Breeders’ Cup Saturday Picks and Analysis
BREEDERS’ CUP 2018 SATURDAY PICKS
3- Filly and Mare Sprint, 7f, 11:00
1) #5 GOLDEN MISCHIEF (10-1)- Winner of three straight races at 6f enters off a win in the TCA Stakes at Keeneland (94 Beyer, 102 Bris), a race that has produced five of the last ten winners of this event, and overcame a speed favoring flow from off the pace in that race. The 6f figures she earned when winning against optional claiming company in April (101 Beyer, 108 Bris) fit well against these. Trainer Brad Cox wins with 27% of his runners second off the lay and four-year-old daughter of Into Mischief looks primed for a career effort here as the extra furlong could hit her right between the eyes based on how she’s finished her recent races. She hasn’t raced beyond 6f this year but the fact that she won a listed stakes at 7f as a two-year-old helps contain any significant distance concerns. Detractors will point to her 4-1-1-0 record at Churchill, but she has only raced here once over her last ten starts and appears in completely different form now. She fired an eye-catching bullet work over the track this week, turning in 4f in :47.0, the fastest of 113 that day; we’ll take a shot in a race that has recently been unkind to favorites.
2) #13 MARLEY’S FREEDOM (8-5)- Undefeated in three starts at ascending distances since switching to the Baffert barn, culminating in a 7f score in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga (100 Beyer, 103 Bris). She skipped a scheduled run in the L.A. Woman Stakes after that to train up to this race and hasn’t raced in over two months, but Baffert wins with 25% of his runners in that spot. BRIS Prime Power selection is a deserving favorite and the one to beat if she returns to form after the layoff, as her mid-pack running style is favorable from a race shape standpoint- her average BRIS Late Pace figure of 105 tops the field by a wide margin. A must-use in multis and on top in exotics.
3) #11 FINLEYSLUCKYCHARM (10-1)- Horse for the course has won 6 of 7 career starts at Churchill, the lone off-the-board effort being a puzzling no-show in this year’s Humana Distaff at this distance. She’s won at both 6f and 7f this year but has been inconsistent, tending to alternate between wins and subpar efforts. She’d be due for the former after a 7th place dud at this distance behind the favorite in her last, and shouldn’t be overlooked at a fair price here over a track she relishes, but the feeling with her has always been that she may be better suited to 6f than 7f and is susceptible to a speed duel up front; Timeform designates this race has having a fast pace that will be unfavorable to front-runners.
4) #1 SELCOURT (4-1)- Speedster owns the best speed figure at the distance for her Grade 2 win in the Santa Monica in March (104 Beyer, 108 Bris) over the pre-Baffert edition of Marley’s Freedom, but hasn’t raced since and enters off a long layoff for a trainer who doesn’t excel in that spot (12% winners 90+ days). She figures to take action at the windows off of that number, but hasn’t yet raced outside of Santa Anita and may not be in peak form for this, especially having to deal with all of the speed to her outside as she’s buried inside on the rail. She did win a 6.5f listed stakes off a similar layoff in January, however.
Longshot:
#9 STORMY EMBRACE (20-1)- Draw a line through her last race, where she broke poorly, and you’re left with three straight wins at the distance, including a field high BRIS figure over the last four months two back (97 Beyer, 105 Bris).
4- Turf Sprint, 5.5f, 11:38
1) #6 RAINBOW HEIR (12-1)- This race always seems to come up speed heavy, and this year’s edition is no exception. The stretch out to 5.5f from last year’s 5f distance makes us even more keen to find a closer, and this is where we land as the best of the bunch. Aside from eight year old’s field high BRIS Late Pace average (99), looking at his form lines, he’s consistently gobbled up ground in the stretch of his 5f races. Two back, he made up three lengths in the stretch to win a Gulfstream listed stakes at that distance before settling in for a long layoff, posting figures that fit quite well here (106 Beyer, 102 Bris) and defeating last year’s runner-up and today’s foe Richard’s Boy. He should be sharper now than he was in his last, where he finished 3rd (but still gaining ground) at 5f after a seven month layoff, and the extra ground looks to be a huge positive. Trainer Jason Servis has been hot of late and he wins with 28% of his runners off a similar lay; we prefer this of his three entered here.
