Thu Sep 20 14:12:16 2007

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Saturday stakes a preview of Breeders' Cup

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - With five weeks remaining until the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Monmouth Park, this Saturday's stakes races should offer an early look at Breeders' Cup contenders.

Three races are prep events for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Massachusetts and Brooklyn Handicaps, and Super Derby. The Fitz Dixon Cotillion, for three-year-old fillies, is a prelude for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Leading trainer Todd Pletcher has the favorite for the $500,0000 MassCap at Suffolk Downs. Fairbanks, second to Political Force in the Suburban Handicap, is the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8 mile race.

Eight thoroughbreds have been entered in the revitalized MassCap. The race was last run in 2004 due to economic considerations. There is a $100,000 bonus to the winning owner if the horse has won a graded stakes race at a mile or more in 2007.

Fairbanks is eligible for the bonus on the basis of winning the Grade 3 Tokyo City Handicap at Santa Anita Park. He is owned by Team Valor has won four of 10 career starts for $264,763. This year the four-year-old colt has earned $206,720 with two wins in five starts. Richard Migliore comes in from California to ride.

"We liked the timing of the MassCap for Fairbanks," said Pletcher. "Five weeks out is good spacing for Fairbanks if we decide to run him in the Breeders' Cup."

Brass Hat, the 5-2 second choice, won last year's Donn Handicap at Gulf stream Park, but has not fared well in either the Whitney or Woodward Handicaps.

Veteran competitor Evening Attire is back for his third MassCap appearance. He is the 5-1 third choice in the program. The nine-year-old gelding has just one win this year in nine starts. He was third in his last two starts, both allowance races. In his long career, Evening Attire has won 13 of 60 starts for more than $2.6 million.

Haskell Invitational champ Any Given Saturday goes against older horses in the $150,000 Brooklyn Handicap Saturday at Belmont Park. Pletcher trains the three-year-old for WinStar Farm.

"This is a steppingstone to the Breeders' Cup Classic," Pletcher said. "The timing from the Haskell and timing to the Breeders' Cup works. Were trying to reproduce what we did over the summer."

Any Given Saturday will have the services of jockey Garrett Gomez, who was aboard the colt for wins in the Haskell and Dwyer Stakes. This year Any Given Saturday has earned an even $900,000 and will become a millionaire with a victory.

Travers runner-up Grasshopper tops the field for Saturday's $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. The 1 1/8 mile race is the last important stakes for three-year-olds.

Trained by Neil Howard, Grasshopper will start from post nine in the 10 horse field with Robby Albarado in the saddle. Albarado is after a second straight Super Derby win. He was aboard Strong Contender last year. This year Albarado guided Curlin to victory in the Preakness Stakes.

Grasshopper has earned $318,532 in his career with three wins in six starts. This is the colt's second start in a stakes race.

Todd Pletcher will send out three-year-old filly Octave in the $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park on Saturday. The 1 1/16 mile race for fillies could be a stepping stone to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Named for the late Fitz Dixon who raced as Erdenheim Farms, the Cotillion has a field of eight with Octave the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The filly will start from the inside post with Eclipse Award winning jockey John Velazquez riding.

Octave won the Mother Goose Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks this year at Belmont Park. She was the beaten favorite in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga to Lady Joanne when she was third. Owned by Starlight Stable and Donald Lucarelli, Octave has earnings of better than $1.2 million. Pletcher has won the Cotillion three times, in 2002 with Smok'n Frolic, 2004 with Ashado, and 2006 with India.

Next weekend more Breeders' Cup prep races take place across the country. The Goodwood at Santa Anita and the Hawthorne Gold Cup are for Classic probables on Saturday,and the Jockey Club Gold Cup follows on Sunday.