Teleconference Date: October 26, 2011 at 12 p.m. ET

Jim Gluckson: Thank you very much and good day everyone and welcome to the 2011 Breeders' Cup pre-entry media teleconference.

Today, we have as our special guests, Freddy Head, Chantal Sutherland, Rick Porter, and Mike Repole. We have, also, with us, Alastair Donald of the International Racing Bureau to discuss the European fields.

Here in Louisville, we have Craig Fravel, the President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited; Kevin Flanery, the President of Churchill Downs Racetrack; Tom Robbins, the Chairman of the Breeders' Cup Racing Directors and Secretaries Panel, is with us, Ben Huffman, the Director of Racing and Racing Secretary for Churchill Downs will also be joining us.

On today's call what we're going to do is we're going to have some opening remarks from Craig and from Kevin. And then we're going to hear an opening remark from Alastair Donald on the fields, and then we're going to get into a question from me, from each of our guests, and then we will turn it back over to the moderator and we'll get into questions from the media.

So I'd like to say, without further ado, introduce, please, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited, Mr. Craig Fravel.

Craig Fravel: Thank you, Jimmy. Well, on the theory that you guys would rather hear from participants in this event than from the executive, I'm going to be very brief and just tell you how pleased I am to be here at Churchill Downs for the eighth time that the Breeders' Cup has been entertained here at Churchill Downs.

We're extremely excited to announce today that there are a record of a 193 horses pre-entered in the 28th Breeders' Cup. These horses represent a brilliant cross-section of international talent returning, again, to Louisville for two outstanding days of racing with a total of 29 horses from Europe pre-entered from the championships.

In addition, there's 66 horses that have one group 1 or grade 1 races around the world and we are really privileged to have horses such as Uncle Mo, Goldikova, Midday, Chamberlain Bridge, Shared Account, a number of horses that have previously won Breeders' Cup races, Havre de Grace, and Game On Dude, ridden by Chantal Sutherland, and So You Think of true international superstar.

So with that, I'd just like to tell you how happy we are to be back at Churchill Downs this year. There's no better place and no better management team for putting on a significant event in the racing world, and with that, I'll turn it over to Kevin Flanery, the President of Churchill Downs Racetrack.

CKevin Flanery: Thank you, Craig. It is absolutely an honor to be the host for the Breeders' Cup Championships for the eighth time in the 28-year history of the championships. The great news is we are looking forward to big crowds on Friday and Saturday of next week. Everything is shaping up prior to the participants arriving at the track and on the back side, and we know we're going to have a great crowd and a great event.

We're very happy that a lot of the participants have had a very successful history at this racetrack and we hope that Uncle Mo, Goldikova, some of those spectacular performances of the past will be repeated with some other runners as well and are looking forward to a very successful year.

As you all know, at Churchill Downs we've been fortunate to host record crowds for single day and two-day events for the Breeders' Cup, and I think that's a testament to how the international community sees this facility as a fair place for the championships to be held, and the way the community embraces everything about horse racing, and the fantastic event that Breeders' Cup puts on, so thank you very much.

Jim Gluckson: Thank you, Kevin; thank you, Craig. I would like to now go to Alastair Donald of the International Racing Bureau, who has worked the all the Breeders' Cup since about 1988 I believe, Alastair, and I'd like to have him make a comment, please, on the European field for this year's event.

Alastair Donald: Thanks, Jim, well, I didn't know I'd been at it that long, but you're aging me, but I think it's a great testament to the Breeders' Cup that we have the numbers, the 29 Europeans that we have here hoping to run come next weekend. And there's some legendary horses amongst them and, you know, a very substantial contingent from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stable.

I think, probably, the place has to go to Goldikova who's coming back for, what will be a remarkable fourth time if she can pull it off in the mile and I really don't want to say too much about her because Freddie Head's on the line and I would rather let Freddy do the talking on that one.

Jim Gluckson: All right, well, Alastair, thank you very much and I think we now should begin with our four speakers that have joined us. I'm going to ask a question or two of each of them and then we'll open it up to the media. And I'd like to, first, ask a question to Freddy Head, who is kind enough to join us this evening from France.

