BC Non-Classic Notes

- Before I get to Curlin and what I see as the implications of his defeat in the Classic, here's some notes and observations about the other races from Saturday.

If the Dirt Mile was a graded race, Albertus Maximus, who I picked here, would be the 4th graded stakes winner for Albert the Great, standing in Pennsylvania for $4,000 (and, according to Karen Johnson on Bloodhorse.com, listed for $2500 for 2009). The sire's son Nobiz Like Showbiz was retired to stud earlier this year. I don't know what the demand is for the stud services of a synthetic track specialist offspring of a $2,500 regional sire. But I'd guess that any such opportunity would have to be weighed against the prospect of his winning this race again next year on the same surface (unless it gets washed out by rains over the winter).

- That was an electrifying burst by Goldikova in the Mile; she got the last furlong in 11.03 seconds. If all goes well, here's one BC winner that we can expect to see again next year. When asked if Goldikova would race next season, Alain Wertheimer said: "Absolutely." [Press Association] The triple returned $95.20 on a $2 bet for the first three favorites in order. Kip Deville was clearly second best in an excellent effort for Dutrow. The trainer, who is now on record as being sexist in addition to everything else he's on record for, had said he was more confident going in than last year, and the horse would have repeated in most years.

- The Juvenile was a relatively dull affair, with the top three finishers running in that order from the half mile mark on. Baffert said of the winner: “I don’t know if Sheikh Mohammed will want to take him to Dubai....I hope he doesn’t.” Seems to me that the go-to-Dubai strategy hasn't worked very well for the Sheikh as far as the Derby goes. They seem to just disappear. His Royal Sheikhness seems like a smart guy, so you'd think he'd eventually realize that.

Midshipman has run only in California, and I believe I'm correct in saying that he and Stardom Bound will become the sport's first synthetic champions. As such, they'll be some resistance I imagine to Midshipman's Derby prospects. By Unbridled's Song, he's a half to the G2 Cotillion winner Fast Cookie, and out of G2 La Canada winner Fleet Lady. So there's dirt success in his blood. There's grass influence too - his second dam is a half to the French champion Salse, which could very well explain his liking Pro-Ride.

Munnings was prominent to the stretch and tired to 10th in his first try on synthetic.

- The two juvenile turf races were probably the most exciting stretch drives of the Breeders' Cup. And one of ESPN's best moments came after the win by Donativum in the Juvie Turf. Great camerawork here with the overhead shot (the close one, not the one from Sputnik), and Jerry Bailey highlighted the positioning duel between Frankie Dettori and John Murtagh in the stretch. They both wanted the same hole, and Dettori, though not quite able to deny his rival, did make him wait just long enough until he had his own path outside, and was able to run him down. Donativum is a half-brother to Worldly, who won the grassy G2 La Jolla via DQ last year. Coronet of a Baron transferred his Polyform to grass and hung on well for third.

- Sprint winner Midnight Lute is the only "dirt horse" to win one of the Pro-Ride BC races. Not that he's never won on synthetic - he took the Perryville at Keeneland last year. However, his best moments had undoubtedly been on dirt, and he had run his slowest races of the last two years in his three synthetic starts. On the other hand, I think we could surmise that Fabulous Strike did not care for the Pro-Ride in his first synthetic start. He always gets the lead on dirt, but could get no closer than third here. Kinda dead on the board at 6.80 to 1 too.

I'd picked Street Boss, who was moving on the turn with the winner for a bit. But Midnight Lute, a path outside that one, had left him in the dust by the time they turned for home. Another top effort on synthetic for runner-up Fatal Bullet. Midnight Lute is by Real Quiet, another Pennsylvania sire, so quite a good day for that state's breeding industry....as if they really need the help these days.

- Trevor Denman is the best in the business at picking up early on a winning move; but he was a bit late with Conduit in the Turf. If I have one criticism of Denman in general, it's that he sometimes becomes too fixated on a single horse. In this case, he was all about Eagle Mountain, who sat a perfect trip behind the leaders and loomed boldly on the turn for home. But Conduit, who I picked here, was winding up on the turn while wider and further back, and Denman didn't find him until midstretch, when he was already on his way to victory. If I have one criticism of Denman as the voice of the Breeder's Cup, it's that his voice lacks the depth of someone like Durkin, who can turn it up a notch for the big races. When a horse at Santa Anita just jumps in at the quarter pole, you might not know if it's a Grade 1 championship or a 15K claimer. Having said that, Denman had a pretty solid two days other than his misstep at the end of the F&M Turf.

Soldier of Fortune was way overbet at 8-5 and weakened to 4th. "He ran well but on reflection I think he needed a bit more time than the three weeks between this race and the Arc," said Dettori Aidan O'Brien.

Conduit was supplemented to the race, and it sounds like he's a possibility to return next year to race at age four. Again, the fact that the 2009 Breeders' Cup will again be run at Santa Anita could encourage some winning connections to keep a horse in training, and go for some big money on the track instead of on the breeding farm; for a year, anyway. Conduit is by the Irish champion Dalakhani out of a Sadlers Wells mare who's a half sister to the US graded winner Stream of Gold, and the 2000 Guineas winner Spectrum.

- Rangers off to an 8-2-1 start with two wins over the weekend. On Nikolai Zherdev's tying goal with eight seconds left on Saturday, besides the wicked shot, check out the beautiful pass by Markus Naslund (91) to set it up; lifting the puck over an opposing stick blade with a deft backhand flip, floating it directly onto Zherdev's stick. Great goal!