Still a Foreign Flavor for Downgraded Event

With all the injuries that have plagued horses that were expected to run in Breeders’ Cup XIV, no race has been hit harder than the Turf.

The longest of the seven Breeders’ Cup races and, next to the Classic, the most lucrative, the Turf lost its star and 6-5 favorite, Singspiel, when the 5-year-old suffered a right leg fracture Thursday morning.

Earlier, Desert King, Influent, Marlin and Rainbow Dancer--all multiple-stakes winners all--were knocked out, costing the race most of its luster.

Even without Singspiel, Europe’s all-time leading money earner with nearly $6 million in purses, horses from the continent are legitimate contenders in the 12-furlong marathon.

Borgia, a 3-year-old filly, is Germany’s hope for success and she was third of 18 in last month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, finishing 7 1/2 lengths behind runaway winner Peintre Celebre. Some say that with clear sailing she would have been second, ahead of Pilsudski, who won last year’s Turf at Woodbine.

Borgia hasn’t been worse than third in her 10 starts, has won two of four at 1 1/2 miles, and, according to British handicapper Nick Mordin, there is another reason to like her chances of winning Saturday.

“Borgia’s trainer, Bruno Schutz, hates shipping his horses,” Mordin wrote in the Daily Racing Form. “He ships only if he’s sure his horse has a big chance to win.”

Majorien, considered one of Europe’s top 2-year-olds in 1996, has won three in a row after beginning the year with fourth- and fifth-place finishes. A British-bred, he definitely won’t have any trouble with the distance as his three recent victories have come at

1 5/16 miles, 1 3/8 miles and 1 1/2 miles.

There is also French-bred Rajpoute, a recent purchase by trainer Ron McAnally for owner Sid Craig. He is an improving 3-year-old and has two wins at the Turf distance.

Chief Bearhart was the second choice on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line before Singspiel was scratched and could very well be favored at post time on the strength of four victories in his last five starts at Keeneland and Woodbine.

Only four times in 13 years has the favorite won the Turf. In this decade, there have been wins by Miss Alleged at 42-1 in 1991, Fraise at 14-1 in 1992, Tikkanen at 16-1 in 1994 and Pilsudski in 1996 at 13-1.

KEYS TO THE RACE: The pace will be very slow, and this race could come down to who has the best late kick. The bottom line is it’s not the same race without the quality horses who had to drop out.

THE HORSES

Buck’s Boy has won five of his last six in Illinois, but only one of those victories was in a graded stakes, and that was on the dirt in the Hawthorne Gold Cup. He has raced five times on turf, winning twice and finishing second twice.

Awad can hang with the best of them. He has won only twice in 21 starts since the beginning of 1996, but has earned nearly $3.2 million in his career. One of those two victories in the last 22 months was in last year’s Arlington Million. He has run twice on the Hollywood Park turf, finishing second and third.

Big Sky Chester is certainly game, but the 5-year-old Afleet horse is outclassed. He won a restricted stakes at Oak Tree against only four opponents. His biggest plus is his rider, Gary Stevens. The jockey won this race in 1990 with In The Wings and was second last year on Singspiel. No horse that has won the Kokopelli Handicap at Turf Paradise has ever won a Breeders’ Cup race.

Dance Design is rushed back in six days after nearly falling in the stretch of the Yellow Ribbon when jostled in an incident that also involved Memories Of Silver. In terms of Dance Design’s finish position, it wasn’t costly because she wasn’t going to finish in the money. A better alternative for her would have been to wait for the $700,000 Matriarch on Nov. 30 at Hollywood Park.

Chief Bearhart has won two in a row in his native Canada: the Sky Classic by six lengths and the Canadian International by two over the now-sidelined Down The Aisle. He’s very effective at 1 1/2 miles, having three wins and two seconds in six tries and will be trying to better his 11th-place finish over his home course at Woodbine in last year’s Turf.

Ops Smile has won twice this year and his big score came at 21-1 in the Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 7. That victory came over a firm course, so maybe he will like the footing at Hollywood Park. The Turf will be his sixth consecutive start in a Grade I race.

Majorien has won his last three starts in France, the most recent coming in a Group II affair over a soft course at Longchamp three weeks ago. He comes from a quality barn and could make off with a nice piece of the purse--or more.

Borgia will try to become the fifth 3-year-old to win this race, joining Lashkari, Manila, Prized and Tikkanen, but she would be the first 3-year-old filly to win. She has a good late kick, and European observers think she will like Hollywood Park’s course.

Flag Down will try to give owners Allen and Madeleine Paulson their third victory in the Turf. Theatrical won as the favorite at Hollywood Park in 1987 and Fraise scored a surprising victory at Gulfstream Park five years ago. If this 7-year-old wins, it would definitely be an upset as he hasn’t won a stakes race since the Grade II Pan American Handicap eight months ago.

Val’s Prince just won at the Turf distance three weeks ago at Belmont Park, rolling past four others over a good surface. In his only appearance on firm turf at 12 furlongs, he was third in the Sword Dancer in August at Saratoga.

Rajpoute has won three of his last four and was beaten by only a head in the defeat. Trainer Ron McAnally and jockey Chris McCarron teamed to win this event two years ago with Northern Spur at Belmont Park.

THE FIELD

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Horse Wt. Jockey Trainer 1. Buck’s Boy 126 M. Guidry H. Pridham 2. Awad 126 P. Day D. Donk 3. Big Sky Chester 126 G. Stevens B. Hone 4. Dance Design 123 M. Kinane D. Weld 5. Chief Bearhart 126 J. Santos M. Frostad 6. Ops Smile 126 J.L. Samyn B. Boniface 7. Majorien 122 O. Doleuze C. Head 8. Borgia 119 K. Fallon B. Schutz 9. Flag Down 126 J. Bailey C. Clement 10. Val’s Prince 126 M. Smith J. Picou 11. Rajpoute 122 C. McCarron R. McAnally

Horse Owner Odds 1. Buck’s Boy Quarter B Farm 30-1 2. Awad Ryehill Farm 8-1 3. Big Sky Chester D. & H. Wilson 30-1 4. Dance Design Molyglare Stud 20-1 5. Chief Bearhart Sam-Son Farm 5-2 6. Ops Smile Karp, Schipke & Warfield 20-1 7. Majorien Maktoum al Maktoum 12-1 8. Borgia G. Ammerland 8-1 9. Flag Down A. Paulson 8-1 10. Val’s Prince R. Martin and S. Weiner 15-1 11. Rajpoute S. Craig 6-1

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Post: 1:50 p.m.

Distance: 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Purse: $2 million.

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COMING SATURDAY

A look at the Classic.