(Due to the fact that it is only November and I am still compiling my 2011 three-year-olds-to-watch list, I have decided to make this week's "Top Twenty" a "Top Ten" instead. Enjoy!)
1. To Honor and Serve - Trained by William Mott
His Remsen score was excellent and he appears to have unlimited talent. Time will tell just how good he is, but he may be the colt to give Mott his first Kentucky Derby victory.
2. Uncle Mo - Trained by Todd Pletcher
The undefeated Uncle Mo will most likely be voted champion two-year-old male in January off of his decisive victories in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I). However, his pedigree does worry me just a bit.
3. Santiva - Trained by Eddie Kennealy
I really liked the way this colt fought on in between horses to win the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II). A win over the Churchill Downs main track is always useful, and he seems to have a lot of untapped potential.
4. Comma to the Top - Trained by Peter Miller
The son of Bwana Charlie has won four straight races, topped by the grade III Generous Stakes last Saturday. He has made nine starts this year, but is not done yet--a start in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) remains. The sky is the limit with this promising juvenile.
5. Brethren - Trained by Todd Pletcher
A half-brother to the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Brethren is undefeated in two starts, the most recent being an allowance race last Saturday, where he circled the field five wide to score convincingly. I would imagine that a debut in stakes company will be next.
6. Mucho Macho Man - Trained by Katherine Ritvo
Mucho Macho Man just seems to be getting better and better. He has twice in a row finished second to To Honor and Serve, in both the Nashua and the Remsen, and should be a force next year.
7. Boys at Tosconova - Trained by Rick Dutrow
Obviously very talented, Boys at Tosconova won the Hopeful Stakes earlier this year and finished a distant second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Both performances shout ability, but his pedigree may catch up to him next year.
8. Jaycito - Trained by Bob Baffert
The winner of the Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) was extremely disappointing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, his pedigree warrants giving him a second chance. He seems to have a great deal of stamina and should be a force next year, especially if he can prove himself on a dirt surface.
9. Rogue Romance - Trained by Kenneth McPeek
Winner of the Bourbon Stakes (gr. III) on turf, the son of Smarty Jones ran huge in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile to finish third and is one of the more exciting two-year-olds of 2010. I'm greatly anticipating his next start, for he seems to have a little something extra that a lot of colts don't have.
10. Stay Thirsty - Trained by Todd Pletcher
Stay Thirsty finished a game second in the Hopeful to Boys at Tosconova, but could only manage a fifth place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. However, his pedigree says that he will get better with distance and he should be a very nice three-year-old.
-Keelerman
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
TRIPLE CROWN COUNTDOWN ---- November 26th, 2010
Welcome back to Triple Crown Countdown! With the Breeders' Cup concluded and several great two-year-old races being run this weekend, I decided that now is as good a time as any to start thinking about the 2011 Triple Crown.
The heavy favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby at the moment is Uncle Mo, impressive winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. However, my pick for the Derby is currently To Honor and Serve. A son of Bernardini, the colt is running in the grade II Remsen Stakes on Saturday, which happens to be this week's Feature Race.
FEATURE RACE ---- Remsen Stakes (gr. II)
1 1/8 Miles at Aqueduct
The Remsen Stakes, a important early prep race for the 2011 Triple Crown series, has drawn a solid field of seven, led by the above-mentioned To Honor and Serve. The colt has won two of his three starts, breaking his maiden second time out at Belmont Park by almost nine lengths before easily winning the grade II Nashua Stakes by 4 lengths. Trained by Bill Mott, he has drawn gate five and will be ridden by John Velazquez. He will carry top weight of 120 pounds.
Bandbox, undefeated in three starts, has an excellent chance as well. Although he has never raced beyond seven furlongs, he has shown to be a very versatile colt and should be able to handle any pace scenario. Trained by Rodney Jenkins, Bandbox won the Charles Town Juvenile Stakes by nearly ten lengths before Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Belmont Park by a length and a quarter. He will carry 118 pounds and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez.
Buffum, the 2-1 morning line second choice, looks like a colt with a lot of potential. The son of Bernardini has only raced once, desperately hanging on to win a one mile maiden special weight by a nose. The final time was a decent 1:36 4/5, and he has every chance to improve off of it here. I would not be surprised at all if he is a factor in the stretch.
He is trained by Thomas Albertraini, and will be ridden by David Cohen. He will carry 116 pounds.
Mountain Town, 6-1 on the morning line, has a big chance as well. The son of Cape Town overcome a tough trip to win a 5-1/2 furlong claiming race by a head, coming from ten lengths back. This impressive performance was enough to warrant a start in the grade I Champagne Stakes. Although he was no match for Uncle Mo, finishing five lengths behind the likely juvenile champion, he did finish second, ten lengths clear of the third place finisher. If he runs that well tomorrow, he is capable of winning this race. Trained by Rick Dutrow, he will be ridden by C. Velasquez and will carry 116 pounds.
This brings us to Mucho Macho Man, a son of Macho Uno. From four starts, he has recorded a win, two seconds, and a third. He began his career by finishing second to Gourmet Dinner in a maiden special weight race. Gourmet Dinner won the $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot last week.
Mucho Macho Man then ran third to Curlinello in another maiden special weight. Curlinello has finished second in two stakes races since then. He then broke through with a victory over Bellamy's Boss in a maiden special weight. Stepped up into stakes company, he finished second to To Honor and Serve in the Nashua Stakes. He is trained by Katherine Ritvo and will be ridden by Eibar Coa. He will carry 116 pounds.
Pants On Fire and Economic Summit have scratched.
This race should have a large impact on the Triple Crown Trail next year, and I'm very excited about the potential these juveniles have shown.
My picks are. . .
1 To Honor and Serve
2 Mountain Town
3 Bandbox
4 Mucho Macho Man
5 Buffum
Who do you like?
OTHER RACES OF NOTE
Another race which will likely have a major impact on the 2011 Triple Crown Trail is the grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. Super Saver, this year's Kentucky Derby winner, proved best in the 2009 Kentucky Jockey Club. Therefore, I will be paying close attention to the winner of this race, which has drawn a field of seven.
The 6-5 morning line favorite is Astrology. A son of A. P. Indy, he began his career by finishing third in a maiden special weight. He broke through with a win in a maiden special weight over To Honor and Serve, which definitely bodes well for his chances today. A third place finish in the Garden State Stakes to Sweet Ducky and Curlinello was followed up by a dominant win in the Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) over the Churchill Downs main track. The fact that he has a victory over this track makes him the deserving favorite here.
The second choice here is Santiva. He has yet to break his maiden, but he did finish second in the grade I Dixiana Breeders' Futurity. He has a very strong late run and should be charging in the stretch.
Major Gain, winner of the grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity, is the 4-1 co-third choice. However, he could only manage a fifth-place finish in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity and has never run on dirt.
Cane Garden Bay turned in a brilliant performance in the maiden special weight, winning the seven furlong event by a length and a quarter in a sharp 1:22 1/5. He has run well on both dirt and synthetic and his late kick appears to be very potent.
It is difficult to pick from this fine group of horses, but here are my selections. . .
1 Cane Garden Bay
2 Astrology
3 Santiva
4 Major Gain
5 Halo's Thunder
6 Prideofthechapter
7 Enable
One race prior to the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is a one mile allowance race for two year olds. Brethren, a Todd Pletcher-trained son of Distorted Humor is a half-brother to Super Saver, and won a maiden special weight by a half-length, scorching six furlongs in 1:08 4/5. If he runs that well tomorrow, he is definitely a colt to watch next year.
For two-year-old fillies, there is the Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) and the Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II). Both have drawn good fields, with Kathmanblu the morning line favorite in the Golden Rod and Believe in A. P. the favorite in the Demoiselle. Both ran well in the Breeders' Cup, with Kathmanblu finishing third in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Believe in A. P. finishing fourth in the Juvenile Fillies. Both appear to have excellent chances at winning their respective races and although I won't make any official selections, I will be watching both races.
On Monday, I will post my first official "Keelerman's Top Twenty" of 2011, a list of my top twenty picks for the 2011 classics. Be sure to check back for it!
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
The heavy favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby at the moment is Uncle Mo, impressive winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. However, my pick for the Derby is currently To Honor and Serve. A son of Bernardini, the colt is running in the grade II Remsen Stakes on Saturday, which happens to be this week's Feature Race.
FEATURE RACE ---- Remsen Stakes (gr. II)
1 1/8 Miles at Aqueduct
The Remsen Stakes, a important early prep race for the 2011 Triple Crown series, has drawn a solid field of seven, led by the above-mentioned To Honor and Serve. The colt has won two of his three starts, breaking his maiden second time out at Belmont Park by almost nine lengths before easily winning the grade II Nashua Stakes by 4 lengths. Trained by Bill Mott, he has drawn gate five and will be ridden by John Velazquez. He will carry top weight of 120 pounds.
Bandbox, undefeated in three starts, has an excellent chance as well. Although he has never raced beyond seven furlongs, he has shown to be a very versatile colt and should be able to handle any pace scenario. Trained by Rodney Jenkins, Bandbox won the Charles Town Juvenile Stakes by nearly ten lengths before Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Belmont Park by a length and a quarter. He will carry 118 pounds and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez.
Buffum, the 2-1 morning line second choice, looks like a colt with a lot of potential. The son of Bernardini has only raced once, desperately hanging on to win a one mile maiden special weight by a nose. The final time was a decent 1:36 4/5, and he has every chance to improve off of it here. I would not be surprised at all if he is a factor in the stretch.
He is trained by Thomas Albertraini, and will be ridden by David Cohen. He will carry 116 pounds.
Mountain Town, 6-1 on the morning line, has a big chance as well. The son of Cape Town overcome a tough trip to win a 5-1/2 furlong claiming race by a head, coming from ten lengths back. This impressive performance was enough to warrant a start in the grade I Champagne Stakes. Although he was no match for Uncle Mo, finishing five lengths behind the likely juvenile champion, he did finish second, ten lengths clear of the third place finisher. If he runs that well tomorrow, he is capable of winning this race. Trained by Rick Dutrow, he will be ridden by C. Velasquez and will carry 116 pounds.
