Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has been installed as the early 12-10 favorite and will break from the fourth post for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in Kentucky on Saturday in his hugely anticipated racing farewell.

The Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old will be looking to cap his stellar career with a ninth win in 11 starts, having finished a shocking second in his most recent outing — in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August.

“We were 50-50 as to whether or not we were going to run in that race,” Baffert told reporters about the Travers Stakes. “Unfortunately, he didn’t really run his race and coming out of it, I could tell everything … had kind of taken its toll.

“He needed the 60 days (preparing for this week’s Classic). This horse, he runs well fresh.”

According to Baffert, American Pharoah has displayed very impressive form in recent weeks while working out at his home track in California before being shipped to Kentucky on Tuesday.

“Sometimes I get a bit excited, the way he does things so easily. He looked fantastic (in training) and I really feel good about the way he’s coming into this race,” said Baffert.

American Pharoah entered the pantheon of U.S. thoroughbred racing’s all-time greats by winning the Belmont Stakes wire-to-wire in June to become the first horse to capture the coveted ‘Triple Crown’ in nearly four decades.

In winning a seventh straight race, American Pharoah became the 12th horse and first since Affirmed in 1978 to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

With jockey Victor Espinoza in the saddle, American Pharoah will arrive at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington as the favorite for the showpiece Classic but is expected to face a strong challenge from Beholder.

The 5-year-old mare, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012 and the Distaff in 2013, has won all of her five starts this season, including the Pacific Classic at Del Mar against male rivals over the Classic distance.

With Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens on board, Beholder will start the Classic from the 10 hole as a 3-1 choice.

Tonalist, the 4-year-old who dashed California Chrome’s Triple Crown bid in 2014 with a thrilling victory at the Belmont Stakes, is at 6-1 for the Classic — along with exciting stretch-runner Honor Code.

British raider Golden Horn, a rare winner of the Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for trainer John Gosden, will break from the rail in a field of 10 for the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, the penultimate race on Saturday.

With his regular jockey Frankie Dettori aboard, Golden Horn is the 4-5 favorite as he aims to improve his outstanding career record to eight wins in nine starts.

The Breeders’ Cup, a 13-race meeting worth a total of more than $26 million, will be run on Friday and Saturday (DSTV 239).

– Reuters.com (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Picture: American Pharoah (by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Gerrit Schlechter is bracing himself for a lengthy spell on the sidelines as his back injury has proved worse than originally thought.

He said yesterday: “Other problems have crept in and it doesn’t look too good. I am waiting on the doctors but I am off for quite a while.”

Schlechter, 50, was found to have a prolapsed disc when he could hardly get off Beyond Limits after winning on him at Kenilworth at the beginning of June. When he returned three months later the injury struck again on only his second ride back. This time he struggled to even get to the start.

He is one of a select group of the current riders to have won both the Durban July (Eyeofthetiger in 2006) and the J & B Met (Past Master in 2011) and seemingly  the present near-five month absence is hard to bear– “I really miss it,” he said feelingly.

However Karl Neisius is optimistic that he will be given the all-clear to resume no later than the beginning of December.

He said: “I am signed off until November 14 but I will probably know about the 10^th and then it will take about three weeks’ riding work before I return to race-riding.”

Inflammation in his lower back has meant that Neisius has not ridden since September 12 when he won on Exploracy for Shane Humby at Durbanville.

Devin Ashby, who had two pins inserted into the ankle he broke when a horse came over on top of him riding work at Milnerton, will have to wear his surgical boot for a further month “but I hope to be back by the end of December or early in January.”

Fareed Anthony resumed last Saturday after being off for six months and he rides again at Kenilworth today.

He said: “I injured my neck and my back, and I now have to go for an evaluation of my spine. But the rest has done me a lot of good and I’m feeling much better.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Karl Neisius

Dennis Drier can get off the mark for the Cape season with Ante Omnia in the opening maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow.

