Stewards Mandate Three-Horse Entry in Breeders’ Cup Classic

Horseplayers looking for bargain odds on three of the contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic were dealt a setback Wednesday when Kentucky state stewards denied a request from Churchill Downs to permit Awesome Again, Touch Gold and Coronado’s Quest to run separately for betting purposes.

In announcing the pre-entry fields for seven races worth at least $12 million on Nov. 7, Breeders’ Cup and Churchill Downs officials said the three horses would run as a betting entry. There is an overlap of ownership--Bob and Janice McNair are partners with Frank Stronach on Touch Gold and with Stuart Janney on Coronado’s Quest, and Stronach owns Awesome Again outright--that requires the horses run as an entry according to Kentucky rules. Churchill Downs had hoped the stewards would make an exception for the Breeders’ Cup.

Mike Watchmaker, the linemaker for the Daily Racing Form, has made the three-horse entry the third choice at 4-1, but all three would have gone off at higher odds if they ran individually. Skip Away and Silver Charm, the leading contenders for horse-of-the-year honors, are the favorites at 2-1 and 5-2, respectively.

Other early odds for the Classic are Gentlemen, 8-1; Swain and Arch, 10-1; Victory Gallop, 15-1; Wagon Limit, 20-1; and Running Stag, 30-1. Gentlemen was also pre-entered for the Mile and might run in the grass race instead of the Classic.

Favorites in other races are Excellent Meeting, 5-2 in the Juvenile Fillies; Affirmed Success, 2-1 in the Sprint; Desert Prince, 3-1 in the Mile; Royal Anthem, 3-1 in the Turf, and Sharp Cat, even money in the Distaff. Trainer Wayne Lukas will run five horses--a three-horse entry and a two-horse entry--in the Juvenile. Likely to be favored is the Nick Zito-trained The Groom Is Red or Lukas’ three-horse entry of Cat Chief, Mountain Range and Tactical Cat.

A total of 117 horses were pre-entered, with Gentlemen and five others eligible for two races apiece. Their trainers must decide by entry time on Wednesday, but already Military appears to be headed for the Mile and Wild Rush will run in the Sprint. Wild Rush running in the Sprint makes room in the Mile for Da Hoss, who won the race in 1996.

Four of the races were oversubscribed when more than 14 horses were pre-entered. Horses on the also-eligible lists need defections in order to draw into the fields.

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Breeders’ Cup Classic

Horses pre-entered in Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7

CLASSIC

Arch, Awesome Again, Coronado’s Quest, Gentlemen, Running Stag, Silver Charm, Skip Away, Swain, Touch Gold, Victory Gallop, Wagon Limit.

TURF

Bonapartiste, Buck’s Boy, Caitano, Cetewayo, Chief Bearhart, Daylami, Insatiable, Labeeb, Leggera, Military, River Bay, Royal Anthem, Subordination, Yagli. Also eligible: Crowd Pleaser, Dushyantor, Sunshine Street, Skybound, Frapper Le Or.

MILE

Among Men, Cape Cross, Desert Prince, Favorite Trick, Fly To The Stars, Gentlemen, Hawksley Hill, Joyeux Danseur, Labeeb, Memories Of Silver, Military, Second Empire, Subordination, Wild Rush. Also eligible: Da Hoss, Jim And Tonic, Waky Nao, Gold Away, Elusive Quality, Charge d’Affaires, Almushtarak, Magellan, Keos, Mr Lightfoot, Poteen, Sahm.

DISTAFF

Banshee Breeze, Dancing Gulch, Escena, Keeper Hill, Kirby’s Song, Sharp Cat, Tap To Music, Tomisue’s Delight, Tuxedo Junction.

SPRINT

Affirmed Success, A.P. Assay, Bolshoi, Buffalo Dan, Elusive Quality, Furlough, Gold Land, Grand Slam, J J’sdream, Partner’s Hero, Reraise, Richter Scale, The Exeter Man, Wild Rush. Also eligible: Rare Rock, Pyramid Peak, Kona Gold, Musafi, Swiss Yodeler, Tamarisk, Averti, Closed Escrow, Victory Cooley, Receiver.

JUVENILE

Aly’s Alley, Answer Lively, Buck Trout, Cat Thief, Daring General, Lemon Drop Kid, Mountain Range, Noteasybeingreen, Prime Directive, Red Sea, Tactical Cat, The Groom Is Red, Time Bandit, Yes It’s True. Also eligible: Millions, Cryptodiplomacy, First American, Crowning Storm, Kimberlite Pipe, Olympic Journey, Select Few.

JUVENILE FILLIES

Antahkarana, Bag Lady Jane, Confessional, Emanating, Excellent Meeting, Extended Applause, Grand Deed, Pico Teneriffe, Rayelle, Silverbulletday, Three Ring, Unbridled Delight.