This brings us to Mucho Macho Man, a son of Macho Uno. From four starts, he has recorded a win, two seconds, and a third. He began his career by finishing second to Gourmet Dinner in a maiden special weight race. Gourmet Dinner won the $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot last week.
Mucho Macho Man then ran third to Curlinello in another maiden special weight. Curlinello has finished second in two stakes races since then. He then broke through with a victory over Bellamy's Boss in a maiden special weight. Stepped up into stakes company, he finished second to To Honor and Serve in the Nashua Stakes. He is trained by Katherine Ritvo and will be ridden by Eibar Coa. He will carry 116 pounds.
Pants On Fire and Economic Summit have scratched.
This race should have a large impact on the Triple Crown Trail next year, and I'm very excited about the potential these juveniles have shown.
My picks are. . .
1 To Honor and Serve
2 Mountain Town
3 Bandbox
4 Mucho Macho Man
5 Buffum
Who do you like?
OTHER RACES OF NOTE
Another race which will likely have a major impact on the 2011 Triple Crown Trail is the grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. Super Saver, this year's Kentucky Derby winner, proved best in the 2009 Kentucky Jockey Club. Therefore, I will be paying close attention to the winner of this race, which has drawn a field of seven.
The 6-5 morning line favorite is Astrology. A son of A. P. Indy, he began his career by finishing third in a maiden special weight. He broke through with a win in a maiden special weight over To Honor and Serve, which definitely bodes well for his chances today. A third place finish in the Garden State Stakes to Sweet Ducky and Curlinello was followed up by a dominant win in the Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) over the Churchill Downs main track. The fact that he has a victory over this track makes him the deserving favorite here.
The second choice here is Santiva. He has yet to break his maiden, but he did finish second in the grade I Dixiana Breeders' Futurity. He has a very strong late run and should be charging in the stretch.
Major Gain, winner of the grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity, is the 4-1 co-third choice. However, he could only manage a fifth-place finish in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity and has never run on dirt.
Cane Garden Bay turned in a brilliant performance in the maiden special weight, winning the seven furlong event by a length and a quarter in a sharp 1:22 1/5. He has run well on both dirt and synthetic and his late kick appears to be very potent.
It is difficult to pick from this fine group of horses, but here are my selections. . .
1 Cane Garden Bay
2 Astrology
3 Santiva
4 Major Gain
5 Halo's Thunder
6 Prideofthechapter
7 Enable
One race prior to the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is a one mile allowance race for two year olds. Brethren, a Todd Pletcher-trained son of Distorted Humor is a half-brother to Super Saver, and won a maiden special weight by a half-length, scorching six furlongs in 1:08 4/5. If he runs that well tomorrow, he is definitely a colt to watch next year.
For two-year-old fillies, there is the Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) and the Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II). Both have drawn good fields, with Kathmanblu the morning line favorite in the Golden Rod and Believe in A. P. the favorite in the Demoiselle. Both ran well in the Breeders' Cup, with Kathmanblu finishing third in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Believe in A. P. finishing fourth in the Juvenile Fillies. Both appear to have excellent chances at winning their respective races and although I won't make any official selections, I will be watching both races.
On Monday, I will post my first official "Keelerman's Top Twenty" of 2011, a list of my top twenty picks for the 2011 classics. Be sure to check back for it!
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Greatness
What is greatness?
Greatness is a relative measurement; defined by one’s own opinion and views. Is a horse’s greatness defined by what they accomplish on the racetrack, what they accomplish off the racetrack, the competition they face, or the races in which they run?
Greatness can be any one of these and more.
Secretariat was a great horse. He won the Triple Crown and set records that still stand. By winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 magnificent lengths, he took the meaning of greatness to a whole new level. Along the way, he made memories for all who saw him and proved himself to be just as good--if not better--on the grass than he was on the dirt. He was perhaps the closest thing to the fictional Black Stallion as any horse could ever be.
Rachel Alexandra is a great horse. She was the epitome of brilliance; and she will likely remain the only filly to win the Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward. She won the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose by twenty marvelous lengths each, the Mother Goose in a faster time and by more lengths than Ruffian, and the ease at which many of her victories were accomplished left all of her fans breathless.
Zenyatta is a great horse. Unlike the prior two runners, she is not famous for winning races by double-digit lengths; nor is she famous for breaking track records. She is famous for her patented late run, which has failed her only once despite the incredibly slow early fractions in many of her races. Her personality is endearing, her charisma undeniable, and her apparent ability to time her late run leaves one gasping in astonishment. And her pre-race dancing is equally show-stopping.
What about Silky Sullivan? Although no longer a household name, I’m positive that no other horse has ever existed who could come from forty-one lengths behind. . . in a sprint race. . . and still win. This incredible talent alone makes Silky Sullivan a great horse.
The exact opposite of Silky Sullivan is Presious Passion. The old gelding has many memorable performances on his resume, but perhaps the one that will be remembered most is his run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year, where he went out ten lengths in front of a quality field, rattling off fractions of :23 flat, :45 flat, 1:09 1/5, 1:34 2/5, and 1:59 3/5. The field caught him just after a mile and a quarter, and a lesser horse would have folded from the intense pace that he had set. Presious Passion? Why, the running had just begun! Closing his final quarter in :24 seconds, Presious Passion allowed only one horse to pass him, Conduit, the defending winner of the race. To run the first half-mile of a twelve-furlong race in :45 seconds and end up beaten only a half-length is true greatness.
Likewise, Danzig was a great horse. He was undefeated, yes, although he ran only three times, and never in a stakes race. He amassed a grand total of $32,400 in earnings. It is what he did as a sire that etched his name among horse racing’s immortals. He has given us many thrills in the form of Dance Smartly, Chief’s Crown, Danehill, Pine Bluff, Danzig Connection, and Hard Spun. Would racing be the same if Danzig had never been born? Absolutely not.
Equally great are mares like No Class. As a racehorse, No Class lived up to her name. She won 3 races from 29 starts, amassing a meager $37,543 in earnings. But when she became a broodmare, her name could have easily been All Class. She produced eight foals, of which seven made it to the races. All seven became winners. Six of them became stakes winners. Her 1981 foal, Classy ‘n Smart, went on to become the dam of Smart Strike. Without No Class, horses like Curlin, Lookin at Lucky, and English Channel would never have been born.
Even the claimers are great. Horses like Defender, Unstoppable Force, Bucky Came Home, and Challenged have never won a race, but they serve a very important purpose; without them, little claiming races wouldn’t fill. Race tracks would be unable to card enough races, and therefore would be unable to run big races like the Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hollywood Gold Cup and Vanity. The claimers, if you think about it, are crucial to horse racing.
Greatness is relative, limited only by one’s imagination. To me, all horses are great. What do you think?
--Keelerman
Greatness is a relative measurement; defined by one’s own opinion and views. Is a horse’s greatness defined by what they accomplish on the racetrack, what they accomplish off the racetrack, the competition they face, or the races in which they run?
Greatness can be any one of these and more.
Secretariat was a great horse. He won the Triple Crown and set records that still stand. By winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 magnificent lengths, he took the meaning of greatness to a whole new level. Along the way, he made memories for all who saw him and proved himself to be just as good--if not better--on the grass than he was on the dirt. He was perhaps the closest thing to the fictional Black Stallion as any horse could ever be.
Rachel Alexandra is a great horse. She was the epitome of brilliance; and she will likely remain the only filly to win the Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward. She won the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose by twenty marvelous lengths each, the Mother Goose in a faster time and by more lengths than Ruffian, and the ease at which many of her victories were accomplished left all of her fans breathless.
Zenyatta is a great horse. Unlike the prior two runners, she is not famous for winning races by double-digit lengths; nor is she famous for breaking track records. She is famous for her patented late run, which has failed her only once despite the incredibly slow early fractions in many of her races. Her personality is endearing, her charisma undeniable, and her apparent ability to time her late run leaves one gasping in astonishment. And her pre-race dancing is equally show-stopping.
What about Silky Sullivan? Although no longer a household name, I’m positive that no other horse has ever existed who could come from forty-one lengths behind. . . in a sprint race. . . and still win. This incredible talent alone makes Silky Sullivan a great horse.
The exact opposite of Silky Sullivan is Presious Passion. The old gelding has many memorable performances on his resume, but perhaps the one that will be remembered most is his run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year, where he went out ten lengths in front of a quality field, rattling off fractions of :23 flat, :45 flat, 1:09 1/5, 1:34 2/5, and 1:59 3/5. The field caught him just after a mile and a quarter, and a lesser horse would have folded from the intense pace that he had set. Presious Passion? Why, the running had just begun! Closing his final quarter in :24 seconds, Presious Passion allowed only one horse to pass him, Conduit, the defending winner of the race. To run the first half-mile of a twelve-furlong race in :45 seconds and end up beaten only a half-length is true greatness.
Likewise, Danzig was a great horse. He was undefeated, yes, although he ran only three times, and never in a stakes race. He amassed a grand total of $32,400 in earnings. It is what he did as a sire that etched his name among horse racing’s immortals. He has given us many thrills in the form of Dance Smartly, Chief’s Crown, Danehill, Pine Bluff, Danzig Connection, and Hard Spun. Would racing be the same if Danzig had never been born? Absolutely not.
Equally great are mares like No Class. As a racehorse, No Class lived up to her name. She won 3 races from 29 starts, amassing a meager $37,543 in earnings. But when she became a broodmare, her name could have easily been All Class. She produced eight foals, of which seven made it to the races. All seven became winners. Six of them became stakes winners. Her 1981 foal, Classy ‘n Smart, went on to become the dam of Smart Strike. Without No Class, horses like Curlin, Lookin at Lucky, and English Channel would never have been born.
Even the claimers are great. Horses like Defender, Unstoppable Force, Bucky Came Home, and Challenged have never won a race, but they serve a very important purpose; without them, little claiming races wouldn’t fill. Race tracks would be unable to card enough races, and therefore would be unable to run big races like the Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hollywood Gold Cup and Vanity. The claimers, if you think about it, are crucial to horse racing.
Greatness is relative, limited only by one’s imagination. To me, all horses are great. What do you think?
--Keelerman
Saturday, November 13, 2010
UNUSUAL SUSPECT WINS THE HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP!
