2010 Breeders’ Cup Preview, Predictions, Picks & Odds
Friday, November 6, 3:30-7:00 ET on ESPN2
Saturday, November 7, 1:00-7:00 ET on ABC and ESPN
Smack dab in the middle of the NFL and College football seasons is the 27th annual running of the Breeder’s Cup.
With $25.5 million in purse money on the line, it’s the Super Bowl of horseracing.
A record 184 horses including 26 from overseas were pre-entered in this year’s two-day event that is set to make its seventh visit to Churchill Downs –the home of the Kentucky Derby.
There will be fourteen classic races with five Breeders Cup races on day one and nine on day two, all beginning on Friday November 5.
Only horses that have been pre-entered can be in the final entries. Both Zenyatta, winner of the Classic last year and overall favorite, and Goldikova, winner of the Mile the last two years, are back to defend their titles.
Here we take a peek at the favorite in each race including two of this year’s headline events starting with Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic worth $2 million, and Saturday’s 1 1/4 mile, $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Weather conditions calls for a chance for showers with highs in the 40s on Friday, with the temperature hovering in the 50s on Saturday, numbers that are likely to dip when the Classic goes off under the lights at 6:45 p.m.
Good luck with your handicapping and enjoy what should be a spectacular day of racing at its finest. Note that all post times are Eastern Time.
Friday November 6
Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G3); 1 3/4 miles; 3 Year Olds & Up; $500,000; post time 4:10pm –The early favorite is at 3/1 is Giant Oak. He is a strong finisher, and has proved himself by placing third in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic on a sloppy track at Monmouth. He does show some inconstancy and has not won since May 2009. He is a deep closer and with rain in the forecast, conditions could be favorable.
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Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2); 1 mile (Turf); 2 Year Old Fillies; $1 Million; post time 4:50pm –Winter Memories is the 3/1 early favorite based largely in part to her victory in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont on Oct. 3, and a maiden win at Saratoga on Sept. 3. Daughter of El Prado out of the Grade 1-winning mare Memories of Silver, she is fast on the longer tracks covering a 1 1/8 mile turf course in 1:45.69.
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Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1); 7 furlongs; 3 Year Olds & Up; Fillies & Mares; $1 Million; post time 5:30pm – Rightly So is very fast and should be the early pacesetter at 3/1. Winner of seven of 11 races, including the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga in her last start, she finished in a strong time of 1:22.58 over a fast track, drawing away to an easy four-length victory over Warblin. A soft tracks and sloppy conditions could be her downfall.
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Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1); 1 1/16 miles; 2 Year Old Fillies; $2 Million; post time 6:10pm – A Z Warrior winner of the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) will break from post 8 as the 7-2 morning line favorite. Zayat Stables’ daughter of Bernardini will be ridden by Martin Garcia and face 12 2-year-old fillies that have less experience.
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Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1); 1 3/8 miles (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up Fillies & Mares; $2 Million; post time 6:50pm – At 8/5 European filly Midday will be back to defend her title after winning the 2009 Filly & Mare Turf last year at Santa Anita. She has seven wins in 15 starts including a win at the Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Sept. 12 by 3/4′s of a length.
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Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1); 1 1/8 miles; 3 Year Olds & Up; Fillies & Mares; $2 Million; post time 7:30pm - Listed as the early odds-on-favorite at 3/1, Blind Luck is the has already won five graded stakes races this season. Her most recent victory was in the grade I $500,000 BetFair TVG Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on Aug.21. The daughter of Pollard’s Vision had her last workout at Hollywood Park on Oct. 30, going 5f in 1:00 flat and will gallop up to the Ladies’ Classic.
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Saturday November 7
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2); 1 Mile (Turf); 2 Year Olds; $1 Million; post time 1:50pm - At 4/1, Master of Hounds will be the early favorite. It took four attempts to win his maiden, but was successful when stretching out to 7½ furlongs. He will likely want to go farther than a mile, but his experience and class fits with this group. Like most European horses, he has little experience on a firm surface, so a damp track from Friday’s rains would be favorable.
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Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1); 6 Furlongs; 3 Year Olds & Up; $2 Million; post time 2:30pm – At 7/2 Girolamo drew post 2. In his last start, the son of A.P. Indy drew clear in the Vosburgh Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths Oct. 2 at Belmont Park. He is one-for-one at six furlongs.
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Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2); 5 Furlongs (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up; $1 Million; post time 3:15pm – At 5/1 Silver Timber will be suited by the shorter trip. Only sixth in the Turf Sprint last year, he has had a successful 2010, winning four times on fast ground and could well pick up the pieces if the leaders go too fast.
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Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1); 1 1/16 miles; 2 Year Old Colts & Geldings; $2 Million; post time 3:55pm - Undefeated Grade 1 winner Uncle Mo is the fav at 8/5. Mo just needs to run the same race he ran when winning the Champagne Stakes (G1) by 4 ¾ lengths.
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TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1); 1 mile (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up; $2 Million; post time 4:40pm – Goldikova is 7/5 and will pursue an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile on Saturday. The French version of Zenyatta is a headstrong filly with brute strength and should be in the winner’s circle at the end of this one.
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Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1); 1 Mile; 3 Year Olds & Up; $1 Million; post time 5:20pm – Crown of Thorns, second in four straight Grade 1 races including most recently, the Grade 1 Forego, were the two top horses pre-entered for the $1 million Dirt Mile. He was beaten by a nose in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint. This Dirt Mile will be the first in the event’s brief history actually to be run at one mile on dirt. It will also be the first Dirt Mile run around one turn.
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Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1); 1 1/2 miles (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up; $3 Million; post time 6:00pm – Workforce drew post 6 and has been listed as the 7-5 favorite, but could scratch and go home early due to trainer Michael Stoute’s concern about course conditions. The English-bred 3-year-old son of King’s Best is 3-1-0 from five starts including a win at the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I) and the highly prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I).
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Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1); 1 1/4 miles; 3 Year Olds & Up; $5 Million; post time 6:45pm –The picture of perfection, wining over varying racing surfaces and circuits, and in all-weather, Zenyatta, 5/2, was assigned post position 8 for the final start of her career on Saturday. The 6-year-old California-based mare is undefeated in 19 career starts and was the dramatic winner of the 2009 BC Classic at Santa Anita. Mike Smith will be in the irons to guide this massive filly to what he hopes will be her 20th straight career win. She can make her own race, not needing pace help, and finishes with a flourish like few before her.
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