2) #5 DISCO PARTNER (7-2) A quick look over the form lines for BRIS Prime Power selection can be deceiving. Digging deeper, he’s struggled on soft turf and at distances beyond 6f, but has been remarkably consistent outside of those parameters, and probably would have won last year’s race had it been run at this distance. Instead he settled for third place, running out of ground after making up nearly three lengths in the stretch. He ran huge in his last, winning the 6f Belmont Turf Sprint (106 Beyer, 106 Bris) after a three-month layoff and over good ground, which is usually a detriment, so we aren’t subscribing to the popular notion that he’s a toss on anything less than firm (if the ground is too soft, they’ll scratch him anyway). He’s probably better going 6f than 5.5f and the turf condition is still a concern, but he gets a new rider here as Joel Rosario takes over for Irad Ortiz, and the idea that he could be even sharper than that second off the lay (20% trainer wins) is a scary proposition; a must use on top of all wagers.
3) #13 WILL CALL (20-1)- Another late mover, four-year old is 2/2 over this turf course, including a win over good turf, and has won four times at this exact distance over the past year. Last seen when a hard-closing 2nd in the Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland (95 Beyer, 97 Bris) to today’s foe Bucchero at this distance, he figures to be sharper second off the lay (trainer Cox wins at a 27% clip in that spot) and to have more pace to run at.
4) #9 STORMY LIBERAL (4-1)- Defending Champion is tough to dismiss in this spot coming off of three straight wins between 5f and 6.5f, defeating some of today’s more stingy foes in Richard’s Boy and Conquest Tsunami. He doesn’t by win very much, yet always seems to get his nose on the wire first. It’s hard to repeat in a race this wide open, but he fits right in here figure-wise (105 Beyer, 101 Bris), and you can bet he will be in the mix at the end.
Try to beat:
#11 WORLD OF TROUBLE (6-1)- Wise-guy will attract attention off his field high last out Bris speed figure (107) earned at 6f, a bit of an outlier figure that came over wet turf and against questionable company, and the fact that Irad Ortiz jumps off of Disco Partner to grab the mount. The Beyer didn’t come back quite as favorably and ranks behind the best here (102) as three-year old meets elders for the first time and spent most of the year contesting longer dirt races; likely underlay seems like he could go off favored with a lot of question marks in this spot.
#14 CONQUEST TSUNAMI (6-1)- Seasoned front-runner may stand the best chance to hang around at the end as he’s actually cutting back in distance here, having raced on the lead at 6.5f in his last before losing it by a head in the stretch to Stormy Liberal. There’s an argument to be made that he’s been in the lead at the 5.5f mark in most of his races, and he has the back figures to make an impact on the lead here (106 Beyer, 100 Bris); there’s also the argument to be made that his speed won’t be as effective at the shorter distance and he draws widest of all in this spot.
Longshots:
#1 RUBY NOTION (20-1) and #8 CHANTELINE (15-1) are types we would play against under normal circumstances as the field-high Bris speed figures earned at the distance (109, 106) came over a soft turf course. The course isn’t supposed to come up with that much give, but if it’s closer to yielding than good, keep an eye on their odds as their chances move up massively in a race that is already a total crapshoot. Ruby Notion was victorious in that race and is 3-1-0-1 at Churchill.
5- Dirt Mile, 8f, 12:16
1) #1 CITY OF LIGHT (5-2)- Versatile sort enters off the strength of five consecutive triple digit Beyers between distances ranging from 7f-10f. He’s yet to contest this exact distance but ran his two fastest figures (106, 107 Beyers) at the 7f and 9f distances that it encompasses, defeating Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite and Older Male division leader Accelerate in the latter. He suffered a wide trip when 2nd last out in the 7f Forego in his first of the layoff but has two Grade 1 wins at that distance. Notably, his best BRIS Late space figure (114) is the highest in the field, a dangerous combination for a runner who tends to be placed near the front. BRIS Prime Power selection looms a conceivable single in a race without much depth and has never missed the board in nine career starts.
2) #10 CATALINA CRUISER (8-5)- Unbeaten in four starts but relatively untested, west coast speedster ships away from California for first time. Son of Union Rags dominated the 8.5f San Diego Handicap (107 Beyer, 108 Bris) by nearly seven lengths on the lead before cutting back to 7f and duplicating that margin in the Pat O’Brien, easily defeating last year’s winner of this race, Battle of Midway. There’s an argument to be made that he’s benefited from easy trips as he hasn’t had much company up front on the lead; he may not be able to separate from this field in a similar fashion.
