Sean Clancy

11:40 Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade 1) (3yo+) (Turf) 1m

Wow, what a race - Tepin, Limato, Ironicus, Alice Springs, Miss Temple City, Photo Call, Midnight Storm…

Champion Tepin lost for the first time in her last nine starts when unable to reel in Photo Call in the First Lady at Keeneland. That loss might have taken off some pressure while barely denting her armour. Assistant Norman Casse, who has accompanied Tepin around the world, certainly wasn’t dismayed by the loss.

“We never meant to come over here fully cranked. We backed off of her just a little bit after the Woodbine race, gave her an easy half-mile and we were hoping for the best,” Casse said after the loss. “That’s why we picked this race in particular, we didn’t want her to run her A race today with the ultimate goal the Breeders’ Cup Mile and repeat. I haven’t lost any confidence in her, we’re still set up to do that and we’ll move forward from this race.”

Of course, Casse isn’t the only confident horseman with sights on the Mile. Graham Motion adores Miss Temple City, bandying big words when it comes to the four-year-old filly who beat the boys in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

“She’s trained unbelievable, I worked her at Fair Hill on the turf course and she was spectacular,” Motion said after she won the Shadwell Turf Mile. “She is spectacular.”

Finishing a nose behind Miss Temple City, Ironicus bolstered trainer Shug McGaughey’s confidence going to the Breeders’ Cup as well.

“I don’t think we were ever where he wanted to be. No pace, I was a little surprised at where he was. He ran huge,” McGaughey said, as he walked off the track that day. “He hadn’t run since June, we got a good race into him. We came to win but you never know what to expect when they haven’t run. I just thought he ran a great race, that filly won here in the spring, she’s got a bit affinity for this, we just never got where I thought he should be. It wasn’t the rider’s fault, just the way the race came up with no pace.”

McGaughey makes plans like an archeologist, mapping before declaring. After the Shadwell, McGaughey walked back with owner Stuart Janney and jockey Jose Ortiz.

“Do you all want to run him again this year?” Janney asked. “If he comes back OK we’ll go,” McGaughey said, quickly, to Janney and Ortiz.

Consider yourself warned.

Aidan O’Brien could continue a stellar weekend or salvage a disappointing one with three-prong attack of Alice Springs, Hit It A Bomb and Cougar Mountain, while British-based Limato tries to stretch to a mile for Henry Candy.

SELECTIONS: 1 Ironicus, 2 Tepin, 3 Limato

12:35 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) (3yo+) (Dirt) 1m2f

Not as deep as the Mile or the Distaff, the Classic offers the matchup of the weekend as California Chrome, the $13.4 million champion takes on Arrogate, the track-record setting Travers upstart.

In between those two come an established group led by Californians Melatonin and Hoppertunity, Jimmy Jerkens’ pair Effinex and Shaman Ghost, and Met Mile and Whitney winner Frosted.

Tactically, the race lies in the light hands of Mike Smith, who rides Arrogate for the second time.

The first time? Well, that was a meet-and-greet in the Travers, which went from hello to goodbye in a matter of 1m 59.36secs. Moments after the $1.25 million romp, Smith shook his head, “That was freaky.”

Indeed, Arrogate freaked in the Travers, maintaining his speed while relying on stamina to draw off by 13½ lengths. Now, mind you, American Freedom and Gun Runner rounded out the top three that day. Saturday, Arrogate and Smith will have California Chrome and Victor Espinoza hovering like a better second in line as post time nears.

Smith will delicately and strategically dole out the fractions while Espinoza decides when and how much pressure to apply.

Arrogate breaks from the outside while California Chrome breaks in the middle. Smith will want to feather over and make Arrogate the controlling speed and Espinoza will want to feather out and give California Chrome his favourite outside stalking perch. Melatonin and Frosted are the only others with enough speed to create lumps under the California Chrome and Arrogate quilt.

Sit back and enjoy.

SELECTIONS: 1 California Chrome, 2 Arrogate, 3 Effinex