Your BC Hopefuls 2024

Racing Famous Races/Horses
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With about a month to go, I imagine most people have figured out who they’re hoping to send to the BC. What big horses does everyone had waiting in the wings? I feel BC and Dubai day are usually the scariest racemeets of the year. :laughing:

No Juvenile entries for me, as my 2yo crop this year has been mostly dismal. However, we’re pretty loaded for the rest (presuming no one trips over a rock and hurts themselves beforehand, and that rankings are correct):

Breeders’ Cup Mile - Will send GCh. Amatus and Ch. Twice Blessed. Amatus is coming off a 2nd in the G1 Flower Bowl Invitational. Twice is Blessed is coming off a 2nd in the G2 Sunline Stakes.

Breeders’ Cup Filly/Mare Turf - Will send GCh. Harken and GCh. Crown of Oak. Harken is coming off a win in the G1 Flower Bowl Invitational; she hasn’t been worse than 2nd this year. Crown of Oak recently won the G1 Personal Ensign Handicap, and has won 4 of her 5 starts this year.

Breeders’ Cup Filly/Mare Sprint - One entry with Ch. Cabaret, who hasn’t won this year but has finished 2nd in 4 of 5 starts.

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile -Sending Ch. Proenza Schouler, coming off a win in the G1 Ruffian Stakes.

Breeders’ Cup Distaff - Sending GCh. Flaming Key and Ch. Heavy Sugar. Flaming Key was 2nd in the G1 Ruffian Stakes last out, and although Heavy Sugar is coming off a 5th, she’s won 4 of her 6 starts this year.

Breeders’ Cup Classic - Sending GCh. Local Haunt. I’m really hoping for a win from Local Haunt, who won the G1 Pegasus back in January, but has mostly finished 3rd ever since.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint - Will send Ch. Lights Out, who has really come into his own this year. Was 2nd last out in the G2 A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap.

Breeders’ Cup Turf - Ch. Chortle is a bit of a longshot, having just started hitting the board later in the year. Was 3rd last out in the G1 Turf Classic Invitational.

We seem to do best in the BC Steeplechases, so I am quite hopeful for these guys…

Breeders’ Cup SC Distaff Endurance - GCh. Unimpeded returns to defend her title. Won the G2 Set In Her Ways Stakes last out.

Breeders’ Cup SC Classic - Genuinely not a match up I want, but here we are. Will be sending GCh. Dark Ages and GCh. Beratis. Dark Ages seeks his 7th SW, and is coming off a 3rd in the G1 Hard Scuffle. Beratis just cinched his stakes qualification with his prior start, a win in the G1 Joe Aitcheson. Dark Ages won this race in 2021.

Breeders’ Cup SC Endurance - Sending GCh. Honedukes, who won the G3 Holcolmbe Stakes last out. He is 1 SW from stud qualification.

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This is funny because my 2yos are the only ones that know which way the winner’s circle is in stakes this year. 3/4 of those going are homebreds which is VERY exciting for me.

  1. Zendaya is headed to the Juvenile Fillies Turf. The apple of my virtual eye! She’s won 4 of 6 races with a win the G2 Riesling Slipper Trial, the G3 Graduation stakes and a rallying 4th in the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes. She ran the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes in open company on 9/30, placing 3rd just a head behind the admirable Whats My Scene (Powerhouse filly at Lochiedo) and is on her way home to NY to rest until BC day. I’m hoping that her competitiveness in against open company means she shines against fillies on the big day and I expect a thrilling finish!

  2. Wonderous is headed towards the Juvenille Fillies Dirt. She placed 3rd in the G1 Spinaway and 2nd in the G2 Arlington-Washington Lassie. She was a supplemental nom.

  3. Centurian is headed to the Juvenille Dirt. He won the G3 Tremont, placed in the G2 Saratoga Special and ran 4th in the G1 Futurity Stakes. He’s donning an SR for the first time, so hopefully it pays off.

  4. HRH Historian is headed to the Juvenile Turf. He just shipped back from Oz where he ran 2nd in the G2 Pago Pago, prior to that he had near misses with 4th in the G1 Beach Shore and G1 Phoenix Stakes. He won the G1 Middle Park and ran 3rd in the G3 Coventry Stakes. He’s on strict rest until nearly day of as he’s been a world traveler.

  5. Forevermore is headed to the BC Sprint. He’s a spotty OTB stakes horse, but he’s worth a shot. He’s an alternate entry but I’d say he has a good shot of getting in.

? Radiance Remains should probably get sup. nom’d to the JFT as she is 5/5 this year, but as she hasn’t seen a stakes I’m not sure.

Hilariously I’m pretty sure I have 0 horses qualified outside the juvenile category. **Wait! Firth of Fourth is 20th in the Classic. He won’t be joining to say the least.

Edited to add Forevermore and say FoF is not qualified 20th in the classic (lol).

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I don’t really have superstars this year. My best hope is probably Hans, a homebred 2yo colt by Space Chips. He’s only stakes placed though. He may run in Juvenile Dirt.
3yo Ch. I Don’t Do Drama is a stakes winner, and she had a good year. Filly & Mare Sprint.
Maybe also 2yo Danke Schön in Juvenile Fillies, although she seems to be allowance level only.

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I currently have four I’m aiming for BC. Haven’t decided yet if I want to add any last-minute nominations to the list, but for now this is it.

Filly & Mare Sprint: Towering Clover (5YO by Edinburgh), who won the G2 Distaff Breeders’ Cup in March, placed in the G3 Bed O’ Roses Breeders’ Cup Handicap in April, and won the G3 Honorable Miss Handicap in July. May still be a longshot (she ran 4th in the G1 Ballerina Stakes last month, but she was 3rd in the BC Dirt Mile in 2022 and has been taking it easy since her August race, so we’ll see how she picks up. She’s already got 14 stakes races in the top 3 out of 24 lifetime starts, 7 of which are wins.

