Breeders Cup Close Up Saturday

[Stevie Belmont]

Breeders’ Cup Marathon

1st year for this race. A decent group of long distance lovers, And the field will have a large majority of California based horses. A feel pace will make this race, as there looks to be a lack of any real front-runner. Booyah will try to take them all the way, but lacks class to beat some of the others. Church Service has preformed well all year and should be ready to fire a top shot off the layoff. Cedar Mountain has run a huge race all 4 times out this year for Drysdale. She looks fit of the layoff, distance looks to be no issue either. Big Booster coming off the layoff will make a late run, but he would need a career best effort possibly. Zappa comes off a layoff after finishing right behind Go Between and Well Armed, good works and no Go Between or Well Armed. Sixties Icon is one of two Euros in the race, the other being Muhannak (Ire). Sixties Icon is the class of the race and looks to be the one to beat. A GI winner in England and has won half his races. He is the top pick here to win. Church Service, Cedar Mountain, Delightful Kiss and Zappa could be used with him.

Top Pick- Sixties Icon

Breeders Cup Turf Sprint

Not a easy race to cap. It’s a big competitive field. True To Tradition ships in for Lake, who almost won the BC sprint with Thunderello. He ran right behind eventual GI winner First Defence. Diabolical is back in the states and looks to back in form, but is still a question. Get Funky is as a consistent horse you will find. Race should have a solid pace and Get Funky. Top pick here is Get Funky and using Diabolical True To Tradition, and Desert Code who rates a chance at a price in pick plays.

Top Pick- Get Funky

Breeders Cup Dirt Mile

Mast Track and Well Armed head the dirt mile and are main threats for top honors. Well Armed ran behind Curlin the Dubai Cup and has been rock solid this year at Santa Anita and sports two fast works. Mast Track is the other threat for Frankel, has run very well all year and both of these two horses will be cutting back. Surf Cat cutting back is another threat for Headley and has been working great. Well Armed is the top pick with Mast Track, Surf Cat and Two Step Salsa as horses to use in other bets.

Top Pick- Well Armed

Breeders Cup Turf Mile

Always a humdinger and is again this year. Kip Deville is back to defend his titles and looks solid, but did not run great in his last. Goldikova comes in as this years Euro sensation and is a mile specialist. Whatsthescript last was a tremendous effort and a repeat of it could make him the winner with his late kick. Precious Kitten the filly is in and will be on the front end in a race that has speed. And one who looks to be real sleeper is Shakis. 4th off a layoff and likes a firm turf looks to be user at a price. Daytona another classy Cali horse will be on the front in undefeated at Santa Anita. Goldikiva comes in as a top rated filly and has defeated colts. Also topped the great Darjina twice. She is the top pick in here to win the mile. Use with Kip Deville, Whatsthescript, Precious Kitten and Daytona. Goldikiva might be one the races to build around with some confidence.

Top Pick- Goldikiva (Ire)

Breeders Cup Juvenile Colts

A evenly matched field of 2 year olds with no real standout this year. Square Eddie comes off a big win over the Poly at Keeneland and a winner at the distance..Street Hero Mine That Bird and Midshipman Will be one of the favorites. Spreading for pick bets will be wise. Coming up with the top horse is not an easy task and taking a short price is not wise. The Euro invader Bushranger (Ire) from, yes you know who, Smith and Tabor will be making his first try this long, but has run very well in GI’s in England, Ireland and France. We think he could rate a real shot at a price on poly. He gets our top pick in a race where you might want to cover more here than other races.

Top Pick- Bushranger (Ire)

Back to back juvenile races might make some pull there hair out, and this is large field with no standout. We will be using the Euros in here and well as Paddy The Pro in pick plays. Westphalia (Ire), Donativum (GB) look like they will run big races. Top American milers are Bittel Road and Skipadate. Skipadate has gotten better in all three races and adds blinkers for the race. Casse has a good one and is player for top prize, and the top pick here with Westphalia (Ire), Donativum (GB) and Paddy The Pro

Top Pick- Skipadate

Breeders Cup Sprint

No doubt the toughest race to cap of the day. Every horse in this race has run a race that could win here. There is a lot of speed and class. Midnight Lute will try to defend, but makes his second start of the year. Plagued by issues is not positive. Working very well, but this is no doubt a tough race for him. Cost Of Freedom has been sensational this year and is speedy. Street Boss has been great as well coming from off the pace. Speed bomb Fabulous Strike makes his poly debut and how he handles it is a question. Black Seventeen ran a huge Vosburgh, now comes back west and will try to do it again. Fatal Bullet breaks from the outside and is as fast as a bullet. Street Boss’s form is great and looks to be the best horses coming late at the end. First Defence ran poorly in the Vosburgh and is expected to bounce back. Top Picks Cost of Freedom and Street Boss in a very competitive race. However if short prices others have to be used such as First Defence, In Summation and Fatal Bullet in a race that could see a tote blow up.

Top Pick- Street Boss in toughest race of the day, demand value

Breeders Cup Turf

Another stellar addition of the BC Turf. Better Talk Now and Red Rocks previous BC Turf winners look to be A Ithreat to win based on their class. Grand Couturier has established himself as the top American based grasser in the country. The best Euro shipping in is Soldier Of Fortune coming off a third place finish to Zarkava in the Arc. 3 year olds Winchester and Conduit will get a tough test facing older, but have ran great this year. Red Rocks is the top pick to win his second BC Turf title off the layoff. And will be sharp. Others to use are Soldier Of Fortune, Better Talk Now, Grand Couturier, and Winchester

Top Pick- Red Rocks

Breeders Cup Classic

The highly anticipated Classic will end the day and it promises to go out with a Bang. Big Brown was supposed to be facing Curlin, but had to be retired was a blow to the race, but in less than week the buzz is back loud and clear. Money King and Super Star Curlin will try to win back-to-back classics and continue to grow his rightful history. He is the class and the horse to beat. Curlin Vs, the world is the selling tag, but it should read like this Curlin Vs Ireland. Curlin looks to have the rest of the American horses running for a peace at best. The biggest threat to Curlin is Duke of Marmalade and the main threat to beat him. Duke of Maramalade is a 5 time GI winner this year and that’s one more then Curlin. Henry The Navigator the other part of Team Tabors duo is another class horse, who has never been the distance, but has class. Ravens Pass another Euro invader has battled with Henry The Navigator all year has never been the distance, but is dangerous horse. The Americans seem to be behind all three of them in the class department Colonel John a confirmed poly lover will get some support, but we don’t think is good enough. Fairbanks will set the pace. Go Between looks to be the best American horse in the race and has been solid, but now faces the best hes seen. Casino Drive the undefeated hype horse of the race will be making his 4th career start in the Classic and gives a way a tremendous amount of seasoning. Assmussen is high on Student Council, but still wonder if he is fast enough. ThoroughbredZones top pick to win the Breeders’ Cup classic is….Curlin. Curlin is still the horse has is to beat, the Pro Ride is a question, but he looks like he will be okay on it and beating him will not be easy. He is game and 6 of 7 at a mile and a quarter. And always digs in like a true champion. He will be tough. Others to use Duke of Marmalade, Henrythenavigator , Ravens Pass and Tiago is a good underneath horse to use

Top Pick- Curlin