News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC) (212.371.5911..)

TRC BREEDERS' CUP NOTEBOOK
Breeders' Cup Turf (Grade I)
Purse: $2,000,000
Three-Year-Olds and Up
1 1/2 Miles Turf
Friday, November 7	Contact: Notes Team (310) 419-4788
Awad-Awad jogged Friday with assistant trainer Jane Turner aboard. Trainer
David Donk was not expected until later in the day.
"This old boy always gives his best," Turner said of Awad. "He's been out
here before and run well. He can travel and handle it. He flew to Japan and
it didn't bother him. And he's made more than $3 million.
"He just has to have a fast pace up front."
Big Sky Chester-As the exercise rider, groom and hot walker for Big Sky
Chester, Reyes Ramos knows the horse as well as anyone. "He's ready," said
Ramos, who works for trainer Bart Hone. "He's going to surprise a lot of
people tomorrow."
Ramos said the 5yo horse received schooling in the paddock Thursday
afternoon and the gate Friday morning and galloped almost two laps Friday
morning.
"He seems to be very happy here, happier than he was at Del Mar," said
Ramos.
Ramos, 28, has been on the Southern California circuit most of his life. He
previously worked at Granja Vista del Rio Ranch in Corona and for trainer
Tony Chavez before going to work for Hone in August.
"I wasn't afraid of Singspiel, but I feel for his trainer and owner," said
Ramos of the morning-line Turf favorite, who suffered a fractured leg
Thursday.
Buck's Boy-Trainer Noel Hickey changed his plan to Breeze Buck's boy and
instead let the Hawthorne Gold Cup winner take an easy gallop around the
main track. "Yesterday in his gallop another horse went by him and he
started going a little strong in the last quarter of a mile, so I decided
that was the same as a breeze," explained Hickey. "I didn't think it would
be the sensible thing for him to work this morning."
Chief Bearhart-Sam-Son Farm's Chief Bearhart jogged 1 1/8 miles and then
galloped 1 1/8 miles on the main track Friday morning at Hollywood Park
with exercise rider Brad Nicholds up. Trainer Mark Frostad was asked what
the key point of the $2 million Turf would be for Chief Bearhart.
"The key point for him is getting through all the traffic," Frostad said.
"He generally comes from off the pace and hopefully it is not a slow pace,
and if it is, I would think he would be a little closer. He's got the great
tactical speed and speed isn't a problem. It's getting through all the
traffic; that could be the problem, horses stopping in front of you. We'll
have to hope Jose [Santos] can avoid all the trouble."
Frostad was asked what other Turf entrant he'd like to have Saturday if
Chief Bearhart were not in the race. "Probably one of the Europeans,
possibly Borgia," Frostad said, "because of the kind of horses she has been
running against. She's shown a lot of class and she gets in at 119
[pounds]. She could be a factor."
Flag Down-As he did Thursday, the 7yo Flag Down had an easy 1 3/8ths gallop
with Christophe Clement's assistant, Nicholas Bachalard, looking on.
"Like everyone, we're hoping," said Bachalard. "A lot of horses are coming
from behind. But he runs hard every time. We hope for the best."
Clement was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles at 7:00 Friday evening, said
Bachalard.
Ops Smile-Trainer Bill Boniface seemed more enthusiastic than ever about
Ops Smile's chances Friday in the barn area at Hollywood Park. In fact,
he's talking about the prospects of winning an Eclipse Award for turf
performance if the horse does well Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
The trainer had flown in with the 5yo horse in a trip intended to be a
non-stop flight from Newark Airport. "Something went wrong [and] we had to
go to Memphis before coming to California," he said. "But it didn't seem to
hurt him at all.
"I sure hate to see that horse [Singspiel] get hurt," Boniface added. "I
had said earlier that I thought he was the best horse in the race. Now, I
have to say that Ops Smile is the horse to beat."
That statement is in behalf of a horse who is 20-1 in a field of 11.
"He won the Dixie at Pimlico," Boniface pointed out. "It's one of the
oldest races in the country. He beat some real good horses when coming from
off the pace in the Manhattan Handicap [at Belmont Park] and now, if he
should somehow win this race, worth $2 million, I think he'd deserve a
shot."
In order to perform at his best, Ops Smile needs a fast pace up front.
Rajpoute-The French-bred sophomore galloped over the main track Friday in
preparation for his American debut. A reported $1.2 million purchase by
Sidney Craig, Rajpoute won the Prix Niel at Longchamp in his last start in
which he defeated eventual Arc de Triomphe winner Peintre Celebre.
Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally assumed training for Rajpoute when he
arrived from France last Saturday. Francois Doumen, the colt's breeder,
trainer and owner in France, is also here for the Breeders' Cup.
"He has early speed and I don't expect him to be too far off the pace,"
said Doumen when asked about Rajpoute's running style. With Singspiel out,
I think Criquette Head's horse (Majorien) may be the tough horse. He's been
running extremely well."
Val's Prince-Taking advantage of a lack of traffic, trainer Jimmy Picou
elected to send Val's Prince for a 1 5/8 mile gallop on the main track
Friday morning instead of on the grass.
"We had a good gallop yesterday on the turf, and we had the chance to go
out when it was quiet," said Picou. "He's doing great. He's full of
signals, all of them good."
Picou's assistant and exercise rider, Frank Conti, said he thought Val's
Prince was "doing even better" than he was before his victory in the Turf
Classic.
"Deep down, I think he's going to win," said Conti.
For Majorien, Dance Design and Borgia, see European Report
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