05/11/16 Straight From The Trainers Mouth - Breeders Cup Special

Ryan Moore
19:43 Santa Anita Seventh Heaven

In terms of ability, I think she is the best filly in the race, but there is undoubtedly a concern as to whether 1m2f on this track will play to her strengths. And this race does have a lot of quality and depth to it. She clearly wasn't seen to best effect when meeting all sorts of trouble in running at Ascot last time, but she had earlier once again underlined herself as top-class when winning the Yorkshire Oaks following on from her Classic win at the Curragh. Okay, runner-up Found probably wasn't at her best that day but she still spread-eagled a good field, which included Queen's Trust 4 lengths back in third. If she runs to that level of form, then she has clear winning claims, but I'd be even more confident over 1m4f on a more galloping track.

And there are a lot of horses you can give a chance to in here. Queen's Trust is a filly I know well, too, having ridden her twice and seen her plenty at home. She hasn't enjoyed the rub of the green this season but I can see this trip and track and ground suiting her. She followed Minding home at a very respectable distance in the Nassau, and I can see her getting a lot closer to me than she did at York, where she travelled well into the race, over this shorter distance. Whether she is quite good enough, I'm not sure.

Lady Eli won the Juvenile Fillies Turf here two seasons ago and won her Grade 1 last time and is the best of the Americans, and I also give a fair chance to Nuovo Record. She hasn't won for a long time but I rode her when she finished second to A Shin Hikari at Hong Kong in December - the winner put up some front-running performance that day - and she could make us all go here if returning to that form after a very light campaign. That form gives her a massive chance. She has been running on some wet tracks recently, which wouldn't have suited her, though that Hong Kong form is a while ago now. As I have said, this is a deep race and there aren't many I would rule out, including Catch A Glimpse and the South American horses Ryans Charm and Kitkat.

21:05 Santa Anita Washington DC

I wouldn't profess to know too much about the American turf sprinters, but there are no real secrets about Washington DC. His form is just about on a par with the other European horse Home Of The Brave and if he runs his race then he shouldn't be too far away. Whether or not he will, I don't know, but he has rarely run a bad race all season, and his midfield draw in eight is fine. He clearly has plenty of speed, and the manner in which he has been finishing his races off over 5f recently gives you hope that the 6f110yd trip should be fine for him. In fact, he has won on his only try over 7f.

With 15 runners, this should be an interesting race though as regards luck in-running.

22:22 Santa Anita Found

There is not a lot more you can say about this filly. She is a three-time Group 1 winner, was trained to perfection to win the Arc, bumped into an outstanding 1m2f horse in Almanzor at Ascot last time, and comes here to defend her Turf title that she gained when beating the Derby winner Golden Horn in Keeneland last season. I suppose it is just a matter of whether this race will be one too far for her - and that it is always possible at this time of year, with the schedule she has had - but she didn't show much sign of fatigue at Ascot. But this is a tough renewal.

We know how good Flintshire is over 1m4f on fast ground from his French days, and you can forgive him his defeat on yielding ground behind Ectot last time, and he was just touched off by Main Sequence in this race two years ago. Highland Reel will also have his conditions here - 1m4f on fast ground - and we saw how good he can be when getting his own way on the lead when winning the King George. And he beat Flintshire in Hong Kong last December, I'd be surprised if the winner didn't come from those three - hardly original I know - but the boss has been patient with Ulysses all season and I think we could see him run a career-best here, and the step back up to 1m4f will obviously be in his favour after his Windsor defeat last time.

Whether that will be good enough to win, I'm not so sure, as there are three genuine Group 1 horses in here. Ectot would have a chance, but he needs it softer.

23:40 Santa Anita Alice Springs

I wouldn't totally rule out last year's winner Juvenile Turf winner Hit It A Bomb here, or Cougar Mountain at what I am sure will be a big price, but they have a lot to prove at this level and quite clearly Alice Springs is Aidan's number one. We know that she has thrived on her racing in the second half of the season - there were excuses for her in France - and I thought she had plenty left in the tank, if required, when winning the Sun Chariot last time, her third Group 1. She took everything in her stride when second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland last season, and this faster surface will really suit her. Of course, she will need luck in running but she likes a target to aim at - she was dossing after getting there at Newmarket last time - and we saw at Leopardstown that she possesses a devastating turn of foot once she gets rolling.

But this is tough, and she needs to improve if the market leaders run their races - Tepin is a top-class mare and probably deserves to be favourite, but this is a stronger renewal than the race she won last season, and I think Limato could be the one we all have to beat. He has a brilliance about him on his day and if he is going to win over a mile, it is on fast ground around here. And similar comments apply to Dutch Connection really. He is a very smart horse when it all clicks for him, but maybe he is just a small notch below this Group 1-winning company. I am very happy with my filly, though.

