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The Breeders’ Cup annually features a collection of the best horses from around the world, making the two-day event truly a series of World Championship-caliber races.
European countries are typically well represented in the Breeders’ Cup, specifically in the races taking place on grass.
As a rule of thumb, European turf horses are better than American turf horses, giving the foreign contingent a leg-up in the races held on the sod.
The international group of runners for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup is first-class through and through, ranging from long-distance turf marathoners to juvenile turf sprinters.
Below you will find a few international runners to familiarize yourself with as we inch closer and closer to this year’s World Championships at Del Mar.
FRIDAY – R10) BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF – 1) Modern Games (5/1 morning-line odds)
- Trainer Charlie Appleby has quickly asserted himself as the most-feared trainer from Europe, surpassing Aidan O’Brien following the recent string of success he has had shipping runners here to North America.
Appleby will saddle two runners in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for Godolphin LLC: MODERN GAMES (1) and ALBAHR (2).
Albahr has already proven himself in North America, winning September’s Summer Stakes at Woodbine in Toronto by more than two-lengths.
Visually, the effort from Albahr was spectacular, although it is fair to question the caliber of competition he ran against in that spot.
His uncoupled stablemate on Friday is Modern Games, a two-year-old colt by Dubawi who has the look of a runner that will adore American racing.
Already a Group 3 winner in Europe, Modern Games has proven himself over extremely firm turf (by European standards), something that bodes well for his chances in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf held over Del Mar’s firm turf course.
Modern Games has also displayed a versatile running style in his five-race career, making him a compelling entrant.
SATURDAY – R5) BREEDERS’ CUP TURF SPRINT – 2) Emaraaty Ana (5/1 morning-line odds)
- EMARAATY ANA (2) possesses the type of early speed that most Europeans do not have, making him a legitimate threat in this five-furlong dash on grass.
A five-year-old gelding trained by Kevin Ryan, Emaraaty Ana has done his best work over exceedingly firm conditions, suggesting he will adore the Del Mar turf on Saturday afternoon.
He may not own the raw speed that some of his American contemporaries do, however he is quick enough to assume a pace-pressing position as the field turns for home.
If he can secure that pace-pressing trip, he will have every opportunity to succeed if he is good enough.
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SATURDAY – R7) BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF – 6) Love (4/1 morning-line odds)
- There was a moment in time last season where an argument could have been made that LOVE (6), despite racing just three times all year, was the best horse in the world – male or female.
Following an exceedingly long absence, the four-year-old filly trained by Aidan O’Brien returned to the races in mid-June of this year, winning the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot over a mare named Audarya (winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf).
Unfortunately for Love and her connections, she is yet to visit the winner’s circle since that June triumph, leaving some to wonder if she is not truly as good as she was once made out to be.
That may very well be the case, however she has always had the look of a filly that appreciates hearing her feet rumble beneath her over firm turf – which is exactly what she will get in Saturday’s Filly and Mare Turf.
The horses she has taken on in her most recent starts are some of the best runners in the world (Mishriff, Adayar), making her “lackluster” performances better than the paper would suggest.
If she delivers her best, Love is a likely winner of this race on Saturday.
SATURDAY – R9) BREEDERS’ CUP MILE – 3) Space Blues (3/1 morning-line odds)
- Despite having raced at a mile or longer just three times in his eighteen-race career, SPACE BLUES (3) seems likely to go off favored in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile for trainer Charlie Appleby.
A horse that owns a wicked turn-of-foot (late speed), the five-year-old son of Dubawi has excelled at slightly shorter distances throughout his career, however many of the sprints in Europe play slightly longer in reality do to undulating turf courses.
Effectively, the seven-furlong (7/8ths-of-a-mile) races he is run in Europe are akin to the flat-mile races here in the United States, suggesting the distance would not be the thing to get him beaten on Saturday.
The competitive nature of this race may make handicappers want to search for a more appealing price option, however Space Blues does indeed represent one of the likelier winners of this race.
SATURDAY – R11) BREEDERS’ CUP TURF – 12) Teona (6/1 morning-line odds)
- The defending champion in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, TARNAWA (13), is back for more, looking to repeat in this race for the second consecutive year.
She is arguably the most likely winner of the Turf (either her or DOMESTIC SPENDING (3)); however, another filly is one to keep an eye on Saturday.
TEONA (12), trained by Roger Varian, has the profile of an up-and-comer that could either win this race or finish last in a field of fourteen.
A lightly raced three-year-old filly by Sea The Stars, Teona missed much of the summer before resurfacing against older horses in late August, winning with ease over an extremely unique figure eight-style course.
She used that prep race as a springboard to a smashing victory in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in Paris in early September, indicating she is headed the right direction.
Yes, she will need to run the race of her life if she is to win Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Given the way she is trending entering this event, there is no reason to believe she cannot pull off the upset at a reasonable price.
