Cast a glance at the Breeders’ Cup history books and you will appreciate the difficulty of winning multiple championship races. Of the hundreds of horses that have competed in the event over a 20-year span, only the likes of Bayakoa, Da Hoss, High Chaparral, Lure, Miesque, and Tiznow have won two events.

Typically, these champions have won Cup races in back-to-back seasons in the same event. The amazing gelding Da Hoss took the Mile in 1996, suffered an injury,

and bounced back to win that same grass race two years later in 1998 — the only two-time winner not to win in consecutive years.

Many people rate that training feat turned in by Michael “Mad Genius” Dickinson as the most amazing in Breeders’ Cup history.

On Oct.30 at Lone Star Park in Dallas, Azeri will go for her BC double. She obliterated a decent eight-horse field in the ’02 Distaff at Arlington Park, a five-length romp with jockey Mike Smith and then-conditioner Laura De Seroux.

A tour-de-force
That remarkable 2002 campaign was a tour-de-force for Azeri. Not only did she win the Distaff, De Seroux paraded her to the winner’s circle in seven consecutive graded stakes, a record strong enough to earn the title they all want — Horse-of-the-Year.

De Seroux also claimed the distinction of becoming just the second female trainer to win a Breeders’ Cup race. But then the story soured. For the horse and the trainer.

Last season, for whatever reason, hands-on owner Michael Paulson of the Allen E Paulson Living Trust pulled the plug on De Seroux, transfering training responsibilities to the veteran D. Wayne Lukas at the end of an abbreviated and disappointing 2003 campaign that concluded with Paulsen announcing Azeri’s since-revoked retirement.

The move appeared to be a needed shot-in-the-arm for Lukas, who has seen his stable of graded-stakes winners dwindle with each passing season. Lukas decided to switch riders from Smith to his “go-to” favorite, Pat Day. They have crafted a once-a-month campaign that has paid off with three wins in seven tries this year, including a mild upset over the brilliant Sightseek in the Grade 1 Go For Wand at Saratoga.

Azeri’s most recent triumph — a three-length jog in the park in the Spinster at Keeneland, was so impressive that Paulson and Lukas are reportedly mulling a try at the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic against the boys, rather than running for half that purse money pot in the Distaff against her own sex.

It is a fascinating conundrum for Paulson and Lukas. If they run her in the Distaff as expected, Azeri will likely be the prohibitive 6-5 favorite and everybody’s Pick Six single. Even if she wins that race, the Eclipse Award will likely go to the recently retired Sightseek in the filly and mare division.

Twice the cash
If they go for the Classic, they are running for twice the cash and Breeders’ Cup history. Jolypha ran a gutsy third to A.P. Indy in the ’92  Classic, the only filly to even make such an attempt in 20 years of competition. In most situations, a top filly or mare simply can not compete against her male counterparts, particularly with the world’s top racehorses.

But apparently, Lukas and Paulsen believe Azeri is capable of bucking that trend. They unsuccessfully ran her against males in the Met Mile earlier in the spring, where she finished a dismal eighth. But that day, she was swallowed up in an early speed duel, compromising her chances against the likes of Pico Central, Bowman’s Band, and Strong Hope.

With the likely scratch of Saint Liam, a softer pace maybe in place for this year’s Classic which Lukas and Paulsen believe could aid her chances to spring an upset.

The other problem is the Classic distance of 1 ¼ miles. Although Azeridid run second at that distance in the Personal Ensign, she plodded home after fast fractions, an effort that would not make her competitive at Lone Star against the boys.

Conversely, Azeri is lethal at the 1 1/8 mile distance of the Distaff, with six wins and a second in seven starts, including the Spinster on Oct. 10.

In all likelihood, the Lukas-Paulson braintrust will opt for the Distaff, obviously the easier spot. But should they be so bold and brazen to try for the Classic, the move would add a marvelous intrigue to this year’s event.

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