3) #7 FIRENZE FIRE (6-1)- Three-year-old found his niche at this distance, clobbering the Dwyer field by 9 lengths from off the pace (107 Beyer, 102 Bris). A replication of that performance would be highly competitive here from a figures standpoint as he stretches back out to 8f on the heels of a 6f win. Will face elders for the first time, but race shape should suit his running style. It’s worth noting that his two graded wins at the distance were both one-turn miles at Belmont; he should appreciate that configuration in this spot as well.
4) #6 SEEKING THE SOUL (5-1)- Late-running five year old owns three wins over the track, including last fall’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap at 9f and the Grade 3 Ack Ack at this distance in his last (98 Beyer, 99 Bris). Figures appear a bit below the best here and 8f may be a tad sharp, but with the second best Late Pace figure in the field (108) he is eligible to grab a piece underneath.
Longshot:
#3 ISOTHERM (20-1)- Cuts back after acquitting himself well against the likes of Accelerate and West Coast, who he finished 3rd behind beaten 2.75 lengths in the Grade 1 Awesome Again in his second start switching to dirt from turf. He ties for the best Bris Last Race figure off that effort (103) and shows the highest average early pace figures as well; could take them a long way on the front end.
6- Filly and Mare Turf, 11f, 1:04
1) #10 MAGIC WAND (5-1)- Aidan O’Brien shipper has been pointed to this and looks ready to peak after a solid 2nd to today’s foe Wild Illusion in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at 10f. She defeated that one handily earlier this year in a Group 2 at Ascot at 12f, so the feeling here is that she will appreciate stretching out from her last. The RPR of 114 she earned two back when again 2ndto Group 1 foes is the best in the field at or beyond the 11f distance and she had an excuse when 5thbefore that as she was sick with a virus; three-year old gets first time Lasix as well as Ryan Moore in the saddle which always demands attention. O’Brien is 0-11 in this race but we look for him to buck that trend as long as the ground doesn’t come up too soft.
2) #14 EZIYRA (15-1)- Winner of four of her last five against Group 2 and Group 3 company, four year-old finished ahead of the top selection at 12f when 3rd against Group 1 foes and has never been off the board in 11 career starts. There’s a lot to like as she steps up in class here, especially given her three wins at 12f; no need to worry about the distance with this one. Three starts back, she rallied from last to win at 12f and knocked off the highly regarded Yucatan, now the Group 1 Melbourne Cup favorite. Her top RPR at 12f (112) puts her in the mix at a square price; intriguing as a more experienced Euro option at likely three times the price of the three year olds. Gets first time Lasix and enters fresh off 48 days rest.
3) #3 WILD ILLUSION (7-2)- Winner of three straight, including a 10f Group 1 on the Arc undercard where she bested 15 foes and posted a field high RPR (116). She’s traded wins with the top selection this year but may not be as well-suited to stretch out an extra furlong from her last as 10f looks like her sweet spot; pace type demands respect nonetheless as she enters with two Group 1 wins this year (no other Euro shipper even has one). Sire Dubawi won this race last year with Wuheida. She does not receive Lasix in the spot.
4) #1 FOURSTARCROOK (5-1)- We like her chances best of the Brown barn to handle the added distance. Her win over stablemate Sistercharlie came at 10f, while her losses came at 8.5f and 9.5f. In five starts this year, she has posted ascending RPR numbers, culminating in a 114 winning the 10f Flower Bowl in her last (104 Beyer, 94 Bris), and that has been a key prep for this, producing 6 of the 19 winners. Brown enters Thais as a likely rabbit; expect this six-year old mare to be flying late after that one softens up the front-runners.
Try to beat:
#6 SISTERCHARLIE (3-1)- Has dominated the US division this year but stretches out to a distance that may prove a bit challenging, as she hasn’t won beyond 9.5f this year. She does have experience just short of this distance (10.5f) in France, but those races came against softer company than she faces here and the RPR figures she earned (104-110) aren’t as strong as her shorter races. She’s delivered consistent RPRs of 112 in her last four races which slots in below the best here so it seems like we know what we are going to get with her; merits respect based on her campaign but looks like an underlay for the win spot at these odds and off an 84 day layoff.
