2007 Breeders’ Cup
World Championships to Feature
Washington-owned Runners

Washingtonians will have more than just the usual nationally ranked fan favorites to root for at this year’s expanded two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships being held at Monmouth Park on New Jersey’s seaside on October 26 and 27. For the first time in several years, three runners – including two homebreds – owned or co-owned by Washington residents are among the record 141 horses listed in the pre-entries for the now two-day championship event, according to industry announcements on October 18.

Among the top fillies in the list for the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) is Northwest Farms’ unbeaten Smarty Deb. The daughter of Smart Strike went four-for-four while racing at Emerald Downs this past summer for her Yakima-based breeder Jerre Paxton, including her three-length victory over male runners in the Gottstein Futurity. Smarty Deb, who was honored as the Auburn track’s top juvenile filly of the meeting, is trained by Doris Harwood, who set a new record for stakes wins during the Emerald Downs meet in 2007 when she saddled a dozen winners.

Seattle businessman Herman Sarkowsky will be trying to take his second Breeders’ Cup victory with his homebred Dixie Chatter, winner of the Norfolk Stakes (G1) in his last start. The two-year-old is among those named for the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). A son of Sarkowsky’s Dixie Union, who won the Monmouth-based Haskell Invitational (G1) at three (and also finished fifth in the 2000 Juvenile), Dixie Chatter is out of a daughter of Sarkowsky’s homebred nation champion Phone Chatter, who won the 1992 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Prominent Seattle researcher Dr. George Todaro, who owns Grade 1 winner Hystericalady in partnership with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and Rancho San Miguel, will have to make a decision with his partners whether they will run the talented four-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) or the richer Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).

Three-year-old Any Given Saturday, who beat older runners in the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) in his last outing and won the Haskell Invitational (G1) to give him an important win over the New Jersey track, is among the top three-year-old colts vying for division championship honors in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Presented by Dodge (G1), the coup de grace of the day of championship racing. The son of Distorted Humor’s claim to Washington comes from the fact that his second dam, the stakes winning Spectacular Bid mare Whow, is one of four stakes winners produced out of 1968 Washington horse of the year Hooplah. Hooplah, whose dam Beadah is Washington’s only Reine-des-Course, is also the granddam of Phone Chatter!

Eugene, Oregon’s best known Thoroughbred players’ Aaron and Marie Jones, will be rooting on their homebred Sunriver in the John Deer Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). The son of Saint Ballado is a full brother to champion and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Ashado, who was also bred by the Joneses.

Also, on the Friday, Monmouth card is the $250,000 Favorite Trick Stakes for two-year-olds going six furlongs. Among the owners of runners vying for the rich purse will be Elttaes Stables, the nom de course for Kenny and Marleen Alhadeff, whose three-time Emerald Downs stakes-winning juvenile Margo’s Gift, a Washington-bred son of Polish Gift bred by the late Barbara Nelson and also trained by Doris Harwood, is among the entries.