Budroyale Up to the Challenge

A Boston Red Sox fan since he was 8 years old, Ted West hit the daily double Saturday. His baseball team got back into the American League playoffs and his durable gelding, Budroyale, earned a ticket for the Breeders’ Cup by knocking off General Challenge in the $498,000 Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita.

Ted H. West, Ted West’s son, trains Budroyale now, having taken over the stable in April when his father got into trouble with California racing authorities, but the Wests will go to Florida as a team when they try to duplicate Saturday’s upset in the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 6.

Ted West, 62, turned over 24 horses and Budroyale to his son when he was fined $12,000 and suspended for 90 days after eight of his horses that ran in 1998 tested positive for the controversial drug clenbuterol. Horses can train but not race on the drug in California. One of West’s positives came after a win by Budroyale at Hollywood Park.

“We don’t give it to Budroyale anymore, we’d be crazy to after what they did to me,” the elder West said. “But I still believe in the medication--I think it’s good for horses--and Kentucky, which is about 100 years ahead of California, just recently came out with clenbuterol rules that make more sense.”

It was the trainer’s father who spent $50,000 to claim Budroyale from trainer Nick Canani as the California-bred was winning a race at Santa Anita in February 1998. That was the last in a succession of claims for Budroyale, who had earlier been bought out of races for $40,000 and $32,000 while going through the hands of trainers Mike Puhich, Dan Hendricks and Jay Robbins.

In the 1 1/8-mile Goodwood, the speed of Old Trieste and Hollycombe expected to set up the stretch run for General Challenge, the Santa Anita Derby and Pacific Classic winner, but the 9-10 favorite was outgunned by Budroyale heading for home and lost by a neck. Old Trieste finished third, three lengths behind General Challenge.

Bob Baffert, who trains General Challenge, approached Ted West on the track minutes after the horses crossed the wire.

“My horse doesn’t like to go head and head,” Baffert said.

West smiled as he told the story.

“My horse is just the opposite,” he said. “He just loves to look the other horse in the eye.”

The win was worth $300,000 to Jeffrey Sengara, a Canadian who runs the family lumber business in Vancouver. Overall, Budroyale has won 17 of 42 starts and earned $1.6 million. He had gone into the Goodwood off a win in the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs in suburban Seattle, but Saturday he was the fourth choice in the six-horse field and paid $20. The time was 1:48 1/5, the slowest running of the stake since 1992.

Horse Racing Notes

Winning his fifth stake in 15 days, trainer Bobby Frankel saddled Keeper Hill ($11.40) for a 2 1/2-length win in the $555,500 Spinster at Keeneland. Banshee Breeze, the 3-10 favorite, was second as Keeper Hill ended a 10-race losing streak and won for the first time in 17 months. . . . Kent Desormeaux, who rode Keeper Hill, also won the $269,000 Phoenix Breeders’ Cup Stakes with Richter Scale ($24.80). . . . At Belmont Park, Artax ($5.70) broke the track record by running six furlongs in 1:07 3/5 as he won the Forest Hills Handicap by 6 1/2 lengths. . . . At Santa Anita, Silic ($6.40) earned a trip to the Breeders’ Cup Mile with a one-length win in the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile. . . . Laffit Pincay’s win with Testimony in the sixth race was No. 8,800.