Craig Harzmann

'Little Bit of a Playboy' Wins Turf

Even majesty has its slapstick moments. As Kalanisi prepared to head back to the grandstand, just heartbeats after his sterling victory in the $2,271,680 Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), the mahogany colt found himself all alone, the center of the world's attention. A shy type described by trainer Michael Stoute as "a little bit of a playboy," he took a quick glance left and spotted the six-furlong gap exit. For a transplanted European, it meant only one thing. That was the way home. A nifty side step later, jockey John Murtagh was planted on the Churchill Downs dirt, smiling up in bewilderment.

Turf Preview: Grab Bag

But a national division once boasting the potential of Royal Anthem, Dark Moondancer, Chester House, and Bienamado now finds itself pining for a star, and with no local standout or foreign phenomenon to brandish. This year's running of the Turf is totally up for grabs.

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