HORSE RACING
Kentucky-Bred Thoroughbreds are at home in Breeders Cup
Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - Having dominated the first 22 editions of the Breeders Cup World Championships, Kentucky-bred horses will hardly be in desperate need of a home-state advantage for Saturdays $20 million eight-race Thoroughbred showcase at Churchill Downs.
Horses bred in the Commonwealth of Kentucky had captured 99 Breeders Cup races, far outdistancing the 18-victory total compiled by horses bred in Florida, a clear second in states that have been represented by state-bred horses in the World Championships.
Kentucky-bred horses have dominated the Classic with 14 victories. California and Maryland are the only other states to have been represented by more than one state-bred victory - although Tiznow was responsible for both of Californias Classic successes in 2000-2001. Cigar (1995) and Concern (1994) scored back-to-back for Maryland. California-bred Classic contenders Lava Man and Brother Derek each have the opportunity to break the tie with Maryland, which isnt represented in the $5 million main event this year.
Only two foreign-bred horses have claimed the Classic, both of whom achieved their victories at Churchill Downs. Irish-bred Black Tie Affair won in 1991 to capture the Horse of the Year title, while Ontario-bred Awesome Again prevailed in the 1998 Classic to finish off an undefeated season.
Only two horses in this years Classic were bred outside the U.S. George Washington, who is scheduled to make his U.S. debut and run for the first time on dirt in the Classic, was bred in Ireland. The other European invader, David Junior, will also be making his U.S. and dirt debuts, but he was bred in Florida. Invasor, who is undefeated in three starts this year, will make a bid to become the first Breeders Cup Classic winner to have been bred in Argentina.
A pair of Argentina-breds achieved Breeders Cup success in the Distaff. Trainer Ron McAnally saddled Bayakoa for back-to-back victories in 1989-1990 and, two years later, saddled Paseana for a triumph in 1992. Balletto will be the only foreign-horse in the Distaff this year. The 4-year-old filly became the first and only horse bred in the United Arab Emirates to compete in the Breeders Cup in 2004, when she finished second in the Juvenile Fillies at Lone Star. In the Distaff, shell make another bid to be the first UAE-bred to win a Breeders Cup race.
Raced primarily on turf, foreign-bred horses have fared much more successfully in the turf races on Breeders Cup Day. Horses bred in Ireland have been especially successful, particularly in the Turf, in which they have won seven times, a total that matches that of horses bred in Kentucky. Irish-bred Kalanisi scored in the 2000 Turf, the last time the Breeders Cup was held at Churchill Downs.
Four Irish-bred horses, including 2005 European Horse of the Year Hurricane Run, are slated to go to post for the Turf.
In 22 runnings of the Turf, including the dead-heat between Irish-bred High Chapparal and Kentucky-bred Johar, 13 foreign-bred horses have won to the U.S. contingents 11. Since the Filly & Mare Turf was instituted in 1999, five of the seven winners have been foreign-bred. Kentucky-bred horses have fared much better in the Mile, winning 12 times.
(Courtesy of NTRA.com)
11/02 14:21:44 ET