A Look at the Super Card, Race by Race

A look at today’s seven Breeders’ Cup races at Churchill Downs:

$1-MILLION SPRINT--SIX FURLONGS

Housebuster suffered an irritated hoof in a workout at Keeneland last week, but trainer Jimmy Croll said that there is no infection and the minor injury won’t affect the colt’s performance. Injury kept Housebuster out of last year’s Breeders’ Cup, but he still was voted champion sprinter, and now he has three consecutive victories to take him into his career finale. The career-ending injury to Safely Kept, last year’s Sprint winner, makes Housebuster’s task easier, but favorites in the stake are not to be trusted. Since Eillo’s victory at Hollywood Park in 1984, six consecutive Sprint favorites have lost. Clever Trevor, back on Lasix after having bled in his last race, is a contender, but Housebuster, although breaking from a disadvantageous No. 2 post position, would have to stumble at the start to give anyone else a chance. Housebuster did stumble in his last start but still won by 5 1/2 lengths.

$1-MILLION JUVENILE FILLIES--1 1/16 MILES

The last three winners of this stake-- Meadow Star, Go For Wand and Open Mind--prepped in New York. Preach, today’s morning-line favorite, also has prepped in New York, winning the Frizette over Vivano and Ahn Duong at Belmont Park three weeks ago. Anh Duong, who won the Matron two races back, is probably better than her Frizette finish, having been the victim of a crowded trip against Preach. Preach, whose running style is to come from slightly off the pace, has drawn the rail, one of several bad posts for Breeders’ Cup standouts. There is a short run to the first turn in this race, and with a 14-horse field, there is always the chance of the inside horses getting shuffled back. Oak Leaf Stakes horses have not done well in this race, so Pleasant Stage, Soviet Sojourn and La Spia, who ran 1-2-3 at Santa Anita, will try to reverse that trend.

$1-MILLION DISTAFF--1 1/8 MILES

Canadian-breds are winless in 18 Breeders’ Cup tries, a streak that the entry of Dance Smartly and Wilderness Song might end. Trainer Shug McGaughey, who won at Churchill Downs in 1988 with Personal Ensign in the Distaff, could have a big day, with Preach in the Juvenile Fillies and Queena and Versailles Treaty in this race. Queena, however, has the outside post in a 13-horse field and doesn’t have the speed to be rushed to the front. After winning her fifth in a row, Queena has not run in 41 days. This race is the opposite of the Sprint, in that the favorite won the first six runnings before Go For Wand broke down in the stretch last year and had to be destroyed.

$1-MILLION MILE--ONE MILE ON GRASS

Even with Tight Spot, undefeated on grass, and In Excess, the horse-of-the-year favorite, running, a case can be made for more horses to win this race than any other on the Breeders’ Cup card. The Europeans have been tough in this stake, with Last Tycoon’s $73.80 shocker in 1986 being followed by winners Miesque in 1987 and ’88 and Royal Academy last year. Of the foreigners, Priolo, Kooyonga and Polar Falcon all know how to win. Priolo lost by less than a length to Royal Academy and Itsallgreektome last year at Belmont. Soft turf will be something new for Tight Spot, and trainer Ron McAnally doesn’t know how his colt will react. In Excess, whose latest grass work was a fast 35 3/5 for three furlongs, has a better post, No. 8, than Tight Spot, No. 12. McAnally, who has two favorites, Tight Spot and Festin in the Classic, expects Tight Spot to run slightly behind the pace.

$1-MILLION JUVENILE--1 1/16 MILES

One horseman said this week that you could run this race 10 times and have 10 different winners. The winner of the Juvenile has come out of either Belmont’s Champagne or Santa Anita’s Norfolk six of seven times, so if that is your barometer, you have got the field narrowed to eight horses. Bertrando, the winner of the Norfolk, is undefeated in three races, running against a meager California crop. Star Recruit, who could not beat Bertrando on the West Coast, came East and ran a solid second to Dance Floor in a good race for both colts at Keeneland. Arazi, winner of six in a row, would give the Europeans their best chance to win a dirt race if he weren’t parked on the outside of 13 horses. At least he has the right rider, Pat Valenzuela, for an alert break.

$2-MILLION TURF--1 1/2 MILES ON GRASS

The rain should help the Europeans. Pistolet Bleu, third in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, thrives on soft going. Kartajana, with two close thirds in major American races, will try again to beat Filago. Itsallgreektome, his displaced palate problems apparently behind him, seemed to be coming up to the race nicely, but a firm course would be more to his liking. Sky Classic, the favorite on the rail, has run at Churchill Downs before, with a first on firm ground and a fifth on soft turf. Dear Doctor, the French import, is geared for the distance, after two second-place finishes behind Solar Splendor at Belmont.

$3-MILLION CLASSIC--1 1/4 MILES

McAnally would welcome even more rain for Festin, and Black Tie Affair, Summer Squall and even Strike The Gold are other starters who adapt to off tracks. With the defection of In Excess to the Mile and the loss of Farma Way because of an injury, the only front-runners left in the race are Black Tie Affair and Twilight Agenda. They are next to each other in the draw, positioned toward the outside, and they will have to be hustled early to be up front. Pat Day won the first Classic with Wild Again, and the most recent with Unbridled. Today he will ride Summer Squall. Chris McCarron, another two-time Classic winner, with Alysheba and Sunday Silence, would have ridden Farma Way, but now he is aboard Twilight Agenda, trainer Wayne Lukas’ other entry.