The Classic Is Excessive to In Excess : Breeders’ Cup: Colt will instead run in shorter Breeders’ Cup Mile on grass. Farma Way, because of ankle injury, will also miss $3-million race.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic went from a definitive horse-of-the-year showdown to a relatively bland race Wednesday when it was announced that In Excess will run in another stake Saturday at Churchill Downs, and Farma Way will miss the Classic because of an ankle injury.

With In Excess, the favorite for horse of the year, entered in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on grass, the favorite in the Classic is Festin, listed at 3-1 by Mike Battaglia, who makes the Churchill Downs morning line. Battaglia said he would have made In Excess the 3-1 favorite had he run in the Classic. In Excess is the 3-1 second choice in the Mile, behind 5-2 Tight Spot, who is undefeated in eight starts on grass.

Farma Way has not won since the Pimlico Special in May, but he parlayed three seconds and a third in subsequent stakes to finish first on points in the American Championship Racing Series, earning a bonus of $750,000. Farma Way, who also won the Santa Anita Handicap, has earned $2.5 million this year, more than any starter in the Classic, and could have thrust himself back into the horse-of-the-year picture with a victory Saturday.

Wayne Lukas, who trains Farma Way, said there was heat in the 4-year-old colt’s right foreleg Tuesday, the day after he worked in the mud here. There was still swelling in the ankle Wednesday, and George Bunn, the owner of Farma Way, agreed with Lukas that the colt should be withdrawn. Bunn forfeited $120,000, one-third of the $360,000 supplementary fee that was required for the unnominated Farma Way to race. The $240,000 balance would have been paid had Farma Way been entered Wednesday.

The field for the Classic, in post-position order, consists of Cudas, Summer Squall, Star of Gdansk, Chief Honcho, Fly So Free, Festin, Unbridled, Black Tie Affair, Twilight Agenda, Strike The Gold and Marquetry. Twilight Agenda still gives Lukas a starter in the race.

Indicative of how diluted the Classic field has become, Summer Squall, second on the morning line at 4-1, hasn’t won a major race this year.

Trainer Bruce Jackson’s unilateral decision--owner Jack Munari was only consulted--to run In Excess in the Mile instead of the Classic was criticized by other trainers, including those who no longer have the Irish-bred colt to beat in the Classic.

Carl Nafzger, trainer of Unbridled, the 1990 Kentucky Derby winner trying to win the Classic for the second year in a row, questioned Jackson’s decision as well as In Excess’ record this year.

“If the horse is training good and they’re not running him in the Classic, then something’s wrong,” Nafzger said. “Some of the races he’s won don’t mean anything. He happened to catch four big races that didn’t have many of the best horses in them. If he wins the Mile, fine, let him be horse of the year. But if he doesn’t win, I don’t want to hear anything about a soft turf being the reason.”

Earlier this year, while In Excess skipped races in the championship series to win the Metropolitan Handicap, Suburban Handicap and Whitney Handicap in New York, Lukas said Jackson had the horse on a “cream-puff” schedule. Jackson, who has known Lukas since the days when they both trained quarter horses, went to a bakery last week and sent Lukas a batch of cream puffs at his Churchill Downs barn.

“This horse’s name ought to be In Except,” Lukas said a few days after getting the cream puffs. “He’s in (the race), except it’s a mile and a quarter (the Classic distance). He’s in, except he doesn’t like the track. He’s in, except he has to beat too many top horses.”

Another trainer, Ron McAnally, was surprised by Jackson’s decision. McAnally, who trains Festin and Tight Spot, had to face In Excess no matter which race Jackson chose to run.

“When you come this close to horse of the year,” McAnally said, “you’ve got to run in the race that gives you the best chance to win the title. That becomes more important than anything else. Bruce is new to the Breeders’ Cup. He’ll benefit from the experience.”

McAnally won horse-of-the-year titles with John Henry in 1981 and ’84.

Jackson, in explaining his decision, said he still thinks In Excess will deserve to be horse of the year if he wins Saturday.

“This was a tough decision, but we’re still running in what I think is the hottest race on the card,” Jackson said. “Winning the Mile might actually enhance his chances to be horse of the year.”

In Excess has won six of 12 starts on grass, but has run only on dirt while winning five of seven races this year. The colt’s last grass race was a victory in the San Gabriel Handicap on New Year’s Eve at Santa Anita.

In Excess didn’t begin his dirt career until he won the San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita in January. He ran fourth, behind Farma Way, Festin and Pleasant Tap, in the Santa Anita Handicap in March, and Jackson moved him to New York after that, saying the California track was unkind to the horse’s feet.

