Breeders' Cup Preview: Classic

This is it! The big race of the year, with a ton of storylines. Before I get into the Pros and Cons, I bring the If's! More after the jump.


If Game On Dude wins, he will be Horse of the Year.

If Fort Larned, Ron the Greek or Mucho Macho Man win, then you can say that they had bad seasons, but they also won their final preps and still got it.

If Flat Out wins it will show he is just not a Belmont wonderhorse.

If Palace Malice or Will Take Charge win, that will be 3yo Honors coming to them.

If Moreno wins then his trainer will go "HAHA!".

If Planteur or Declaration of War win, it will be only the third time a European horse has won the Classic.

If Graydar wins then it will throw the summer races that he missed out the window.

If Last Gunfighter wins I think everyone (including myself) will go humm...

If Paynter wins it will prove that science and the power of prayer are truly miraculous.

In Alphabetical order:

Declaration of War (War Front)

Trainer: Aiden O'Brien
Wins: Queen Anne, Juddmonte International

Pros: Defeated Animal Kingdom in what was the KY Derby winner's last start, won his last race, trainer was runner up in the Classic in 00 and 08. Dam is a 1/2 sister to Belmont winner Union Rags.

Cons: Hasn't run since August, never run on dirt before

Flat Out (Flatter)

Trainer: Bill Mott
Wins: Westchester, Suburban

Pros: 3rd in last year's race, didn't win final prep which might be more of an advantage then disadvantage.

Cons: Hasn't won outside of Belmont in a long time, has not finished in the top three outside of NY this year so far.

Fort Larned (E Dubai)

Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Wins: Stephen Foster, Homecoming

Pros: Defending Champ, won his last race

Cons: 0 for 3 outside of Churchill this year, had a minor injury that caused him to miss a race, only 1 horse has defended his Classic title.

Game On Dude (Awesome Again)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Wins: San Antonio, Santa Anita Handicap, Charles Town Classic, Hollywood Gold Cup, Pacific Classic

Pros: Undefeated this year, has 2 wins over the surface, coming in well rested, runner up in this race in the past. Sire won the Classic.

Cons: Hasn't run since August, bombed last year when all he had to do was win and he was HOY.

Graydar (Unbridled's Song)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Wins: Donn, New Orleans Handicap, Kelso

Pros: Hasn't lost this year, his final prep gave him good seasoning challenge wise. Sire won the Juvenile.

Cons: 3 starts this year, injury kept him out all summer.

Last Gunfighter (First Samurai)

Trainer: Chad Brown
Wins: Evening Attire, Excelsior, Pimlico Special, Iselin

Pros: 2nd at this distance to Flat Out.

Cons: Finished off the board in his last race, previous fields with the exception of facing Flat Out suspect.

Moreno (Ghostzapper)

Trainer: Eric Guillot
Wins: Dwyer

Pros: 2nd in his last two starts, one of them was a nose loss. Sire won the Classic.

Cons: His trainer filed a protest (that failed), 11 starts this year, has yet to face older.

Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno)

Trainer: Kathy Ritvo
Wins: Awesome Again

Pros: Runner up in this race last year, won the local prep, could finally be putting it together. By a Juvenile winner whose half brother won the Classic.

Cons: 1 win this year, eased against Ron the Greek earlier this year.

Palace Malice (Curlin)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Wins: Belmont, Jim Dandy

Pros: 2nd against older in his last, coming in with good form. Sire won the Classic.

Cons: 0 for 4 this year outside of NY, beaten handily by Ron the Greek in last

Paynter (Awesome Again)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Wins: Allowance

Pros: Runner up in the local prep race, it is truly a miracle that he is still with us, from the female family of a Classic winner and by a Classic winner.

Cons: His return hasn't been all smooth sailing, last at Saratoga (on a muddy track) and he was wide against Mucho Macho Man in his last.

Planteur (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))

Trainer: Marco Botti
Wins: Winter Derby Trial, Winter Hill

Pros: 3rd twice in the Dubai World Cup, has faced the likes of Animal Kingdom, So You Think and Frankel. Broodmare sire was runner up in the Classic in 00 (to Paynter's uncle).

Cons: Never been on dirt, 12th in his last race.

Ron the Greek (Full Mandate)

Trainer: Bill Mott
Wins: Sunshine Millions Classic, Jockey Club Gold Cup

Pros: Won on this surface in the past, ran well in last year's Classic

Cons: Has had rotten luck all year before JCGC was either 3rd or 4th in his last 5 starts. Has age finally caught up to him?

Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song)

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Wins: Smarty Jones, Rebel, Travers, PA Derby

Pros: His trainer is having a career renaissance with not only him, but Preakness winner Oxbow as well. He might be peaking just at the right time. Sire won the Juvenile.

Cons: His Travers win was under scrutiny for a while. Travers winners records in the Classic haven't been great.