Halloween is not just for kids. They can’t have all of the fun…I have something sweet right here, and it may just be what the Doctor ordered for an after Breeders’ Cup witches brew.

Today at Aqueduct, there was a runner by the name of Elope supposed to run. But at the time of the race there was a scratch. I guess you felt as I did that maybe there was a fever, another race down the line, or conditions weren’t conducive for the horse.  But that was not the answer indeed.

Bruce Levine has had more than 8,000 starters in a 30-year training career, the vast majority coming in New York and nearby states. So when Levine went out of his way to send a filly named Elope to run Friday as the likely favorite in the feature race at Churchill Downs, there was this obvious question: Why?

“There was a plane going out of here this week to Kentucky, and the owner came across this little stake at Churchill at the exact distance he wanted for her - six furlongs,” Levine said from New York. “It all just kind of came together.”

Atlanta real-estate magnate Peter Blum is the breeder and owner of Elope, a lightly raced 4-year-old Gone West filly who brings sparkling credentials to the $61,000 Dream Supreme, an overnight handicap that anchors the Halloween card as the ninth of 10 races.

After winning her first two starts, a maiden race at Turfway Park and an entry-level allowance at Saratoga, Elope finished second to a former Eclipse champion, Indian Blessing, in her only other race, the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park in September.

Levine, who is winless with four starters in Kentucky in his career - three at the 1998 Keeneland spring meet, and one last fall at Churchill - said Elope arrived Tuesday at Churchill by charter plane.

“She’s been training good here,” he said. “I don’t know how she’ll handle that surface because it’s a little different than New York. But she seems to adapt. She’s a real laid-back kind of filly. We’ll hope for the best.”

Elope, with Julien Leparoux to ride, will carry 118 pounds and break from post 4 while facing seven other fillies and mares in the Dream Supreme.

Probably her top challengers are the two topweights: Adhrhythm (post 1, Kent Desormeaux, 121 pounds) and Palanka City (post 5, Rene Douglas, 120). Of those, Palanka City appears most dangerous, having won three stakes from her last five starts, the Prima Donna at Oaklawn and the Miss Preakness at Pimlico in the spring, and the Regal Rumor at Hawthorne in her most recent start Sept. 27.

You are getting a sweet 2-1. I know, that is not a barn burner. But team this up with WinningPonies.com for a multi-race exotic, and you can light up the board. I also feel that if 2-1 comes your way that is solid value. If you saw $6 on the ground, would you pick it up? You betcha’ would.. So be sure to consult before pulling the trigger, and consider this your treat for the day.

Happy Halloween!

Inquiring minds want to know about Hollywood Park.

Is it still a horse race track or just an excuse to water the grass until the bulldozers arrive? Will the best drivers here be jockeys or guys in cement mixers?

Are barns to become bungalows, the home stretch main street?

Will today’s opener of the annual 40-day autumn meeting be the last time there is such a day here?

Economic realities, the favorite phrase these days of a clueless corporate America, have long been known at Hollywood Park. In 2005, the Churchill Downs owners of the fabled racing venue stood up at a news conference, whined about the horrible injustice of California’s refusing to give them slot machines to further line their pockets, and announced they had sold Hollywood Park.

They took the money and ran, making way for new corporate types with a different take-the-money-and-run scheme. The Hollywood Park buyer was Bay Meadows Land Co., the Northern California group that has a real estate division and a racing division. The racing division was put in charge, while the real estate division walked outside and started to visualize lot sizes and traffic patterns.

From that moment, horse racing at Hollywood Park was on borrowed time.

But a funny thing has happened on the way to condo heaven. They are still racing. And, if you are a betting person — as are most who follow horse racing — your best wager is that the bug boys will outnumber the bricklayers for several years to come.

Coincidently, that’s because of the current economic realities.

The plan was to build condos, but building condos right now is like an old claiming horse in a six-furlong sprint. It hasn’t got a chance. In 2005, the “best use” of the Hollywood Park land was to develop it, bring in the drywall and the painted fences and 2 1/2-car garages, divide the huge parcel by 100 lots or so, get a half-million for each, and present big bonus checks to all the top executives.

Now, for the moment at least, it turns out the “best use” of the land is to do what has always been done with it: stable thoroughbred race horses, train them, and race them for the entertainment and wagering interests of the general public. What a concept.