7- Sprint, 6f, 1:46
1) #2 PROMISES FULFILLED (6-1)- Has really come into his own at sprint distances, winning his last three at 6f-7f and posting a field high Beyer (108) in between, defeating today’s older male foes Whitmore and Limousine Liberal most recently at 6f. Three year olds have had success in this event and he may still be improving, is pure speed and benefits from the defection of XY Jet as well as a ground-saving post; could be the one to catch with some knocks existing against the favorite, his lone true speed pace contender up front. He broke his maiden at this distance over the Churchill track. Often in this race, the fastest runner wins, and this doesn’t set up for a pace collapse on paper as Timeform designates the race shape as favorable to horses on the lead; looks like a merry-go-round race to our eyes as well.
2) #5 IMPERIAL HINT (9-5)- Last year’s runner-up is a logical favorite in this spot coming off three straight graded wins, posting figures that tie for field high in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt (108 Beyer, 106 Bris). He is 0/2 over the track however, although both of those races came at a longer distance and one came over sloppy dirt, but he did have a so-so work over the track this week, so maybe he just doesn’t like it. Perhaps more concerning is trainer Luis Carvajal’s record 2nd off the lay- he has just 1 winner of 28 starters in that spot. BRIS Prime Power selection looms the most likely winner, but is by no means a single; outright wagers better spent elsewhere.
3) #9 ROY H (5-2)- Defending champion returned to form in his last, winning the 6f Santa Anita Sprint (105 Beyer, 105 Bris) and should be sharp for his 2nd off the lay, where trainer Peter Miller wins with 25% of his starters. He enters off the exact same pattern as he did when winning last year- a 2nd place finish to Ransom the Moon in July, a layoff, and a win in October off that layoff. The difference could be a bit less bottom to fall back on, as he took off the entire spring following a rough trip to Dubai. Only one horse (Midnight Lute) has repeated wins in this race, but he draws outside the speed in a similar fashion to how he won this a year ago, and Miller sends stablemate Distinctive B to his inside as a presumptive rabbit.
4) #1 WHITMORE (6-1)- Closing type cut back to 6f after winning the 7f Forego (104 Beyer, 102 Bris) and just missed the top selection by a head. He’s been a hard knocker in all six of his graded starts this year, running a neck behind Imperial Hint as well, so if we like those two best, we have to like him at least a little. While his running style arguably translates better to 7f than 6f, he does have a Grade 3 win at the distance from April to fall back on, and will be flying late, but closers haven’t historically fared well in this event.
Try to Beat:
#8 LIMOUSINE LIBERAL (6-1)- At the risk of making the same mistake yet again, we just can’t muster up enough support for him based solely on the horse for the course angle. Backers will cite his 8-6-1-0 record at Churchill, but the last three of those wins came at 7f (and two of those came over sloppy tracks). You have to go back to last June to find his last win at 6f and that came against a weak Grade 3 Field. Whitmore has bested him in both of their last two meetings and his Beyers have landed consistently in the 99-101 range, below the cut here. Passing for the win, but he does love the track and had a bad trip in his last, and merits inclusion underneath.
8- Mile, 8f, 2:36
1) #11 LIGHTNING SPEAR (20-1)- Battle-tested seven year old Euro invader is being overlooked here off of two subpar efforts, the last of which came over soft ground that he does not relish. Before those, he’d won a Group 1 at the distance and placed in two more, defeating today’s foe Expert Eye in the process and earning the highest RPR in the field (122). He will have to regroup quickly after the ship as this race comes 14 days after his last, but he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t up for it. Having raced in Group 1 or Group 2 races for 22 straight starts, 20 of which came at this distance, he brings as much experience and class as any of these and gets first time Lasix in his last career race for trainer David Simcock, who finished 3rd in this race in 2014.
2) #5 OSCAR PERFORMANCE (6-1)- We were dead set on playing son of Kitten’s Joy on top here, but he’s just so hard to trust if there is any give in the ground whatsoever- his worst career race came over a Churchill turf course rated good. He also benefited from an easy lead in winning his last in the Woodbine Mile and produced slow figures to boot (99 Beyer, 93 Bris). It’s rare to win this race wire to wire- no horse has done so in its last 20 runnings- and the lead is ultimately where he’s most dangerous. However, he does have the best RPR of any of the Americans (119) for his record setting score in the 8f Poker (104 Beyer), where he actually sat just off the pace, and this edition of the Mile appears to have come up particularly devoid of speed. The Woodbine Mile winner has hit the board in the last eight runnings of this race, so we slot him in here, and will use him on top in multis as lone speed on turf is always potentially deadly. He did win over good going as a three year old and is 3/3 at this distance. It also remains to be seen how truly strong this Euro contingent is, and we want have at least one American to fall back on here.
