Shumoos and Elusive Kate get juvenile entries

EUROPE is set to be represented in all five two-year-old races at the Breeders' Cup after Group winners Elusive Kate and Shumoos were included given pre-entries at the meeting.

Prix Marcel Boussac winner Elusive Kate (Juvenile Fillies' Turf) will be one of two John Gosden-trained runners at Churchill Downs where she will be joined by Oh So Sharp Stakes runner up Questing (Juvenile Fillies) while Brian Meehan has entered Sirenia Stakes winnerShumoos in the new Juvenile Sprint, which is also run on dirt.

Confirming his plans, Gosden said on Tuesday: "William Buick will ride both of them and they are both training well. Questing stays in America after the race and Elusive Kate is heading on to the sale at Fasig-Tipton the Sunday after the Breeders' Cup."

Churchill Downs turf course was opened for the first time for training on Monday leading to reports the track was "really squishy" and "pretty soft" but track superintendent Butch Lehr said it would be firm, though not as unforgiving as a year ago when Workforce was withdrawn.

"It's the same turf course but we've had a little different weather," he said. "We were in a drought last year and that's not been the case this year. The weather has been more normal. We trained on it for the first time yesterday. I talked to Robby Alborado and some of our top riders and they said it was sweet. It was a little more forgiving.

"For this time of year it's considered firm but it's not as firm as last year. It rained about four or five days ago. We've had the drains open for over a month because of the rains we've had. We're real pleased with what we heard from the riders. I didn't have anybody complain. If anything it was a little on the soft side according to a couple of them but I didn't really agree with that.

"It was rated good after a heavy dew. I couldn't really say it was completely firm but we had a lot of wind yesterday and we're going to rate it firm this morning."