True, most of the staff at Hollywood Park exists on life support. There are no guarantees past the end of next summer’s meeting, which annually precedes Del Mar’s meeting of turf and surf. But only the most pessimistic would think that racing at Hollywood Park won’t continue on past next summer, seeing that the alternative involves huge loans and costly construction, and the unrealistic home prices needed to pay for all that.

The keeper of the flame — make that the pilot light — is Jack Liebau, Hollywood Park president, who is from the Bay Meadows racing division, not the real estate side.

Liebau has owned and raced horses for more than 30 years. He got both his undergraduate and law degrees at Stanford, as well as his interest in the ponies.

“I suspect my school work would have been a lot better had I not discovered Bay Meadows,” Liebau says. “I think I dragged some of my classmates along with me.”

He spent much of his career as a tax and business lawyer in Los Angeles, until 1992, when he was asked if he would run Bay Meadows for about four months, until they shut it down and broke it into housing plots.

It was such short duty that Liebau signed on. And they did, indeed, shut down Bay Meadows to make it into real estate. This June. The training facilities stayed open until Oct. 15, just 15 days ago.

So, there is precedent for Bay Meadows Land Co. to break ground long after it has bought it. Liebau knows that and is paid nicely not to say it.

“My instructions are to run racing at Hollywood Park as though it will continue indefinitely,” he says. He adds that any specifics on commitments to race beyond next summer are “above my pay grade.”

Liebau, who was president of Santa Anita when the Breeders’ Cup was held there in 2003, called last weekend’s event “spectacular” and said that the people at the Arcadia track “did themselves proud.”

He said he hoped that Hollywood Park would “get a bounce” from the local Breeders’ Cup success and said there may be evidence of that already, with late nominations for major races going from three or four last year to 21 this year.

So, assume this is not the last autumn meeting at Hollywood Park. Also assume that sometime in the future, the list of track promotions will feature things such as: Wrecking Ball Night, Caterpillar Night, and No Interest for a Year Mortgage Night.

Then worry.

IMG today announced it has been selected as the worldwide sponsorship agent for the Kentucky Derby. The assignment is an expansion of the existing relationship between IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing and Churchill Downs Incorporated (”CDI”).

Under the multi-year agreement, IMG will now develop and pursue a broad range of strategic marketing and sponsorship opportunities that offer organizations access to “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”

The Kentucky Derby is the longest continuously running sporting event in the United States. Last year the race attracted a crowd of more than 150,000 to Churchill Downs racetrack, the historic home of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky. The race drew an 8.8 Nielsen rating on NBC. The 135th running of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 2, 2009.

Tom Worcester, Senior Vice President, Business Development at IMG, will oversee sponsorship outreach from New York City. IMG will also manage a Louisville-based sales and marketing team who will work side-by-side with CDI’s internal strategic partnerships team on sponsor agreements related to the Kentucky Derby and its companion event, the Kentucky Oaks. Additionally, the CDI and IMG teams will develop sponsorship programs leveraging CDI’s many other entertainment assets including its Chicago, Miami and New Orleans racetracks, and new and existing programs in racing, gaming, music, fashion, parties and cuisine.

Worcester said, “We are delighted to expand our existing relationship with Churchill Downs Incorporated to now include sponsorship sales for the iconic Kentucky Derby. With IMG’s unrivaled local and national sales capabilities, we will pursue an array of strategic marketing and sponsorship partnerships that provide access to a truly unique and historic international sporting event with growing visibility around the world.”

“We are excited to partner with IMG as we grow our strategic partner base for the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, and sports and entertainment assets offered at our racing venues throughout the year,” said Churchill Downs’ Vice President of Sales Mike Mossholder. “At its core, the Kentucky Derby is about indulging oneself in style and unforgettable fun. It’s a fantastic mix of premium competition, risk and reward, high fashion, fine cuisine, great music and a century-old horse race that continues to capture the world’s imagination. The Derby offers strategic partners an excellent opportunity to reach a broad array of consumers, and we welcome the additional talent IMG brings to our ongoing efforts to pair prestigious brands with the Derby brand.”

IMG Consulting began working with Churchill Downs Incorporated last year on a variety of entertainment-related initiatives. IMG Licensing has been the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for Churchill Downs Incorporated (and the Kentucky Derby) since 2007.

About IMG Sports & Entertainment

Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment’s diverse businesses include: product and brand licensing, consulting services, event ownership and management, collegiate marketing, media and licensing, fashion events and models representation, golf course design, and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world’s largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year.

More information about IMG is available at: www.imgworld.com.

