Santa Anita, with its Pro-Ride synthetic surface, may have evened things up between the Europeans and North Americans. But reverting to dirt in 2010 at Churchill Downs and the likelihood of the same at Belmont Park in 2011 is a distinct turn-off.

Michael Tabor strolled down the apron at Santa Anita Park, shielding the bright California sunlight with a baseball cap and a dark pair of shades. Peering out at the Pro-Ride surface the morning before the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships would begin, the Coolmore principal answered a simple question with a response that was as clear as the day's view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The passing of Cozzene Oct. 8 made me reflect on what my life would have been without our "introduction" when I was young. His presence has been a constant thread throughout my life, beginning when I was about 3 years old.