The two-day Breeders’ Cup Championship begins Friday, Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Cal. Over the course of 14 races, 160 horses will compete for top honors as Breeders’ Cup champions. For those that don’t follow horse racing after the first Saturday in May, the Breeders’ Cup is to horse racing as the Super Bowl is to football or the World Series is to baseball; the best of the best come together to compete in the Breeders’ Cup. In last year’s Breeders’ Cup, locals took home the grand prize in seven of nine races on the Saturday card. Four of those winners will return to attempt a repeat.
Louisville favorite Dale Romans is stacked with contenders in this year’s Breeders’ Cup. He’ll send out five runners, including defending Breeders’ Cup Turf champion, Little Mike. After last year’s win, Little Mike shipped to Dubai where he competed in the Dubai Duty Free (G1) on the Dubai World Cup card. The overseas adventure must have taken something out of the gelding because he was slow to return to form, getting his first win for the year in the Belmont Turf Classic Sep. 28. The Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) is race 9 on Saturday’s card.
Romans also sends out Silver Max, who comes in on a three-race win streak. He’ll attempt the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) over the turf course. It’s the 11th race on the Saturday card. Suns Out Guns Out will try to go the distance when he tackles the 1 ¾ mile Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G2), the first of the Breeders’ Cup races and race 6 on the Friday card.
