There's more than one big race meeting this weekend with Santa Anita in the US playing host to the Breeders Cup and More Than Ready (USA) expected to play a prominent role.
Champion 2yo sire More Than Ready has a trio of hopefuls heading to Santa Anita headed by Daredevil in the G1 BC Juvenile (1710m) on Saturday. He also has Partisan Politics and Tammy The Torpedo engaged in the G1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf (1600m) on Friday.
Vinery sires dominated the Australian two year-old landscape earlier this year and they can make a similar impact in the Breeders' Cup Juveniles this weekend.
Vinery shuttler Big Brown has Nicky's Brown Miss ready for battle with the More Than Ready stablemates in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. And the Kentucky Derby winner is double-handed with the Puca in the G1 Juvenile Fillies (1710m) on Saturday.
Puca is a late developer and she travels to the west coast after an overwhelming 16 length victory in New York on October 1. Among her rivals is Congrats filly Top Decile who is coming off a close second in the G1 Alcibiabes Stakes at Keeneland on October 3.
Daredevil (2c More Than Ready – Chasethewildwind by Forty Niner) is the new $3.50 market-leader for the BC Juvenile following the withdrawal of American Pharoah on Tuesday. He is favoured to give More Than Ready a third Breeders' Cup 2YO victory following Pluck and More Than Real in 2010.
Daredevil is prepared by Todd Pletcher who also conditioned More Than Ready and Pluck.
Pletcher is poised to win an unprecedented fifth straight crown this year with earnings of $19.74 million. He is more than $8 million ahead of Chad Brown who trains Partisan Politics and Tammy The Torpedo.
Daredevil finished his Breeders' Cup preparation with a smart hit-out at Belmont Park on Sunday before flying out to California. With raceday rider Javier Castellano up, he reeled off 1000 metres in 60.71s in company with stakes winner Blofeld.
"He's only run twice so I figured it would be an education for him to work on the inside," Pletcher said. "I thought he was very impressive."
The Hall Of Fame trainer was philosophical when Daredevil drew wide in barrier 12. "There's nothing we can do about it and we're going to do the best we can from what we got. Sometimes horses pull bad trips from good posts and vice versa."
Pletcher would have had the 2010 Juvenile Turf in mind when quizzed about Breeders' Cup barriers. Pluck missed the kick from an outside gate at Churchill Downs and then had to hurdle a fallen horse shortly after the start.
He was tailed off in the back stretch but weaved through the field with an explosive turn of foot to win going away.
Pluck is a replica of More Than Ready and his initial book at Vinery was fully subscribed with 150 mares. His first yearlings have been catalogued for the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
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