Breeders' Cup Hopes

Monday October 26 marked the day where trainers across the world signed and delivered their Breeders' Cup Pre-Entry Forms with the hopes of bringing home a champion. Wherever home may be.

A wide-ranging cast shows up year after year for the Breeders' Cup. The Breeders' Cup is the only place you can find Rick Dutrow and Aidan O'Brien in the same paddock. Jonathan Sheppard and Bob Baffert in the same sentence. Goldikova and Forever Together on the same backstretch. Anyone with a horse remotely close to the World Series of horse racing, is knocking on the Breeders' Cup's door.

Bullsbay, Cherokee Artist, Smart Seattle and Zilva are all potentially first time participants of the Fall Classic.

Bullsbay already has a name plate at the head table. After winning the August 8 Whitney Handicap, he has earned himself an invitation to the Grade I $5,000,000 Classic. In a year where the Breeders' Cup lost America's most accomplished horse, Rachel Alexandra, they also lost the world's best in European superstar Sea the Stars.

Convenient year to "Win & You're In", Bullsbay.

The 5-year-old son of Tiznow was also be pre-entered for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Cherokee Artist has been away from the racing scene since his career-best triumph in the Presque Isle Mile at Presque Isle Downs on September 13. The freshening has done him well in the recent past as he won that $200,000 stake off a similar 7-week layoff.

The Cherokee Run 4-year-old is pre-entered solely for the Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile.

Separating Smart Seattle and Zilva's introductions in two different paragraphs won't seem right. I wouldn't even know how to. The two, both Pennsylvania bred Augustin fillies, train together, and give away nothing to their 'rival-stablemate', if you will. After all, their bloodlines cross...We'll get there.

Zilva, being by Successful Appeal, initially does not read "extra distance". Well, don't just read the headlines, read the article! Her second-dam is Sofitina, who is out of the brilliant mare, Waya. Waya won the Man O' War, Prix de l'Opera, Diana, Turf Classic and the Flower Bowl among others. Zilva, seems to carry much of her bottom half as she won first time around two-turns at Saratoga, followed by a gaining fourth in the Grade I Alcibiades at Keeneland.

Smart Seattle is by Smart Strike, who's runners seem to love the green. Smart Seattle has not strayed from the litter. In her two turf starts, she won sprinting and second, beaten 1 1/4-lengths in her first route attempt. Her bottom half suggests she would not win sprinting, being that steeplechase gelding, Nationbuilder is a half brother. So much for that.

Smart Seattle's second-dam is Seattle Way. Seattle Way is out of, you guessed it, Waya.

Call them what you want to, but call them serious.

Both fillies are entered to the Juvenille Fillies Turf while Zilva has a cross entry to the Juvenile Fillies.