by Ed DeRosa

There is unanimous consent among entrants in this year’s $3-million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) that Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere (Fr-G1) winner Dylan Thomas (Ire) is the horse to beat.

Unfortunately for Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor’s six-time Group 1 winner, the connections of Dylan Thomas’s seven rivals all think they know how to upset the favorite.

The three-turn, 1 1/2-mile Turf on Saturday at Monmouth will provide a new dynamic for Dylan Thomas as the likely European champion will have to negotiate tighter turns than he normally encounters on the larger European courses.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, however, is not concerned. Dylan Thomas has won Group 1 races on both left- and right-handed courses.

“He’s a big, strong fellow with a massive strike and tactical speed,” O’Brien said. “We work him on left-hand bends at [Ballydoyle], and we hope that helps. Leopardstown and Tipperary have similar turns [to Monmouth].”

Dylan Thomas won his career debut at Tipperary in June 2005 and the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1) at Leopardstown this year. He would be the first horse to win the Arc and Turf in the same year, though another O’Brien trainee, High Chaparral (Ire), finished third in the Arc in 2002 and ’03 before winning the Turf 20 days later both years.

Todd Pletcher trains English Channel for James Scatuorchio, and he sees the three-turn Monmouth configuration as a benefit. English Channel has twice won the 1 3/8-mile United Nations Handicap (G1) at Monmouth.

“He handles the turns very well; I think the configuration helps him.” Pletcher said. “The important thing in a three-turn race is to save ground, especially on the first two turns. I’m going to tell [jockey John Velazquez] to save some ground on the first turn. In a 1 1/2-mile, three-turn race, racing three-wide can really hurt you.

“Dylan Thomas is very, very good, and I have nothing but respect, but we hope three turns might not be his specialty, and this is short rest after the Arc.”

English Channel has won three of six races this year, and the turf male championship is likely to come down to him and Dylan Thomas, though a win from either Secretariat Stakes (G1) winner Shamdinan (Fr) or Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Grand Couturier (GB) could be enough to sway the voting in their favor, especially since Grand Couturier defeated English Channel in the Sword Dancer.

Two previous winners of the Turf—Better Talk Now and Red Rocks (Ire)—are in the field. Red Rocks, the 2006 Turf winner, enters off a fourth-place finish to Dylan Thomas in the Irish Champion on September 8, and ’04 winner Better Talk Now enters off a third-place finish to English Channel in the United Nations on July 7.

Fri Guy, winless in seven starts this year, and Grade 3 winner Transduction Gold complete the field.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, trainer, and morning-line odds:

1. Fri Guy (Theatrical [IRE]), Kent J. Desormeaux, 126, Dale L. Romans, 50-to-1;

2. Red Rocks [IRE] (Galileo [IRE]), Lanfranco Dettori, 126, Brian Meehan, 7-to-2;

3. Better Talk Now (Talkin Man), Ramon A. Dominguez, 126, H. Graham Motion, 9-to-2;

4. Shamdinan [FR] (Dr Fong), Julien R. Leparoux, 121, Angel J. Penna, Jr., 20-to-1;

5. Grand Couturier [GB] (Grand Lodge), Calvin H. Borel, 126, Robert Ribaudo, 10-to-1;

6. English Channel (Smart Strike), John R. Velazquez, 126, Todd A. Pletcher, 5-to-2;

7. Dylan Thomas [IRE] (Danehill), John Patrick Murtagh, 126, Aidan P. O'Brien, 7-to-5; and

8. Transduction Gold (Formal Gold), James Graham, 126, John Glenney, 30-to-1.