The 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships will close like it always does, with the $6 million Classic billed as one of the deepest and most competitive fields ever with Horse of the Year and divisional titles on the line.
Wonder if Channel Maker will peer out from his black blinkers, survey the field for Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf and wonder where his old friend and foe Sadler’s Joy might be hanging out.
Talk about a battle. Monomoy Girl, unbeaten in her 2020 season that followed a complete absence from the scene in 2019, takes on Swiss Skydiver, who left the 3-year-old filly division in tatters before upending the Kentucky Derby winner in the Preakness, in Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The European contingent for Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile features classic winners, Group 1 winners and other well-traveled stars with lofty credentials. The task facing the home squad certainly will be difficult in the $2 million Mile but the home squad is far from void of talent.
Mitole dominated North America’s male sprint division last year, a season highlighted by a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park. He retired after that win and Steve Asmussen and his loyal clients restocked the cupboard with more quality sprinters for the Hall of Fame trainer.
The Breeders’ Cup has always been about dreams. Big dreams – like John Gaines coming up with the concept of the one-day (now two) championship to sort out the best of the best. Little dreams, well, maybe there are no little dreams when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup.
