ARCADIA, Calif. - With 149 horses, including nine winners from last year's Breeders' Cup, in 14 races over 2 days on the Santa Anita artificial surface, there is information overload for those of us less concerned about facts and figures and more concerned about bankrolls.
The world's three most powerful stables, Godolphin, Coolmore and Juddmonte, have 20 percent of the horses. Steve Asmussen, who already has won 550 races this year, has just one horse in the BC. Two winners of fall Philadelphia Park stakes are running - Careless Jewel (Cotillion) in today's Ladies Classic and Canadian Ballet (Turf Amazon) in tomorrow's Turf Sprint. Neither America's best horse (Rachel Alexandra) nor Europe's best horse (Sea The Stars) is here.
More important, consider that Europeans won three grass races and two main-track races last year. And there are 30 Euro horses entered over the 2 days.
TODAY'S RACES
MARATHON
1. Mastery. 2. Cloudy's Knight.
3. Nite Light.
Mastery certainly gets the trip as he just won at this crazy 1 3/4-mile distance. The amazing Jonathan Sheppard brought 9-year-old Cloudy's Knight off a year layoff and promptly won two stakes. Nite Light should be loose on the lead.
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
1. Tapitsfly. 2. Lillie Langtry.
3. Rose Catherine.
My clocker friends love Tapitsfly and she will be a big price. Lillie Langtry's Euro form sort of jumps off the page.
JUVENILE FILLIES
1. She Be Wild. 2. Connie and Michael. 3. Blind Luck.
She Be Wild had some issues when second in Alcibiades at Keeneland after three dominating wins at Arlington Park. Connie and Michael was dazzling in her maiden win.
FILLY AND MARE TURF
1. Forever Together. 2. Midday.
3. Rutherienne.
Defending champ Forever Together finally gets the hard turf she loves for Sheppard who is having one of the best years in his Hall of Fame career. Midday has been right there with some of Europe's best fillies.
FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
