THERE was something in the air at Keeneland yesterday — and it wasn’t just a sense of anticipation.
Because a suicidal skunk kept running back and forth across the training track, totally oblivious to the hooves of the European runners who could have finished him off at any moment.
While the furry fiend was dicing with death, so too were the Breeders’ Cup organisers who royally cheesed off Arc-winning trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.
He was left hanging around for nearly half an hour while they rummaged around trying to find a spare pony and rider to escort his runners to their morning exercise. You could almost see le steam coming out of his ears.
Graffard might come across as that rare thing — a friendly Frenchman. But you won’t like him when he’s angry.
Still, he was much more chipper later in the morning after his leading fancy Amusingly had been put through her paces.
She beat the boys in a Group 1 on Arc day and is on course for a huge showdown with Aidan O’Brien’s Sun Goddess in the Juvenile Fillies Turf tomorrow.
Graffard said: “Sun Goddess is a very good filly, but Amusingly is in brilliant shape and I’m feeling pretty confident.”
Plenty of Brits arrived for their first look around Keeneland yesterday, including Andrew Balding, George Boughey and Charlie Appleby, the first-named faring worst in the jet lag stakes.
But there was also plenty of attention on the Irish battalions again, and champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, looking suave in a nice pair of (expensive) shades, is all over a couple of his runners.
He rides Folsom Blues and Green Empress tomorrow, both of whom he puts bang in the mix, and a big grin crept across his face when I asked him about Willie Mullins’ Ethical Diamond, the horse he stunningly won the Turf on at Del Mar last season.
He said: “It was unreal what he did last year. We’ve got a better draw this time and I think he’s been a little bit overlooked.”
Both McMonagle and Ethical Diamond will be hoping the warm Kentucky sunshine continues for the next few days as they’ll want the ground as fast as possible.
A few local trainers, including Wesley Ward, say the turf track has been slow recently, but it’s meant to be drying out.
After riding El Cordobes in a piece of work described it as “a bit patchy and well used”, but the track have kept a fresh strip on the inside and are confident conditions will be spot on for the weekend.
That will also be good news for Andrew Balding and his star mare Blue Bolt – who he says is his “best ever chance” to notch a Breeders’ Cup victory.
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