Unusual Suspect wore down Temple City in the final stride to secure his first grade I win in the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes.
Sitting third early under Corey Nakatani, Unusual Suspect recieved a perfect ride to reach contention as the field turned for home, just getting up to catch front-running Temple City to win by a head.
Temple City went to the lead from the start and set fairly slow fractions. He was tracked by Marlang and Unusual Suspect. Longshot Big Shot Syd was racing in third. The two favorites, Where's the Remote and Treat Gently, were right together sixth and seventh with Buenos Dias sitting last.
Where's the Remote dropped back around the far turn and finished last. Treat Gently made a good run entering the stretch but flattened out. In the end, it was Buenos Dias who rallied for third. Treat Gently held on for fourth.
The final time was 2:25 4/5.
-Keelerman
Sitting third early under Corey Nakatani, Unusual Suspect recieved a perfect ride to reach contention as the field turned for home, just getting up to catch front-running Temple City to win by a head.
Temple City went to the lead from the start and set fairly slow fractions. He was tracked by Marlang and Unusual Suspect. Longshot Big Shot Syd was racing in third. The two favorites, Where's the Remote and Treat Gently, were right together sixth and seventh with Buenos Dias sitting last.
Where's the Remote dropped back around the far turn and finished last. Treat Gently made a good run entering the stretch but flattened out. In the end, it was Buenos Dias who rallied for third. Treat Gently held on for fourth.
The final time was 2:25 4/5.
-Keelerman
THOUGHTS ON THE HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP
It is currently eleven minutes to post time for the grade I Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes, a mile and a half turf race for three year olds and up. Although none of the eight runners have won a grade I race, I find it a truly fascinating field of runners.
The current favorite is Where's the Remote, who finished second to Champ Pegasus in the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes just over a month ago. Champ Pegasus came back to run second in the Breeders' Cup Turf, which is definitely a good sign for Where's the Remote.
Treat Gently, the second choice, is perhaps the most interesting runner of the group. A five year old mare, she ran fourth in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes last month and been a fairly consistent performer.
Unusual Suspect, a six year old male, is also running. One of my favorite horses, he has made fifty-four starts and comes into this race off of a runner-up finish in the California Cup Classic Stakes.
Temple City, currently 8-1, won the Cougar II Handicap on the Del Mar main track earlier this year. Marlang has proven to be a very nice horse and will likely attempt to go wire-to-wire. Longshots Buenos Dias, Worth Repeating, and Big Shot Syd complete the field.
My picks. . .
1 Where's the Remote
2 Treat Gently
3 Unusual Suspect
4 Buenos Dias
5 Marlang
6 Worth Repeating
7 Temple City
8 Big Shot Syd
-Keelerman
The current favorite is Where's the Remote, who finished second to Champ Pegasus in the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes just over a month ago. Champ Pegasus came back to run second in the Breeders' Cup Turf, which is definitely a good sign for Where's the Remote.
Treat Gently, the second choice, is perhaps the most interesting runner of the group. A five year old mare, she ran fourth in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes last month and been a fairly consistent performer.
Unusual Suspect, a six year old male, is also running. One of my favorite horses, he has made fifty-four starts and comes into this race off of a runner-up finish in the California Cup Classic Stakes.
Temple City, currently 8-1, won the Cougar II Handicap on the Del Mar main track earlier this year. Marlang has proven to be a very nice horse and will likely attempt to go wire-to-wire. Longshots Buenos Dias, Worth Repeating, and Big Shot Syd complete the field.
My picks. . .
1 Where's the Remote
2 Treat Gently
3 Unusual Suspect
4 Buenos Dias
5 Marlang
6 Worth Repeating
7 Temple City
8 Big Shot Syd
-Keelerman
Thursday, November 11, 2010
THANK YOU, ZENYATTA
When I first sat down to write this post, I wasn’t sure what to say. At first, I was going to write a recap of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But what could I say that hasn’t already been said?
I thought about writing out a list of the records that Zenyatta has set over the course of her long career. Most money earned by a female race horse in North America, most consecutive wins, most wins in the Vanity Handicap, most wins in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, most wins in the Lady's Secret Stakes, first filly or mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, etc., etc.
But let's be honest. Zenyatta is more than numbers and records. Much, much more.
She is unforgettable memories.
I remember when I first heard about Zenyatta. It was right after she won the Apple Blossom Handicap in 2008. I thought to myself, "Hmm, an undefeated filly. She'll be a fun horse to follow. She certainly has an unusual name. I hope I don't forget it. . ."
I didn't.
I remember when she won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. I was cheering hard for her that day, and watching the replay later I remember thinking that she was one of the most amazing horses I had ever seen. There were some very nice horses behind her that day, including Ginger Punch, Cocoa Beach, and Music Note, but she just blew past them under a hand ride as if they were nothing. One must watch the race to believe it, for words do not do it justice.
I remember the 2008 Eclipse awards. Curlin was my favorite horse at the time, and I was desperately hoping that he had done enough to win his second consecutive Horse of the Year honor. I wasn't sure how winning the Dubai World Cup and losing the Breeders' Cup Classic would hold up against Zenyatta's undefeated season, but let's just say that I was more than happy when Curlin took home the award yet again.
That was the last (and only) time I would root against Zenyatta.
I remember the 2009 Vanity Handicap, where Zenyatta toted a remarkable 129 pounds to an easy victory. That same day, Rachel Alexandra won the Mother Goose Stakes by twenty lengths. Being a huge fan of both horses, it was a very exciting day. That was when I started comparing Zenyatta to Ruffian.
I remember the 2009 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, where Zenyatta's tremendous strides just got her up in time to win by a head on a track that she didn't care for. This was when I realized that Zenyatta was something more than just a great racehorse. She closed her last five sixteenths in about :28 2/5 seconds, which is simply amazing. But words once again don't do justice.
I remember the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic. Although I picked her to win, I had no idea as to if she could actually defeat the best males in the country. It would be the hardest task she had ever undertaken. Still, I just reminded myself that she still had a gear or two that she had never used before.
I remember when she turned for home on November 7th at Santa Anita Park, in what was to be her final career start. When Mike Smith guided her in between horses and steered her to the outside of Twice Over, I thought it was all over. No ordinary horse could have caught the leaders at that point.
But Zenyatta is no ordinary horse. She found another gear in the stretch and blew right past Gio Ponti to win by a neck. At the time, I had no idea who she had beaten. I thought for a moment that it was Einstein who had gamely finished second. But it didn't really matter to me, for the mare I had enjoyed for a year and a half had achieved the next-to-impossible. It remains the greatest race I have ever watched.
Zenyatta was retired after that. I remember feeling disappointed; as one always does when their favorite horse retires. I wondered what might have happened if Zenyatta had stayed in training one more year. Perhaps she could have broken Citation and Cigar's famous sixteen-win streak in unrestricted races. We would never know.
Or would we?
In early January 2010, the announcement came that Zenyatta would remain in training for one more year, to attempt a repeat victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. I was elated. She was back for one more year.
I remember when she fought her way through traffic to win the Santa Margarita Handicap under 127 pounds. It was her first start in four months, and to do what she did in her first start back was incredible. The fact that it came on my birthday made it even more special.
I remember her hard-fought third-consecutive victory in the Vanity Handicap. Going into the race I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to spot St. Trinians 9 pounds, for St. Trinians is a very good racehorse. For a brief moment my heart stopped, as it appeared that St. Trinians was going to hold off Zenyatta, but the great big mare shifted gears and got up in the final yards for a half-length victory. I was ecstatic.
Almost lost in all of the excitement was the fact that she had broken Citation and Cigar's win streak. It took sixty-one years for it to fall, a time period that saw horses like Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Kelso, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, and others stake their claims as the greatest horses to have ever run. However, none of them could break the record. It took a horse like Zenyatta to do it.
It may take another sixty-one years before her record falls.
I remember when she won the Ladies' Secret Stakes for the third straight year just six weeks ago. It looked as though she couldn't possibly catch Switch, but she somehow managed to do so inside the final few yards. By winning her nineteenth consecutive race, she tied the modern-day North American record for most victories held by Pepper's Pride. However, Pepper's Pride's streak had been achieved while running in state-restricted races. Therefore, in unrestricted races, Zenyatta's record stands alone.
I remember her loss in the Breeders’ Cup Classic just a few days ago. Despite dropping nearly twenty lengths off the pace on the first turn, Zenyatta did what she always does, overcoming adversity to rally from impossibly far back in the stretch. Unfortunately, for the first time in her career, the finish line came before her colossal strides could carry her the final inches to victory.
I remember the feeling of disappointment immediately following her defeat, a feeling that disappeared when I realized what she had accomplished in defeat. Very few horses could have done what she did, and under the circumstances, I have my doubts that even Secretariat could have come that close.
But most of all I will remember her. Her dancing prior to a race, her charisma, her unbelievable ability, her personality. I will never forget the image of her turning for home under Mike Smith and flying to one victory after another. She created countless records over the course of her career, yes, but more importantly, she created countless memories.
Years from now, I will look back and fondly remember these last three summers, when the great big mare took a hold of horse racing and made it her own, dominating the sport like no other horse before her.
Many of her records stand alone. But numbers on a chart don't do justice to what she means to her vast legion of fans. She is something else entirely; something that cannot be expressed with numbers, charts, or words.
Perhaps someday her name will make it into dictionaries. If so, I know how I would define it.
ZENYATTA (adj) Cannot be described; beyond description.
Thanks for all of the memories, Zenyatta. You've made horse racing that much more special to me.
-Keelerman
I thought about writing out a list of the records that Zenyatta has set over the course of her long career. Most money earned by a female race horse in North America, most consecutive wins, most wins in the Vanity Handicap, most wins in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, most wins in the Lady's Secret Stakes, first filly or mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, etc., etc.
But let's be honest. Zenyatta is more than numbers and records. Much, much more.
She is unforgettable memories.
I remember when I first heard about Zenyatta. It was right after she won the Apple Blossom Handicap in 2008. I thought to myself, "Hmm, an undefeated filly. She'll be a fun horse to follow. She certainly has an unusual name. I hope I don't forget it. . ."
I didn't.
