by Jeff Apel

Grade 1 winners Champs Elysees (GB) and Winchester will attempt to rebound from unplaced finishes at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Champs Elysees enters off an eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on October 25 at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park. The five-year-old Danehill horse finished second, 2 3/4 lengths behind Sunriver, in last year’s Hollywood Turf Cup.

The field for the 1 1/2-mile Hollywood Turf Cup also includes two mares—Grade 1 winner Black Mamba (NZ) and English Group 2-placed multiple stakes winner High Heel Sneakers (GB). The only female to win the Hollywood Turf Cup in its 26-year history is champion Miss Alleged in 1991.

Juddmonte Farms homebred Champs Elysees opened his five-year-old campaign by winning the San Marcos Stakes (G2) on January 19 at Santa Anita for trainer Bobby Frankel. The bay horse earned his second career graded stakes win in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by Vtech (Can-G1) on September 7 at Woodbine.

Champs Elysees finished third in the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (Can-G1) on October 4 at Woodbine prior to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Winchester finished seventh in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) in his previous start on October 25 at the Oak Tree meet. Trained by Dermot Weld, Winchester earned a dominant 7 1/4-length win in his North American debut in the Secretariat Stakes (G1) on August 9 at Arlington Park prior to contesting the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Winchester worked six furlongs in 1:18 handily on firm turf on November 30. The workout was the fourth since the Breeders’ Cup for the Theatrical (Ire) colt, who will try to become the first three-year-old to win the Hollywood Turf Cup since Bien Bien was elevatedto first via disqualification in 1992.

“He’s going in the right direction,” said Thomas Daly, assistant to Weld. “He seems to be progressing with each work.”

Black Mamba won the John C. Mabee Handicap (G1), a 1 1/8-mile turf race on August 3 at Del Mar. The Black Minnaloushe mare finished seventh in the one-mile Las Palmas Handicap (G2) in her previous start on October 24 at the Oak Tree meet for trainer John Sadler and owner Doubledown Stables.

“I know John has been dying to run Black Mamba a mile and a half,” said Larry Benavidez, Sadler’s assistant.

High Heel Sneakers enters off a win on turf in the Hermosa Beach Handicap on November 9 at Hollywood. Ben Cecil trains the Dansili (GB) mare for owner Christopher Wright.

Jeff Apel is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor

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

1. Church Service (Pulpit), Rafael Bejarano, 126, Mike R. Mitchell;

2. Summer Survivor (Siberian Summer), Jon Kenton Court, 126, Michael Pender;

3. Winchester (Theatrical [IRE]), Patrick J. Smullen, 122, Dermot K. Weld;

4. Champs Elysees [GB] (Danehill), Julien R. Leparoux, 126, Robert J. Frankel;

5. Obrigado [FR] (Enrique [GB]), Joel Rosario, 126, Neil D. Drysdale;

6. Mr. Chairman (Unusual Heat), Michael C. Baze, 126, Doug F. O'Neill;

7. High Heel Sneakers [GB] (Dansili [GB]), Tyler Baze, 123, Ben D. A. Cecil;

8. Black Mamba [NZ] (Black Minnaloushe), Mike E. Smith, 123, John W. Sadler; and

9. Rush Rush (More Than Ready), Victor Espinoza, 126, Michael Machowsky.