There are plenty of horses with a successful Tristate background to root for or wager on in the eight-race, $13 million Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Saturday at Illinois' Arlington Park.

        Bob Baffert-trained Vindication hasn't raced since winning the Kentucky Cup Juvenile at Turfway Park on Sept.14, yet the colt is the early favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

        Baffert also has the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, War Emblem, ready to try and steal the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

        Blue Grass Stakes and Florida Derby winner Harlan's Holiday, the reigning Ohio Horse of the Year, would give the Buckeye breeding industry a huge boost if he could upset the field in the Classic.

        Thirteen horses that prepped during Keeneland's FallStars weekend and the first two finishers from the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup were also among the 104 horses pre-entered last week for the Breeders' Cup races.

        Final entries and post positions will be made Wednesday.

        Spinster Stakes winner Take Charge Lady will carry the Select Stable silks of Cincinnatians Feye and Jerry Bach in the Distaff.

        Westerly Breeze and Ruby's Reception, first and second in the Alcibiades - and beaten favorite Atlantic Ocean - were entered in the Juvenile Fillies.

        Atlantic Ocean and Ruby's Reception ran 1-2 and Westerly Breeze fourth in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies.

        Sky Mesa, winner of the Breeders' Futurity, is set for the Juvenile Colts, along with Futurity runner-up Lone Star Sky, who won the Cradle Stakes at River Downs on Labor Day.

        Owsley, who won Keeneland's WinStar Galaxy, plus Riskaverse and Zenda, the exacta combination from the QE II Challenge Cup, are entered in the Filly and Mare Turf.

        The Phoenix Breeders' Cup trifecta of Xtra Heat, Day Trader and Touch Tone are set for the Sprint. Day Trader won the Kentucky Cup Sprint for 3-year-olds.

        Keeneland Shadwell Turf Mile standouts Landseer, Touch of the Blues and Beat Hollow will tangle in the Mile Turf.

        Others with Turfway Park in their past performances to consider are Spiral Stakes and Indiana Derby winner Perfect Drift, and hard-luck Dollar Bill, runner-up in the Kentucky Cup Classic.

        Alabama winner Farda Amiga, who upset Take Charge Lady in the Kentucky Oaks, is in the Distaff, headed by Horse of the Year candidate Azeri.The Associated Press

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