If you had to pick just one thing, one, about this years Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, what would it be? I know, that is a tricky question. But one worth pondering…

You could tell me how the day kicked off with Muhannak and Patrick Smullen paying $26.20, and proving the Europeans were for real.

It could be watching Richard Migliore ride Desert Code smoke them on a runner runner who paid $75 to win the Turf Sprint.

Albertus Maximus and Garrett Gomez getting one of two wins on the card. This rider left the past, with all of his troubles, in the sunset and his magic in the saddle.

Midshipmen and Go-Go getting their picture taken again. What a run indeed!

Donativum and “Flying Frankie Dettori” spanking them in the Juvenile Turf.

Could it be Conduit proving the Euros love California in the Turf?

The $5 million dollar question would be what happened to Curlin. He looked so good at the top of the lane, and the calvary just kept coming. Don’t knock this guy. He could run on broken glass. When Steve Assmussen spoke during the draw, he didn’t have that glimmer in his eyes. I think Curlin was as tuned as a fine instrument should be. I think the trainer is as good as gold. I just think the synthetics don’t fit. Or maybe, just maybe, he didn’t like it on this one day.

But the moment of the day that stuck with me was Goldikova.

Goldikova (IRE) was ridden by Olivier Peslier, and trained by Freddie Head. You remember him don’t you? He rode a runner by the name of Miesque. When they still mention the runners name, players can still see that masterful ride. He became the first trainer to ride and train a BC winner.

On this day, the fillies were not suppose to beat the boys. They ran the day before. But Goldikova had the magic. She came in from Long Champ in France and ran against Zarkava. This was a runner who retired earlier, but gave us a glimpse of what Europe had to offer.

While stalking off the pace of Whatsthescript, Daytona, and Kip Deville, Goldikova lacked room down the lane. I was getting mad and about ready to do the ticket tearing dance, and all of a sudden a glimmer of daylight that you could throw a playing card into opened up. She jumped it, and the clouds parted for her. She was on her way to the wire, and into history.

The foreigners won five on the day, and they love coming out to California. For these two days it wasn’t for the surf, but for the money. I enjoyed watching her ply her trade. She beat the boys. She beat them on their turf at their game. That was my moment. Which one was yours?

Watching the Breeders’ Cup this year was worth the trip. I usually hunker down after making all of my wagers in front of my TV and catch all of the action. I love the interviews, human interest stories and the coverage. This year was different for me.

I liken this year to watching someone eat a steak, or having a sizzling beauty brought to your table with all of the extras that make it a meal to remember. I am sure glad to have had the opportunity to sit at the big table.

The weather was picture perfect. You couldn’t have asked for a better day. The crowd was a little smaller than I expected, but the track was ready for anything that came through the doors. The back drop of the San Gabriel’s, the history of the track and the competition set to go post-ward could make a bulldog break a chain. In race fan terms, I was excited as hell……

On day one if you could ask for more than watching two wonder runners, you may have been asking for a lot. The ladies did not disappoint…

In the 2-year-old Bessemer Trust Juvenile Fillies, a grey blur by the name of Stardom Bound was just that. Mike Smith was aboard one of his three wins for the day, and made a move on the turn like wind blowing through the trees. She made it look as if they were all tied to a pole when she danced right on by 5-wide and opened up on the field at will. Remember her name, you will hear from her in the future.

Being on hand to see Zenyatta was incredible. She came in undefeated, and left the track that way. Once again, Mike Smith made the fans glad they were on hand. She scorched The Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic like nobody’s business. The way she glided over the 1 1/8 made you wonder just how good could she be?

Day one was suppose to be an appetizer. It was intended to be the Oaks to the Derby. But on this day, we may have seen just a little more. More than we could have expected. It was one day, but it will be discussed for a long time.

Michael Iavarone, like it or not, has been in the eye of racing in 2008. His 15 minutes may have run a bit longer than most, but he had a beast in his barn. He, his trainer Richard Dutrow, and Kent Desormeaux held the country in a breath-holding position during the Triple Crown. As the famed Paul Harvey says, “And now for the rest of the story.”

In the nine hours of Breeders’ Cup telecasts last Friday and Saturday, the strangest segment by far came during a brief interview between comedic sportscaster Kenny Mayne and Michael Iavarone, president of the IEAH stable that owns a majority of Big Brown. Iavarone said he and members of his family had been the subject of a death threat more than four months earlier on the morning of the Belmont Stakes.

Mayne opened the interview by saying Iavarone showed a lot of emotion after jockey Kent Desormeaux pulled Big Brown out of the race at the top of the stretch when the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was hopelessly beaten.

