Columnist Ralph Siraco: Most Breeders’ Cup horses do poorly at end of year

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Dec. 6, 2004 | 9:14 a.m.

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

Life after the Breeders' Cup is rough. At least for those who compete in the sport's championship day and then live to fight another before year's end. Maybe fight is not a good description.

One of the most reliable handicapping tools for post-Breeders' Cup competition is again raising its head. Horses who race in the Breeders' Cup events then wheel back and continue to compete in the final two months of that year do terribly. And they are usually over-bet because of all the year-end championship recognition they get -- whether they win or not.

The Breeders' Cup is traditionally held the last weekend of October or the first weekend of November, leaving almost two months left on the calendar. Summarily, most Breeders' Cup winners and those who make their Breeders' Cup appearances as the swan song of a career end the season of competition with the championship finale. This year, Classic winner Ghostzapper, Filly and Mare Turf victress Ouija Board, Sprint victor Speightstown, Juvenile Fillies winner Sweet Catomine and Distaff taker Ashado have all called it a year, by either retirement or R & R before their 2005 racing campaigns. The connections of Breeders' Cup winner Singletary were teetering with the decision of running their Mile victor in the Autumn Turf Festival at Hollywood Park but finally passed.

However, are a number of Breeders' Cup runners who have continued their work after the Oct. 30 championships, most of whom have bombed in post-Breeders' Cup outings.

The equation is simple. Trainers of prospective Breeders' Cup contenders gear up their charges for a peak performance on Breeders' Cup day. Win, lose or draws, each horseman has his equines wound up like eight-day clocks for the Breeders' Cup competition. An entire season is planned around a calendar highlighted by Breeders' Cup day. Period. Hit or miss, it is the make-or-break performance that is at stake.

So it stands to reason a post-Breeders' Cup letdown is reality. Nevertheless, a Breeders' Cup participant gets the attention, both at the betting windows and in the media. History shows they have not lived up to the billing.

So far this year, only three post-Breeders' Cup participants have won of at least 17 runners who have raced following their championship appearances. Runway Model (third) and Sis City (fourth) from the Juvenile Fillies and Cajun Beat (fifth) from the Sprint have gone on to win since.

Failing to win were Island Fashion (fifth) from the Distaff, Musical Chimes (sixth), Blackdoun (seventh), Nothing To Lose (11th) and Special Ring (13th) from the Mile, Moscow Burning (fourth) and Megahertz (11th) from the Filly & Mare Turf and Perfect Drift (fourth) and Fantasticat (ninth) from the Classic. Since Clock Stopper (sixth) in the Sprint came another threesome of also-rans from that race over the weekend at Hollywood Park with Kela (second), My Cousin Matt (third) and Our New Recruit (12th) failing to fire in the Vernon Underwood Stakes on Sunday.

On Saturday at Hollywood Park, a Breeders' Cup winner went down in flames.

Better Talk Now, who won the Breeders' Cup Turf, ventured to Southern California looking to stake a claim for a divisional Eclipse Award. Although Better Talk Now beat the best turf runners at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30, Turf runner-up Kitten's Joy was still seen as the front-runner for the Turf Male Eclipse Award. Considering a rough journey in the Breeders' Cup Turf outing and the long odds of Better Talk Now's $57.80 upset win payoff, many were willing to give Kitten's Joy a BC pass.

That reasoning led Better Talk Now to the Hollywood Turf Cup. If he could parlay a Grade I Hollywood win with the Breeders' Cup victory, it would prove the Breeders' Cup Turf victory was no fluke for Better Talk Now. Now, after finishing a non-threatening fifth in the Hollywood Turf Cup, Better Talk Now becomes another post-Breeders' Cup flop.

And it's not over yet.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko is set to run in the Hollywood Futurity on Saturday, Dec. 18. Scheduled to face the Juvenile leader is Proud Accolade, who finished sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Also set to take on that pair of Breeders' Cup runners is Del Mar Futurity and Prevue winner Declan's Moon.

Beware. You have been warned.