I remember when she won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. I was cheering hard for her that day, and watching the replay later I remember thinking that she was one of the most amazing horses I had ever seen. There were some very nice horses behind her that day, including Ginger Punch, Cocoa Beach, and Music Note, but she just blew past them under a hand ride as if they were nothing. One must watch the race to believe it, for words do not do it justice.
I remember the 2008 Eclipse awards. Curlin was my favorite horse at the time, and I was desperately hoping that he had done enough to win his second consecutive Horse of the Year honor. I wasn't sure how winning the Dubai World Cup and losing the Breeders' Cup Classic would hold up against Zenyatta's undefeated season, but let's just say that I was more than happy when Curlin took home the award yet again.
That was the last (and only) time I would root against Zenyatta.
I remember the 2009 Vanity Handicap, where Zenyatta toted a remarkable 129 pounds to an easy victory. That same day, Rachel Alexandra won the Mother Goose Stakes by twenty lengths. Being a huge fan of both horses, it was a very exciting day. That was when I started comparing Zenyatta to Ruffian.
I remember the 2009 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, where Zenyatta's tremendous strides just got her up in time to win by a head on a track that she didn't care for. This was when I realized that Zenyatta was something more than just a great racehorse. She closed her last five sixteenths in about :28 2/5 seconds, which is simply amazing. But words once again don't do justice.
I remember the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic. Although I picked her to win, I had no idea as to if she could actually defeat the best males in the country. It would be the hardest task she had ever undertaken. Still, I just reminded myself that she still had a gear or two that she had never used before.
I remember when she turned for home on November 7th at Santa Anita Park, in what was to be her final career start. When Mike Smith guided her in between horses and steered her to the outside of Twice Over, I thought it was all over. No ordinary horse could have caught the leaders at that point.
But Zenyatta is no ordinary horse. She found another gear in the stretch and blew right past Gio Ponti to win by a neck. At the time, I had no idea who she had beaten. I thought for a moment that it was Einstein who had gamely finished second. But it didn't really matter to me, for the mare I had enjoyed for a year and a half had achieved the next-to-impossible. It remains the greatest race I have ever watched.
Zenyatta was retired after that. I remember feeling disappointed; as one always does when their favorite horse retires. I wondered what might have happened if Zenyatta had stayed in training one more year. Perhaps she could have broken Citation and Cigar's famous sixteen-win streak in unrestricted races. We would never know.
Or would we?
In early January 2010, the announcement came that Zenyatta would remain in training for one more year, to attempt a repeat victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. I was elated. She was back for one more year.
I remember when she fought her way through traffic to win the Santa Margarita Handicap under 127 pounds. It was her first start in four months, and to do what she did in her first start back was incredible. The fact that it came on my birthday made it even more special.
I remember her hard-fought third-consecutive victory in the Vanity Handicap. Going into the race I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to spot St. Trinians 9 pounds, for St. Trinians is a very good racehorse. For a brief moment my heart stopped, as it appeared that St. Trinians was going to hold off Zenyatta, but the great big mare shifted gears and got up in the final yards for a half-length victory. I was ecstatic.
Almost lost in all of the excitement was the fact that she had broken Citation and Cigar's win streak. It took sixty-one years for it to fall, a time period that saw horses like Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Kelso, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, and others stake their claims as the greatest horses to have ever run. However, none of them could break the record. It took a horse like Zenyatta to do it.
It may take another sixty-one years before her record falls.
I remember when she won the Ladies' Secret Stakes for the third straight year just six weeks ago. It looked as though she couldn't possibly catch Switch, but she somehow managed to do so inside the final few yards. By winning her nineteenth consecutive race, she tied the modern-day North American record for most victories held by Pepper's Pride. However, Pepper's Pride's streak had been achieved while running in state-restricted races. Therefore, in unrestricted races, Zenyatta's record stands alone.
I remember her loss in the Breeders’ Cup Classic just a few days ago. Despite dropping nearly twenty lengths off the pace on the first turn, Zenyatta did what she always does, overcoming adversity to rally from impossibly far back in the stretch. Unfortunately, for the first time in her career, the finish line came before her colossal strides could carry her the final inches to victory.
I remember the feeling of disappointment immediately following her defeat, a feeling that disappeared when I realized what she had accomplished in defeat. Very few horses could have done what she did, and under the circumstances, I have my doubts that even Secretariat could have come that close.
But most of all I will remember her. Her dancing prior to a race, her charisma, her unbelievable ability, her personality. I will never forget the image of her turning for home under Mike Smith and flying to one victory after another. She created countless records over the course of her career, yes, but more importantly, she created countless memories.
Years from now, I will look back and fondly remember these last three summers, when the great big mare took a hold of horse racing and made it her own, dominating the sport like no other horse before her.
Many of her records stand alone. But numbers on a chart don't do justice to what she means to her vast legion of fans. She is something else entirely; something that cannot be expressed with numbers, charts, or words.
Perhaps someday her name will make it into dictionaries. If so, I know how I would define it.
ZENYATTA (adj) Cannot be described; beyond description.
Thanks for all of the memories, Zenyatta. You've made horse racing that much more special to me.
-Keelerman
Saturday, November 06, 2010
BLAME WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC!
Blame pulled off a stunning upset in the Breeders' Cup Classic, holding off the previously undefeated Zenyatta to win by a short head.
Blame sat far off of the early pace set by Espoir City and Quality Road. He made a strong run in between horses to take the lead in the stretch and found just enough to hold off Zenyatta in the final strides.
Zenyatta dropped farther off of the pace than usual, sitting about twenty lengths from the front in the early going. Mike Smith started asking her for some run on the backstretch, and the six year old mare responded as the field turned into the homestretch. Steered to the outside by Smith, Zenyatta closed relentlessly in the final furlong but just could not get to the winner, although she passed him a couple strides after the wire.
Fly Down finished third, followed by Lookin at Lucky. Quality Road faded as the field turned for home.
The final time was 2:02 2/5.
-Keelerman
Blame sat far off of the early pace set by Espoir City and Quality Road. He made a strong run in between horses to take the lead in the stretch and found just enough to hold off Zenyatta in the final strides.
Zenyatta dropped farther off of the pace than usual, sitting about twenty lengths from the front in the early going. Mike Smith started asking her for some run on the backstretch, and the six year old mare responded as the field turned into the homestretch. Steered to the outside by Smith, Zenyatta closed relentlessly in the final furlong but just could not get to the winner, although she passed him a couple strides after the wire.
Fly Down finished third, followed by Lookin at Lucky. Quality Road faded as the field turned for home.
The final time was 2:02 2/5.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #8
5:10;
Well, Dangerous Midge proved to be the best in the Breeders' Cup Turf, sitting just off of the early pace and out running Champ Pegasus in the stretch to score by far the biggest victory of his career.
The next race is the big one --- the 27th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic. It is currently 36 minutes away. Zenyatta has opened as the 3-5 favorite, with Lookin at Lucky the second choice at 4-1. Blame is 7-1; Quality Road 9-1. Haynesfield, 12-1 on the morning line, has doubled to 24-1.
This is much more than just a horse race --- this is history. No horse has ever been in the position Zenyatta is right now; undefeated with a chance to win her second consecutive Breeders' Cup Classic. Already Zenyatta has etched her name in among those of the greatest horses to have ever graced the American turf, and a victory here tonight would elevate her to the status of immortal; forever remembered as one of the all time greats. A win here tonight would rank her with Spectacular Bid, Seattle Slew --- even Secretariat. A victory here tonight would allow her to go out on her highest note yet; perfect, relatively unchallenged, and forever a part of history. Win or lose, this will likely go down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, race in the history of the Breeders' Cup.
Win or lose, thanks for all of the great memories Zenyatta!
5:23;
Twenty-five minutes to post now. . . over $1,670,000 has been bet on Zenyatta to win. Roughly $570,000 has been placed on Lookin at Lucky to win. Therefore, Zenyatta is the favorite by $1,100,000. Wow.
The big four --- Zenyatta, Lookin at Lucky, Blame, and Quality Road --- are all 8-1 or less. The fifth choice, Haynesfield, is 21-1. If you like Musket Man, he's 30-1. Espoir City is 37-1. Etched? 59-1.
As I promised earlier, here are my picks. . .
1 Zenyatta
2 Musket Man
3 Lookin at Lucky
4 Blame
5 Paddy O'Prado
6 Quality Road
7 Etched
8 First Dude
9 Haynesfield
10 Fly Down
11 Pleasant Prince
12 Espoir City
Whoever wins, it's going to be a fabulous race. A loss by Zenyatta here will not detract from her incredible career. She has probably done more for racing than any other horse over the last ten years and win, lose, or draw, she is a great champion.
5:35;
It's now just thirteen minutes to post time! This will be my last live update until after the race. Enjoy!
-Keelerman
Well, Dangerous Midge proved to be the best in the Breeders' Cup Turf, sitting just off of the early pace and out running Champ Pegasus in the stretch to score by far the biggest victory of his career.
The next race is the big one --- the 27th running of the Breeders' Cup Classic. It is currently 36 minutes away. Zenyatta has opened as the 3-5 favorite, with Lookin at Lucky the second choice at 4-1. Blame is 7-1; Quality Road 9-1. Haynesfield, 12-1 on the morning line, has doubled to 24-1.
This is much more than just a horse race --- this is history. No horse has ever been in the position Zenyatta is right now; undefeated with a chance to win her second consecutive Breeders' Cup Classic. Already Zenyatta has etched her name in among those of the greatest horses to have ever graced the American turf, and a victory here tonight would elevate her to the status of immortal; forever remembered as one of the all time greats. A win here tonight would rank her with Spectacular Bid, Seattle Slew --- even Secretariat. A victory here tonight would allow her to go out on her highest note yet; perfect, relatively unchallenged, and forever a part of history. Win or lose, this will likely go down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, race in the history of the Breeders' Cup.
Win or lose, thanks for all of the great memories Zenyatta!
5:23;
Twenty-five minutes to post now. . . over $1,670,000 has been bet on Zenyatta to win. Roughly $570,000 has been placed on Lookin at Lucky to win. Therefore, Zenyatta is the favorite by $1,100,000. Wow.
The big four --- Zenyatta, Lookin at Lucky, Blame, and Quality Road --- are all 8-1 or less. The fifth choice, Haynesfield, is 21-1. If you like Musket Man, he's 30-1. Espoir City is 37-1. Etched? 59-1.