Iavarone picked it up from there.

“The morning of the (June 7) Belmont Stakes, I had been woken up around 10 a.m.,” he told Mayne. “There was a knock on my door and there were several New York City Police Department detectives. They asked me to come outside because they didn’t want to talk to me in front of my family. They told me there had been a serious death threat lodged against me, basically from Tallahassee, Florida, from an extremist saying that if anything should happen to Big Brown in the race, myself and my family were not safe. Basically I was followed by eight to nine New York detectives all day, everywhere I went. Obviously after the horse was pulled up the rest is obvious.”

“My immediate reaction was split in half,” Iavarone told Mayne. “Obviously there was concern for the horse and concern for my family. I was headed in both directions and both of them were catastrophic at the time. The first thing I did was grab my daughters and make sure we were out of the way and safe and tears were falling. It was just a terrible day for us.”

With 24 hours lead time before the interview, Mayne said ESPN/ABC “tried to contact the detective you said investigated the case and were unable to reach him.” He then asked Iavarone, “Did they ever follow up with you and say the case was closed? Do you feel comfortable now?”

“Obviously the horse is sound and is retired so I would not believe they would have any reason to harm myself or my family,” Iavarone said. “They have not told me the case is closed.”

If all or any of this holds true, it had to be a horrible experience. He has made himself the center of the storm on many occasions, and this attracts both good and bad. Following the Breeders’ Cup, we as fans reflect back on the year in racing. The Big Brown chapter of the year was anything but boring or average.

Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike), who finished fourth as the defending champion in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and the other Breeders’ Cup horses trained by Steve Asmussen, came out of their races in good order. They will leave Santa Anita early Monday morning for a flight to Louisville, Kentucky, where they are scheduled to arrive at approximately 11 a.m. (EDT).

Asmussen said that he does not know whether Curlin will be retired to stud duty or continue in training.

“Nothing has been mentioned to this point about what is next for him, other than those travel arrangements,” he said.

Late Sunday morning, Asmussen was scheduled to call Curlin’s majority owner Jess Jackson.

“I’ll talk with Mr. Jackson about the condition in which he came out of the race, confirm with him his schedule of leaving and when he arrives in Kentucky,” Asmussen said. “I think that will be the extent of it. I’ll touch base once he’s in Kentucky about his condition upon arrival. The conversations will go from there.”

Asmussen said he would not speculate on what decision Jackson has made about the four-year-old colt.

“I am not privy to and have not had the conversations about the questions that are obviously fixing to be asked,” Asmussen said.

Curlin walked, bathed and jogged on the road near Asmussen’s barn Sunday morning.

Asmussen smiled when it was suggested that Curlin may repeat as Horse of the Year even after his fourth-place finish to Raven’s Pass (Elusive Quality) in the Classic.

“With Curlin, nothing is a consolation. We’re just proud of who he is,” Asmussen said. “He’s the first North American-based horse over $10 million and he’s just had a remarkable run.

“Just like taking him out and jogging him on the road this morning, he’s that good, he’s that horse. To do what he does and come back the way that he is, is extremely special in this day and age. He’s been a throwback from the beginning and he’s still that horse. He’s extremely durable mentally and physically, a very special horse. Our affections for him are not going to waver.”

Asmussen said it didn’t take him long to realize that Curlin did not appear to be comfortable running over the Pro-Ride synthetic surface.

“Watching the race first time by, I was very concerned,” he said. “It kind of looked like the Man o’ War S. [G1], where he finished second in his only attempt on turf. He was off the bridle. Very concerned.”

“I think he had to struggle to get where he was, the first time by,” Asmussen said. “When he went under the wire the first time, he was further back and (jockey) Robby (Albarado) was nudging him forward. He works harder to go over it than he works to go over the dirt.

“Initially, I was disappointed that he didn’t win. Just not selfishly, but simply concerned how the horse feels and how the people with him do from that point.”

Asmussen did not make any apologies about the performance.

“No excuses necessary, none required. That’s what makes racing great,” he said. “No disrespect for a Breeders’ Cup winner. He (Raven’s Pass) beat a talented field and he deserves the congratulations that go with it. It was an outstanding job with an outstanding horse.”

Richard Dutrow Jr., the controversial trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness champion Big Brown, spent much of the summer firing verbal jabs at Curlin. He is not about to stop, not after his rival finished a disappointing fourth in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, to raise questions about his legacy and whether he can repeat as Horse of the Year.