Turf: Powerful Soul (5YO by Mantle of Power), has been 5 for 5 this year, including wins in the G1s Manikato Stakes, International Stakes, and Arlington Million. 12f is further than he’s run this year, but he’s run that distance twice in his career and both were wins. He needs one more stakes win and a top-three placing to qualify for stud. Hoping he’ll keep up his momentum in the BC.

Distaff: Fractal (5YO by Changeling), has won 3 of 5 starts this year (none below 4th), including a win in the G1 Go For Wand Stakes. May be a bit of a gamble since she seems to be slowing down a tad, but she won this same race two years ago, so she should know the course at least. 15 of her 30 lifetime starts have been in the top 3 of stakes races (7 have been G1s).

Mile: Aria (6YO by TakeMeToHollywood), has been 4th or better in 6 starts this year. She won the BC Mile last year and set a speed record at 6f in March of this year. Over last year and this year, she’s won 8 stakes races, so I think she has a pretty solid chance.

Edit 1
Just nominated Second Fizz (2YO by Unabridged) for the BC Juvenile following today’s win in the G1 Champagne Stakes. He placed 2nd in last month’s G1 Hopeful Stakes, so it looks like he’s got a good chance in the BC.

Edit 2
Curiosity got the better of me. I’m adding 2 more to my list of BC hopefuls.

First is Kiss The Fool (3YO by Foolhardy) in the BC Dirt Mile. She’s won 3 stakes races this year: G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes, G3 Withers Stakes, and the G1 King’s Bishop Stakes. She also ran 3rd in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks in March. I haven’t been crazy about the finish times for her, but with her record, I think she’s worth taking a gamble on. She won the BC Juvenile Fillies last year, too.

Second is longshot Sunstep (2YO by Calle de Oro) in the BC Juvenile Fillies. She’s only had one foray into the world of stakes races, but that one was her win last month in the G1 Matron Stakes. She’s only #13 in the rankings at the moment, and this race will be a half furlong longer than she’s ever run, but I feel like she deserves this chance.

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I haven’t really looked closely at my qualified horses as they can’t seem to run out of their stalls with the door wide open at the moment! I’ll try and have a look when Shanthi does the next update and then I can flag any not likely to run which might help anyone with horses lower down the list.

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Depending on the fields I might throw in Devil’s Shoestring as a last-minute entry, but all my BC hopefuls have bombed their last outing.

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I haven’t entered a BC race yet, but this year might be my first entry with Handy Night! She has only run in 3 stakes races, but has one G3 stakes win and a stakes place. She was 4th in the Gr. 1 Golden Slipper Stakes today behind Whats My Scene and Zendaya.

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Breeders Cup plans

DIRT MILE

Never Going Back

SC CLASSIC

Vague Guide

Dream In Navy

JUV DIRT

Bold Bridge

In De Mix

DISTAFF

Daiquiri

F&M TURF

Power Of Love

SC DISTAFF

Unequalled Flight

F&M DIRT SPRINT

Barolia

SC SPRINT

Jaded Myth

Calloway

DIRT SPRINT

Fooltogo

JUV TURF

Plot Hole

TURF MILE

Bells Beach

SC ENDURANCE

Vague Writer

Enemies Beware

CLASSIC

Northern Invasion

TURF SPRINT

Frank’s town Spring

TURF

In The Stars

Never Let Go

SC DISTAFF ENDURANCE

Amazing Beam

Quite a few runners this year, only the two juvenile fillies races with none good enough
Good luck all

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Provided everyone stays sound, I’m planning on sending the following to the BC races:

Archipelago - Turf Sprint
Smooch - Filly & Mare Turf
Trinket - Juvenile Fillies Turf

Quercus - possibility for the Juvenile Turf.

Any of our other qualified runners are unlikely to run.

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I am SO EXCITED to actually have horses qualified for the BC this year!

SC Distaff

Must be Glory (6yo, Magic Glory)

Raindrop (6yo, Gilded Saint) – I paid a late nomination fee for her since she was ranked #4, so I am really crossing my fingers that the investment pays off.

SC Sprint

Queen of Egypt (5yo, Magic Glory)

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@Shanthi or someone remind me: only horses in the top 20 can enter, correct (with top 14 given preference, then the 15-20 reserves)? Even if we have a horse nominated, if they aren’t in the top 20 there won’t be an opportunity to fill any remaining spots last-minute? I feel this question comes up every year, and I should definitely know by now.

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I’m pretty sure it is only Top 20 horses, but I’m not sure about last minute not being full exceptions.

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I thought I read that the last day of entering is open to all horses?

I still consider myself a newbie though, so I could be totally wrong :joy_cat:

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No. The last day for entering does not mean that you can enter any horse. Only the top 20 qualifiers in each race can be entered. If you want to Supplement one (or more) of your horses, you can, although there is no guarantee that even if you Supplement them, they’ll still be in the top 20.

Obviously, the lower the Supplement ranking your horse has, the better their chance of being in the top 20 qualifiers.

One other thing with regard to entries, there is no limit as to how many horses you can enter in a race. For these races, the 3 horse limit (or 2 for 2YO’s) doesn’t apply.

Hopefully this answers your questions and also makes sense.

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I always mess this up…
some of mine aren’t in top 20 so won’t be able to enter (even though I’ve supplemented them)
Will remember to not make the same mistake next year :joy:

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Thanks @Starfish! That answered my question. I kept thinking entries open to all nominated horses, then started second guessing myself and finding OLD threads of this same question and they all pointed No as well. Luckily this only changes my plans for two horses.

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