Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31
Turf Sprint and Dirt Mile Report
To Be Run Friday, October 30
$1 Million Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (Grade I) 3-Year-Olds & Up 1 Mile
To Be Run Saturday, October 31
$1 Million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Grade I) 3-Year-Olds & Up About 6 ½ Furlongs (Turf)
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Contact Notes Team (859) 250-0358
Bradester – Despite the fact that Bradester never has raced over the Keeneland main track,
trainer Eddie Kenneally is confident with his chances going into the $1 million Las Vegas Breeders’
Cup Dirt Mile and likes the way the horse has trained over the track.
“He seems to handle the track real well,” Kenneally said. “He’s worked here three times since
he’s got here and has done real well each time. He’s never run on this track, but he trains over it real
well. I couldn’t be any happier with the horse.”
Two of the last three of Bradester’s works were ‘bullets’. The 5yo son of Lion Heart went 5f for
both works in times of 59 and 58 3/5, respectively. His last three starts came at Monmouth Park, a track
that the horse seems to have an affinity for. In five starts at the New Jersey oval, he never has finished
worse than second, scoring two stakes victories there this summer in the Salvator Mile and Monmouth
Cup.
“He had a good summer at Monmouth and we’re coming into this real well,” Kenneally said. “A
mile is what he wants to do.”
A quick foe in Liam’s Map should set up for some swift fractions up front, however, Kenneally
is hoping the horse breaks well from the starting gate.
“On paper it looks like Liam’s Map will be on the pace, but it all depends on the break,” he said.
“Our horse typically likes to be up close as well, so we hope to break sharp like he normally does.”
Wesley Ward (Undrafted, The Great War and Green Mask, Turf Sprint) – Wesley Ward’s
trio of Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint contenders all had light work on Tuesday morning.
Wes Welker and Sol Kumin’s Undrafted galloped a lap on the turf under Frankie Dettori and
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Susan Magnier’s The Great War galloped a lap on the turf under
Mike Clark.
Abdullah S. Almaddah’s Green Mask galloped a mile on the training track under Mike Clark.
Jimmy Bouncer – Jimmy Bouncer, the son of J. Paul Reddam’s prime stallion Square Eddie,
galloped a mile over the Keeneland training track Tuesday as his training went forward for Saturday’s
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Trainer Doug O’Neill said following Tuesday’s exercise, “He’s been training really well and I
expect him to run well on Saturday.”
Liam’s Map – Although ranked among the very best older horses and possessing the talent to
compete against horses running in Saturday’s Classic, Teresa Viola Racing and West Point
Thoroughbreds’ Liam’s Map is slated to start in Friday’s Dirt Mile.
“It was a difficult decision, because he’s a gifted horse. He’s probably capable of running in
multiple different races, but we know he’s a brilliant miler,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “By the nature
of his campaign, he never had the opportunity to run at a mile and a quarter. We felt that a race as
prestigious as the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, as brilliant as he’s been, it’s the right fit for him.”
The 4yo son of Unbridled’s Song, who captured the 1 1/8-mile Woodward by nearly five
lengths last time out, is 3-for-3 at the mile distance.
Liam’s Map is rated as the even-money morning-line favorite for the Dirt Mile.
“He’s a very fast horse. He has the ability to carry it over a distance of ground. That’s what
separates the good ones from the really good ones,” Pletcher said. “There aren’t many horses you see
capable of ripping off 23, 36, 1:09 (fractions) and still have something left.”
Mongolian Saturday – There are plenty of differences between racing in America and racing in
the vast country of Mongolia. But the two intersect in trainer Enebish Ganbat, who becomes the first
Mongolian trainer to saddle a Breeders’ Cup horse on Saturday. He’ll send out multiple stakes placed
Mongolian Saturday in the Turf Sprint.
The Mongolian pony is much smaller than a Thoroughbred, normally about 12 to 14 hands. They
also are extremely hardy – surviving outdoors in temperatures that drop to minus 40 during the long
winters. They race over much, much longer distances than Thoroughbreds, up to 24 kilometers.
“I started training Mongolian ponies in 1995, and five years ago, we came here to train
Thoroughbred horses,” Ganbat said. “It’s quite a bit different. We switch from Mongolian ponies to a
big, faster horse. But a horse is a horse.”
Ganbat said the 5yo gelding “likes turf more than dirt, but can run on any surface. He tries hard.
There are a lot of horses in this race, 14, and some very good horses. But I think he’ll run well.
“He did well at three, but not so good last year. He’s very good this year, but I am understanding
more as a trainer. I think I am doing better, and he’s a very good horse.”
The bay 5yo has finished in the top-three in his last 10 starts, including six stakes.
“The owner is coming in from Mongolia,” he continued. “He is flying 15 hours to see this race.
He owns about 300 horses in Mongolia. I hope we can win for him.”
Tapiture – One day after working a half-mile in 49 1/5 for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner
Winchell Thoroughbreds, Tapiture walked the shedrow of Barn 60. A winner last out in the Ack Ack at
Churchill Downs and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2014, the son of Tapit is giving his
connections confidence for this year’s edition.
“He’s such a great looking animal and I am cautiously optimistic,” said David Fiske, Winchell’s
racing manager. “He’s training great and loves Keeneland. He will have to run his best race, but I think
he will. Most of the speed drew inside of him, so hopefully he can work his way to the rail and I expect
him to have a pace to run at. Usually he keeps running and trying.”
Wicked Strong – Centennial Farms’ Wicked Strong was sent to the Keeneland main track
Tuesday morning for a gallop and finished off with a breeze through the stretch.
“He went well,” trainer James Jerkens said. “The track was sloppy. He went out early. It was
packed down.”
Wicked Strong, who finished second behind Tonalist in the 1 1/4m Jockey Club Gold Cup last
time out, will bypass Saturday’s 1 1/4m Classic in favor of Friday’s Dirt Mile.
“We just thought at a mile and a quarter, even though he was running hard, it looked like he
wasn’t able to handle it,” Jerkens said.
Wicked Strong is winless in four starts at 1 ¼ miles, including a fourth in the 2014 Kentucky
Derby and a nose loss to stablemate V E Day in the 2014 Travers.
“He ran great in the Travers. Although he was pressing the pace pretty good last time, he didn’t
have much to offer when Tonalist came to him,” Jerkens said. “He lumbered down there pretty good to
be second. We just thought if the (Dirt) Mile had a ton of pace in it, they could back up into him a little
bit.”
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