BREEDERS' CUP AT CROSSROADS
Saturday November 07 2009
The Breeders' Cup is at a crossroads. A second successive haul of five European winners to match last year's harvest would not sit well with the locals, who already believe that the synthetic surface, which replaced traditional dirt at Santa Anita two years ago, overtly favours European horses.
Many Americans can't wait for the event to return next year to Churchill Downs, a venue that retains the traditional dirt surface. Another bumper European haul would also militate against any of the California tracks staging the Breeders' Cup in the near future.
Racing on artificial surfaces on America's west coast is now enforced by law. And few American horsemen would be happy to endorse a venue where their dirt horses are apparently inconvenienced.
It's a delicate issue -- especially since Rachel Alexandra, the dirt-proven champion three-year-old-filly and a strong candidate for Horse of the Year, bypassed the Breeders' Cup this time.
It is therefore strange to relate that a spate of American triumphs may be no bad thing from a long-term European perspective. If horses that excelled on traditional dirt throughout the year fare badly at Santa Anita this evening, there could be wholesale changes to the composition of the two-day meeting.
- Be aware that two sets of odds are available on all Breeders' Cup races. Those who fancy an American-trained horse should back it with British and Irish layers and take the price. Conversely, those who fancy a European-trained horse should back it on the American PMU (Tote), where the odds will almost certainly be bigger.
Irish Independent