As I promised earlier, here are my picks. . .
1 Zenyatta
2 Musket Man
3 Lookin at Lucky
4 Blame
5 Paddy O'Prado
6 Quality Road
7 Etched
8 First Dude
9 Haynesfield
10 Fly Down
11 Pleasant Prince
12 Espoir City
Whoever wins, it's going to be a fabulous race. A loss by Zenyatta here will not detract from her incredible career. She has probably done more for racing than any other horse over the last ten years and win, lose, or draw, she is a great champion.
5:35;
It's now just thirteen minutes to post time! This will be my last live update until after the race. Enjoy!
-Keelerman
DANGEROUS MIDGE WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP TURF!
Dangerous Midge sat just off of the early lead and outfought Champ Pegasus to the wire, winning the Breeders' Cup Turf in an 8-1 upset.
Champ Pegasus set the early pace, with Dangerous Midge tracking him on the outside. Behkabad was sitting third along the rail, with Telling and Debussy right behind him. The pace was slow, with fractions of :50 and 1:15 4/5.
As the field turned for home, Champ Pegasus still held the lead, but Dangerous Midge was coming hard on the outside and put the leader away to score by just over two lengths.
Heavily favored Behkabad finished third, followed by Winchester.
The final time was 2:29 2/5.
-Keelerman
Champ Pegasus set the early pace, with Dangerous Midge tracking him on the outside. Behkabad was sitting third along the rail, with Telling and Debussy right behind him. The pace was slow, with fractions of :50 and 1:15 4/5.
As the field turned for home, Champ Pegasus still held the lead, but Dangerous Midge was coming hard on the outside and put the leader away to score by just over two lengths.
Heavily favored Behkabad finished third, followed by Winchester.
The final time was 2:29 2/5.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #7
4:33;
Well, Dakota Phone pulled off another major upset, just nosing out Morning Line is the final strides to win by a nose at odds of 37-1.
Does anyone else think that the odds of having a second carryover are pretty good?
The next race will be the Breeders' Cup Turf. The seventh of eight Breeders' Cup races today, the scratch of Workforce has allowed Behkabad to open as the 9-5 favorite. The 3-1 third choice is Winchester, with Al Khali at 7-2. The longshot is Telling at 18-1.
4:38;
Well, in a little more than an hour the Classic will have been run and the long anticipated results will finally be know. I'll say this much --- Mike Smith deserves a win, for he has had a pretty bad day today, finishing off the board on both Jaycito and Proviso.
4:46;
Behkabad has dropped to 3-2 now. Otherwise, the odds haven't changed much. Dangerous Midge is 8-1; Debussy is 6-1. Winchester and Al Khali have risen slightly, they are now 7-2 and 4-1, respectively.
4:55;
Three minutes to post now! Behkabad is now the 6-5 favorite. Interestingly, Champ Pegasus, despite having won two consecutive graded stakes races, is one of the longest shot in the field at 9-1.
It's post time now! I'll post the results momentarily.
-Keelerman
Well, Dakota Phone pulled off another major upset, just nosing out Morning Line is the final strides to win by a nose at odds of 37-1.
Does anyone else think that the odds of having a second carryover are pretty good?
The next race will be the Breeders' Cup Turf. The seventh of eight Breeders' Cup races today, the scratch of Workforce has allowed Behkabad to open as the 9-5 favorite. The 3-1 third choice is Winchester, with Al Khali at 7-2. The longshot is Telling at 18-1.
4:38;
Well, in a little more than an hour the Classic will have been run and the long anticipated results will finally be know. I'll say this much --- Mike Smith deserves a win, for he has had a pretty bad day today, finishing off the board on both Jaycito and Proviso.
4:46;
Behkabad has dropped to 3-2 now. Otherwise, the odds haven't changed much. Dangerous Midge is 8-1; Debussy is 6-1. Winchester and Al Khali have risen slightly, they are now 7-2 and 4-1, respectively.
4:55;
Three minutes to post now! Behkabad is now the 6-5 favorite. Interestingly, Champ Pegasus, despite having won two consecutive graded stakes races, is one of the longest shot in the field at 9-1.
It's post time now! I'll post the results momentarily.
-Keelerman
DAKOTA PHONE WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE!
Dakota Phone pulled off a shocking 37-1 upset in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, rallying furiously to nab Morning Line in the final strides.
Morning Line and Vineyard Haven set a blazing early pace, with the early fractions being :22 2/5, :44 4/5, and 1:09 2/5. Morning Line had a clear advantage in the homestretch and looked home free despite the pace he had set, but was just nosed out in the last jump by the winner.
Gayego turned in a mild rally to finish third, beaten about a length and a quarter. Cool Coal Man completed the superfecta, which paid out $36,883.80 on a $1 bet.
The final time was 1:35 1/5.
-Keelerman
Morning Line and Vineyard Haven set a blazing early pace, with the early fractions being :22 2/5, :44 4/5, and 1:09 2/5. Morning Line had a clear advantage in the homestretch and looked home free despite the pace he had set, but was just nosed out in the last jump by the winner.
Gayego turned in a mild rally to finish third, beaten about a length and a quarter. Cool Coal Man completed the superfecta, which paid out $36,883.80 on a $1 bet.
The final time was 1:35 1/5.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #6
4:00;
Goldikova provided one of the most astonishing performances in the history of the Breeders' Cup Mile when she rallied strongly on the outside to win her third consectutive Breeders' Cup Mile in easy fashion.
Words cannot describe her performance, so I won't even try. It was simply one of the most amazing races I have ever watched. Thank you Goldikova!
The next race is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. At the moment, Here Comes Ben is the mild 2-1 favorite. Tizway is 3-1. Vineyard Haven is the third choice at 8-1, and several others horses are 9-1. Surprisingly, the third longest shot on the board at 27-1 is Mad Flatter, despite the fact that he just turned in a career best performance at this distance last time out!
4:10;
Nine minutes to post now for the Dirt Mile. The morning line favorite, Morning Line, is currently 9-1. The post parade has begun!
Mine That Bird is currently 12-1.
4:15;
Morning Line just started to run off with his jockey. Fortunately, the jockey and an outrider were able to get him under control. I didn't see what upset Morning Line, but this certainly doesn't help his chances.
Three minutes to post now! Here Comes Ben has risen just a tad to 5-2. I'll be back with the results shortly!
Goldikova provided one of the most astonishing performances in the history of the Breeders' Cup Mile when she rallied strongly on the outside to win her third consectutive Breeders' Cup Mile in easy fashion.
Words cannot describe her performance, so I won't even try. It was simply one of the most amazing races I have ever watched. Thank you Goldikova!
The next race is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. At the moment, Here Comes Ben is the mild 2-1 favorite. Tizway is 3-1. Vineyard Haven is the third choice at 8-1, and several others horses are 9-1. Surprisingly, the third longest shot on the board at 27-1 is Mad Flatter, despite the fact that he just turned in a career best performance at this distance last time out!
4:10;
Nine minutes to post now for the Dirt Mile. The morning line favorite, Morning Line, is currently 9-1. The post parade has begun!
Mine That Bird is currently 12-1.
4:15;
Morning Line just started to run off with his jockey. Fortunately, the jockey and an outrider were able to get him under control. I didn't see what upset Morning Line, but this certainly doesn't help his chances.
Three minutes to post now! Here Comes Ben has risen just a tad to 5-2. I'll be back with the results shortly!
GOLDIKOVA WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP MILE!
Goldikova pulled off one of the most spectacular feats in the history of the Breeders' Cup when she rallied fast and furious in the middle of the track to snatch her third consecutive victory in the $2,000,000 Breeders' Cup Mile.
Despite being floated wide on the first turn, Goldikova made a move to reach contention as the field turned for home and blew past Sidney's Candy under very little urging to become the first horse to win three Breeders' Cup races.
Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Goldikova brought her racing record to 21-15-3-2.
It was a truly remarkable performance, one that will never be forgotten.
Gio Ponti rallied strongly for second, followed by The Usual Q. T. and Paco Boy.
The final time was 1:35 flat.
-Keelerman
Despite being floated wide on the first turn, Goldikova made a move to reach contention as the field turned for home and blew past Sidney's Candy under very little urging to become the first horse to win three Breeders' Cup races.
Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Goldikova brought her racing record to 21-15-3-2.
It was a truly remarkable performance, one that will never be forgotten.
Gio Ponti rallied strongly for second, followed by The Usual Q. T. and Paco Boy.
The final time was 1:35 flat.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #5
3:03;
Uncle Mo looked like a superhorse in the making today when he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by at least five lengths. He has locked up the 2yo championship and will be the winter book favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
Boys at Tosconova finished best of the rest in second.
My pick, Jaycito, failed to menace at all and finished up the track.
Next up is the Breeders' Cup Mile, where Goldikova will attempt to win the race for the third consecutive year, a feat which has never been accomplished in the history of the Breeders' Cup. She has opened as the 8-5 favorite.
3:17;
I'm surprised that Goldikova is 8-5 here; I was positive that she would be at least 6-5 if not even money or less. I suppose that the poor post position draw is having an influence on the odds.
Proviso is being well bet; she is now 7-1.
Also, it appears as though the outside/speed bias has continued, for Uncle Mo used that strategy to win the Juvenile.
3:24;
I just got to thinking about Proviso. The horse she beat two starts back in the Diana Handicap, Shared Account, won the Filly & Mare Turf yesterday. A good sign?
The pick four pool is over $1,800,000 now.
3:29;
Nine minutes to post now, and Goldikova has dropped to 3-2. Gio Ponti is still 7-2. Sidney's Candy is the surprising 5-1 third choice.
The post parade is going on right now. This will be a historic moment if Goldikova can pull off this incredible feat.
The pick four pool is now over $2,200,000.
3:35;
Three minutes to post now! The horses are getting closer to the starting gate.
The more I think about it, the more I think that Court Vision has a serious chance at winning. The turf course is just perfect for him and he seems primed for his best effort.
Uncle Mo looked like a superhorse in the making today when he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by at least five lengths. He has locked up the 2yo championship and will be the winter book favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
Boys at Tosconova finished best of the rest in second.
