Breeders’ Cup jockey Ryan Moore rides around the world

Jockey Ryan Moore might be overqualified if he ever wants to be a contestant on the TV series “The Amazing Race,� considering his travel itinerary for the next two months.

He was in Toronto on Sunday riding Joshua Tree to victory in the Canadian International. On Friday and Saturday, he’ll be at Santa Anita riding six European-trained horses in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

He has a flight booked on Saturday night to Australia, where he’ll be riding in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. Then he’ll head to Tokyo for the Japan Cup, go to Hong Kong, back to Japan and finally home to England for Christmas.

“I like to ride good horses in big races around the world,� the 30-year-old said Wednesday morning at Santa Anita.

Moore is one of Europe’s most accomplished jockeys. “He’s as good as you get from England,� trainer Simon Callaghan said.

In 2011, Moore rode Wrote to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs. In 2012, he rode George Vancouver to victory in the same race at Santa Anita. He’ll be going for a three-peat with Giovanni Boldini on Friday.

Distaff intrigue

The $2-million Distaff on Friday has the smallest field of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races with six entrants, but three of the horses are in competition for an Eclipse Award.

Royal Delta is trying to join Goldikova as a three-time Breeders’ Cup champion. Beholder, last year’s champion 2-year-old filly, is coming off a dominating performance in the Zenyatta Stakes. And the 3-year-old Princess of Sylmar has four consecutive stakes victories.

“She’s had an unbelievable campaign,� trainer Todd Pletcher said of Princess of Sylmar.

Big plans

Wayne Lukas, the 78-year-old unofficial commissioner of thoroughbred racing, has the most Breeders’ Cup victories with 19 and the most horses entered in the 29 years of the event, 156. His five entries this weekend will extend that record.

He called the Breeders’ Cup the best chance each year for handicappers and said that, though he is normally not a heavy bettor, he gets to this event every year and “bets with both fists.�

Asked what his most successful day at the Breeders’ Cup window was, he said he once walked away with $52,000.

Etc.

Fans planning to attend this weekend’s races can receive a discount until midnight Thursday on advance tickets at Breederscup.com. General admission is $10 Friday and $25 Saturday if purchased in advance.... A very good European horse named The Fugue will start in Saturday’s $3-million Turf, and a victory will have many singing his praise, including his owner, composer extraordinaire Andrew Lloyd Webber.

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