Installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite, Dynever, owned by Catherine Wills and Peter Karches will face a field of seven in Friday's $500,000 Meadowlands Breeders' Cup (gr. II). Runner-up in last year's Meadowlands Breeders' Cup Dynever, conditioned by Christophe Clement, is coming off a sixth-place finish in the July 3 Suburban (gr. I) at Belmont as the 2-1 choice. Prior to that, the Wills' homebred was runner-up in the Brooklyn Handicap (gr II). Earlier in the year, the son of Dynaformer won the San Bernardino (gr. III) at Santa Anita.
A winner of $1,288,714 with four wins from 13 lifetime starts, Dynever, out of the Zilzalsr mare Flamboyance, parlayed his second-place finish in last year's Meadowlands Cup into a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic-Powered by Dodge (gr. I), beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Pleasantly Perfect.For Friday's 1 1/8-mile contest, Dynever will break from post two with regular rider Corey Nakatani aboard.The richest starter in the race is one of trainer Todd Pletcher's two entrants, Balto Star, who's earned $2,063,780 from 11 victories in 37 career starts.The Anstu Stables homebred enters the Cup off a seventh-place finish in the Sept. 11 Man o' War (gr. IT) at Belmont. The Kentucky-bred made his last trip to the winner's circle in the Dec. 27 McKnight Handicap (gr.IIT) at Calder.An accomplished runner on both turf and dirt, Balto Star, out of the Devil's Bag mare Miss Livi, will be making his first start over the main track since June 14, 2003, when he finished second in the Oceanport Handicap (gr. III) at Monmouth. John Velaquez will take the trip across the Hudson River to pilot the 6-year-old gelding by Glitterman. Balto Star, victor of the 2002 United Nations Handicap (gr. IT), will break from post six and is 8-1 on the line.In addition to Balto Star, Pletcher will also send out the second choice in the field, Lion Tamer, who's been listed at 7-2 on the morning line, and who's drawn just inside his stable-mate.A 4-year-old colt by Will's Way, Lion Tamer captured the Formal Gold Stakes at odds-on in his last start at Monmouth Park for owner Michael Tabor. A multiple grade II winner with over a half-million in earnings, Lion Tamer will be piloted by Eibar Coa.Paul Smith bred Lion Tamer in Kentucky from the Olympio mare Tippecanoe.Four-year-old Toccet, by Awesome Again who captured the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) in his juvenile season will break from the rail. Trained by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel for owner-breeder Daniel Borislow, Toccet will be reunited with jockey Jorge Chavez, who was aboard for the grade I win as well as the colt's last start, a runner-up effort in an allowance at Saratoga Sept. 5. Borislow bred Toccet in Kentucky from the Cozzene mare Cozzene's Angel.Meadowlands Breeders' Cup (gr. II), $500,000, 1 1/8 miles, 3-year-olds and up, Friday, Oct. 8, Race 7PP -- Horse, Trainer Jockey, Odds1 -- Toccet, Robert Frankel, Jorge Chavez, 9-2 2 -- Dynever, Christophe Clement, Corey Nakatani, 8-5 3 – Unforgettable Max, Guadalupe Preciado, Tony Black, 6- 4 -- Lusty Latin, Mark Shuman, Ryan Fogelsonger, 20-1 5 -- Lion Tamer, Todd Pletcher, Eibar Coa, 7-2 6 -- Balto Star, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 8-1 7 -- Gygistar, Mark Hennig, Joe Bravo, 5-1 8 -- Seek Gold, Nick Zito, Cornelio Velasquez,15-1
