Dixie Chatter is scratched from Juvenile

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- It has been rainy in this part of New Jersey the last two days. More rain is expected, which could put a damper on the Breeders’ Cup races at Monmouth Park today and Saturday.

And there was more bad news Thursday.

Dixie Chatter, winner of the Norfolk Stakes at Oak Tree at Santa Anita on Sept. 30, was scratched from Saturday’s Juvenile, a 1 1/16 -mile race for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

“He had a little temperature,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “We’ve got to err on the side of caution.”

It was the second consecutive day a Southern California horse was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup because of a fever. On Wednesday, Bob Baffert pulled Cry And Catch Me from the Juvenile Fillies.

Dixie Chatter, who was to have been ridden by Richard Migliore, had been installed as a 10-1 shot from the No. 11 post. Still in the Juvenile is Salute The Sarge, who as a slight favorite finished second in the Norfolk to Dixie Chatter.

Another scratch Thursday was Attila’s Storm from the Sprint. Attila’s Storm, trained by Richard Schosberg, finished a distant third in the Forego Stakes at Saratoga. Schosberg said his horse had a sore left front ankle.

Attila’s Storm may be gone, but the storm that has brought rain to this area was still around Thursday, and the forecast calls for a 100% chance of rain today and an 80% chance Saturday.

Dennis Dowd, executive vice president of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, which operates Monmouth Park, is trying to stave off the rain.

He told the Asbury Park Press it wasn’t going to rain because it had never rained on other major races he has been involved in. Then at a media luncheon Wednesday, he said, “After all but guaranteeing it won’t rain in the newspaper, I have to say I don’t believe I can really stop the rain. But I’m going to try.”

After the luncheon, Dowd said: “Anyone from New Jersey knows if it rains on Wednesday it doesn’t rain on Saturday.”

Dowd remained upbeat as New Jersey’s first Breeders’ Cup neared. He was particularly excited that, for the first time, the 24th Breeders’ Cup is a two-day event, with three new $1-million races today and then the traditional eight Saturday races that now offer more than $23 million in prize money.

“It’s a win-win for us,” Dowd said.

Monmouth Park is a historic track that opened in 1870; the current structure has been around since 1946. A $30-million upgrade for the Breeders’ Cup included 28,000 temporary seats resulting in an expanded capacity of 40,000.

The track is usually dark this time of year. But when it landed this Breeders’ Cup two years ago with a $4-million guarantee, a four-day meet was planned. That meet began Wednesday.

“When the Breeders’ Cup people came to us in January with the idea of expanding to Friday, we were thrilled about it,” Dowd said. “It meant a bigger crowd . . . Friday and a good lead-in to Saturday.”

And it should generate another $1 million in track revenue for the Breeders’ Cup.

The lead-in appeals to ESPN as well. The two hours of coverage on ESPN2 this afternoon will help promote the seven hours on ESPN Saturday, said Len DeLuca, the network’s senior vice president.

Today’s coverage on ESPN2 does not figure to get much of a viewing audience, so DeLuca was asked about possibly going to a Saturday-Sunday format.

“We would be willing to sit down and discuss that,” he said.

The Breeders’ Cup next year will be held during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita, and there is already talk of a fourth race Friday.

larry.stewart@latimes.com