And Freddy, thank you very much; this is Jim Gluckson here in Louisville with President Craig Fravel of the Breeders' Cup, and President of Churchill Downs Racetrack, Kevin Flanery, thank you for joining us this evening.

Freddy Head: Well, it's my pleasure and hello, everybody. We're coming next week and I'm dying to be there.

Jim Gluckson: Well, Freddy, this is an extraordinary achievement for any participant to come over to America, now four consecutive times, to attempt this great achievement here. Can you put it into some perspective for us about her preparations coming over for this year's event?

Freddy Head: Well I'm very happy with the mare. It looks something unreal, I mean, to try and win a fourth Breeders' Cup, but she's really well. I've been very happy with her since the last run and for the moment, so far so good, all's well. I think she's in as good a shape as she was in the previous years. So if all goes well I think we have a good chance.

Jim Gluckson: Coming out of the foray, as you did, basically, it's a very similar schedule to last year, how will you feel about, generally speaking, the ground here at Churchill Downs, you seemed to, obviously, love it here last year, and just comment on that, if you may, about the course.

Freddy Head: Well, Goldikova is very special. She loves those two turns, she turns very well, loved the left-handed track, and she loves racing in America, and where the races are run. She wants some fast ground, wouldn't like it too soft, but the last year she went really well, so if all goes well, I think she'll take a lot of ((inaudible)).

Jim Gluckson: Great, well thank, Freddy. Just hang in here; we're going to get some other questions. I'd like to now go to Mike Repole who has a one-two punch pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Classic with Uncle Mo, who won the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup juvenile last year, and with Stay Thirsty a Travers winner.

Mike, you must be licking your chops here with an opportunity here with these two to win the Classic, comment on how you feel going into the Breeders' Cup Classic with these two horses.

Mike Repole: You know, real confident, I mean, right now, both Todd and I are in a very fortunate position that both Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty are doing excellent. I spoke to him this morning, I was at their work on Sunday, and, Uncle Mo never looked better, has never trained better.

This is the Uncle Mo we thought we'd see the whole three-year-old season, unfortunately, the liver disease got to him, but for him to make this amazing comeback in just four months from being diagnosed. The Kings' Bishop in Kelso, to now, the Breeders' Cup Classic, is amazing and, for Stay Thirsty to come in as the backup quarterback and win the Jim Dandy and Travers is not too bad either, by the way.

Jim Gluckson: Mike, if Uncle Mo comes here and wins the Breeders' Cup Classic, is he Horse of the Year in your mind?

Mike Repole: You know, to me, not only do I think he's Horse of the Year, he's probably the ESPN Comeback Player of the Year, he's probably the Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year. I mean, what he's doing at a remarkable high level, I don't think any horse in the world or in any generation can do.

You know, coming off losing 200 pounds in May and June, gaining that weight back, and now competing at such a high level, to me it takes not a super horse, but, one of the greatest of all times to pull off a feat like this if he's able to do it.

Jim Gluckson: Excellent, thank you, thank you, Mike. Let's go over to Chantal Sutherland now. Chantal, thank you for joining us this morning. I wanted to ask you about the great efforts this year with Game On Dude and the Big 'Cap and, of course, most recently, in the Goodwood. I wondered if you would comment on his front running style and how it'd suit him here in the Classic at Churchill Downs.

Chantal Sutherland: Well, I'm really excited to, you know, have this opportunity and thank you for having me on today. I think, you know, I've never actually ridden at Churchill Downs, yet, so I'm looking forward to working the horse around the track on Thursday, sort of, to get a feel for it.

I just think Game On Dude has the style and I'm going to try and do what we've done in the past.

Jim Gluckson: Chantal, working with Bob Baffert during the year, what types of changes have you seen in Game On Dude from the Big 'Cap right over through the Goodwood?

