Columnist Ralph Siraco: Breeders preps to begin in earnest at Santa Anita

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Sept. 30, 2002 | 9:06 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

Vacation time is over. Put away the No. 5 suntan lotion from Del Mar. Close the umbrella from the Saratoga monsoons. And shovel down the last deep fried Snickers bar from the Los Angeles County Fair at Fairplex Park in Pomona.

It's time to get World Thoroughbred Championships serious.

The Sport of Kings' year-end showdown known as the Breeders' Cup is less than four weeks away. A flurry of final prep races around the country will be decided within the next week. Those races, along with final preparations at host track Arlington Park, will set the stage for the best betting day of racing on the best horses racing has to offer.

The Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting will commence Wednesday and has become a proving ground for Breeders' Cup winners.

During the 18-year existence of the Breeders' Cup, Oak Tree at Santa Anita has propelled 289 runners into the single-day championship. Runners who prepped at the Southern California fall meeting have compiled 23 Breeders' Cup victories along with 27 runners-up and 25 more who finished out trifectas. That calculates to a solid 25 percent of Oak Tree runners finishing in the money on the big day.

Of the 23 Breeders' Cup winners, only the Filly & Mare Turf -- which was added to the championship day card in 1999 -- has yet to see a victory from Oak Tree runners. Three Horses Of The Year -- Tiznow in 2000, Kotashaan in 1993 and Ferdinand in 1987 -- catapulted from the Oak Tree meeting to Breeders' Cup victories and onto the golden trophy at the end of the year.

Last year, Tiznow finished third in the Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap at Oak Tree before taking the Breeders' Cup Classic for an unprecedented second time. And Val Royal captured the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile on the Santa Anita lawn before a repeat performance garnered the Breeders' Cup Mile on the Belmont Park carpet.

So the first week of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita will be pivotal for West Coast contenders pointing to the big show in Chicago Oct. 26.

The Oak Tree session has slated eight Breeders' Cup prep races for the first week. The first of the graded events that have a combined $2.35 million in purses comes on Wednesday's opening day program.

Azeri, one of the leading ladies for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, heads the field for the $200,000 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap. The Grade II event has seen Jewel Princess (1996) and Hollywood Wildcat (1993) use the race for Breeders' Cup Distaff victories.

Saturday will feature four Breeders' Cup preps.

The biggest will be the $500,000 Yellow Ribbon on the Santa Anita turf. Last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner, Banks Hill, is expected to make the trip from New York. When the Belmont Park turf course came up soft on Saturday, Banks Hill was scratched from the Flower Bowl Handicap. Thus, the Euro-champ will use this Grade I as her stateside prep before defending the title at Arlington Park.

The $250,000 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile, also on the green, will feature Congaree and Sarafan in the Grade II event. They will try to carry the Oak Tree Mile-Breeders' Cup Mile win streak to four, started by Silic (1999) and continued by War Chant (2000) and Val Royal last year.

The $200,000 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap will showcase the California sprinters. Swept Overboard will use the race as a springboard for the Breeders' Cup Sprint successfully completed by Kona Gold (2000), Elmhurst (1997) and Cardmania (1993).

The $200,000 Norfolk Stakes features the juveniles and trainer Bob Baffert may swing the impressive Vindication back for the Grade II event with stablemate Kafwain. They will try to duplicate Norfolk starts for victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by Anees (1999), Success Express (1987) Capote (1986) and Chief's Crown (1984).

Sunday will offer a trio of preps.

The $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap may produce only one Breeders' Cup Classic contender when Momentum tries to punch a ticket to the Windy City. In addition to Tiznow (2000 and '01), the Grade II steppingstone sent Alphabet Soup (1996), Ferdinand (1987) and Skywalker (1986) on to Breeders' Cup Classic victories.

The $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship will have fresh faces trying to step into Breeders' Cup consideration, as most solid contenders for the Breeders' Cup Turf come from over the pond. However, the Grade I race -- formally known as the Oak Tree Turf Championship -- produced Northern Spur (1995), Kotashaan (1993) and Great Communicator (1988) as Breeders' Cup Turf winners.

The $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes sets the sights for the juvenile fillies. The Grade II event expects a pair of Baffert trainees to head the lineup. Atlantic Ocean or Santa Catarina hope to follow in the hoofsteps of Phone Chatter (1993) and Pleasant Stage (1991) as Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winners off an Oak Leaf success.

The road to the Breeders' Cup has narrowed to the diamond lane for the biggest day in racing.

Vacation over.