As Dutrow sees it, strong arguments can be made for Big Brown, Curlin and unbeaten filly Zenyatta when the time comes to vote for Horse of the Year. “I think we have as good a chance as those two,” he said.

Jess Jackson, Curlin’s owner, contends that his 4-year-old had nothing left to prove, even in his bid to repeat in the Classic. “He’s already a champion,” he said. “I don’t think this loss diminishes his chance to be Horse of the Year at all.

“Big Brown ought to be the top 3-year-old, but we went to every race, and that’s the spirit of the sport.”

Injury-plagued Big Brown, eased in the Belmont Stakes in a failed bid for the Triple Crown that devastated racing fans, was retired after he was hurt in a workout a few weeks ago before his eagerly anticipated showdown with Curlin at the 25th Breeders’ Cup.

When trainer John Shirreffs was asked if there is a case to be made for his filly Zenyatta, his response could not have been more emphatic: “Absolutely. With her being undefeated in three Grade I’s before the Ladies’ Classic, she’s really proven herself.”

Zenyatta improved to 7-for-7 this season with a dazzling last-to-first move Friday in the Ladies’ Classic. She is unbeaten in nine career starts, with all but one of those successes occurring on a synthetic surface.

The tall and imposing Zenyatta can count ex-jockey Gary Stevens among her fans. “She could win on broken glass, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

Curlin’s ability to respond to his first test on Pro-Ride was a question leading up to the Classic. Jackson debated long and hard whether to run. He insisted afterward that he was not making excuses for a loss but said, “This track was for turf runners or runners who had been on it before.”

Curlin’s only blemish in six previous starts this season was a runner-up finish to Red Rocks in his only turf try at Belmont Park in July.

He traveled halfway around the world and routed his competition by 7¾ lengths in the $6 million Dubai World Cup at the end of March, then held his form when he rolled by 4¼ lengths in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in mid-June. He earned consecutive wins in the Woodward and the Jockey Club Gold Cup to become the first North American horse to roll into the $10 million dollar club.

There are many ways to look at this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships from a business and sporting standpoint, and not all examinations are going to lead to the same conclusion.

The most important question is whether or not the 2008 Breeders’ Cup was a success or failure. Was the decision to hold the Cup at a racetrack with a synthetic surface a wise move? Has the expansion of the world championships from eight races in one day to 14 races in two days helped or diluted the event?

How is success or failure of the Breeders’ Cup measured? Is it attendance, pari-mutuel handle, revenue, TV ratings, racing results, international participation?

It’s difficult to measure some of these factors because the circumstances of the Breeders’ Cup have changed so much between 2008 and previous years, rendering it an apples to oranges comparison. Making those comparisons even more challenging are the current economic conditions that have hit all levels of society this year, from Wall Street bankers to blue-collar workers. Virtually every industry is feeling a severe impact.

Handle dropped virtually across the board on Saturday’s races this year, with the day’s total handle declining by 7%, from $115.7 million in 2007 to $107.6 million in 2008. It was the lowest handle on a Saturday Breeders’ Cup since 1999, when $100.3 million was bet on the races from Gulfstream Park.

Santa Anita’s on-track handle of $11.8 million was down almost 10% from the $12.7 million wagered on-track at Monmouth Park in 2007 and a steep decline of 33% from the 2006 Saturday Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, when $18.3 million was bet on-track during the one-day event.

Saturday’s on-track business was the lowest for a Breeders’ Cup since 1997, when $11.2 million was wagered at Hollywood Park. The last time the Breeders’ Cup was held at Santa Anita, in 2003, one-day on-track handle totaled $16.3 million. This year’s two-day on-track handle was $18.7 million.

The economic climate has not been good for racing in 2008. Most major race meetings have experienced double-digit declines in business. For the Breeders’ Cup to increase handle from 2007 is an accomplishment, though not a major one, when considering both the additional races and superior weather conditions.

It is difficult to say that there has not been a dilution of the event based on the early evidence. Do the positive benefits outweigh any negatives? I think it’s too early to tell.

Attendance was up this year from 2007, but that should have been a no-brainer following the poor weather at Monmouth Park. Breeders’ Cup officials got greedy with ticket prices and, to their credit, have admitted as much. The increase in prices was outrageous, especially for the Friday program, and it is hoped they will be scaled back considerably next year. TV ratings have not yet been reported, but it’s hard to imagine they will be up from 2007.