3) #7 EXPERT EYE (8-1)- Last seen when 3rd by a little over a length in a French Group 1, three year old gets first time Lasix fresh off a 55 day layoff. He’s yet to break through as a Group 1 winner or win at the distance but has won two at 7f over his last four and hasn’t missed the board in any of those; consistent type has posted competitive RPR numbers at the distance to fall back on (117-118), has a 120 at 7f and looks primed and well-aimed for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who generally doesn’t fly horses over here who aren’t serious contenders.
4) #2 NEXT SHARES (10-1)- We already touched on the success of closers relative to front-runners historically in this race. It seems logical then to pay some attention to the field’s best closer (field high Bris Average Late Pace and Best Late Pace- 102/113) who enters off a career best effort in his last when winning the Shadwell Mile and posted field high last race figures (106 Beyer, 104 Bris) along with an RPR that suggests he isn’t out of his depth against the Euros (115). It’s notable that the huge jump forward in figures in that race came over turf labeled “good.” Playable for a piece here at the very least; deep closers have pulled a few stunners in this event.
Try to beat:
Aidan O’Brien. Proflic trainer is actually winless with 19 previous starters in this race, and there are good reasons to play against his three runners here as well. #13 GUSTAV KLIMT (10-1) is winless at the distance in five starts and seems better at 6-7f. The filly #3 HAPPILY (15-1) is winless in six starts this year and off the board in three of her last four. Another Filly, #8 I CAN FLY (10-1) comes off a career best race when 2nd in a tough Group 1, wheels back quickly for this two weeks later and had lost to two of today’s foes, Happily and One Master, before that. She did run second over soft going in her last to the highly regarded Roaring Lion in her last, posting a 117 RPR, and is the one we prefer of these three if one is to be used as a long shot play.
#12 ANALYZE IT (6-1) would be a massive underlay at these odds. Another pace type that has become allergic to winning, he finished an easily beaten 4th in his last without excuse after three straight 2nd place finishes by a neck. He figures to go early from his wide post and isn’t touchable at anywhere near these odds.
9- Distaff, 9f, 3:16
1) #2 ABEL TASMAN (7-2)- We believe one needs to view her abysmal performance when beaten ten lengths as the heavy favorite in her last one of two ways: Either it was a gift from the racing gods as you’ll now receive double the odds on last year’s runner up, the horse with the highest speed figures at the distance this year (105 Beyer, 107 Bris) and by far the race’s most likely winner, or she is heading into declining form and is a play against. Given that there was a virus going through the Baffert barn that affected many runners around the time of her dud, we feel that she had an excuse in that race and will simply draw a line through it and enjoy the inflated odds; the performance was such an outlier compared to all of her prior form that it was practically too bad to be believable. She is eligible to return to healthy form now third off the lay, where Baffert wins at a 25% clip.
2) #3 LA FORCE (20-1)- Bombs away for the place spot as Patrick Gallagher entry is likely to be completely overlooked here second off the lay, where he wins with 30% of his runners. She’s finished 2nd in her last three races at shorter behind solid company and while gobbling up ground in the stretch. Two back, she made up 3.5 lengths on the now retired but highly regarded Unique Bella to finish just a half a length from the win at 8.5f, posting speed figures that stack up quite competitively in this spot (99 Beyer, 102 Bris). The feeling here is that she can improve upon those figures with the added ground in this spot of her form cycle, and with only two Beyer points separating her from a 2-1 favorite, we’re inclined to play for value.
3) #11 MONOMOY GIRL (2-1)- Three year old Bris Prime Power selection has done nothing wrong this year, winning all six of her starts but being disqualified last time out for drifting in the stretch of the 8.5f Cotillion at Parx (101 Beyer), a race she was all out to win at a distance shorter than this one. She’s 3-2-1-0 over the track here and has won twice at the distance, but hasn’t yet faced elders. Looms as controlling speed but may find her trip a bit more contested from a wide post as the speedy Vale Dori lines up just to her inside, and her speed figures at the distance don’t exactly tower over this field the way you’d expect a 2-1 favorite’s should (97 Beyer, 102 Bris); this is a fair spot to try to beat the heavy favorite in our eyes.
