Thoroughbred race horse owner Charles Fipke has never been one to back down from a challenge.
His latest big adventure was to put up $20,000 to pre-enter his 7-year-old horse Society's Chairman in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Turf Mile next week against one of the toughest fields ever assembled for the race.
Fipke will have to put up another $40,000 to enter him on Tuesday for the race at Churchill Downs that pits the horse against two-time Breeders' Cup winner Goldikova, (winner of $5,074,157 in her stories career), Gio Ponte, (top U.S. turf horse that finished second to Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic and winner of $4,677,800 in his career), Court Vision, the winner of the Woodbine Mile, Sidney's Candy, a brilliant winner of the La Jolla Mile in Kentucky and the highly regarded European horse Paco Boy, which finished a half-length behind Goldikova in a race in France.
If Fipke is lucky - and he's known to be - Gio Ponte will drop out of the race. He was also cross-entered in the $5-million Classic, to have another go against Zenyatta, who heads the field again this year. It's expensive decision-making time for the connections of Gio Ponte, because it costs $50,000 just to pre-enter the horse in the Classic, another $100,000 at entry time next Tuesday morning.
"He's an overachiever," Woodbine trainer Roger Attfield said of Society's Chairman, who he trains for Fipke. Attfield could also have been speaking of Fipke, an eccentric if not intrepid mining prospector who initiated the largest mining stake rush in North America since the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. In 1991, Fipke discovered a diamond mine northeast of Yellowknife, that led to the establishment of the Etaki mind in 1998. It now produces 4 per cent of the world's diamonds.
To say that Society's Chairman has a tough task ahead of him "is putting it mildly," Attfield said. But Society's Chairman is a son of Fipke's horse Not Impossible.
Fipke named his best horse after the mine. His Tale of Ekati finished fourth in the 2008 Kentucky Derby and was also fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Fipke also owned Queen's Plate winner, Not Bourbon, another son of Not Impossible. Not Bourbon gave Attfield his record-typing eighth victory in Canada's most prestigious race.
Society's Chairman will be only the third Breeders' Cup starter that Fipke has had. His Perfect Soul finished ninth in the same race that Society's Chairman will contest. Perfect Soul was Canada's champion turf male of 2003, with earnings of more than $1.5-million.
Society's Chairman has been accustomed to flying under the radar, but he impressed top U.S. jockey Julien Laparoux, told Attfield after the Ontario-bred horse finished second to Gio Ponte in the Shadwell Mile at Keeneland, that if he was entered in the Breeders' Cup, he wanted to ride him.
"He had a lot of good things to say about him," Attfield said. "And he's owned by a gentleman that is hugely optimistic. I certainly wouldn't go against his wishes."
Society's Chairman was also second in the Makers Mile Stakes at Keeneland earlier this year and in the early spring, he won the Appleton Stakes in Florida.
"He loves those inside turf courses [like at Churchill Downs]" Attfield said.
"And he likes the turf to be firm. I know it's been raining a little bit at Churchill, but I hope it keeps on being dry. If it rains, it will mess me up."
Attfield, a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer, has also entered Miss Keller for the Three Chimneys Farm of Kentucky in the $2-million Filly and Mare Turf.
Canadian connections
A record 184 horses were pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup, 26 of them from overseas. They will race in 14 races worth a total of $26-million over two days, Nov. 5 and 6, in what is known as the world championships for thoroughbred racehorses.
Horses with Canadian connections that were pre-entered are:
$1-million Juvenile Fillies Turf
New Normal, U.S.-owned but trained by Woodbine stalwart Mark Frostad.
Wyomia, U.S.-owned but trained by Woodbine regular Danny Vella.
Quiet Oasis, owned by Windsor, Ont., native Paul Reddam.
$2-million Juvenile Fillies
Delightful Mary, U.S.-owned but trained by Woodbine's leading trainer, Mark Casse.
$2-million Filly and Mare Turf
Miss Keller, U.S.-owned but trained by Woodbine icon Roger Attfield.
$2-million Ladies Classic
Milwaukee Appeal, owned by Eugene George of Breslau, Ont., trained by Woodbine regular Scott Fairlee.
Seeking the Title, owned by Charles Fipke.
$1-million Turf Sprint
Bridgetown, owned by Eugene Melnyk.
Grand Adventure, owned by Sam-Son Farms, trained by Mark Frostad.
$2-million Mile Turf
Society's Chairman, Ontario-bred, owned by Fipke, trained by Attfield.
$1-million Filly and Mare Sprint
Waveline, owned by Windsor, Ont., native Paul Reddam, but is 19th on the list to get in. Only 14 horses are allowed.