Saturday, Breeders’ Cup, 1 p.m., NBC
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If the Americans really wanted a home-track advantage, they would’ve held this year’s Breeders’ Cup in Florida or California – someplace hot that would’ve tested the Europeans horses’ sweat glands.
At this time of the year, European horses put on their winter coats, which can hinder their performances in the heat.
But the home of Saturday’s races – Chicago – is cool in October, making it seem as if Curtis Strange might have picked the choice of venue for this international event.
“Horses normally like the cold weather better than the hot,” NBC’s Mike Battaglia said. “What happens with the Europeans is they start getting their winter coats there [now.]
“If they come over here and they have to go to California or Florida, it really hurts their chances because it gets too hot for them. They end up washing out, sweating a lot, soaking wet, a lot of times they will be more nervous because of the heat.
“Whereas when they come into Chicago, you will see the cooler weather. The horses are more acclimated to that.”
For the 19th year, the Breeders’ Cup will grip the racing world with eight races that offer storylines and money.
In international racing, only the Dubai Cup, the Arc de Triomphe and possibly the Japan Cup can compete with the Breeders’ in terms of importance.
“First of all, they put up a lot of money, so every race is worth at least a million,” Battaglia said. “The Distaff is $2 million, the Turf is $2 million and the Classic is $4 million. The prestige is huge. If you win a Breeders’ Cup race, you normally put yourself right at the thick of things to be a champion.”
Though the Classic is the Cup’s most anticipated race, the undercard features lots of excitement, too.
To borrow a racing term, the thrills go from wire to wire.