(October 9, 2004)- Cuvee, one of the top juveniles of 2003, is on track for a start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint, trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday on ESPN Radio's Inside Lone Star Park. The son of Carson City has only two starts this year and will enter the Oct. 30 World Thoroughbred Championships off a second-place effort in the Kentucky Cup Sprint (Gr. III).

"We're very excited about Cuvee," Asmussen said by phone from Keeneland. "Since last year's Breeders' Cup, nothing's gone right for him. He's finally come out of a race in good shape."

Cuvee underwent knee surgery following a disappointing 12th in the $1.5 million Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After Cuvee finally made his 3-year-old debut in the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in May, finishing second to the highly regarded Fire Slam, he was found to have a serious lung infection that took longer than expected to desist.

Asmussen said that when Cuvee did recover, he traveled to Saratoga but missed valuable training time due to heavy rains.

Back on track and poised to improve off the Kentucky Cup effort, Cuvee will train up to the Breeders' Cup. The spacing will result in a 42-day gap between starts. Eleven of 20 previous Breeders' Cup Sprints, including the three most recent renewals, have been won by horses coming off a month-plus layoff.

If the Breeders' Cup Sprint oversubscribes with more than 14 entrants, Cuvee could need the help of a Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel to make the field. Seven horses would earn automatic berths based on graded stakes points earned in 2004, while seven more would be ranked in order of preference by The Panel.

LADY TAK STILL POSSIBLE FOR SPRINT, TOO

Trainer Steve Asmussen, appearing on Saturday's edition of Inside Lone Star Park on ESPN Radio in the Dallas Fort Worth area, said 4-year-old filly Lady Tak remains an outside possibility for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park.

"It's not a question of how fast she is," Asmussen said. "The full field of older horses and what else we want to do with her in the future is more of a concern."

Lady Tak will run in Sunday's 6 ½-furlong Grade II Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park. The Florida-bred daughter of Mutakddim is the probable favorite on the basis of her impressive win in the Grade I Ballerina Handicap in August.

"I'm excited and a bit nervous about running her, as always," Asmussen said. "Lady Tak's a brilliant filly, but she's giving away a lot of weight, from 12 pounds to four pounds."

Inside Lone Star Park, hosted by Darren Rogers and The Dallas Morning News horseracing columnist Gary West, airs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. CT on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM in the Dallas Fort Worth area and on the Internet at www.espn1033.com.

MITCHELL REPORTS KELA AND 'STAR' DOING WELL

Trainer Mike Mitchell reported that his pair of 6-year-old Breeders' Cup candidates, sprinter Kela and turf veteran Star Over the Bay, couldn't be doing better heading into the World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park.

"I'm not feeling the pressure yet, maybe because they're both doing so good," Mitchell said.
Lone Star's Texas Mile winner Kela will be a major player in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Kentucky-bred son of Numerous won two in a row at Del Mar - the Grade I Bing Crosby and the Grade II Pat O'Brien - and will enter the Sprint with 75 days between starts.

"If there's a horse in that race who can beat Pico Central, it'll be a horse like mine with a different style," Mitchell said. "I can remember three Breeders' Cup Sprints off hand - Elmhurst [in 1997], Lit de Justice [in 1996] and Cardmania [in 1993] - that were all run that way, where the winner ran around everybody. Kela's style is perfect for this race."

Jerry Bailey will ride Kela for the first time.
Star Over the Bay, second by a neck in the Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star, hopes to steal the $2 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf.

"I'm hoping nobody has any respect for us and lets him go out to an easy lead," Mitchell said. "He's best if he gets a lead and then when another horse comes at him, he'll dig in and show his heart."

Tyler Baze will retain the mount on Star Over the Bay for a fourth straight race.

MITCHELL OUTLINES SCHEDULE FOR BREEDERS' CUP HOPEFULS

Trainer Mike Mitchell outlined the training and shipping plans for his Breeders' Cup hopefuls - $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint aspirant Kela and $2 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf probable Star Over the Bay.

Both horses will arrive at Lone Star Park on Oct. 25 aboard a Tex Sutton charter flight from Southern California.

Kela will have a five-furlong breeze Wednesday. He'll then get two six-furlong workouts, with the last coming at Hollywood on Sunday, Oct. 24 before flying the next day.

The Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien winner worked four furlongs officially clocked at :50 4/5 Friday at Hollywood Park.

"We slowed him down the other day," Mitchell said. "It was totally foggy so we were guessing at the times. You couldn't see anything."

Star Over the Bay is scheduled to work "an easy half-mile" Monday, followed by two six-furlong moves prior to shipping.

BREEDERS' CUP BRIEFS

Rebuttal, second in the Group 1 Shadwell Stud Middle Park Stakes, will try the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile. "The trip is definitely on and the horse is ready to go," trainer Brian Meehan told The Times. "He is really on the up. The Middle Park was only his fourth run and he learned a lot from it. He needs to be held up behind a fast pace. I'm not blaming jockeys but the Middle Park was the first time he was able to race like that and he nearly won it. I think he would have a big, big chance at the Breeders' Cup." Rebuttal is a Kentucky-bred son of Mr. Greeley based in England...A decision on English and Irish Oaks winner Ouija Board's status will be made next week. Trainer Ed Dunlop told The Racing Post his filly came out of a third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe "very, very well." Ouija Board could go favored if she were to run in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

DID YOU KNOW?

October, with an average high of 78 degrees and a low of 56, is generally the most pleasant month of the year in the Dallas Fort Worth area. The average temperature on Oct. 30 (Breeders' Cup Day) is a high of 72 degrees and a low of 51. The record high was 90 in 1951 and the record low was 24 in 1917. Wind usually blows south at an average of 10 mph. The sun rises at approximately 7:45 a.m. and sets around 6:40 p.m. An average of four inches of rain falls during the month of October, however it rained only three-quarters of an inch for the entire month of October last year.

DOWN THE STRETCH

The Post Time Pavilion will open earlier than usual Monday at 10:30 a.m. CT due to the special Columbus Day racing programs on the East Coast. The day's first race will be 11:25 a.m. CT at Philadelphia Park. There are special cards scheduled at Belmont Park (noon CT) and Santa Anita (2:30 p.m. CT)...Sunday's nine-race card includes a very good six-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies. Cieli, a first-time starter by Silver Deputy owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, is the 5-2 favorite for trainer Steve Asmussen. The 4-1 second choice is also a first-time starter, a daughter of Chequer owned by K.K. Jayaraman and trained by Cole Norman.