Here's six things we learned on Breeders' Cup Preview Saturday:
1) Javier Castellano has no idea how to ride Flintshire. It was just a matter of time before he got this superhorse beat. Despite his talent and success, Castellano continues to put the Juddmonte star in positions that require supreme efforts to be successful.
2) Oscar Performance is as good as we thought he was. We compared him to Big Brown and nothing in his Pilgrim (G3) performance suggests otherwise.
3) Trainer Charlton Baker can point a stakes horse to a race with the best of them. Joking ran huge in the Vosburgh (G1). Many claiming-type trainers have problems with stakes horses but not Charlie Baker.
4) Gormley could be the real deal. Trainer John Shirreffs is not noted for his two-year-olds, yet this son of Malibu Moon is two-for-two after the FrontRunner (G1), beating the talented Klimt on the square. He'll have the home track advantage in the BC Juvenile (G1) too.
5) Avenge can really run. She's in a tough division, but the Richard Mandella-trainee is among the major players.
6) Runhappy is a sprinter. There goes the Pegasus (G1). If his connections are smart, he'll be in the B.C. Sprint (G1) to defend his crown.