Monday, Nov. 8, 1999 | 9:33 a.m.
Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday. Write him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.
No matter what prevailed over this planet anywhere else on Saturday, in South Florida there was a full moon over Miami. Trust me, there was. And it shone brightly over Gulfstream Park for Breeders' Cup XVI.
It was a day when the racing gods balanced the books. It was a day to even the score. It was a Breeders' Cup to remember, and for some a day they would soon like to forget.
Some of you may have missed the 4 1/2 hours of NBC's coverage of Breeders' Cup on Saturday. Some may have decided instead to watch their VCR tape of the Yankees' World Series sweep of the Braves again, while others may have simply not cared and have now stumbled onto this column.
Either way, here is the unofficial 1999 Breeders' Cup quiz (with answers below):
1. Who was the winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff?
a) The first of four Bob Baffert-trained Breeders' Cup favorites on the day and 14-time winner Siverbulletday, who was trying to become the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner to capture another Breeders' Cup race.
b) Last year's Distaff runner-up, Banshee Breeze, who was trying to return for the victory.
c) The first nasal-strip user and Spinster winner Keeper Hill, who was trying to break an 0-for-30 Breeders' Cup record for her trainer Bobby Frankel.
d) Beautiful Pleasure, who beat Silverbulletday (Beldame), Banshee Breeze and Keeper Hill (Personal Ensign) in her most recent outings and trying to break an 0-for-19 Breeders' Cup record for jockey Jorge Chavez.
2) Who was the winner of the Juvenile Fillies?
a) Chilukki, the second of four Breeders' Cup favorites trained by Bob Baffert with a 6-for-6 record that included victories at Churchill Downs, Del Mar and Santa Anita.
b) Surfside, the first daughter of 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Flanders, who won the Frizette with the same guts and determination as her mom, owner of a 3-for-4 career record and trained by D. Wayne Lukas.
c) Cash Run, a filly who faded badly after setting the pace in her only route effort before Saturday who is trained by Lukas, the Breeders' Cup record-holder in wins, ridden by 7-time Breeders' Cup winning rider Jerry Bailey at odds of 32-1 and equipped with a nasal strip.
d) Every other filly in the race.
3) Who was the winner of the Mile?
a) Tuzla, a Bob Baffert-trained mare who went off at the un-Baffert-like odds of 13-1, who was formerly trained by Julio Canani, and was 5-for-6 at the distance.
b) The Hard-Luck Award winner Hawsley Hill, who finally finished first in his sixth try this year only to be disqualified because his jockey hit another horse with his whip while winning the Atto Mile, and returns to the Mile that he missed winning last year by a nose when second to a horse who hadn't started in a year.
c) Jim And Tonic, the horse who was the recipient of the "whip" incident in the Atto Mile.
d) Silic, the French-bred winner of the Oak Tree and Shoemaker miles, who is owned by MGM Grand Chairman Terry Lanni, Claudine Williams, who sits on the board of Harrah's and Avis Jansen, former proprietor of the Boardwalk Hotel of Las Vegas, and is trained by Julio Canani.
4) Who was the winner of the Sprint?
a) The third of four Bob Baffert-trained favorites with a 7-for-10 career record that includes a sensational victory in the King's Bishop at Saratoga, by the name of Forestry.
b) The European speedster who ventured stateside in the hopes of emulating 1991 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Sheikh Albadou, by the name of Stravinsky.
c) Any of the dangerous "California" speed contingent of Lexicon, Son of a Pistol, Enjoy the Moment or Kona Gold.
d) A two-time track record-breaker once impeded by a patron who tried to punch him while running in a race at Pimlico, ridden by Jorge Chavez, who has accounted for the last three victories on the sometimes "misbehaving" Artax.
5) Who was the winner of the Filly & Mare Turf?
a) The nasal-strip wearing Spanish Fern, who won the important Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita, ridden by America's top turf rider Chris McCarron and another trying to break trainer Bobby Frankel's Breeders' Cup "Oh-fer" record.
b) The German import Borgia, who returned for another crack at the Breeders' Cup after a runner-up effort in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Turf.
c) The Julio Canani-trained Irish-bred filly who took down all the Starbucks money named Caffe Latte.
d) Soaring Softly, who turned a 2-for-8 dirt record into a 6-for-7 turf slate that counted the prestigious Flower Bowl Handicap as her Breeders' Cup prep and was ridden by Jerry Bailey.
6) Who was the winner of the Juvenile?
a) Forest Camp, the fourth of four Bob Baffert-trained favorites who boasted a Del Mar Futurity victory, owned by Arron U. Jones and was already a deflated Kentucky Derby future book favorite for next year's Derby.
b) Catain Steve, Bob Baffert's Avis Juvenile entry.
c) Dixie Union, who was beaten by Forestry in the Del Mar Futurity, then beat Forestry in the Norfolk, but hasn't beaten anybody west of Covina.
d) A royally bred son of 1990 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Unbridled, purchased for $330,000 by Middle East Royalty with contract rider Gary Stevens aboard, who finished third to Dixie Union and Forestry in the recent Norfolk, by the name of Anees.
7) Who was the winner of the Turf?
a) 1998 Turf defending champion Buck's Boy who was sure to make the lead ... but did he keep it?
b) Royal Anthem, who is another royally bred runner owned by the Thoroughbred Corporation with stable rider Gary Stevens in an another attempt to buy championships like Steinbrenner buys World Series.
c) Val's Prince, whose owners are spending more time in a court of law -- trying to dispute his very ownership -- than in the winner's circle while the 7-year-old gelding reeled off a pair of victories in Breeders' Cup preps.
d) Daylami, a gray who was trounced in France's Arc de Triomphe, changed plans to make the race, ridden by the man (Lanfranco Dittori) who "blew" the Classic last year with Swain -- and hasn't heard the end of it since -- and missed the show last year while scratched the day of the race.
8) Who was the winner of the Classic?
a) Either of the pair of runners -- Pacific Classic winner General Challenge and multiple stakes winner and former claimer River Keen -- who would keep trainer Bob Baffert from a Breeders' Cup shutout.
b) Behrens, the surviving favorite and consistent but reclusive runner who has four wins and four seconds from eightstarts this year, holds the fragile Horse of the Year vote with this performance at stake, ridden by someone named "Chop-Chop" and trained by someone known as 007.
c) Budroyale, who was claimed for $50,000 in February of 1998 and has since won more than $1 million for his new owners, beat Classic rivals General Challenge and Old Trieste in his Classic prep and would drive the bluebloods to the bridge with the win in the ultimate race honoring the elite of breeding.
d) A well-bred runner who has danced every dance this year, has been right there in most of his contests, has rarely won them, ridden by the most successful Breeders' Cup jockey in Pat Day (10 wins and earnings of $17.233 million) and trained by the most successful Breeders' Cup conditioner in Lukas (13 wins and earnings of $12.996 million) at odds of 19-to-1: Cat Thief.
ANSWERS:
1. d, Superior effort
2. c, Gate-to-wire at $67.00
3. d, Most exciting finish of the day
4. d, Track record performace locks up Eclipse Award for sprinter
5. d, Bailey second win of day and another Eclipse-lock for the winner
6. d, Big win at $62.60 but don't bet him in Derby futures
7. d, Most impressive victory of the day and only winning favorite
8. d, The bridesmaid finally catches the bouque with Day and Lukas confirming their dominance at an overlay mutuel of $41.20.
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