It will be a brisk and cloudy day – perfect autumn – at Belmont for the biggest day in American racing, the eight Grade 1 races that make up the Breeders’ Cup. Surely there are other days – the Kentucky Derby is inarguably the most important race of the year, and the most popular – but tomorrow in Elmont, the best horses running will meet and battle it out over the big track. It’s an extravaganza. Here’s a look at the top contenders running in each of the races.

The Alberto VO5 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

PURSE
$1 million
DISTANCE
1 1/16 miles
SURFACE
Dirt

It’s the first race on the Breeders’ Cup card, the third race of the day, which implies that no one is interested in the young ladies, but this race is often the best of the day.

Last year, it was Sweet Catomine and the year before that Half bridled. This year looks like a duel between the Todd Pletcher-trained Adieu and the Wayne Lukas-trained Folklore (the spice in the dish is that Pletcher learned his trade from Lukas). Adieu has only lost one race – to Folklore. But they’ve met three times, and Adieu went to the circle in the other two.

Folklore is the favorite (and the second shortest price of the day at 5-2). I’m very interested in Knights Templar, who’s coming off a career-best race at this distance in the Mazarine Stakes on October 1 at Woodbine, Canada’s most famous track. She won that race by 13 1/4 lengths, and scored the third best Beyer speed rating yet registered among this crowd. The knock on her is that she has never raced at Belmont, but then again, Gary Stevens is riding and he’s had plenty of experience here. Morning Lined at 12-1, I find Folklore irresistible. She likes the front, but there’s a lot of speed in this race; if Stevens can rate her, I think she’ll pick up the pieces.

The Bessemer Trust Breeders ‘ Cup Juvenile

PURSE
$1.5 million
DISTANCE
1 1/16 miles
SURFACE
Dirt

Another duel, although this one is slightly more one-sided. Earlier in the summer, Henny Hughes was the undefeated darling of the babies, until he ran into First Samurai on August 27 in the Hopeful at Saratoga. Then, First Samurai beat him again at Belmont on October 8 in the Futurity.

First Samurai is the heavy favorite at 8-5. I don’t know that Henny Hughes won’t turn the tables this time. They’ve both added Lasix – a diuretic that keeps horses from bleeding during races and often improves performance – and 2-year-olds grow up fast. But this is the strongest field either of them has faced. Some of them are stakes winners, like Private Vow, coming into this race off of three victories by a combined 16 3/4 lengths, and others are green horses on the improve like Dr. Pleasure. It is a deep field, but I would have a hard time putting any horse ahead of the two favorites.

The Emirate Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

PURSE
$1 million
DISTANCE
1 1/4 miles
SURFACE
Grass

It’s always difficult to grade the European imports entered in these races, but this year it’s a bit easier, as Belmont is the best track in America for them. The wide turns and good long stretches are what the imports are used to. And an import is the one to watch in this race.

Ouija Board ran this race last year on a yielding turf course in stellar fashion. We’ve had 1,000 inches of rain, so the turf should yield, and she should blow the doors off the place this year. If there’s a knock, it’s that she’s only started twice in 2005 – and one was a dismal showing in the Prince of Wales, where she ended 29 1/2 lengths behind the winner.

The race is a bettors’ heaven with an incredibly deep field at long odds. Riskaverse, just to take one example, is a great horse known for handing in some true clunkers over the years. Last out, however, in the Flower Bowl Invitational on October 1, she ran astonishingly well over the Belmont turf to edge out three of the starters here.

The TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint

PURSE
$1 million
DISTANCE
6 furlongs
SURFACE
Dirt

Lost in the Fog is the one to watch. He’s going to get a run for it – look at Wildcat Heir – but he got a run for it back in June at the Riva Ridge on Belmont Stakes day. He’s undefeated, and we have yet to see his best. He cruised through his last race, making it look like he was taking a walk to the corner store. Foggy is a national treasure, a force of nature, and if he loses for the first time, I don’t want to see anybody jumping up and down because they just cashed a ticket on some freakish upset like Imperialism finally figuring out how to race and finding a sweet spot or Lost in the Fog falling over in the gate. There is some great gambling on this card, and this race is not it.

The Net jets Breeders’ Cup Mile

PURSE
$1.5 million
DISTANCE
1 mile
SURFACE
Grass

Leroidesanimaux is the clear favorite. How could you even think about betting against a Frankel-trained horse coming off eight consecutive victories over similar distances? Still, lets look at Graham Motion-trained Funfair – you might want to bet an exacta, for instance. He ran over a mile at Saratoga on yielding turf August 20 to win, and last out took the one mile Kelso on October 2 at Belmont.

Artie Schiller and Sand Springs will set the pace with the favorite, and Funfair might just tuck in right behind. I’m not saying he’ll get past Leroi, but he’ll have a better chance at it than the thundering, fighting field of closers behind them.

The Emirates Airline Breeders ‘ Cup Distaff

PURSE
$2 million
DISTANCE
1 1/8 Miles
SURFACE
Dirt

Some exciting newcomers join the same old girls in what will be the great Ashado’s last race. She’s had seven Grade 1 victories in her career, and earned over $3.7 million for Pletcher’s barn. She’s to be sold at Keeneland in November.

Ashado won this race last year, but this is a tougher crowd. Her old rival, Stellar Jayne, is two for two this year, and has beaten Ashado before. Society Selection has been landing on the board a lot as well. Happy Ticket has suffered her only two losses this year, but both were good seconds – behind Madcap Escapade and Ashado.

Look out for undefeated but lightly raced Nothing But Fun, too. Her trainer, Michael Hushion, described her victory in her first try around two turns at the October 1 Cotillion Handicap at Philadelphia Park: “She got pinched off going into the first turn and was rank, and came off the bridle on the second turn,” Hushion said. “She came out of the race with a pretty badly bruised eye.” That’s a rough way to get to the winner’s circle, and it shows more heart than the 30-1 morning line would indicate.

The John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf

PURSE
$2 million
DISTANCE
1 1/2 miles
SURFACE
Grass

The rabbit Shake the Bank is in here, with a lucky draw on the inside. It is not lucky for Shake the Bank, though, whocouldn’t win this race if he was the only one in it; it’s lucky for Better Talk Now, the outstanding closer that Graham Motion is sending Shake the Bank out front for.

Last out on September 10th, Shake the Bank was eight lengths in the lead at the first call in the Man o’ War at Belmont. At Monmouth on July 2, he opened up even wider. Both races were won by Better Talk Now.You can throw out horses who prefer to be up front like English Channel and Gun Salute. Can anyone close with Better Talk Now?

The European imports Bago and Azamor both could run with him. And favored Shakespeare is certainly looking good coming off a win at Belmont on October 1 – over the same course at the same distance. But Better Talk Now beat two monsters of the turf (Kittens Joy and Powerscourt, neither of whom is here, sadly) to take this race last year. At 8-1 this year, he’s irresistible.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic

PURSE
$4 million
DISTANCE
1 1/4 miles
SURFACE
Dirt

There are some amazing horses in this race, amazing just as much for what they have not accomplished as for what they have. Even the best in the gate have proven at one point in their career that they possess a profound ability to disappoint. It’s not as simple of a race as it seems, and you can find out why in the line to the right.