My pick, Jaycito, failed to menace at all and finished up the track.
Next up is the Breeders' Cup Mile, where Goldikova will attempt to win the race for the third consecutive year, a feat which has never been accomplished in the history of the Breeders' Cup. She has opened as the 8-5 favorite.
3:17;
I'm surprised that Goldikova is 8-5 here; I was positive that she would be at least 6-5 if not even money or less. I suppose that the poor post position draw is having an influence on the odds.
Proviso is being well bet; she is now 7-1.
Also, it appears as though the outside/speed bias has continued, for Uncle Mo used that strategy to win the Juvenile.
3:24;
I just got to thinking about Proviso. The horse she beat two starts back in the Diana Handicap, Shared Account, won the Filly & Mare Turf yesterday. A good sign?
The pick four pool is over $1,800,000 now.
3:29;
Nine minutes to post now, and Goldikova has dropped to 3-2. Gio Ponti is still 7-2. Sidney's Candy is the surprising 5-1 third choice.
The post parade is going on right now. This will be a historic moment if Goldikova can pull off this incredible feat.
The pick four pool is now over $2,200,000.
3:35;
Three minutes to post now! The horses are getting closer to the starting gate.
The more I think about it, the more I think that Court Vision has a serious chance at winning. The turf course is just perfect for him and he seems primed for his best effort.
UNCLE MO WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE!
Uncle Mo showed just how good he is by drawing off impressively through the stretch to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by daylight.
Ridden by John Velazquez, Uncle Mo sat just off the early pace set by Riveting Reason and simply blew past him on the far turn, winning by at least five lengths over Boys at Tosconova, stopping the clock in 1:42 3/5.
Boys at Tosconova sat about mid-pack early and made a strong move to reach contention, but he was unable to challenge the winner. Still, he finished about six lengths in front of the third place finisher Rogue Romance. Biondetti finished fourth.
Jaycito got off to a slow beginning and never reached contention, going very wide and failing to put in a rally.
-Keelerman
Ridden by John Velazquez, Uncle Mo sat just off the early pace set by Riveting Reason and simply blew past him on the far turn, winning by at least five lengths over Boys at Tosconova, stopping the clock in 1:42 3/5.
Boys at Tosconova sat about mid-pack early and made a strong move to reach contention, but he was unable to challenge the winner. Still, he finished about six lengths in front of the third place finisher Rogue Romance. Biondetti finished fourth.
Jaycito got off to a slow beginning and never reached contention, going very wide and failing to put in a rally.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #4
2:27;
Chamberlain Bridge won the biggest race of his career on racing's biggest stage when he rallied furiously on the far outside to pull off a mild upset in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Central City, at 9-1, ran second. Favored Silver Timber ran fifth.
The next race on the card is the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where Uncle Mo has opened as the mild 2-1 favorite over 5-2 Boys at Tosconova. Jaycito is currently 5-1.
Zenyatta's run in the classic is now just three hours away!
2:46;
Good news! Atta Boy Roy suffered no injuries during the running of the Sprint and appears to be fine.
Jockey Calvin Borel thought that he took a couple of bad steps and seemed to be stiff in his shoulder. However, veterinarians could find no problems.
As for the upcoming Juvenile, Uncle Mo has dropped to 3-2, while Boys at Tosconova has risen to 7-2. This race has been eagerly anticipated by many, and can you just imagine the cheers from those in attendance if Mo and Boys hooked up turning for home? That would be a race to see!
2:51;
It's two minutes to post time now! I am surprised that Murjan is 30-1; I thought for sure he would have been lower than that.
As this is a two-turn dirt race, I will be paying attention to what part of the track the winner runs on, and where he comes from in the pack. There seems to be a bit of an outside/speed bias over the last two days, and I will be curious to see if it continues.
Post time now! I'll be back with the results shortly!
Chamberlain Bridge won the biggest race of his career on racing's biggest stage when he rallied furiously on the far outside to pull off a mild upset in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Central City, at 9-1, ran second. Favored Silver Timber ran fifth.
The next race on the card is the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where Uncle Mo has opened as the mild 2-1 favorite over 5-2 Boys at Tosconova. Jaycito is currently 5-1.
Zenyatta's run in the classic is now just three hours away!
2:46;
Good news! Atta Boy Roy suffered no injuries during the running of the Sprint and appears to be fine.
Jockey Calvin Borel thought that he took a couple of bad steps and seemed to be stiff in his shoulder. However, veterinarians could find no problems.
As for the upcoming Juvenile, Uncle Mo has dropped to 3-2, while Boys at Tosconova has risen to 7-2. This race has been eagerly anticipated by many, and can you just imagine the cheers from those in attendance if Mo and Boys hooked up turning for home? That would be a race to see!
2:51;
It's two minutes to post time now! I am surprised that Murjan is 30-1; I thought for sure he would have been lower than that.
As this is a two-turn dirt race, I will be paying attention to what part of the track the winner runs on, and where he comes from in the pack. There seems to be a bit of an outside/speed bias over the last two days, and I will be curious to see if it continues.
Post time now! I'll be back with the results shortly!
CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE WINS THE TURF SPRINT!
Chamberlain Bridge overcame gate one, traffic, and a foot abscess the week before the Breeders' Cup to win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint by over a length in stunning fashion.
Patiently ridden by Jamie Theriot, Chamberlain Bridge got off to a good start but settled well back in the pack. Central City set the early pace, with favored Silver Timber not far behind.
Turning for home, Central City maintained his advantage and looked home free, but Chamberlain Bridge came flying on the grandstand side to score the biggest victory of his long career.
Central City stayed on strongly for second, with Unzip Me rallying for third. Bridgetown ran fourth, just inching out Silver Timber for that spot.
The final time was :56 2/5.
-Keelerman
Patiently ridden by Jamie Theriot, Chamberlain Bridge got off to a good start but settled well back in the pack. Central City set the early pace, with favored Silver Timber not far behind.
Turning for home, Central City maintained his advantage and looked home free, but Chamberlain Bridge came flying on the grandstand side to score the biggest victory of his long career.
Central City stayed on strongly for second, with Unzip Me rallying for third. Bridgetown ran fourth, just inching out Silver Timber for that spot.
The final time was :56 2/5.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #3
1:37;
Big Drama went wire-to-wire in the Breeders' Cup Sprint to score at 5-1, winning the six furlong event in 1:09.
Apparently, drawing the rail did not affect him, for he was able to sit several paths off the rail through out the race and won by a length. Unfortunately, Atta Boy Roy was eased and did not finish the race. He appears to have suffered an injury to his right front leg.
The next race is the impossible-to-decipher Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, where fourteen evenly-matched horses will battle through five furlongs of pure speed. The favorite is currently Silver Timber at 3-1.
1:57;
Zenyatta is currently 4-5 in the wagering for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Lookin at Lucky is 4-1, and Blame 7-1.
This is more than a race for the $2,700,000 winner's share of the purse. This is a race for Horse of the Year; a race for a place in history.
2:03;
Silver Timber is still the 3-1 favorite. One of the fillies, Rose Catherine, is the 5-1 second choice. This is the first race of the $818,000 carryover pick 6.
Of the longer odds horses, I do believe that Due Date has a good chance at 18-1. He was closing in fast in the Woodford Stakes and wasn't very badly beaten.
2:08;
Silver Timber is a very pretty horse. . . he looks very calm. California Flag looks good. . . I don't think that he will be able to repeat here, but he should help set the pace.
Big Drama went wire-to-wire in the Breeders' Cup Sprint to score at 5-1, winning the six furlong event in 1:09.
Apparently, drawing the rail did not affect him, for he was able to sit several paths off the rail through out the race and won by a length. Unfortunately, Atta Boy Roy was eased and did not finish the race. He appears to have suffered an injury to his right front leg.
The next race is the impossible-to-decipher Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, where fourteen evenly-matched horses will battle through five furlongs of pure speed. The favorite is currently Silver Timber at 3-1.
1:57;
Zenyatta is currently 4-5 in the wagering for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Lookin at Lucky is 4-1, and Blame 7-1.
This is more than a race for the $2,700,000 winner's share of the purse. This is a race for Horse of the Year; a race for a place in history.
2:03;
Silver Timber is still the 3-1 favorite. One of the fillies, Rose Catherine, is the 5-1 second choice. This is the first race of the $818,000 carryover pick 6.
Of the longer odds horses, I do believe that Due Date has a good chance at 18-1. He was closing in fast in the Woodford Stakes and wasn't very badly beaten.
2:08;
Silver Timber is a very pretty horse. . . he looks very calm. California Flag looks good. . . I don't think that he will be able to repeat here, but he should help set the pace.
BIG DRAMA WINS THE SPRINT!
Big Drama overcame gate number one to score a one length victory in the $2,000,000 Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Under jockey Eibar Coa, Big Drama broke sharply and went right to the lead, setting all the pace on his way to victory.
Hamazing Destiny, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, rallied on the far outside to finish second, followed by Smiling Tiger and Supreme Summit. The final time was 1:09 flat.
Atta Boy Roy appears to have been injured during the race. He is being examined by the track veterinarian.
-Keelerman
Under jockey Eibar Coa, Big Drama broke sharply and went right to the lead, setting all the pace on his way to victory.
Hamazing Destiny, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, rallied on the far outside to finish second, followed by Smiling Tiger and Supreme Summit. The final time was 1:09 flat.
Atta Boy Roy appears to have been injured during the race. He is being examined by the track veterinarian.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #2
1:01;
I'll be honest. I did not believe that Pluck was capable of winning the Juvenile Turf. However, he looked like a future star rallying on the far outside to score by over a length.
Rough Sailing slipped and fell on the first turn, but both horse and rider were okay.
The next race is the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Smiling Tiger has opened as the 4-1 favorite, with Atta Boy Roy at 9-2. Big Drama, Girolamo, and Wise Dan are all 6-1.
1:10;
Eighteen minutes to post now.
I don't think that Pashito the Che is going to win, but I do think that he is underbet at 29-1. He ran very well in his last start and has a good chance at hitting the board.
1:19;
Atta Boy Roy looks very calm in the post parade. It's about eight minutes to post time.
It is currently four hours and twenty-four minutes until post time for the Classic. In my opinion, Secretariat's thirty-seven year old track record could be in danger.