Hugo Palmer

21:05 Santa Anita - Home Of The Brave

Aktabantay would have been my first runner in the Breeders' Cup a couple of years ago but for injuring himself, so I can only sympathise and commiserate with the connections of Suedois, who is out of the Turf Sprint after suffering an injury on the track on Thursday.

Touch wood, Home Of The Brave is fine, and it would be the culmination of a two-year dream were he run in, and win, the race. And for a horse so-named, and one by Starspangledbanner, he would certainly be an appropriate winner.

He travelled over well, taking the journey in his stride, and he has kept his summer coat in the Californian sunshine. He has also enjoyed his training and his work-outs here, and we know fast ground suits him so well.

It is the end of a long season for him - he won at Leicester in April - but this actually will only be his fifth start, so he comes here a fresh horse, and one who has run brilliantly on all four of his outings in the campaign.

I think his recent Group 2 efforts give him every chance from a form perspective, and if he can jump and sit handy from stall four, then we know he has tactical pace and stays every yard over this 6f110yd trip, and more.

I think there will certainly be worse 16-1 chances running here on Saturday, but to win with my first runner at the meeting is probably asking a little too much!

Silvestre de Sousa

7:05

The Juvenile Fillies (7.05pm) looks an impossibly competitive race with all the top barns represented. I’ll skip that contest and instead focus on the Filly & Mare Turf (7.43pm) where I think Aidan O’Brien’s Seventh Heaven will bounce back. She was disappointing at Ascot, but there is no way Aidan O’Brien would travel her if he didn’t think she was fresh enough to bounce back.If she can reproduce the best of her European turf form she will comfortably win.
9:05
The Turf Sprint (9.05pm) may have a bigger field, but it looks a little less competitive. Again, I’m drawn to the Coolmore runner Washington DC. I’d be very surprised if he is not very competitive.
10:22
Found won this for Aidan O’Brien 12 months ago and is favourite to win it again. However, on this lightning-fast track I think she will have her work cut out to beat Flintshire.
11:40
All eyes will be on Limato, who has made the bold trip over to the US. He is a class horse, but has to prove he can stay a fast-run mile, not to mention handle the whole stress of the trip. He faces a world-class miler in Tepin who may just be too good in his own back yard.
12:35
Finally, the big match of the day sees California Chrome take on the three-year-old Arrogate in a mouth-watering Classic (12.35pm). There is only one winner in my opinion and that’s the ‘Chrome’. He’s a street-wise old dog and Arrogate will have to be extraordinary to beat him.

Luke Morris

7.43 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf – Queen’s Trust
She was slightly disappointing the last day and my main concern with her in this race is whether she’ll be quick enough. She’s dropping back in trip from 1m4f to 1m2f and it’s a tight track and firm ground as well. I think she’s vulnerable and I like Queen’s Trust in this race. She’s badly drawn in stall 11 but she’s run some big races behind the likes of Minding this season and if she adapts to the track and overcomes the draw I think this represents a really strong opportunity for her.

9.05 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint – Home Of The Brave
This race would look tailor-made for Home Of The Brave. He’s got a good draw in stall four and it’ll simply be a case of whether he’s good enough to win or not. Washington DC looks his main danger on form but my one concern is whether 6½f might stretch his stamina. They always say you need a horse that stays seven furlongs to win on this track and that’s why I’d side for Home Of The Brave over Washington DC.

9.43 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – Gormley
Gormley really appeals to me in this race for the Zenyatta team of John Shirreffs and Jerry Moss. He was a Grade 1 winner last time and he has the strongest claims going into the race for me. His main rival would look to be Klimt but I think he has more in hand and is the class act.

10.22 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Turf – Flintshire
Found has had a hell of a year and for Aidan O’Brien to send her to the track once again he must be very confident she’s as well as she has ever been. At the back of your mind though you have to wonder if this is one race too many, but Aidan has been unstoppable this year. Flintshire has produced his best form since he switched to America. It was a shock to see him beaten last time but before that he’d looked the top turf horse in the country and I think he’ll be very tough to beat from a good draw in four.

11.40 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Mile – Alice Springs
Limato has looked very good all year and I think he will get the sharp mile around there fine as he was only just beaten over a straight mile at Newbury. It was a funny race when Tepin was beaten last time at Keeneland but she also looked beatable when she just won the Woodbine Mile and I think the winner will come from elsewhere. Alice Springs is the one I like and she’s been really impressive recently. I think her turn of foot will make the difference.

12.35 Santa Anita: Breeders’ Cup Classic – Arrogate
All eyes will be on California Chrome here but I fancy Arrogate to beat him. California Chrome hates being crowded and from stall four there’s quite a bit of pace on his outside which could cause problems for him. He wants to lead and I think he’s going to be pressed on the pace and make him go too quick. I think that’ll make him vulnerable and Arrogate was so impressive at Saratoga last time and he ran under two minutes for the 1m2f, something California Chrome has never done.