BREEDERS' CUP: EUROPEANS PLAN TO BEAT THE HEAT.

Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer

Thanks to the Europeans' surprising enthusiasm and a wagering-rules change, Breeders' Cup handicappers might have more horses than ever to choose from this year.

One hundred twenty-eight horses have been ``pre-entered'' for the Breeders' Cup Nov. 6 at Gulfstream Park - including 22 Europe-based horses, who will be asked to brave the Florida humidity, blamed for foreigners' failure to win a race when the event was held in that state in 1989 and 1992.

With six of the eight races overflowing their 14-horse limits, among them the new fillies-and-mares turf race, this shapes up as one of the most hotly contested of the 16 Breeders' Cups. The pre-entry lists will be whittled down and starting fields will be announced Wednesday.

The Europeans include Daylami, a contender for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Breeders' Cup president D.G. Van Clief Jr. attributed the Europeans' eagerness to try again at Gulfstream to well-advertised improvements in the air conditioning in the track's quarantine barn and a policy change permitting turf workouts in the cool early mornings.

The turf course, flooded by Hurricane Irene, was scheduled to reopen this morning to allow Breeders' Cup horses already on the scene to work out.

``It adds up to a very deep - frankly deeper than we expected - European contingent,'' Van Clief said Wednesday. ``We've had what we feel is a tremendously strong response to the Breeders' Cup championship this year.''

Overall, the response reflects the popular assessment that most Breeders' Cup races are wide open following a spate of injuries to top horses in the spring and summer and a rash of upsets in the autumn prep races.

``There are some very contentious races where people think that with the right trip on the right day, they can win it,'' said D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of a record 13 Breeders' Cup winners.

Longshot bettors won't have to worry about coupled entries reducing their choices and odds. Gulfstream officials are waiving the rule requiring horses with common ownership to race as a joint wagering interest.

Lukas pre-entered seven horses - Cat Thief (Classic), A Lady From Dixie (in the Distaff), Surfside and Cash Run (Juvenile Fillies), Natalie Too (Filly and Mare Turf), and High Yield and Millencolin (Juvenile).

Bob Baffert dominates the contenders lists with General Challenge and River Keen (Classic), Silverbulletday (Distaff), Chilukki (Juvenile Fillies), Tuzla (Mile), Forestry (Sprint) and Forest Camp and Captain Steve (Juvenile).

At Santa Anita: With the Breeders' Cup Classic drawing California-breds General Challenge and Budroyale, Saturday's California Cup Classic is left with seven horses and no star. Baffert-trained Del Mar Gray and jockey Alex Solis are 8-5 favorites.

Fields for the 10-race Cal Cup card, a $1.275 million showcase for state-bred horses, were announced Wednesday.

BREEDERS' CUP HOPEFULS

A look at the pre-entry lists for the eight Breeders' Cup races Nov. 6 at Gulfstream Park near Miami. For horses pre-entered in two races, the owner's preference is noted with a 1 or 2. Horses on the also-eligible lists will run if horses among 14 selected by points and an expert panel drop out. Fields, post positions, jockeys and morning-line odds will be made official Wednesday.

$2 million Distaff: A Lady From Dixie, Banshee Breeze, Beautiful Pleasure, Heritage of Gold (1), Insight (2), Keeper Hill, Louve Mysterieuse (1), Manistique, Mossflower (2), Silverbulletday, Tap to Music.

$1 million Juvenile Fillies: Asher, Cash Run, Chilukki, Darling My Darling, Finder's Fee, Scratch Pad, Spain, Surfside, Talk Back, Warrior Queen.

$1 million Mile: Artax (2), Brave Act, Delay of Game, Docksider, Garbu, Hawksley Hill, Jim and Tonic, Khumba Mela, Kirkwall, Middlesex Drive, Silic, Stravinsky (2), Susu, Tuzla. Also eligible: Lend a Hand, Quiet Resolve, Pleasant Temper (2), Buck's Boy (2), Divide and Conquer, Dawson's Legacy (2), Dixie Dot Com, Takarian, Inkatha, Unite's Big Red (2), El Angelo.

$1 million Sprint: Affirmed Success, Artax (1), Big Jag, Enjoy the Momentxx, Forestry, Furlough, Good and Tough, Kona Gold, Lexicon, Regal Thunder, Son of a Pistol, Stravinsky (1), Successful Appeal, Vicar. Also elgible: Intidab, Richter Scale, Silver Season, Bet on Sunshine, Tedburrow, Rock and Roll (1), Valid Trefaire, Five Star Day, Falkenburg.

$1 million Filly and Mare Turf: Anguilla, Borgia (2), Caffe Lattex, Coretta, Fiji, Heritage of Gold (2), Insight (1), Mossflower (1), Natalie Too, Perfect Sting, Pleasant Temper (1), Soaring Softly, Spanish Fern, Zomaradah. Also eligible: Louve, Gandria, Juvenia, Louve Mysterieuse (2).

$1 million Juvenile: Anees, Behrens, Captain Stevex, Charlie's Beau, Chief Seattle, Dixie Union, Forest Camp, Graeme Hall, Greenwood Lake, High Yield, Hugh Hefner, Kiss a Native, Millencolin, Mull of Kintyre. Also eligible: Personal First, Postponed, Bach, Megacles, Thady Quill.

$2 million Turf: Buck's Boy (1), Dark Moondancer, Daylami (1), Dream Well, Fahris, First Magnitude, Honor Glide, Royal Anthem, Single Empire, Supreme Sound (2), Thornfield, Unite's Big Red (1), Val's Prince, Yagli. Also eligible: Courteuous (1), Borgia (1), High-Rise, Bonapartiste, Williams News.

$4 million Classic: Almutawakel, Behrens, Budroyale, Catienus, Cat Thief, Chester House, Daylami (2), Ecton Park, General Challenge, Golden Missile, Lemon Drop Kid, Old Trieste, River Keen, Vision and Verse. Also eligible: Supreme Sound (1), Courteous (2), Dawson's Legacy (1), Rock and Roll (2).

x -- Owners paid supplemental nominating fee equal to 9 percent of the race purse.

xx -- Owners paid supplemental nominating fee equal to 12 percent of the race

CAPTION(S):

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BOX: Breeders' Cup Hopefuls (see text)