Columnist Ralph Siraco: Still a lot to be decided for Breeders’ Cup Classic

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 12, 2004 | 9:29 a.m.

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

With racing's spa meets at Del Mar and Saratoga right around the corner, it is time to take a first look at the road to the Breeders' Cup. The year-end championship of thoroughbred racing will be presented this year at Lone Star Park, in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Oct. 30.

While the 2-year-olds will start sorting themselves out during the Del Mar and Saratoga stands, the centerpiece Breeders' Cup Classic seems to be in flux. There are still more than 15 weeks until the showdown in the Lone Star State, but the older-horse division still has some spots open. The glamour group of the spring's Triple Crown series will start to mesh with their elders just around the time the kids return to school after Labor Day.

Although sophomore-exclusive summer classics such as the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs are yet to be decided, the 3-year-old division still goes through Smarty Jones. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes star will return to the races at his home track in Philadelphia on Sept. 6.

Philadelphia Park is already making arrangements for extra accommodations at the track for Smarty Jones' start in the Pennsylvania Derby on Labor Day. Pumping up the purse to $1 million from $750,000 and adding bleacher seats are just some of the plans on the table.

But while Smarty is expected to have window dressing for competition in the city of brotherly love, he will have to put his "A" game on for the Classic. As Smarty starts gearing up for the comeback, those who sat in his jet stream are back on the track complementing his performances with solid races of their own. On Saturday, in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, Rock Hard Ten polished off five of his classmates with authority, living up to the promise he did not reach in the Belmont Stakes. The Preakness Stakes runner-up now seems on course for a rematch with Smarty and company in the Breeders Cup Classic if the son of Kris S. continues on schedule. The next stop for Rock Hard Ten may be the Travers.

The Cliff's Edge returned to the racing wars on Sunday at Belmont Park. After peaking in April with a victory in the Blue Grass Stakes, the Nick Zito trainee struggled home fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, the fourth choice in Louisville had a legitimate excuse when he threw both front shoes during the race, which led to foot problems that sidelined him until the weekend's Dwyer Stakes. The Cliff's Edge finished a workmanlike runner-up and although he was in need of the outing, he may not have beaten the winner on his best day.

Medallist rolled out of the starting gate in the one-turn 1 1/16-mile Grade II and never looked back as he reeled off suicidal fractions that shaded 1:07 for 6 furlongs. The sizzling early tempo should have played right into the closing style of The Cliff's Edge, but the winner never gave way and was just too fast.

As the sophomores wrap up racing within their age group, the leader of the handicap division is revving up for his Breeders' Cup Classic defense. Pleasantly Perfect, who won the 2003 Classic at Santa Anita, is training for a return to the races. His objective now is the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. That $1 million centerpiece of the seaside season, for 3-year-olds and up, will renew on Aug. 22.

Meanwhile, Southern Image, who was beaten by a nose in the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs last month, is still fighting an abscess that has halted his serious training. Although trainer Mike Machowsky believes his 4-year-old handicap star will resume training in a week, a start before the Pacific Classic (his next main objective) will not be in the cards.

With stablemate Medaglia d'Oro now retired, Suburban Handicap winner Peace Rules will point for the Breeders' Cup Classic to represent trainer Bobby Frankel and owner Edmond Gann. He may also join the Pacific Classic lineup.

Chilean-bred Total Impact got a perfect ground-saving trip by jockey Mike Smith in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on Sunday to prevail in the Grade I 1 1/4-mile meet title-decider. Winless in a half-dozen tries this year, Total Impact turned back Olmodavor and favorite Even The Score to win. It is unclear, however, if the Southern Hemisphere runner is eligible to race in the Breeders' Cup without paying a high supplemental fee to compete.

Others who have emerged with recent credentials for Breeders' Cup are Pico Central, Ghostzapper, Seattle Fitz, Strong Hope, Midway Road and, of course, 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide. With Smarty Jones leading the upstart sophomores, this Breeders' Cup Classic is starting to shape up.