a blood panel done, and she was waiting to see the results. “If she has an elevated white count, we won’t go,” she said.

The results were due back Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Quiet Honor galloped 1 ½ miles at San Luis Rey Downs Tuesday.

Runway Model – Alcibiades winner Runway Model arrived at Lone Star Park at 9:50 Tuesday morning after an uneventful flight from Kentucky.

Trainer Bernie Flint was expected to arrive later Tuesday to oversee the preparations of his third Breeders’ Cup starter and first away from his home base at Churchill Downs. Flint’s previous Breeders’ Cup starters were Dr. Bizzare in the 1988 Juvenile and Thunder Bertie in the 2000 Juvenile Fillies.

Rafael Bejarano will ride Saturday.

Sense of Style – Trainer Patrick Biancone got on a pony to lead his Matron Stakes winner on a jog around Lone Star Park Tuesday. They went in the company of Turf starter stablemate Magistretti and also visited the starting gate and the paddock.

Sense of Style was fifth last time out in the Alcibiades at Keeneland with a rough trip.

“To win big races like the Breeders’ Cup, you need to have a great horse and make him peak on the right day,” said Biancone.

Sharp Lisa – The 2yo daughter of Dixieland Band, who missed by a head winning Keeneland’s Alcibiades Stakes, galloped a mile over the Lone Star Park main track Tuesday morning, following her flight from Southern California Monday.

Juan Martinez was aboard for the gallop and he said the filly “went good” over the sloppy track.

The filly, trained by Hollywood Park-based Doug O’Neill, was bought by J. Paul Reddam and Suarez Racing following her 6 ½-length maiden victory Sept. 12 at Calder Race Course in her first start. She was sent to Keeneland to contest the Alcibiades.

Trainer O’Neill won’t be coming to the Breeders’ Cup because he and his wife were expecting their second child Tuesday morning.

Sharp Lisa will have the saddle services of international riding star Frankie Dettori.

Sis City – Buoyed by defections from the Juvenile Fillies, trainer Rick Dutrow said Tuesday his filly will “most likely” be entered Wednesday.

“The owners are really excited and want to go,” said Dutrow. “Right now it’s looking like we’re going to go ahead and send her down there.”

Dutrow was still hedging ahead of Wednesday’s entry deadline, but did acknowledge that jockey John Velazquez will ride should Sis City make the trip. Velazquez became available when Ready’s Gal was declared with a pastern injury.

Sweet Catomine — The Oak Leaf and Del Mar Debutante winner jogged once around the track Tuesday after arriving from California Monday. “She’s an easy horse to train, very relaxed,” said Miguel Delgado, assistant to trainer Julio Canani.