Air Travel Plans Firmed Up For Cup Horses

Although this year's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships officially launched Thursday with announcement of the pre-entries, interest in the Oct. 26 races at Arlington Park will be heightened once more of the horses are on the grounds at the Chicago oval.

According to Breeders' Cup, the first of eight charter flights bringing horses from across the U.S. and Europe is scheduled to arrive Saturday.

Among those expected on the "Tex Sutton" charter from
California are Disturbingthepeace and Nuclear Debate ( trained by Darrell Vienna), Good Journey (Wally Dollase), and D'Wildcat (Bob Hess, Jr.).

Late Sunday, a cargo flight from England is scheduled to arrive at O'Hare International with Golan and Islington (Sir Michael Stoute), and Gossamer (Luca Cumani) aboard.

The bulk of Bobby Frankel's Breeders' Cup contingent is due Monday afternoon from New York, with Medaglia d'Oro, Denon, Aldebaran, Milwaukee, Brew, Starine, and Beat Hollow expected to be aboard. Banks Hill will join the stable from California on another flight Tuesday.

Arriving late Monday from France are Domedriver (Pascal Bary), Medicis (Christiane Head-Maarek), and Ballingary (Laura de Seroux).

Also on Tuesday's flight from California that will bring Banks Hill in for the Cup are Azeri and Dublino (both trained by Laura de Seroux), Momentum and Swept Overboard (Craig Dollase), Buffythecenterfold (Mel Stute), Farda Amiga (Paulo Lobo), Crafty C.T. (Howard Zucker) and Sea Jewel and Starrer (John Sherriffs).

A late afternoon Tuesday flight from Ireland will include the Aidan O'Brien-trained contingent of Rock of Gibraltar, Hawk Wing, and High Chaparral, as well as his Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile possibles of Marino Marini, Ontario, Tomahawk, and Van Nistelrooy.

Sutton charters will bring Cup horses from both coasts on Wednesday. Scheduled to fly from California are Came Home (Paco Gonzalez), Kona Gold and Kalookan Queen (Bruce Headley), Listen Indy and The Tin Man
(Richard Mandella), Golden Apples (Ben Cecil) and War Emblem, Bull Market, Atlantic Ocean, Kafwain, Composure, Vindication, and Atlantic Ocean (Bob
Baffert).

That day's New York flight includes Harlan's Holiday and Appleby Gardens (Todd Pletcher), Carson Hollow (Richard Dutrow, Jr.), Volponi (P.G. Johnson), Forbidden Apple and Voodoo Dancer (Christophe Clement), Blazing Fury (Jimmy Toner) and Del Mar Show (Bill Mott).

The last Sutton charter arrives Thursday from New York with Imperial Gesture, E Dubai and Kazzia (Saeed bin Suroor), Storm Flag Flying (Shug McGaughey), Green Fee (Danny Peitz), Summer Colony (Mark Hennig), Humorous Lady (Michael Smith) and Owsley (Randy Schulhofer).