Breeders' Cup 2014 TV Schedule: Friday Coverage, Race Times and More
The Kentucky Derby may have prestige and mint juleps, but the Breeders' Cup is where the money's at.
While the Breeders' Cup Classic and its $5 million purse (the richest in North America) does not take place until Saturday, the action gets underway Friday with four races. Those races are the Juvenile Turf, the Dirt Mile, the Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Longines Distaff.
Here is a look at the important information for Friday’s action, courtesy of BreedersCup.com, and a brief preview for each race.
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| Juvenile Turf | 5:25 p.m. | NBC Sports | 1 mile | $1 million |
| Dirt Mile | 6:05 p.m. | NBC Sports | 1 mile | $1 million |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | 6:50 p.m. | NBC Sports | 1 mile | $1 million |
| Longines Distaff | 7:35 p.m. | NBC Sports | 1 1/8 mile | $ 2 million |
Juvenile Turf
Friday’s Juvenile Turf race is one mile on the grass course, and it features two-year-old males. There are 16 entries, although Faithful Creek and Papacoolpapacool are on the also-eligible list.
There are a number of horses to watch, but the serious contenders are Imperia, Luck of the Kitten, Commemorative, Hootenanny and War Envoy.
Imperia looks like a fast-riser, especially after he narrowly missed a win in his debut in August at the Saratoga Race Course on the grass and then won the Pilgrim at Belmont Park with a solid finishing stretch.
What’s more, Imperia will be paired with jockey Javier Castellano, who has experience on the biggest stages of horse racing. He was the Eclipse Award Outstanding Jockey in 2013 and won the Preakness Stakes in 2006, so Friday’s spotlight should not be a problem.
Dirt Mile
Friday’s Dirt Mile race is one mile, and it features three-year-olds and older on the main track at Santa Anita Park.
There were 10 entries, but Handsome Mike was scratched because of a leg injury. Leandro Mora, an assistant to suspended trainer Doug O’Neill, discussed the injury and the decision process, according to Bloodhorse.com, via ESPN.com.
"He came back from the track after galloping with a little swelling in his left front leg," Mora explained. "We scanned him, and it came back clean, but the swelling was still there. Four veterinarians recommended that I scratch for the health of the horse."
It is certainly a disappointing loss to the field, as Handsome Mike won the 2012 Pennsylvania Derby and looked like a strong contender.
That means the horse to watch here is Goldencents, who has finished in first or second place in four starts. Goldencents recently set a track record at the Aug. 24 Pat O'Brien at Del Mar and won last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
He will look to defend the crown against potential contenders Tapiture, Fed Biz and Pants on Fire.
Juvenile Fillies Turf
Friday’s Juvenile Fillies Turf race is one mile, and it features two-year-old females on the grass course. There are 16 entries, but Flying Tipat and War Alert are on the also-eligible list.
Among the top contenders are Qualify, Conquest Harlanate, Lady Eli, Sunset Glow and Osaila.
The marquee storyline in this race is the fact that trainer Chad Brown entered four fillies in the competition. Lady Eli is the headliner. She is undefeated and won the Miss Grillo Stakes in commanding fashion.
Brown also has Tammy the Torpedo and Partisan Politics, who finished in third and fourth place, respectively, at the Miss Grillo Stakes.
If Lady Eli is going to win this race, she will have to deal with a couple of European entries. The most notable ones are Osaila, who has won three of her last four starts, and Qualify.
Frank Mirahmadi, track announcer at Oaklawn Park, believes Lady Eli is up to the challenge:
Longines Distaff
Friday’s Longines Distaff is the only one of these four races that is more than a mile long, and it will take place on the main track.
Trainer Bill Mott, who has more Distaff wins than any other trainer, will look to add to his legacy with Close Hatches. Close Hatches finished in second place in last year’s Distaff and has five previous Grade 1 wins despite a poor showing and fourth-place finish in the Spinster Stakes the last time out.
Among the top challengers is Untapable, who has three Grade 1 wins this year against three-year-old fillies and just took home the top spot at the Cotillion Stakes. Don’t Tell Sophia, Iotapa and Belle Gallantey also all have legitimate opportunities to win.
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