Do you think Zenyatta will win? Who do you like in the rest of the Breeders' Cup races?
1:26;
Two minutes away from post time! This is going to be an exciting race; an all-out battle to the wire with the best sprinters in the country fighting for the Eclipse award for Champion male sprinter. Whoever wins will likely recieve the award.
Unfortunately, the news has arrived that Rough Sailing fractured his shoulder when he fell in the Juvenile Turf and will have to be euthanized.
1:30;
It's post time and the horses are loading into the gate! Girolamo is the favorite.
-Keelerman
I'll be honest. I did not believe that Pluck was capable of winning the Juvenile Turf. However, he looked like a future star rallying on the far outside to score by over a length.
Rough Sailing slipped and fell on the first turn, but both horse and rider were okay.
The next race is the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Smiling Tiger has opened as the 4-1 favorite, with Atta Boy Roy at 9-2. Big Drama, Girolamo, and Wise Dan are all 6-1.
1:10;
Eighteen minutes to post now.
I don't think that Pashito the Che is going to win, but I do think that he is underbet at 29-1. He ran very well in his last start and has a good chance at hitting the board.
1:19;
Atta Boy Roy looks very calm in the post parade. It's about eight minutes to post time.
It is currently four hours and twenty-four minutes until post time for the Classic. In my opinion, Secretariat's thirty-seven year old track record could be in danger.
Do you think Zenyatta will win? Who do you like in the rest of the Breeders' Cup races?
1:26;
Two minutes away from post time! This is going to be an exciting race; an all-out battle to the wire with the best sprinters in the country fighting for the Eclipse award for Champion male sprinter. Whoever wins will likely recieve the award.
Unfortunately, the news has arrived that Rough Sailing fractured his shoulder when he fell in the Juvenile Turf and will have to be euthanized.
1:30;
It's post time and the horses are loading into the gate! Girolamo is the favorite.
-Keelerman
PLUCK WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE TURF!
Pluck, sent off at 6-1, put in an incredible rally on the far outside to score in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Pluck raced at the back of the pack and simply blew past the leaders to score by over a length.
The early pace was set by Madman Diaries and Humble and Hungry, who set a reasonable pace up front. Madman Diaries held on to the top of the stretch but was passed by Banned, who led into early stretch but tired late.
Soldat looked like a winner very late in the race, rallying along the rail to take the lead, but was unable to hold off the winner.
Willcox Inn finished third, while Madman Diaries hung on well to finish fourth. Banned flattened out and finished fifth.
On the first turn, Rough Sailing's hind end slipped out from under him and fell. Fortunately, both horse and rider appeared to be okay.
-Keelerman
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Pluck raced at the back of the pack and simply blew past the leaders to score by over a length.
The early pace was set by Madman Diaries and Humble and Hungry, who set a reasonable pace up front. Madman Diaries held on to the top of the stretch but was passed by Banned, who led into early stretch but tired late.
Soldat looked like a winner very late in the race, rallying along the rail to take the lead, but was unable to hold off the winner.
Willcox Inn finished third, while Madman Diaries hung on well to finish fourth. Banned flattened out and finished fifth.
On the first turn, Rough Sailing's hind end slipped out from under him and fell. Fortunately, both horse and rider appeared to be okay.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE SATURDAY #1
It is currently nine minutes to post for the first of the Breeders' Cup races today, the Juvenile Turf.
The current favorite at 9-2 is Master of Hounds. My pick, Utely, is 9-1.
The post parade has just started. I've got a pretty good feeling about Mantoba, ridden by Frankie Dettori. He is currently 8-1.
This appears to be a fairly evenly matched race.
12:45;
Two minutes to post now. I have a feeling that Madman Diaries may be able to take this field a long way on the front end.
12:49;
It's post time now, Master of Hounds has dropped to 7-2. One horse that I do like quite a bit, Humble and Hungry, is currently 28-1.
They are now loading into the gate!
The current favorite at 9-2 is Master of Hounds. My pick, Utely, is 9-1.
The post parade has just started. I've got a pretty good feeling about Mantoba, ridden by Frankie Dettori. He is currently 8-1.
This appears to be a fairly evenly matched race.
12:45;
Two minutes to post now. I have a feeling that Madman Diaries may be able to take this field a long way on the front end.
12:49;
It's post time now, Master of Hounds has dropped to 7-2. One horse that I do like quite a bit, Humble and Hungry, is currently 28-1.
They are now loading into the gate!
BREEDERS' CUP SATURDAY PICKS
This is the day that every horse racing fan has been waiting for ---- November 6th. The day that Zenyatta takes on the best in the world as she attempts to win her second consecutive Breeders' Cup Classic and retire undefeated, a perfect 20-for-20.
There are eight Breeders' Cup races to be run tomorrow, including the Classic. Several of them lack a heavy favorite. A couple of them will be nearly impossible to handicap. But it is comforting to know that someone has to win every race, and win or lose, it's going to be an exciting day of racing.
I'll begin by handicapping the Juvenile Turf, the first Breeders' Cup race on the Saturday card. . .
JUVENILE TURF
I'm fairly certain that the Europeans are the key to this thirteen horse field; they have been running against the best on the other side of the world and should have every chance at beating their American counterparts.
Of the three Europeans entered in this race, I like Utely best. Trained by John Gosden, he could only manage a fifth place finish in the Gran Criterium at Longchamp in France, but that was over a soft course. The son of Smart Strike is eligible to improve on a firmer surface.
As for the other Europeans, I believe that Master of Hounds is coming back from his last race a bit quick, but I do like Mantoba's chances. The latter won an allowance race in England by over two lengths going a mile, and looks like a serious contender.
From the United States, Soldat, Air Support, and Pluck will all be well bet. However, it is the 10-1 shot Banned who I like the most. He broke his maiden quite easily last time out and appears to be sitting on a big performance.
Here are my picks for this wide-open race. . .
1 Utely
2 Banned
3 Mantoba
4 Pluck
5 Master of Hounds
6 Soldat
7 Madman Diaries
8 Air Support
9 Humble and Hungry
10 Wilcox Inn
11 Rough Sailing
12 Deciphering Slew
13 Typhoon Slew
SPRINT
Another very difficult-to-handicap race, the Breeders' Cup Sprint has drawn a twelve horse field, with the morning line favorite being Girolamo. He won the Vosburgh Stakes last time out, but six furlongs may be just a bit too short for him.
Leading up to this race, I was fairly certain that I was going to go with Big Drama. Unfortunately, he drew the rail and I just don't think that he can overcome that kind of a handicap.
Therefore, I decided to look for value.
Wise Dan ran very well last time out in the Phoenix Stakes, defeating a couple of very good horses in Hollywood Hit and Warrior's Reward. He has a win over this track and should get a good trip.
Also interesting is Kinsale King, although he hasn't raced in several months. He won the Dubai Golden Shaheen earlier this year, but didn't run very well in two starts on turf in England. His task will be difficult, winning this race off of such a long layoff, but he should not be ignored.
Then there is Smiling Tiger, who has a brilliant workout here at Churchill Downs the other day and seems ready to run his absolute best race. The three-year-old has two grade I wins over his elders.
However, the horse that I am really anticipating watching is Pashito the Che. He ran very well in his last start, the Hard Spun Stakes at Delaware Park, but he is taking a large step up in class. I do believe that he is capable of hitting the board at a large price.
So after many days of thought, here are my picks. . .
1 Smiling Tiger
2 Wise Dan
3 Big Drama
4 Pashito the Che
5 Kinsale King
6 Warrior's Reward
7 Atta Boy Roy
8 Girolamo
9 Hamazing Destiny
10 Riley Tucker
11 Supreme Summit
12 Cash Refund
I could go all over the place here, picking any of my top seven picks. They appear to be very evenly matched and I just don't know who the best one is. But I was impressed with Smiling Tiger's last race and he has been training nicely. I almost picked Wise Dan on top, but I'm not exactly sure just how good his performance in the Phoenix really was.
But whoever wins, the Sprint is always a great race to watch and I'll be enjoying it.
TURF SPRINT
If you thought that the Juvenile Turf and Sprint were hard to handicap, this race is at least twice as difficult and four times as confusing. There are fourteen horses entered to run, and I would not be surprised if any of them won. They are very evenly matched and this is the kind of race where you just pick a name from a hat and hope for the best.
There are eight horses that I really, really like here ---- Central City, Chamberlain Bridge, Due Date, Quick Enough, Rose Catherine, Silver Timber, Stradivinsky, and Unzip Me. As you can see, narrowing this race down to one horse is nearly impossible.
Silver Timber won the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint Stakes by a neck here back in April, and won the Woodford Stakes at Keeneland last time out. However, he had lost his two starts prior to that and could only manage a sixth place finish in last year's Turf Sprint.
Rose Catherine, a three year old filly, has already run well in the Breeders' Cup. She ran second in last year's Juvenile Fillies Turf. Since then, she has proven herself to be a very fine turf sprinter and won the Turf Amazon Handicap over West Ocean and Canadian Ballet last time out. She is very quick and should get a perfect trip.
Chamberlain Bridge had won three straight races, including the Turf Monster Handicap, coming into the Woodford Stakes against Silver Timber. Dropping back to last, he rallied furiously but ended up fourth, beaten a length and a half.
On the other hand, he missed his final Breeders' Cup workout due to a foot abscess. His trainer is confident that it won't matter, but I can't help but wonder. Also, he drew the rail, making his task even more difficult.
Central City ran a great race in the Woodford, finishing second, beaten a half-length. It was his first start in several months, and he does have a good performance over the Churchill turf. He could offer some real value.
Due Date is one of the few horses in this race who comes from off the pace, and he could prove very dangerous here. He finished a late running third in the Woodford Stakes, a nose behind Central City, and will benefit from the expected quick pace.
Quick Enough won the Morvich Handicap last time out in a front running effort, Stradivinsky won the Jaipur Handicap at Belmont Park before running third to Chamberlain Bridge in the Turf Monster Handicap, and Unzip Me has been running fast times against fillies and mares in California and Canada.
I have gone back and forth between all of these horses for weeks, and here's what I finally came up with in the way of picks. . .
