Injury to Keep Repent Out of Breeders’ Cup

In the spring, Repent’s Kentucky Derby--and Triple Crown--plans were scuttled by ankle surgery. Now, just when it appeared that the 3-year-old colt was going to salvage the season with a strong finish, he has been knocked out of the Breeders’ Cup Classic with another injury.

Despite a seventh-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 28, Repent would have been one of the favorites at Arlington Park on Oct. 26. But trainer Ken McPeek said Thursday that Repent had come back from a gallop at Churchill Downs with what appears to be a strained tendon, and the next running he’ll do will be as a 4-year-old, in 2003.

McPeek’s good news-bad news year is without a final chapter. Going into April, he had two viable Derby horses--Repent and Harlan’s Holiday, the Florida Derby and Blue Grass winner--but Repent missed Churchill Downs and Harlan’s Holiday ran seventh as the Derby favorite. Harlan’s Holiday ran fourth in the Preakness and in early June the colt’s owners switched trainers.

Then McPeek pulled a Belmont Stakes horse out of the hat, his Sarava winning the Triple Crown finale at a record 70-1, but that colt is also injured and out for the year. McPeek’s remaining Breeders’ Cup hope is Take Charge Lady, who is likely to go off as the second choice, behind Azeri, in the Distaff.

Coming off a 4 1/2-month layoff, Repent rebounded from surgery in late August, when he lost by only half a length to Medaglia d’Oro in the Travers at Saratoga. McPeek had been puzzled when Repent, as the 17-10 favorite, ran so poorly in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. That was the worst race for Repent, the Louisiana Derby winner whose record had been dotted with firsts and seconds, including a strong second against Johannesburg in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. McPeek had been eager for the colt to redeem himself in the Kentucky Derby, after War Emblem, the eventual Derby winner, upset Repent in the Illinois Derby.

Medaglia d’Oro, who hasn’t run since the Travers and will go into the Classic unraced for 61 days, is the lukewarm favorite for the Breeders’ Cup race, but this is a year when a case can be made for more than half the field.

*

After Kalookan Queen won Saturday’s Ancient Title Handicap at Santa Anita, her trainer, Bruce Headley, was asked who might win if the 6-year-old mare ran against Kona Gold, Headley’s sprint champion in 2000. It was intended as a hypothetical question, but a Kona Gold-Kalookan Queen rematch will become a reality, now that Kalookan Queen’s owner, Louis Asistio, has told Headley that he wants to run in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Of the nine open Breeders’ Cup races that have been won by females over males, three have come in the Sprint: Very Subtle in 1987, Safely Kept in 1990 and Desert Stormer in 1995. Last year, the filly Xtra Heat came within a half-length of beating Squirtle Squirt in the Sprint, and she’ll be back for another try in a couple weeks.

Kona Gold, after winning the Sprint in 2000, could do no better than seventh last year. Headley thought that by running--and finishing second--in the 2000 Ancient Title, Kona Gold was knocked out coming back three weeks later in the Breeders’ Cup. For that reason, he withheld Kona Gold from Saturday’s Ancient Title, and after the race he cited the proximity of the Santa Anita race to the Breeders’ Cup as a reason not to send Kalookan Queen to Arlington.

Alex Solis, who rode Kalookan Queen in the Ancient Title, will stick with the 8-year-old Kona Gold in the Breeders’ Cup and Mike Smith, who has never ridden Kalookan Queen, will pick up the mount on the mare at Arlington. Kona Gold’s 1:07 3/5 time at Churchill Downs two years ago is fastest ever for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He will become the first horse to run in five Breeders’ Cup races.

By the way, this was Headley’s answer to that so-called hypothetical: “It would be just like Kona running against the Pistol. They’d both be there, and then you’d have to see who got the nod.”

Son Of A Pistol, who was still running when he was a 9-year-old, was another of Headley’s crack sprinters.

He beat Kona Gold by a nose in the 2000 San Carlos Handicap at Santa Anita.

*

A Ransom, the quarter horse world champion in 2000 and undefeated this year, will meet Tailor Fit, world champion in 1999 and 2001 and winless this year, in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship at the Orange County track Saturday night.

In a 10-horse field, the rivals have drawn adjoining posts. Tailor Fit, who will be ridden by Bubba Brossette, will break from the No. 3 hole, just inside of A Ransom and Carlos Bautista. Runahalf and Royal N Rowdy drew the two inside posts, and outside A Ransom, in order, are All American Jewel, Rare Coup, Dashin Bye, Pure D Cool, Whosleavingwho and Solar Dash.

The winner of Saturday’s 440-yard race qualifies for the Champion of Champions race at Los Alamitos on Dec. 14.

A Ransom has already qualified for the Champion of Champions with his win in the Vessels Maturity on Aug. 10.