This R3 million purchase made a promising debut at Scottsville last month, starting second favourite and beating all except the more experienced Apollo’s Gift. “He has done nicely since but he is looking for further,” cautions Drier.

Sean Cormack’s (pictured) mount opened 16-10 favourite with Betting World yesterday and he was also favourite, but at 22-10, with World Sports Betting which is to sponsor the Cape Fillies Guineas.

Flying Ryan (7-1 with BW but only 5-1 with WSB) has similar credentials to Ante Omnia in that he was second on his only start in a good Kenilworth maiden, albeit he went off at 50-1 and cost only R80 000. “He has come on since then but he had ten days off after his innoculations and deworming so he could be fitter,” says Glen Puller.

Whisky Baron (best priced 4-1) was only inches behind him that day so he should also not be left out of consideration while Psycho Syd (also 4-1) has gone close in his last two.

The Best Of Me, who ran way below his best at Durbanville last time, drops in trip and that looks significant. “He didn’t like the course and he didn’t see out the distance,” says Mike Robinson of the 12-1 shot.

Drier sends out Supreme Dynasty for the All To Come Handicap and Cormack’s mount has won the last three of her four starts. They were on the Greyville polytrack and the most recent was seven months ago. “She wintered badly,” says Drier, explaining the reason for her absence and adding that she is likely to need the run. Her 15-10 price doesn’t really take that into account

Hot Affair (8-1) has a lot of ability but she was most disappointing last time. “She was very sick afterwards – she had a virus,” says Robinson. “She is well now but I haven’t given her a grass gallop so she just might need it.”

In the circumstances Sunset Tripp at 6-1 is taken to beat her shorter-priced stable companion Acaciawood (4-1) while Justin Snaith has a lot of confidence in the once-raced Black Arthur in the Soccer 6 Maiden. “We think he is a very good horse and we are expecting big things from him,” says the season’s leading trainer. “Of course he has got to prove it in a race but he has come on since his first run.”

Black Arthur, who finished with only two behind him first time out, opened at 16-10 with Betting World and 33-10 with World Sports Betting.

Snaith’s Secret Seven had Arabian Winter four lengths behind at Durbanville when both were hampered. Taking into account their respective draws Arabian Winter may be able to reverse the placings in the Rugby 5 Maiden.

There is precious little to choose between Arctic Blast and Shenyang in the Soccer 10 Maiden and Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount gets only marginal preference. But he is a better price – 5-2 against the 14-10 available about Arctic Blast.
– Michael Clower

The date of the 155th running of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (LQP) – South Africa’s premier horseracing day – has been confirmed for Saturday, January 9, 2016, at Kenilworth Racecourse, guaranteeing a magnificent start to the year’s social calendar.

LQP is once more set to be an exhilarating day of horse racing – the day’s 12-race card will set South Africa’s finest thoroughbreds against each other as they pursue the coveted trophy and R1 million purse.

The Peninsula Stakes, sponsored by England’s Goodwood Racecourse, meanwhile, will run for a third year, bringing international flavour to the day’s line up. Additionally, the Breeder’s Cup, the biggest annual race day held in the United States, will again grant the LQP winner automatic entrance to its Mile Division, cementing the race’s global status.

Beyond the track, the elegance of LQP will again be exhibited by guests dressed in the LQP colours of blue and white as they mingle and enjoy world-class music, entertainment and culinary offerings across a variety of hospitality marquees including the Stud Club and Style Lounge.

“The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate has a rich history and is a defining moment in the international horseracing calendar.

Every year we strive to maintain strict standards of elegance and leisure while building on the successes of the past. LQP 2016 will deliver everything people have come to expect, plus a few surprises,” said Katherine Gray, co-ordinator of LQP 2016.

–  Phumulela

Charles Laird will send a string of five horses to the big meeting in Johannesburg this weekend and they include his Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile runner Bold Inspiration as well as sprinter Viva La Var and Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup contenders Main Submission, Top Form and Dance On Air.

