Some final thoughts on an intriguing day at Santa Anita before we head into the post-Breeders' Cup pre-Kentucky Derby prep doldrums

The timing of the Breeders' Cup must be changed so that it no longer conflicts with the World Series. It's hard enough for racing to get exposure and muscle its way to the forefront of the crowded sports landscape as it is. To consistently run it during the World Series guarantees that the Breeders' Cup is going to get the sort shrift in the media and that the general sports fan is going to pay little attention to the event. What's the harm in running it a week later, on a Saturday afternoon when it would compete against college football, and nothing else, for the spotlight?

After another disastrous Breeders' Cup afternoon, perhaps Bobby Frankel wants to rethink his strategy of giving most of his horses long layoffs before the big event. It's just not working. Frankel was 0-for-8 and lost with four favorites, most of whom weren't nearly as sharp as they had been during the rest of the year. Of his eight starters, only one, Sightseek had raced in the months of October. Peace Rules (63 days), Aldebaran (55 days), Midas Eyes (140 days), Megahertz (91 days) and Medaglia D'oro (62 days) were coming off ridiculously long layoffs. Frankel used the same strategy in 2002 and came up with just one winner from seven starters.

Has anyone noticed that Bob Baffert hasn't exactly set the Breeders' Cup on fire, either? Baffert was 0-for-4 this year, sinking his Breeders' Cup record to 3-for-40.

Have we put that Europeans can't compete in the heat thing to rest yet?

Would the trainers who ran and hid from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile as if the race were some sort of boogeyman like to rethink their decision? The only Grade I winner in the field, Cuvee, crashed and burned and a horse who was coming off a maiden win by a nose in a slow time won the race. There was some very easy money to be made here, not to mention a 2-year-old championship. Some otherwise smart people blew it.

The Breeders' Cup is a great event and everything but a great event still needs stars and it needs showdowns to create great theater. Both were missing this year. There was no buzz at Santa Anita. Buzz is good.

Since the one person holding a winning ticket on the Breeders' Cup Ultra Pick Six made the bet in North Dakota, there's no doubt that the player was one of those high rollers who play out of the rebate shops. The person no doubt invested thousands on the bet, which doesn't exactly make the $2,687,611 hit a warm and fuzzy story. Nonetheless, that was one hell of a handicapping feat. How does anyone come up with Cajun Beat ($47.60), Action This Day ($55.60) and Pleasantly Perfect ($30.40) on the same ticket?

Did they really have to take 10 minutes to post the order of finish for the Turf. What, was there a long line at the Fotomat? It took one glance at the picture to see that it was a dead heat between Johar and High Chaparall. What, exactly, was the problem?

I really wanted to vote against Mineshaft for Horse of the Year after he bailed out of the Breeders' Cup Classic. In a perfect scenario, the award would have gone to someone who showed up and stepped up on the day it really mattered. That didn't happen. Mineshaft is Horse of the Year.

Alex Solis won two races and Julie Krone, as usual, got all the publicity. The best riding feat of the day, however, was turned in by Pat Valenzuela. Speed wins races and there's no one better at getting a horse out front than Valenzuela. His ride aboard Adoration in the Distaff was brilliant. An inferior horse won the race because of her jockey.

Besides Halfbridled, did any Breeders' Cup winner clinch an Eclipse Award? Probably not. Who's the 2-year-old champ? The grass champion? The 3-year-old filly champ? Most division titles are a mess, a creation of so many weird results on the big day.

New York has had better days. The Yankees lose the World Series and New York horses are awful in the Breeders' Cup. Horses who were primarily based in New York this fall were 0-for-17. New Yorkers Volponi and Funny Cide combined for the last-place exacta in the Classic.

Copyright © 2003 by Bill Finley