4) #10 BLUE PRIZE (6-1)- Horse for the course has won three straight and boasts a 5-2-3-0 record over the Churchill dirt. A Grade 1 winner of the 9f Spinster at Keeneland in her last (93 Beyer, 99 Bris), we question the quality of the fields she has beaten, but this division hasn’t exactly been world beaters this year. Steps up in class here and will need to step up in terms of figures as well as she hasn’t topped a 94 Beyer at the distance; trainer Ignacio Correas wins with just 15% of his runners third off the lay.
Try to Beat:
#7 MIDNIGHT BISOU (6-1)- Likely to draw attention at the windows off her “win” over the favorite, that came via a somewhat controversial disqualification, and however one feels about that, it would be tough to deny that her chances of defeating Monomoy Girl were far better at 8.5f or less than it is at 9f. She faces the same obstacles in terms of battling against elders for the first time in addition to apparent distance limitations, having lost ground in the stretch in both tries at 9f.
10- Turf, 12f, 3:56
1) #5 MAGICAL (10-1)- Not long ago, Aidan O’Brien brought a three year-old daughter of Gaileo to this race that had just exited a strong showing at Ascot two weeks prior after having finished off the board in the Arc. The year was 2015, and that filly was Found, who shocked the boys and won this race, turning the tables against another heavily favored Arc winner. The pattern is too exact to overlook- Magical just won the 12f British Champions at Ascot after a 10thplace finish in the Arc- to say the least of the fact that the connections chose to enter her here instead of the Filly and Mare Turf race, where one imagines she’d have vowed for favoritism. She’s shown ascending RPRs over her last three races (109-113-118), the last two coming at this distance, and gets a four to seven pound weight break as well as first time Lasix. A similar leap forward figure wise as a result puts her squarely in the mix to turn the tables having beaten elders twice already this year; looks extremely live here in a sneaky sort of way at a likely huge price, especially in multis as everyone singles Enable.
2) #12 WALDGEIST (9-2)- Has been pointed to this for Andre Fabre, coming off a hard-luck 4th in the Arc where he finished 1.75 lengths behind the favorite in an effort that was better than it looks on paper. A monster at 12f, he’d won four straight at the distance against Group 1 and 2 company in France and has duplicated RPR figures of 121. An obvious alternative to the heavy favorite given that he was less than two lengths behind her with excuses and will be five times the price.
3) #2 ENABLE (1-1)- Back to back winner of the world’s most prestigious turf race, the Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, Enable will be the heaviest favorite on the day and by far the horse to beat here. Still, we will stubbornly try, for one simple reason: she’s trying to win the Arc and Breeders’ Cup back to back, and that’s never been done before in seven tries. With a field high RPR (126) at the distance, seven straight wins at 12f and receiving first time Lasix third off the lay, she’s a mandatory defensive use, but crazy things have happened in this race, and we require better than even money odds to buck history following a transatlantic trip.
4) #1 TALISMANIC (12-1)- Last year’s winner would probably still be favored against last year’s field based on his current form, but the waters are far deeper this year as the Euro contingent looms stronger. Enters off an 13th place finish in the Arc behind Enable and Magical, and was beaten an easy 2.5 lengths by Waldgeist in the start before that. Earned an RPR of 118 winning this last year; a reproduction of that number would slot him right about here.
Longshot:
#3 CHANNEL MAKER (12-1)- The Americans look up against in this spot but he’s the only one who shows competitive speed figures at the distance, as he posted a 118 RPR winning the Grade 1 Turf Classic wire to wire. That win came over soft turf so he’d appreciate some give in the ground, he’s better going longer, and might get away with an easy lead as Euros don’t usually bring speed on turf.