Chantal Sutherland: Game On Dude he's showing really great weight right now and he's gotten more tenacious and he seems to be pretty aggressive right now. You know, he's basically a Golden Retriever-type horse, away from races, but he ((inaudible)) ability to turn himself on in racing and his workouts, and his workout yesterday was pretty nice.

Jim Gluckson: All right, very good. Chantal, please stay with us. I would like to, now, go to Rick Porter, owner of Havre de Grace, who has joined us this afternoon. Rick, thank you for being on the call today, welcome.

Rick Porter: Well, thank you for having me.

Jim Gluckson: Great, Rick, Havre de Grace has been a very captivating filly this year and a very captivating thoroughbred during the season. Can you comment, for us, on the campaign that you had laid out with her, with Larry Jones, to bring her in position to be right there for the Horse of the Year picture?

Rick Porter: Well, originally when Larry got the horse first of the year, you know, I don't think we anticipated where we'd be now, but she continued to improve through the Azeri and the Apple Blossom.

And then we made some choices in our races in New York and things worked out beautifully for us and, you know, she's been, you know, a great surprise for her to have matured as a four-year-old, and, you know, she's just at the top of her game right now.

Jim Gluckson: And, Rick, what about the Horse of the Year picture in your mind?

Rick Porter: You know, I really don't want to comment on that. You know, we're out to win the Breeders' Cup and other people have their job to vote on Horse of the Year, I certainly hope that, you know, we get good consideration and a lot of it'll depend on, you know, how we do and which race we go in.

Jim Gluckson: Well, what will determine the decision on the race?

Rick Porter: Well, first of all, I'm not sure we're going to be able to enter the Ladies' Classic, it may overfill, it's very close right now, but the only reason that we wouldn't run in the Classic, I think, is if we drew the one hole, or if we, you know, saw a complete difference in the weather, you know, on Friday and Saturday.

So I think those are only, you know, I'm using the entry into the Ladies' Classic strictly as an insurance policy for a couple things that could go wrong. So, you know, the two things are the post and if we were to see, you know, a big change in the weather from Friday to Saturday.

Jim Gluckson: All right. Well, Rick, thank you, let's hang in here now. We're going to open it up to questions from the media. I just have one other note I wanted to mention. Trappe Shot, who was pre-entered for the first choice in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, also, we learned, has a second choice in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint. So please note that Trappe Shot has a second choice for the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Thank you. Now, let's go back and open it up for questions from the media, please. Let's take one question, please, and no follow ups today. We have a lot of people on the phone, so let's right to it, please.

Danny Brewer: This is for Mike Repole. Mike, you know, I was at the Derby when the disappointment was there, Uncle Mo was great and all this stuff, but how much of this is about you and what you've done for horse racing and a comeback story for not only Uncle Mo, but you as well?

Mike Repole: You know, I think the story is 100% about Uncle Mo. You know, for him to be such a wonderful two-year-old and probably one of the greatest two year olds of all time. And, you know, the early Derby favorite and, unfortunately, you know, there's so many injuries in this game, it's so tough.

You know, look at Tizway, and, you know, Cape Blanco, and Blind Luck, you know, but to come up with an illness that wasn't just career threatening, but was life threatening, and then just come back in 120 days after it was diagnosed, and to run the race he did in the Kings' Bishop, and then follow it up with, probably one of the greatest performances this year in the Kelso, just a wow appearance there.

And, you know, at the beginning of the year, you know, Todd and I scripted we wanted to be in the Breeders' Cup Classic, it's not the way we wanted to run the play, but, you know, we got here and, you know, we should, probably be either first, second, or third favorite.

And, you know, this is an Uncle Mo story and it's 100% about Uncle Mo, and it's 100% about the horse, and he's been great to racing, and he's got so many fans, and he's got such a following, and there's a lot of people that care about this horse.

John Pricci: This is for Mike Repole. Mike, yes, indeed, Uncle Mo is a very popular horse. If all goes well, we're not putting horses before carts here, but if all goes well, and he's healthy, and he's happy, and he wins, and so forth, and so on, is there any chance you'll bring him back next year?