The racing was spectacular on both days – and safe. More than a few people commented at the conclusion of the Breeders’ Cup that no one died or suffered any serious injuries, a sad commentary on the bumpy road the sport has been traveling in recent years. The Pro-Ride synthetic track was fast and safe, though it appeared to compromise some horses who had only raced on conventional dirt tracks and help those horses with synthetic track or turf experience.

Synthetic surfaces have increased the difficulty of handicapping, and running the traditional Breeders’ Cup dirt races on the Pro-Ride track may have led some big players to downsize their bets. The Classic, according to Crist’s figures, handled $24.3 million in bets this year, down from $30.1 million at Monmouth Park last year and $37.7 million at Churchill Downs in 2006.

The dominance of European horses was widely embraced by Breeders’ Cup officials, including president Greg Avioli, who sees international participation as the last, best hope for further growth in pari-mutuel handle. The success of Raven’s Pass and four other European-based winners on Saturday’s program will ensure enthusiastic participation from European horsemen when the races return to Santa Anita in 2009, but there is no guarantee that’s going to mean greater interest among horseplayers outside of North America. There is a conceivable backlash among American breeders who provide the financial foundation of the Breeders’ Cup program through foal and stallion nominations. Some of them view this as an American event, and they would be happier if the considerable purse money stayed in this country. On the other hand, those breeders who want to reach an international audience with their sale yearlings may cheer the success of European-based runners.

The Breeders’ Cup will conduct a post-mortem on the event to determine what worked and what didn’t. Many have said the Oak Tree Racing Association and Santa Anita did a terrific job from a logistical standpoint, and there may not be a more telegenic racing facility in America in late October than the “Great Race Place.” There were many people critical of the decision to hold the event at Santa Anita in consecutive years, but those critics surely are fewer in number following this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

The biggest shake-up in the 25-year history of the Breeders’ Cup is about to hit the American racing establishment when the bugler gets it rolling at Santa Anita on Friday.

This will be a Cup no one has seen before - 14 races spread over two days, with purses stretching to $25.5 million; making it the richest turf festival in the world.  And that’s just the beginning.

All the non-turf races will be run for the first time over a synthetic track concoction called Pro-Ride instead of America’s traditional dirt surface; a switch that could have Cup founder John Gaines spinning in his grave.

The first five races will go on Friday, reserved exclusively for fillies and mares. Call it Ladies’ Day. The other nine races, climaxing with the $5 million Classic, will be run Saturday.

No one envisioned such radical departures from the original concept of the Cup - a one-day, seven-race $10 million spectacular to crown a group of champions.

And that signals yet another major upheaval in Breeders’ Cup history. The old guard who created the Cup, nursed it through its growing pains and rotated it at tracks all round the country, are out.

Young gunslingers have taken over, headed by Greg Avioli, the 44-year-old president and CEO, and Peter Land, the 47-year-old chief marketing officer. Between them, they have turned the old Cup on its head.

Where the original old boy founders were horse-driven, the new hotshots are market driven. Their goal: to lift the Breeders’ Cup out of its narrow industry groove (with negligible TV ratings) and boom it into a national sports colossus like the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, the Masters golf and the tennis championships.

The task is formidable, but the market is everything. That’s why they have made the unprecedented decision to run back-to-back Cups at Santa Anita. Tap into the big Los Angeles sports and celebrity market.

Santa Anita is also a breathtaking setting with the San Gabriels as a backdrop while the weather is reliably sunny, 80-degree Southern California bliss - a far cry from the eight inches of rain that drowned last year’s Cup at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

The new-look Cup is not universally welcomed. Fourteen races seem unwieldy.

“They’re watering it down a bit,” trainer Bobby Frankel said. “But they’re giving a lot more people chances to make money.”

Running all the female races on the first day looks sexist, Friday is not a major sports day, and the synthetic surface negates all the dirt history of the past 24 years.

Yet the new team might be on to something. This Cup has drawn a record 35 horses from abroad, 10 of them from Aidan O’Brien, the Irish training whiz. The best we could muster are seven each from Frankel and John Sadler.

They have introduced a 1 1/2-mile dirt marathon race, which might encourage breeders to produce horses sound in limb and wind instead of an assembly line of speedy cripples. Long overdue, they have introduced the also-eligible concept.

Most of us resist change but the hard reality is that the Breeders’ Cup, although a fabulous event for insiders, has failed to crash through the barriers and engage the general public.

Avioli and Land are attempting to change all that.

They will not do it all this week, but with a bit of luck, they could be on the way.