11- Classic, 10f, 4:44
1) #3 CATHOLIC BOY (8-1)- In a race where the two favored older horses ship in from the west coast (no pun intended) and may have questions to answer in terms of running away from California, why not take a shot on a rapidly improving three year old who has already proven himself at the distance? After all, three year olds have won four of the last five runnings of this race, and have hit the board in all five. In fact, the pattern of using the Travers as a prep and then training up to the Classic has been quite productive, with American Pharoah and Arrogate following the same pattern before moving forward figure-wise in their wins in this race. He may not be the freak that those two were, but the Beyer he earned in his Travers win after switching back to dirt from turf (104) was higher than the one Triple Crown winner Justify earned in the Kentucky Derby. Incredibly, the last eight winners of this race ran at Saratoga in one of their last two races before this; son of More Than Ready has tactical speed but can sit off the likely fast pace here as Javier Castellano retains the mount.
2) #2 ROARING LION (20-1)- How about a turf to dirt three year old exacta? Kitten’s Joy progeny are famous for their turf success but haven’t been bad on dirt either (202 wins/ 1480 route starts =14% winners over the last five years) and his damsire Street Sense is a Kentucky Derby winner. He’s a perfect 4-4 at 10-10.5f and his RPR at the distance (127) is the second highest in the field, so if he can translate that form to dirt he would be a significant overlay here considering he’d likely have been the second choice had his connections opted to run him in the Turf and that he may actually prefer this distance. Trainer John Gosden saddled the last turf to dirt or synthetic winner of this race, Raven’s Pass, in 2008. Race shape should suit, as Timeform pegs this race as favoring off-the-pace types, and he’s by far the most accomplished of those at the distance.
3) #14 ACCELERATE (5-2)- Deserving favorite has enjoyed quite the campaign as a five year old, winning four Grade 1s with three of them coming at this distance. Bris Prime Power selection holds a fairly towering advantage on figures (115 Beyer, 114 Bris, 128 RPR), and if he runs back to those, he wins this race easily. We are willing to take a shot against him on top in outright wagers off his last though, when his figures were more sluggish (100 Beyer, 106 Bris). His only loss this year came in his only race away from California, and he now ships again after a tough campaign to meet fresher horses with arguably more upside and draws the widest post of all here. A defensive use.
4) #7 WEST COAST (5-1)- Our selection in this race last year, he finished a respectable 3rd before coming back to run 2nd behind Gun Runner in the 9f Pegasus and then 2nd again behind today’s foe Thunder Snow in the 10f Dubai World Cup when that one freaked on the egregiously speed-favoring track. Laid off for six months, he returned to run 2nd to the favorite in a 9f tune up for this. Baffert’s second off the lay stats aren’t spectacular (23% winners, -0.37 ROI) and the likely speed duel (which should burn both Thunder Snow and Mendelssohn from hitting the board) may be too much to overcome here, but he’s eligible to hold on for a piece. If he goes to the lead and gets less pace pressure than is expected though, he could win this, as he proved difficult to pass in last year’s Travers when using those tactics.
Try to beat:
The horses who have never run 10f on dirt before- MCKINZIE (6-1), MIND YOUR BISCUITS (6-1), and YOSHIDA (10-1)- You know who the only horses are to win this race without ever running a 10f dirt race before? Zenyatta and Ghostzapper. One of them won 19 consecutive races from off the pace and the other posted a 120 Beyer when he won this race and cemented himself as one of the greatest freaks of the last 20 years. We don’t see any of these three as living up to that standard of all-time greatness, especially against a field as salty as this one. McKinzie is another going 2nd off the lay for Baffert, will likely be bet down from is morning line, and has Petionville (6.8 AWD) as a dam sire. Yoshida posted a respectable figure (107 Beyer) in the 9f Woodward, but that came against a suspect field, and his closing punch has been effective at shorter distances. Mind Your Biscuits is probably the most intriguing of the three, if only for the reason that he might be the first horse in history that would have been single digit odds in any of three Breeders’ Cup races from 6-10f. In that sense, he is reminiscent of Ghostzapper, but closer doesn’t possess the brilliant speed that one did. Looking for a pace meltdown in his first 10f try is asking a lot at short odds.
Longshot:
#4 GUNNEVERA (20-1)- We’d be remiss not to mention our old friend and 2016 Kentucky Derby selection. Late runner has never been a Grade 1 winning type but is always a threat when a pace scenario shapes up the way this one does. Crazier things have happened in this race (Arcangues at 133-1 and Volponi at 44-1 come immediately to mind) than him picking up the pieces and winning it after all the pace horses kill each other, Roaring Lion doesn’t handle the dirt and the 9f horses can’t go any further. We will be using him underneath on tris at the very least.
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