In Excess, returning to the American Championship Racing Series for the first time since the Big ‘Cap, beat Farma Way, Festin and Strike The Gold, this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward at Belmont Park on Sept. 15. A few days later, Jackson brought In Excess to Churchill Downs.

After two unsatisfactory dirt workouts here, Jackson began thinking about returning In Excess to grass. “The horse is usually full of himself after a work, but these two wore him out,” Jackson said. “After he worked a mile that day, he laid down in his stall for three days.

“His ability to get a mile and a quarter has always been suspect. The way he worked over this track, I had more of a reason that the distance would be too much for him.”

All this week, Jackson has tried to downplay the importance of the decision that had to be made by entry time Wednesday. One day in his barn’s tack room, he even pretended to settle the issue with a deck of cards.

“If I’m wrong, find a shovel and come and bury me,” Jackson said. “Because I’m the only guy who had anything to do with making this decision. They’ve said I’ve been marching to a different drummer all year. I guess I’m still marching the same way.”

MORE BREEDERS’ CUP: Officials’ exclusion of Cameroon from the Turf field may prompt court action. C8.

BREEDERS’ CUP ENTRIES

SPRINT 6 FURLONGS

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 Polish Numbers Cordero 10-1 2 Housebuster Perret 4-5 3 Take Me Out Smith 20-1 4 Robyn Dancer Pincay 10-1 5 Senor Speedy Chavez 8-1 6 Clever Trevor Pettinger 12-1 7 Pleasant Tap Delahoussaye 12-1 8 Deposit Ticket Day 15-1 9 Sheikh Albadou Eddery 10-1 10 Key Spirit Walls 15-1 11 Media Plan Valenzuela 30-1

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. Shug McGaughey. 2. Jimmy Croll. 3. William Mott. 4. Darrel Vienna. 5. Alfredo Callejas. 6. Donnie Von Hemel. 7. Christopher Speckert. 8. Wayne Lukas. 9. Alexander Scott. 10. Stephen Barnes. 11. Wayne Lukas.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Ogden Phipps. 2. Robert P. Levy. 3. B.R. Firestone. 4. Herrick & No Problem Stable. 5. Robert M. Perez. 6. Don C. McNell. 7. Buckland Farm. 8. Overbrook Farm & Wayne Lukas. 9. Hilal Salem. 10. Michael G. Singh. 11. Oaktown Stable.

WEIGHTS: Take Me Out, Deposit Ticket, Sheikh Albadou, Media Plan 124; others, 126 each. AGE: 3-year-olds and up. PURSE: $1 million. First place: $450,000. Second place: $225,000. Third place: $108,000. Fourth place: $70,000. Fifth place: $50,000. Sixth place: $10,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000. Foal, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000.

JUVENILE FILLIES 1 1/16 MILES

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 Preach Krone 3-1 2 Miss Iron Smoke Pedroza 15-1 3 La Spia Solis 12-1 4 Vivano McCarron 12-1 5 Soviet Sojourn Valenzuela 8-1 6 Anh Duong Cordero 10-1 7 f-Miss Legality Bravo 15-1 8 Culture Vulture Quinn 5-1 9 Spinning Round Santos 15-1 10 f-Ken De Saron Legrix 15-1 11 Speed Dialer Day 5-1 12 f-Queens Crt Queen Stevens 15-1 13 Cadillac Women Compton 15-1 14 Pleasant Stage Delahoussaye 8-1

f-mutuel field.

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. Shug McGaughey. 2. Brian Mayberry. 3. Randy Winick. 4. James Pascuma. 5. Bob Baffert. 6. Leroy Jolley. 7. Hubert Hine. 8. Paul Cole. 9. James Baker. 10. Maurice Zilber. 11. Neil Howard. 12. Ron McAnally. 13. Thomas Pryor. 14. Christopher Speckert.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Claiborne Farm. 2. Jan Siegel. 3. Mr. & Mrs. A. Broccoli. 4. Marian Prince. 5. H.J. Earnhardt. 6. Peter M. Brant. 7. Norton D. Waltuch. 8. Christopher Wright. 9. Kinsman Stud. 10. Ecurie I.M. Fares. 11. Hudson. Hudson & Farish. 12. A.G. Campbell Jr. 13. T. Pryor & J. Biven. 14. Buckland Farm.

WEIGHTS: 119 pounds each. AGE: 2-year-olds, fillies. PURSE: $1 million. First place: $450,000. Second place: $225,000. Third place: $108,000. Fourth place: $70,000. Fifth place: $50,000. Sixth place: $10,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000. Foal, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000.