Mike Repole: Yes, there's definitely a chance whether he wins or he loses, he comes back. You know, when I negotiated the deal back in July and August, I didn't even know if Uncle Mo would get to the racetrack.

And one of the great things about doing the deal with Coolmore was they've been partners on horses with Todd from Rags to Riches, and a bunch of great horses, and they have a great relationship with Todd, and, you know, the deal was, you know, hey, if he doesn't come back to the races, obviously, we'll retire him in June or July.

And if he comes back, we'll just play it by ear. You know, this is a partnership, I didn't sell the horse 100%, I own a significant portion of the horse. You know, if Uncle Mo comes back next year, it will be because Todd and I think it's the right thing, and if Uncle Mo doesn't come back next year, it will be because we're doing what's best for Uncle Mo. It will not be a Coolmore or Ashford decision.

Andrew Beyer: This is also for Mike Repole. Mike, do you worry that you might be asking too much of Uncle Mo by sending him into the Classic? By historical standards, you know, one 7-furlong race and a one-turn mile, you know, isn't sufficient preparation to go a mile and a quarter.

Mike Repole: You know, (Andy), I can't disagree with you, but I also can't - you know, a horse that loses 200 pounds and regains 200 pounds in 120 days, and runs a 106 Beyer and loses a shoe, shouldn't be second by a nose in the Kings' Bishop. That horse should not come back in the Kelso five weeks later and run a 118-speed Beyer Figure and a zero on the rags. This is no ordinary horse, I mean, this is a pretty special horse.

And if any horse in the history of racing can accomplish, you know, 7 furlongs to a mile, never has run further than a mile and 1/16 in his career, and come back in five weeks and win this Classic, it's Uncle Mo. And, you know, I mean, if he ran in the mile he'd be 2:5, and, you know, in this race he might 7:2, but, you know, I think the fans want it, I think the media wants it, I think ESPN wants it, I think the Breeders' Cup wants it.

I know as a racing fan, I want to see Uncle Mo in the Classic with Flat Out, and Havre de Grace, and Stay Thirsty, and all the other great horses that are going to be in the race, Game On Dude.

Larry Stumes: Hi, this is for Freddy Head. Freddy, Goldikova, looks like in the form anyway, that because she's lost three of her five races this year, even though by a neck and a length, that maybe she's not exactly the same horse that she was the previous three years, what do you say about that?

Freddy Head: No, it's very difficult to say. She looks the same, she works the same at home, she hasn't been very lucky, maybe at Deauville we didn't have the best of runs, going was a bit soft, and ((inaudible)) the other day, I mean, it was a record-breaking race. I think the form was as good, even better than last year. So I think she'll do as well as she did last year.

She missed, in the Queen Anne at Ascot, just by half a length, I knew it was going to be a very tough race because the mile at Ascot is a bit far for her, it's very testing, but, otherwise, I think she's done everything we wanted her to do. And I come with a great confidence, I think she's as well and as good as she was in the previous years, really.

Debbie Arrington: Hi, thank you for coming on today. My question is for Mr. Repole. You mentioned that there's a lot of fan interest in your horse and you've had a lot of interaction with fans, you know, across the nation. Racing needs fans, you know, how would you suggest that racing build on the Breeders' Cup and make more fans?

Mike Repole: You know, I really think it comes down to educating our fan base. So many people go to the track and they don't know how to place a win bet, or a show bet, or an exacta bet. And I think that the industry, as a whole, has done a bad job of really educating and recruiting new consumers.

This Breeders' Cup I'm coming with 60, 70 friends and family. I spend almost half my time educating these guys on horse racing and I think if we did a better job of, you know, obviously, worrying about the horse first and the fans second, I think the sport would just be in a better place, and that's really awareness and education.

Art Wilson: This question is for Chantal. Chantal, with Game On Dude, he, kind of, goes into the Classic as far as Horse of the Year talk under the radar. I haven't heard, you know, many people bring him up, but in your mind, if he should win the Classic, and you look at he's won two other grade 1 races, and he narrowly missed in the Hollywood Gold Cup, in your mind, do you think he would have a legitimate claim to Horse of the Year?

