Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita preview including Auguste Rodin and the Turf
Tony McFadden looks ahead to the Breeders' Cup, which returns to Santa Anita, a venue which has played host to some magic moments down the years.
The Breeders' Cup has been shared around 12 venues since its inception in 1984 but for a generation of racing fans Santa Anita feels like the meeting's true home.
Six times between 2008 and 2016 - crucially as the meeting was becoming more accessible due to enhanced TV coverage - the Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita with the San Gabriel Mountains providing an iconic and unmistakable backdrop.
There was also iconic action on the track during that period, including Raven's Pass leading home old foe Henrythenavigator in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic on a fantastic night for the European raiders as they cashed in on Santa Anita's short-lived change of surface from dirt to the synthetic Pro-Ride.
But most of the success for the Europeans at the Breeders' Cup has come on the grass and it is in the Turf itself where the raiding party have enjoyed notable dominance.
On 18 occasions this century the Turf has been won by a horse trained in Europe, though one of those times - 20 years ago at Santa Anita - the spoils were shared as Aidan O'Brien's High Chaparral had to settle for a dead-heat with relatively unconsidered local hope Johar in an all-time classic, with Luca Cumani's Falbrav only a head back in third after playing a big part in such an enthralling contest.
It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since that remarkable race - that is until you check out the blurry replay. Hasn't technology come a long way! One aspect that remains the same, though, is that High Chaparral's trainer Aidan O'Brien continues to set the standard for the others to reach and he has a leading contender in this year's Turf with Auguste Rodin, who will carry the same blue and orange silks of Michael Tabor.
There have been accolades and records aplenty for O'Brien across his lengthy career but perhaps no individual horse has highlighted his skill more starkly than Auguste Rodin who has been brought back from a couple of complete blowouts to win a Derby and an Irish Champion Stakes.
It's perhaps asking too much to be served up a race to rival that classic from 20 years ago but Timeform's ratings suggest we should be in for another close contest as only 2 lb splits a trio of high-class colts in Mostahdaf, Onesto and Auguste Rodin, with Champion Stakes winner King of Steel also in the mix under his local rider - one Frankie Dettori.
King of Steel provided Dettori with a fairytale finish to his career in Britain but perhaps the best story on Breeders' Cup night - from a European perspective anyhow - will be if £24,000 purchase Live In The Dream can land the $1 million dollar Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for his connections.
It's hard to think that the Breeders' Cup would have been on the mind of trainer Adam West or owners Steve and Jolene De'Lemos at the end of last season, which finished with defeat in a couple of handicaps off a BHA mark of 99.
Live In The Dream has flourished under rider Sean Kirrane this term, however, and there seemed to be no fluke about his Group 1 breakthrough in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York where he showed the sort of dazzling pace that ought to make him so well suited to racing in the US. There won't have been many European contenders who had the speed to lead the home team to the first bend but this one bucked that trend when doing just that on his way to finishing fourth in the Woodford last month, and he has the potential to turn an American dream into a reality.
It was a desperately disappointing night for the Europeans the last time the Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita in 2019, with Iridessa providing the sole success in the Filly And Mare Turf. But, on the back of an extremely successful meeting at Keeneland 12 months ago that resulted in six winners, hopes are surely high among the travelling contingent this year.
In all bar one of the eight races in which they are represented Europe are responsible for the market leader - prospects are looking bright under the Californian sun.
The Breeders' Cup takes place at Santa Anita on Friday 3 November and Saturday 4 November. All 14 Breeders' Cup races will be shown live on ITV3 (Friday) and ITV4 (Saturday).
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