DISTAFF 1 1/8 MILES

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 Fit For A Queen Lopez 20-1 2 Til Forbid Sellers 12-1 3 Lady D’Accord Santos 30-1 4 a-Wilderness Song Villenueve 1-1 5 Private Treasure Bailey 20-1 6 Richard’s Lass Chavez 50-1 7 Brought To Mind Valenzuela 20-1 8 Fit To Scout Stevens 12-1 9 Vesailles Treaty Cordero 7-2 10 Dance Smartly Day 1-1 11 Train Robbery Delahoussaye 30-1 12 Grand Girlfriend McCarron 15-1 13 Queena Smith 5-1

a--entry.

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. Steven Penrod. 2. Carl Nafzger. 3. Nick Zito. 4. James Day. 5. Joseph Pierce Jr. 6. Alfredo Callejas. 7. Ronald McAnally. 8. Jack Van Berg. 9. Shug McGaughey. 10. James Day. 11. Wayne Lukas. 12. Wayne Lukas. 13. Shug McGaughey.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Hermitage Farm. 2. James Tafel. 3. Akindale Farm. 4. Sam-Son Farm. 5. Postima Stable. 6. Robert M. Perez. 7. T. Hotehama. 8. R.M. Snell. 9. Cynthia Phipps. 10. Sam-Son Farm. 11. W.T. Young. 12. E.A. Cox Jr. 13. Emory A. Hamilton.

WEIGHTS: Fit For A Queen, Lady D’Accord, Brought To Mind, Fit To Scout, Train Robbery, Queena. 123 pounds; others, 120 each. AGE: 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares. PURSE: $1 million. First place: $450.000. Second place: $225,000. Third place: $108,000. Fourth place: $70,000. Fifth place: $50,000. Sixth place: $10,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000. Foal, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500.Third: $6,000.

MILE TURF

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 Shadayid Carson 15-1 2 Danseuse Du Soir Boeuf 20-1 3 f-Val Des Bois McCarron 20-1 4 Opening Verse Valenzuela 8-1 5 Priolo Head 10-1 6 Scan Santos 10-1 7 Star Of Cozzene Day 15-1 8 In Excess Stevens 3-1 9 Kooyonga O’Connor 10-1 10 f-Jolie’s Halo Perret 20-1 11 f-Sultry Song Bailey 20-1 12 Tight Spot Pincay 5-2 13 Second Set Dettori 15-1 14 Polar Falcon Asmussen 8-1

f-mutuel field.

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. John Dunlop. 2. Elle Lelloche. 3. Robert Frankel. 4. Richard Lundy. 5. Francois Boutin. 6. Scotty Schulhofer. 7. Wayne Lukas. 8. Bruce Jackson. 9. Michael Kauntze. 10 Robert Camac. 11. Patrick Kelly. 12. Ron McAnally. 13. Luca Cumani. 14. John Hammond.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Al-Maktoum Hamden. 2. D. Widenstein. 3. E.A. Gann. 4. A.E. Paulson. 5. Skymarc Stable. 6. William Hagan Perry. 7. Clover Racing Stables 8. Jack J. Munari. 9. M. Haga. 10. Arthur I. Appleton. 11. Live Oak Plantation. 12. V.H. Winchell et al. 13. Richard L. Duchossols. 14. D.B. Thompson.

WEIGHTS: Shadayid, Danseuse Du Soir, Kooyonga, 120 pounds; Scan, Star Of Cozzene, Sultry Song, Second Set, 123; others, 126 each. AGE: 3-year-olds and up. PURSE: $1 million. First place: $450,000. Second place: $225,000. Third place: $108,000. Fourth place: $70,000. Fifth place: $50,000. Sixth place: $10,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000. Foal, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000.

JUVENILE COLTS, GELDINGS 1 1/16 MILES

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 f-Onlooker Bailey 30-1 2 Agincourt Chavez 15-1 3 Pine Bluff Perret 20-1 4 Tri To Watch Cordero 5-1 5 Bertando Solis 5-2 6 Showbrook Piggott 10-1 7 Star Recruit Pincay 15-1 8 Snappy Landing Stevens 15-1 9 Bag Flores 12-1 10 Big Sur McCarron 20-1 11 f-Devil On Ice Santos 30-1 12 Dance Floor Day 6-1 13 f-Offbeat Smith 30-1 14 Arazi Valenzuela 3-1

f-mutuel field.

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. Woody Stephens. 2. Nick Zito. 3. Tom Bohannan. 4. Carl Domino. 5. Bruce Headley. 6. Richard Hannon. 7. Jerry Fanning. 8. Dennis Manning. 9. Jerry Fanning. 10. Wayne Lukas. 11. Philip Gleaves. 12. Wayne Lukas. 13. Shug McGaughey. 14. Francois Boutin.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Russell L. Reineman. 2. Robert M. Perez. 3. Loblolly Stables. 4. F.W. Hooper. 5. Headley, Nahem and 505 Farms. 6. A.F. Budge. 7. Dan Dar Farm. 8. Frederick J. McNeary. 9. D.R. Kruse. 10. Wayne Lukas, Overbrook Farm, and Sugar Maple Farm. 11. Robert Brennan. 12. Oaktown Stable. 13. Ogden M. Phipps. 14. A.E. Paulson.

