Not Much Rivalry in Breeders’ Cup Field

It was bad news for racing when Sonny and Carolyn Hine decided not to put up $480,000 and run Skip Away in the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic because of uncertainty about the trainer’s health.

Without a rematch between Skip Away and Cigar, Canada’s first try at playing host to thoroughbred racing’s biggest day lacks marquee value. Pre-entries for the seven races at Woodbine in Toronto will be announced today.

There is no dominant 2-year-old in either division, there is no sprint superstar, and there is no grass horse everybody can’t wait to see. The Distaff will be interesting if Yanks Music, Jewel Princess, Serena’s Song and Different all get together for the first time.

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Other thoughts, reflections and opinions nine days before Breeders’ Cup XIII:

For anybody who didn’t think it was possible, the disqualification of Alphabet Soup from first to third in the Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap last Saturday at Santa Anita was a worse call than The Wicked North’s disqualification in the 1994 Santa Anita Handicap.

Even now, most observers still believe Dare And Go, who was promoted from third to second, caused his own problems early. Even if he was compromised, he still had about a mile to outrun Alphabet Soup and Savinio and could not do so. In fact, he was closer to the lead after six furlongs than he was at the finish. Dare And Go was 2 1/2 lengths behind Savinio, who had the lead at that point, after three-quarters of a mile and was three lengths behind Alphabet Soup at the finish.

Dare And Go may surprise again at Woodbine, but the crowning moment of his career--the victory over Cigar in the Pacific Classic--was achieved under ideal circumstances. The pace was good in front of him and he had trained extremely well leading up to the race.

Jewel Princess didn’t have any excuses when second to Top Rung in the Lady’s Secret, but that was her first race since July 21 and she figures to move forward in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Look for big improvement.

Swiss Yodeler’s run at the top of the local juvenile class is over. He couldn’t stay with Silver Charm and Gold Tribute in the Del Mar Futurity, then finished a distant third at 7-10 in the Norfolk. Having success around two turns does not appear to be in his future. Perhaps those who didn’t before will now understand why many handicappers weren’t ready to embrace him as the next Citation during his five-race win streak.

Urgent Request’s course record-setting victory in the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile was an awesome performance. Best known for his win in last year’s Santa Anita Handicap, the gray did something no one in California had seen him do before--win after failing to make the lead--in his first start for trainer Charlie Whittingham. The key now is to see if he can run two alike should he get into the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Yanks Music deserves the Eclipse as the nation’s top 3-year-old filly, but let’s hope that talk about her running in the Classic rather than the Distaff is nonsense.

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Nearly two months after suffering her first loss in the Del Mar Debutante, Starry Ice looked ready to lose again early in the $77,240 Anoakia Stakes.

Down the backside, the 6-5 favorite dropped back to last in the field of six 2-year-old fillies while being outrun under Eddie Delahoussaye.

However, nobody knew just how badly the five in front were going to run, and the California-bred rallied in the middle of the track to beat 26-1 shot Calling You by half a length in 1:11 for the six furlongs.

This was the fifth win in six starts for Starry Ice, who is owned in partnership by Harold Greene and Jerry Dutton, who also trains the Ice Age filly.

Trying to emulate her mild upset in the Barretts Debutante at Fairplex Park last month, Calling You finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 2-1 second choice Exhilaration. The final quarter-mile of the race was run in 26 2/5 seconds.

Horse Racing Notes

Alyrob, who hasn’t run since finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby, makes his return in Friday’s eighth race, a $49,000 allowance at one mile. A winner of two of six starts, the gelding also was disqualified from second and placed last in the Santa Anita Derby. . . . Track Gal, the beaten favorite in the Autumn Days Handicap on Oct. 2, will not be a participant in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. She will remain at Santa Anita and run in the $100,000 Louis R. Rowan Handicap on the same day as the Breeders’ Cup.

* OAK TREE: Handicap and charts. C10