Chantal Sutherland: You know, I think so. You just have a horse that, you know, he has been, kind of, under the radar and I totally agree with you. And he's, kind of, like the worker-type horse, you know, he doesn't train himself as this great, you know, amazing, like, ((inaudible)), you know, this great big colt, he's a gelding and he's just your worker horse, and he just, you know, keeps plugging away.

So I think it would be fair, I think it would be honorable, and I think he's deserving.

Emily Shields: Hi, this question is for Alastair and/or Freddy Head. We're just wondering about the arrival dates of Goldikova and the Aidan O'Brien horses to Churchill Downs.

Freddy Head: Well, Goldikova is traveling on Saturday. She'll be in Louisville on Saturday evening at around 5 o'clock I think, 5:00 pm. So if all goes well, she'll be in her box around 6:00.

Alastair Donald: Alastair here, I think the O'Brien's are coming in two shipments. The fillies are coming on the charter and the colts are coming in on the Monday.

Jenny Rees: Yes, this is for Freddy Head. Could you just try to put Goldikova's whole career in perspective? I mean she's raced for, what was it, five seasons now, at the top level, I mean, do you have any frame of reference for her for a horse of her caliber to go that long?

Freddy Head: No, I try to remember, but I don't have - it's a very special thing. I mean, in France, we've never had a horse who lasted for so long and will run for so long, I think, so it's very special. I mean, to train a six-year-old mare is something that I never did, so all this is new territory. And we'll see what she did, but this year, I must say, I was very happy with her all year, and as I say, I think she's as good as she's ever been.

Tom Pedulla: Yes, for Freddy Head please. Freddy, as you know, we made an understandable fuss over Zenyatta last year and an equal fuss over Rachel Alexandra the year before, do you think that perhaps in this country we've been guilty, somewhat, of overlooking Goldikova and not fully appreciating her?

Freddy Head: No, no, no, absolutely not, but, you know, Goldikova comes in the States for one race, so you're not used to her. I mean, she can't be as popular as Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra, but people have been very good with her. I mean, last year there was a lot of support for her, so I'm very happy with that. I get a very good report and a lot of people call me and I get some nice interviews, and so I know the fans are there.

Jim Gluckson: Okay. Freddy, this is Jim Gluckson here in Louisville, Freddy, have you taught Goldikova how to dance?

Freddy Head: No, not yet, but after the race if she wins.

Jerry Bossert: This question’s for both Mike Repole and Rick Porter. Do you guys see this as a two-horse race you against each other, you know, the Havre de Grace against Uncle Mo for Horse of the Year? Appreciate your opinion on both.

Rick Porter: No, I certainly don't. I mean, there's some other deserving horses in there and, you know, Uncle Mo is certainly one of them. I think Havre de Grace is one of them, Flat Out, certainly is a possibility.

Unfortunately, we lost Tizway, but, you know, Game On Dude, as they mentioned, is a possibility, so, I think they're the most mentioned two horses at this point, but, there are three or four others that are certainly capable of, you know, getting the award.

Mike Repole: Yes, I agree with Rick. I mean, I think the media is probably building it up more Uncle Mo versus Havre de Grace, but this is a really solid field. And, you know, Flat Out is a really good horse and, unfortunately, we lost Tizway yesterday, but, If Uncle Mo wins the race, I mean, why doesn't he get Horse of the Year, or three-year-old of the year?

Game On Dude, there's so many qualified horses out there. You know, I think that this race is obviously going to play a big role in deciding who wins Horse of the Year, but I think there's at least five or six different horses that, possibly, could win Horse of the Year.

Jim Gluckson: All right, let's just wait a second if another one comes in. If not, at this time I wanted to thank our guests here today, Freddy Head, Rick Porter, Chantal Sutherland, and Mike Repole, and Alastair Donald. And thank our producer Joan Lawrence in New York for her work on these calls this year on the countdown to the Breeders' Cup World Championships.