WEIGHTS: 122 pounds each. AGE: 2-year-old colts, geldings. PURSE: $1 million. First place: $450,000. Second place: $225,000. Third place: $108,000. Fourth place: $70,000. Fifth place: $50,000. Sixth place: $10,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000. Foal, First: $25,000; Second: $12,500; Third: $6,000.

TURF 1 1/2 MILES

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 Sky Classic Day 5-2 2 Filago Valenzuela 8-1 3 Quest For Fame Eddery 20-1 4 Pistol Bleu Boeuf 4-1 5 f-Saganeca Cordero 30-1 6 El Senor Santos 12-1 7 f-Saddlers’ Hall Pincay 30-1 8 Solar Splendor McCauley 12-1 9 Itsallgreektome Velasquez 9-2 10 Pigeon Voyageur Stevens 15-1 11 Kartajana Delahoussaye 8-1 12 In The Groove Cauthen 15-1 13 f-Miss Alleged Legrix 30-1 14 Dear Doctor Asmussen 12-1

f-mutuel field.

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. James Day. 2. Robert Frankel. 3. Roger Charlton. 4. Elle Lellouche. 5. Antonio Spanu. 6. William Wright. 7. Michael Stoute. 8. Patrick Kelly. 9. Wallace Dollase. 10. Andre Fabre. 11. Neil Drysdale. 12. David Ellsworth. 13. Maurice Zilber. 14. John Hammond.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Sam-Son Farm. 2. E.A. Gann. 3. K. Abdulla. 4. D. Wildenstein. 5. Ecuria Mate Farm. 6. William W. Wright. 7. Lord Weinstock. 8. Live Oak Plantation. 9. Jhayare Stables. 10. P. DeMoussac. 11. Aga Kahn. 12. B. Cooper. 13. Ecuria Fares. 14. H. Chalhoub.

WEIGHTS: Saganeca, 119 pounds; Pistol Bleu, Saddler’s Hall, Pigeon Voyageur, 122; Kartajana, In The Groove, Miss Alleged, 123; others 126. AGE: 3-year-olds and up. PURSE: $2 million. First place: $900,000. Second place: $450,000. Third place: $216,000. Fourth place: $140,000. Fifth place: $100,000. Sixth place: $20,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $50,000; Second: $25,000; Third: $12,000. Foal, First: $50,000; Second: $25,000; Third: $12,000.

CLASSIC 1 1/4 MILES

Pos Horse Jockey Odds 1 Cudas Head 30-1 2 Summer Squall Day 4-1 3 Star Of Gdansk Roche 30-1 4 Chief Honcho Smith 10-1 5 Fly So Free Santos 20-1 6 Festin Delahoussaye 3-1 7 Unbridled Perret 5-1 8 Black Tie Affair Bailey 5-1 9 Twilight Agenda McCarron 6-1 10 Strike The Gold Valenzuela 10-1 11 Marquetry Eddery 10-1

TRAINERS (by post position): 1. Francois Boutin. 2. Neil Howard. 3. James Bolger. 4. William Mott. 5. Scotty Schulhofer. 6. Ron McAnally. 7. Carl Nafzger. 8. Ernie Poulos. 9. Wayne Lukas. 10. Nick Zito. 11. Robert Frankel.

OWNERS (by post position): 1. A.E. Paulson. 2. Dogwood Stable Inc. 3. Henryk DeKwiatkowski. 4. Betram R. Firestone. 5. Thomas Valando. 6. Kinerk Burton. 7. Frances A. Genter Stable. 8. Jeffrey Sullivan. 9. Moyglare Stud. 10. B.C.C. Gold Stable. 11. Juddmonte Farms.

WEIGHTS: Cudas, Star Of Gdansk, Fly So Free, Strike The Gold. 122 pounds; others 126. AGE: 3-year-olds and up. PURSE: $3 million. First place: $1,350,000. Second place: $675,000. Third place: $324,000. Fourth place: $210,000. Fifth place: $150,000. Sixth place: $30,000. Nominator Awards: Stallion, First: $75,000; Second: $37,500; Third: $18,000. Foal, First: $75,000; Second: $37,500; Third: $18,000.

BREEDERS’ CUP FACTS DATE: Sat., Nov. 2

SITE: Churchill Downs (Louisville, Ky.)

FIRST POST: 9:15 a.m. (Pacific)

TELEVISION: Channels 4, 36, 39