Columnist Ralph Siraco: Upsets add intrigue to Breeders’ Cup races

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Oct. 18, 1999 | 1:50 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday. Write to him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

Thoroughbred racing's Super Bowl is just 20 days away.

The 16th Breeders' Cup and its annual eight-race showdown for year-end honors is shaping up to be a wide-open affair for the best horses in training.

Just 10 days ago, it looked as if this edition of the equine superstars' competition would have several headliners in their respective divisions with a few mano-a-mano matches to decide this year's Eclipse Award winners.

In past years, standout horses would display their finest talents on the national stage to solidify the undisputed position of best of the year. Cigar stamped his destiny with a flawless performance in his shining hour of 1995. And who could forget Personal Ensign's victory in 1988 as the only undefeated Breeders' Cup winner?

The final chapter of Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer in 1989 climaxed a great rivalry with the Derby-Preakness winner nailing down the Horse of the Year trophy with the victory.

Just a month ago, this Breeders' Cup had the possibility of a legendary matchup in Silverbulletday vs. Banshee Breeze, the defense of Buck's Boy's 1998 Turf victory, the coronation of Forest Camp, More Than Ready or Chilukki and a repeat Eclipse Award for Fiji in the first-ever Breeders' Cup Turf Fillies and Mares, with Behrens surviving the handicap set to take the centerpiece Classic.

Now, all but Chilukki must repair tarnished records to recapture the division honors most of them dominated leading up to the Breeders' Cup on November 6.

Over the past two weekends, more contenders and serious players have emerged with stellar performances to beat those division leaders in final Breeders' Cup preps. These developments ensure a Gulfstream Park donnybrook that could make Hurricane Irene look like an April shower.

Here's what happened in the preps to set the stage for Breeders' Cup:

* THE DISTAFF: Belmont Park's Beldame was expected to be another victory for the sensational sophomore filly Silverbulletday. But when the track came up sloppy, the advantage went to Beautiful Pleasure, who took the lead and splashed to a front-running victory and into the thick of Breeders' Cup contention.

Silverbulletday suffered her second lifetime defeat as she lost over the Big Apple track for the second time this year.

Keeper Hill elbowed her way into the lineup with a rail-skimming victory at Keeneland in the Spinster on Saturday. Banshee Breeze, like Silverbulletday, was expected to win her prep and set up a showdown that now appears to be a four-way battle.

* THE SPRINT: This usually oversubscribed race got a trio of bona fide contenders. Richter Scale upset the likes of Bet on Sunshine and Yes It's True to win the Phoenix BC at Keeneland on Saturday. Meanwhile, Lexicon stamped his ticket to Florida by defeating Kona Gold with a speedy victory in the Ancient Title BC at Santa Anita on Sunday.

But the most impressive prep performance for this shortest of Breeders' Cup races was turned in by Artax in the Forest Hills Handicap, also on Saturday, at Belmont Park. The sometimes-fractious runner came out of the starting gate with business on his mind and zipped through his six-panel Breeders' Cup rehearsal in a track-record time of 1:07:3, leaving Good And Tough and Intidab in his wake.

* THE MILE: Silic ran down Bouccaneer to capture the Oak Tree BC Mile and thwarted the hopes of Dixie Dot Com while Brave Act finished third. At Belmont, Middlesex Drive won the Kelso 'Cap while Kirkwall upset a good field of milers in the Keeneland Turf Mile.

* THE TURF: Val's Prince made it two graded victories in a row with the Turf Classic at Belmont Park. While Buck's Boy continues training for his BC title defense, in the shadow of his most recent defeat at Woodbine, word from Europe is surfacing that Daylami, who finished off the board in the recent 'Arc in France, may be a late re-entry into the marathon field. He successfully invaded the States last year to capture a Belmont Breeders' Cup prep before returning to Europe.

* THE JUVENILE FILLIES: Of course Chilukki stayed at the top of this class when she extended her undefeated streak in winning the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita last weekend. However, Surfside -- a daughter of 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Flanders -- is gaining support for a Cup upset with her gutsy comeback victory in the Frizette over a sloppy Belmont strip on the same weekend.

* THE JUVENILE: This volatile group produced a few turnaround victories in Breeders' Cup preps. The Champagne at Belmont saw Greenwood Lake come from way off the pace to run down Chief Seattle and High Yield to win as More Than Ready faltered badly for his second straight defeat. "Ready" may not be, but Greenwood Lake is headed to Gulfstream.

At Santa Anita, Dixie Union re-established himself as the top West Coast contender when he turned the tables on Del Mar Futurity winner Forest Camp in winning the Norfolk Stakes last weekend. At Keeneland, Captain Steve vaulted into the Florida fray with a win in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity.

* THE FILLIES & MARES TURF: This inaugural addition to the championship day was established to give marathon turf distaffers a race. Last year's Eclipse Award winner in the category, Fiji, has lost twice in a short span trying to tighten up for a chance to win this first-ever event. Fiji was soundly beaten in her comeback outing at Santa Anita in the Yellow Ribbon and returned to finish third in Friday's Vinery First Lady over the Keeneland lawn.

Happyanunoit won for the second time in three recent starts but may not be going to the big show at Gulfstream because of eligibility. However, Perfect Sting, the sophomore winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup over the same Keeneland layout, could have very well punched a ticket to Florida with that game victory.

* THE CLASSIC: Berhens was the leader of handicap contenders by virtue of his survival and consistency in the division -- until the Jockey Club Gold Cup was run last weekend. River Keen had invaded New York to win the Woodward Stakes as a prelude to his authoritative victory over Berhens in the JCGC. He may have to prove it all over again -- for the third time -- to convince bluebloods that one can win the Classic with a horse that was "claimed" for a mere $100,000 earlier this year. But if the connections of Budroyale decide to give the Big 'Cup a shot -- rather than the knockdown Cal 'Cup at Santa Anita -- the bluebloods may have a high white count. This $50,000 "claim" out-gamed the highly regarded General Challenge and Old Trieste in winning the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita on Saturday and the two could combine to take down a twentyfold profit for their astute connections.