Euros in Turf Routes at SA in Breeders' Cup (1497 Views)
Posted by:
Fairmount1 (IP Logged)
Date: October 25, 2016 10:35PM
HP beat me to the punch with something I've been working on for a little while the last several days. But I'll continue onward for the benefit of the board. If you see any errors, feel free to correct me, as it won't offend me whatsoever.
There have been 6 Breeders Cups in the new century at Santa Anita: 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014.
During those 6 BC's, there have been 33 Breeders Cup races run on the turf at SA. Due to the dead heat involving Johar and High Chaparral in '03, there have been 34 winners of those Turf races.
Euros won zero of the five Turf Sprints during that time and there was no Turf Sprint in '03. If you are curious, 5 true Euro's started in the Turf Sprints with a record of 5-0-1-0-1. Wesley Ward had a horse finish third but his previous start was at Saratoga with 2 Ascot races in the summer and the horse ran in America before that so in my opinion he shouldn't count as a "Euro" because his previous race wasn't in Europe.
This leaves Turf Routes at BC-SA to be considered. There were 28 BC Turf Route Races at SA, 3 in '03, 5 in '08, 5 in '09, 5 in '12, 5 in '13, and 5 in '14. With the dead heat in the '03 Turf, there have been 29 winners. How have the Euro's done during that time?
28 races, 29 winners. Euros accounted for 17 winners and possibly 18 depending on your definiton of a "Euro."
The "18th" Euro you could consider is Hootenany for Wesley Ward. After starting his career in the U.S. at Keeneland and Pimlico, he went to England and France before returning for the BC. I'll let you decide if you want to count him in the stats or not as a true "Euro" or a "Euro" shipper.
[b]
17 of 28 races=60.7%
17 of 29 winners=58.6%
18 of 28 races=64.3% (with Hootenany)
18 of 29 winners=62.1% (with Hootenany)[/b]
Are Euro's just better? Is it the climate change from Europe in October to SA in Oct/Nov? Is it the addition of Lasix for some of them? Is it just a select few trainers who have a knack at this at SA? Is it in one particular race that they dominate more than the other turf routes? That's for you to decide.
One note I will make is that there have been 10 Juvy Turf/Juvy Turf Fillies BC races at SA. 7 of the total 10 races were won by horses that previously raced in Europe. [b]70%[/b]. In the Juvy Turf race specifically for males, all five previously raced in Europe. 5 for 5, [b]100%[/b] The three American fillies to win the race were '08 Maram (Chad Brown), '09 Tapitsfly (Romans), and '14 Lady Eli (Chad Brown).
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Here are the 18 winners
Year, Name, Trainer, TG Move, (TG Fig), BC Race
'03, Six Perfections, P. Bary, 2.75 point top (2.25) [b]MILE[/b]
'03, Islington, Stoute, Paired top (2) [b]F/M Turf[/b]
'03, High Chaparral, O'Brien, Paired top (1.25) [b]TURF[/b]
'08, Goldikova, Head, .75 point top (2) [b]MILE[/b]
'08, Donativum, Gosden, 1.75 point top (6.5) [b]2yo Juvy Turf[/b]
'08, Conduit, Stoute, 2.75 point top (.5) [b]TURF[/b]
'09, Midday, Cecil, Paired top (3.5) [b]F/M Turf[/b]
'09, Goldikova, Head, Paired top (0) [b]MILE[/b]
'09, Pounced, Gosden, Paired top (7.75) [b]2yo Juvy Turf[/b]
'09, Conduit, Stoute, paired top (.5) [b]TURF[/b]
'12, Flotilla, Delzangles, 2 point top (8) [b]2yo Juvy Fillies Turf[/b]
'12, George Vancouver, O'Brien, 1 point slower than top (9) [b]2yo Juvy Turf[/b]
'13, Outstrip, Appleby, 3.5 point top, (5.25) [b]2yo Juvy Turf[/b]
'13, Chriselliam, Hills, 2.5 point top (6) [b]2yo Juvy Fillies Turf[/b]
'13, Dank, Stoute, 1.5 point SLOWER than top (3) [b]F/M Turf[/b]
'13, Magician, O'Brien, 1.75 point top (1.5) [b]TURF[/b]
'14, Karakontie,Pease, 5.75 point top (1.5) [b]MILE[/b]
**'14, Hootenany, Ward, .25 point top, (7.5). [b]Juvy Turf[/b]
** Trained by US trainer Ward, Ran twice in Europe, Rode in BC by Dettori.