Ganpath goes for history at Breeders’ Cup

CALIFORNIA: Trinidad and Tobago’s Ray Ganpath tries today to become the first Caribbean winner on the rich Breeders’ Cup race day at Santa Anita Park.

Ganpath partners the highly fancied Society Selection in the US$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race over a mile and sixteenth, race three on the world’s richest horse racing meet. Society Selection is third favourite at 8-1 in the forecast odds, which has Halfbridled as the top choice at 7-5 with Julie Krone riding, and Class Above (7-2) with David Flores up, as the second favourite. In her maiden special weight debut on August 18 at Saratoga, Society Selection, from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, accelerated from seventh to earn a 3 1/2-length victory under Ganpath.

In the big Frizette Stakes earlier this month, Ganpath rallied Society Selection from eighth-place to win and the 30-year-old Trinidadian suspects his filly will attempt a similar come-from-behind run today. “She just loves running at horses and I think the race is going to be really nice for her with the speed up front,” said Ganpath, who has been riding in the USA for the past three years. Ganpath, who spent Thursday morning galloping Society Selection one mile at Santa Anita, will not ride in any races before his start in the Juvenile Fillies, but said he is used to racing “cold.” Jerkens, who did not make the trip to Santa Anita, will call Ganpath today to go over some final race strategy. Outstanding Caribbean riders Emile Ramsammy (Trinidad & Tobago), Patrick Husbands (Barbados) and Michael Lee (Jamaica) have all had Breeders’ Cup appearances before without success.

Society Selection has drawn post position six, just on the inside of Class Above, while Krone, trying to become the first woman rider to win a Breeders’ Cup race, will be in the 14 box with Halfbridled. In light of her drawing the 14 post, Halfbridled has gone from the most likely winner of today’s Breeders’ Cup card to perhaps one of the most vulnerable favourites. “She’s got to be much the best to win from out there,” Halfbridled’s trainer Todd Fletcher told reporters Thursday. Other top entries in the 14-horse field include 12-1 chance Forest Music, with Edgar Prado riding, and the 15-1 bets Hollywood Story (Pat Valenzuela), Zosima (Pat Day), and Tarlow (Mike Smith).