Bold Inspiration has sensitive feet, so Laird runs him in special shoes that have a rubber cushion between the feet and the alumite base. However, the Summerveld trainer is still hoping for some rain to ease the current hard going in the Highveld, which has been suffering from a dry spell. There is about 29mm forecast this week in Johannesburg, 20mm of it at 60% probability and 9mm of it at 30% probability, so there is hope for at least some cut in the ground.

Main Submission (Nkosi Hlophe)

The five-year-old Horse Chestnut gelding Bold Inspiration began his career with Weiho Marwing and won two of four starts for him before being bought into Laird’s yard by Alesh Naidoo.

He won his first start for Laird over 1600m at Clairwood in comfortable fashion and followed up by winning twice in succession easily on the Greyville poly between 1800m and 2000m, before winning the Listed Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m on turf with topweight. He then failed in last year’s Sansui Summer Cup, but not surprisingly as he was asked to do it from the front over 2000m having travelled up to altitude.

This will be his second trip to altitude, but it is over a shorter trip of 1600m. On the other hand he will be running off a 105 merit rating as opposed to the 100 he ran off in the Summer Cup.  This was courtesy of an easy victory over 1600m on the Greyville poly last time out with topweight in a handicap.

Anton Marcus will not be able to ride him on Saturday as he is aboard Whiteline Fever for the owner who retains him, Markus Jooste. However, replacement Andrew Fortune is capable of doing a fine job too, although he won’t have an easy task overcoming a wide draw of 14, although he will come into draw eleven if the three reserve runners are scratched.

Dance On Air (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup, Laird will also not be able to use Marcus as the latter is booked to ride the likely hot-pot favourite, the Mike Azzie-trained Jooste-owned Gr 1-winner Rabada.

Laird felt that all three of his contenders were running for place cheques due to Rabada’s presence.

Main Submission is officially the highest rated of them, but Laird was loathe to separate the trio as he said the other two, Dance On Air and Top Form, had still been learning in their races.

Main Submission, a three-year-old colt by Oracy, has always been rated by Laird as one who would keep on improving through this season. He has shown just that by winning both of his starts this term, over 1200m and 1400m respectively, and both of them were in handicaps against older horses. Anthony Delpech now gets the ride on the 97 merit-rated horse and as things stand he will have to jump from draw eight of 12 runners.

Dance On Air is an impressively strong 86 merit-rated Kahal gelding, who proved his liking for the 1400m trip last time when winning comfortably on the Greyville poly in second time blinkers. Piere Strydom takes the ride on Saturday from draw seven.

Top Form is a classy colt by Kahal who ran off an 86 in his first handicap last time out. That rating was due to a facile 4,5 length victory over 1200m on debut, which was followed by an unplaced run in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m. He did well to finish third to older horses over 1400m on the poly in his handicap debut as it was his seasonal reappearance and his first outing in blinkers. In fact it earned him a two point merit rating increase to 88. He unfortunately has to jump from draw eleven of 12 on Saturday, but he has a good big race jockey in Raymond Danielson aboard.

Top Form (Nkosi Hlophe)

Laird has won the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup twice, both times with fillies, and that included an amazing victory by Rich Girl last year from a wide draw under Marcus. Last year’s R3,85 million race is still the most expensive race to have been run in South African history.

The speedy five-year-old Var gelding Viva La Var, who has only had seven outings to date, has come back successfully from a knee chip issue to run two fine races over 1000m on the poly. The form now looks good as he was second on both occasions to Barbosa, who has transformed into a really good sprinter this year. The tall speedster has a low draw of four in Saturday’s Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m, which had cut down to 13 runners by the time of going to press, and he carries a nice galloping weight of 53kg , although a jockey is yet to be booked.

Laird said all of his runners were very well and would be travelling up on Friday night and arriving on the morning of the race.

By David Thiselton