=== Pre-entries set for Breeders' Cup ===
Grand Prairie, TX (Sportsbooks) - Last year's winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic, Pleasantly Perfect and 101 horses have been pre-entered for this year's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The Breeders' Cup will be conducted at Lone Star Park on Saturday, October 30.
Thirteen horses have been pre-entered for the $4 million Classic. Pleasantly Perfect will face among others Belmont Stakes and Travers winner Birdstone. Also listed to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic is 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri.
Azeri is also pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff. Azeri won this race in 2002 on her way to being named both Older Female of 2002 and Horse of the Year. Also pre-entered in Distaff is three-year-old filly Ashado, 2002 Juvenile Filly winner Storm Flag Flying and multiple stakes winner island Fashion. Twelve fillies and mares have been pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
For the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly a total of 16 two-year-olds have been named. Only 14 thoroughbreds will be allowed to start in any of the Breeders' Cup races. The top three fillies pre-entered are Sweet Catomine, Sense of Style and Runway Model.
Only eight two-year-old colts and geldings have been pre-entered for the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Coming in from Delaware Park will be Afleet Alex winner of two stakes races at Saratoga. Also named are Champagne Stakes winner Proud Accolade and Norfolk Stakes winner Roman Ruler.
Fifteen of the fastest horses in training have been pre-entered in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint. The three top contenders named for the six-furlong event are Met Mile winner Pico Central. Speightstown and Midas Eyes. Speightstown has won seven of his last ten starts. Midas Eyes is coming off a win in the Forego Handicap.
As always many horses have been cross-entered in the three turf races on the World Thoroughbred Championship card. Eleven horses have been pre-entered in the $2 million Turf race. Kitten's Joy will face Powerscourt along with Magistretti and request for Parole.
The Breeders' Cup Mile received the most pre-entries with 19. A pair of three-year-olds are among the group. Artie Schiller and Blackdoun will take on top grass runners Freefourinternet, Honor in War and Soaring Free.
Fourteen ladies have been pre-entered for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The top two horses from the United States are Yellow Ribbon winner Light Jig and Bobby Frankel's Megahertz. Coming from Europe are Katdogawn, Nebraska Tornado and Yesterday.
The post position draw for the 21st Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be conducted on Wednesday, October 27 at Lone Star Park.