1 Silver Timber
2 Rose Catherine
3 Central City
4 Unzip Me
5 Chamberlain Bridge
6 Due Date
7 Stradivinsky
8 Grand Adventure
9 Quick Enough
10 California Flag
11 Bridgetown
12 Canadian Ballet
13 Tropic Storm
14 Waveline
JUVENILE
Boys against Mo ---- you are either a fan of one or the other. If you are part of the minority group that picked someone else. . . you're with me.
As impressive as Boys at Tosconova and Uncle Mo have been, I'm afraid that I just couldn't pick either of them. The colt I like is Jaycito, who overcame a horrible trip to win the Norfolk Stakes last time out over a very nice colt in J P's Gusto.
True, it's very difficult to pick against Uncle Mo. Any horse who can win the Champagne Stakes in 1:34 2/5 deserves immense respect. But this will be his first time on dirt, and Jaycito has the powerful synthetic-to-dirt angle going for him.
As for Boys at Tosconova, I'm worried about the fact that he is coming into this race having not raced since early September. In addition, this will be his first start beyond seven furlongs.
A couple of other interesting horses are J P's Gusto and Murjan. Like I mentioned above, J P's Gusto ran second to Jaycito in the Norfolk. Prior to that, he had won four consecutive stakes races. Like Jaycito, he is eligible to improve on dirt and may be overlooked in the betting. Murjan has won all three of his starts in Peru, is proven on dirt, but is taking a big step up in class. Still, at 30-1 on the morning line he is a very interesting colt.
Here are my picks. . .
1 Jaycito
2 Uncle Mo
3 Murjan
4 J P's Gusto
5 Boys at Tosconova
6 Stay Thirsty
7 Biondetti
8 Rogue Romance
9 J. B.'s Thunder
10 Riveting Reason
I'm afraid I just don't believe that Boys at Tosconova can win this race. I may switch my pick to Uncle Mo later today if he looks really good in the post parade or something similar, but for now my pick is Jaycito.
MILE
Almost as exciting as Zenyatta going for her second Classic victory is Goldikova's quest for her third consecutive Breeders' Cup Mile ---- a feat that has yet to be accomplished in twenty-six years of Breeders' Cup history.
To date, only one horse has even attempted to win three straight Breeders' Cup races ---- Lure won the Mile two consecutive times, but ran poorly in his attempt to win a third. Interestingly, the Breeders' Cup was being held at Churchill Downs the year he failed. . .
Hopefully, Goldikova will fare better.
She will have a tough task this year, perhaps her toughest yet. She drew gate ten of eleven for today's race, which is definitely not good. Attempting to steal the Mile out from under her will be her longtime rival Paco Boy, the ever-game Gio Ponti, a California speedball named Sidney's Candy, a winner of four consecutive grade I races in Proviso, and a host of other classy stakes winners.
However, it can be argued that Goldikova is better this year than ever before ---- and she will get the firm turf course that she loves. Therefore, I'm going to pick her to win even though she is likely vulnerable.
For second, it's tough to say. Proviso is a very nice mare, but drew gate eleven. Gio Ponti is a monster and was very impressive in his last start, but beating Goldikova is going to be a much tougher task.
Court Vision could offer a decent price and a good chance at stealing a piece of the money. At 12-1 on the morning line, he brings excellent credentials into the race. He ran a close fourth in last year's Mile and comes off of a sharp win in the Woodbine Mile in Canada. He should love Churchill's long homestretch and with a good trip, he'll be right there.
My picks are these. . .
1 Goldikova
2 Gio Ponti
3 Court Vision
4 Proviso
5 The Usual Q T
6 Paco Boy
7 Society's Chairman
8 Get Stormy
9 Beethoven
10 Sideny's Candy
11 Delegator
DIRT MILE
I think I have a pretty good idea on what's going to happen here, unlike most of these races. :)
My pick is Here Comes Ben, winner of the Forego Stakes last time out. He was running great at Churchill earlier this year in seven furlong races and should have no trouble stretching out to a one-turn mile. I do believe that this is his race to lose.
For second, I like Thiskyhasnolimit, who won the Iroquios Stakes here at Churchill last fall and has been training great. Overall, he is 3-for-4 at Churchill. He finished second to Lookin at Lucky last time out and should run better than his 10-1 morning line odds.
Tizway and Mad Flatter are also intriguing. Tizway ran huge in the Kelso Handicap last time out, dominating by five lengths in his first start off of a layoff, and may run even better this time. Mad Flatter ran the best race of his career last time out when he won the Spend a Buck Handicap at Calder over defending winner Mambo Meister. If he runs just as well today, he will be difficult to beat.
The morning line favorite in this race is a horse named Morning Line. Winner of the Pennsylvania Derby last time out, the lightly raced son of Tiznow looks like a very promising youngster but may be in a bit over his head.
Vineyard Haven is an interesting contender, but he did not run well in his last race, the Forego Stakes at seven furlongs, and seems to have a bit of stamina limitations. Also, he drew gate twelve, and the front-running colt may have to be used early to get good position.
Here are my picks. . .
1 Here Comes Ben
2 Thiskyhasnolimit
3 Tizway
4 Vineyard Haven
5 Gayego
6 Mad Flatter
7 Morning Line
8 Cool Coal Man
9 Hurricane Ike
10 Dakota Phone
11 Aikenite
12 Mine That Bird
TURF
The heavy favorite here is going to be Workforce, who won the Epsom Derby is record time earlier this year and last time out won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by a neck. However, his connections have yet to guarantee that he will run, for they are concerned about the Churchill turf course being too firm due to lack of rain. Even if he does run, I'm not going to pick him. The debate over whether or not to run him leaves me wondering if he is vulnerable, and no Arc winner has ever come back to win the Breeders' Cup Turf.
I have thought long and hard about picking Behkabad, and perhaps this is being overcautious, but he has been running at Longchamp with its right-handed turns. He will probably adapt to the left-handed Churchill course just fine, but this fact does leave me with nagging doubts.
I have thought long and hard about picking Debussy. Winner of the Arlington Million back in August, he seemed to love American racing but a mile and a half may be out of his range.
I have thought long and hard about picking Dangerous Midge. The four year old colt by Lion Heart seems to be getting better and better, and was dominant in the Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial last time out, winning the eleven furlong event by four lengths. On the other hand, Lion Heart had distance limitations, which makes me wonder if Dangerous Midge has them too.
Winchester, Champ Pegasus, and Al Khali represent the best chance for the United States, but Winchester seems to do his best running at Belmont Park while Al Khali seems to have some distance limitations. Champ Pegasus seems to have a lot of talent, but really hasn't been tested yet.
Telling has talent, being a two-time winner of the Sword Dancer at Saratoga, but doesn't seem to run that great elsewhere.
So my picks are these. . .
1 Behkabad
2 Dangerous Midge
3 Workforce
4 Champ Pegasus
5 Winchester
6 Al Khali
7 Debussy
8 Telling
I really couldn't figure this race out. I almost picked Dangerous Midge on top, but felt that Behkabad has run better and more consistently.
Then, right as I am typing this, I check the horse racing news and find that Workforce has been scratched. This surprises and disappoints me, for I didn't think that they would scratch him after coming all this way. I was looking forward to seeing him run, but if his connections felt that it wasn't a good idea to run him, that's more important than any horse race.
So my new picks are these. . .
1 Behkabad
2 Dangerous Midge
3 Champ Pegasus
4 Winchester
5 Al Khali
6 Debussy
7 Telling
CLASSIC
This is the race that everyone has anticipated. For months, Zenyatta has been aimed for a repeat performance on the biggest stage in racing.
There is no way that I can pick against the spectacular mare, whom I feel is one of the greatest racehorses of all time. I do believe that she likes dirt better than synthetics, I do believe that her best distance is a mile and a quarter or further, and I do believe that she can beat Blame, Quality Road, Lookin at Lucky, and all of the other fine colts that will be running against her.
As I have not quite finished handicapping the race, I will not list my full picks. I will post them later today. But Zenyatta is my pick on top, as she nears the final start of her long, illustrious career. A victory here would allow her to retire 20-for-20 with three Breeders' Cup wins, including one of the Classic. In my opinion, that would rank her among the top ten racehorses of all time.
Enjoy the races everyone!
-Keelerman
There are eight Breeders' Cup races to be run tomorrow, including the Classic. Several of them lack a heavy favorite. A couple of them will be nearly impossible to handicap. But it is comforting to know that someone has to win every race, and win or lose, it's going to be an exciting day of racing.
I'll begin by handicapping the Juvenile Turf, the first Breeders' Cup race on the Saturday card. . .
JUVENILE TURF
I'm fairly certain that the Europeans are the key to this thirteen horse field; they have been running against the best on the other side of the world and should have every chance at beating their American counterparts.
Of the three Europeans entered in this race, I like Utely best. Trained by John Gosden, he could only manage a fifth place finish in the Gran Criterium at Longchamp in France, but that was over a soft course. The son of Smart Strike is eligible to improve on a firmer surface.
As for the other Europeans, I believe that Master of Hounds is coming back from his last race a bit quick, but I do like Mantoba's chances. The latter won an allowance race in England by over two lengths going a mile, and looks like a serious contender.
From the United States, Soldat, Air Support, and Pluck will all be well bet. However, it is the 10-1 shot Banned who I like the most. He broke his maiden quite easily last time out and appears to be sitting on a big performance.
Here are my picks for this wide-open race. . .
1 Utely
2 Banned
3 Mantoba
4 Pluck
5 Master of Hounds
6 Soldat
7 Madman Diaries
8 Air Support
9 Humble and Hungry
10 Wilcox Inn
11 Rough Sailing
12 Deciphering Slew
13 Typhoon Slew
SPRINT
Another very difficult-to-handicap race, the Breeders' Cup Sprint has drawn a twelve horse field, with the morning line favorite being Girolamo. He won the Vosburgh Stakes last time out, but six furlongs may be just a bit too short for him.
Leading up to this race, I was fairly certain that I was going to go with Big Drama. Unfortunately, he drew the rail and I just don't think that he can overcome that kind of a handicap.
Therefore, I decided to look for value.
Wise Dan ran very well last time out in the Phoenix Stakes, defeating a couple of very good horses in Hollywood Hit and Warrior's Reward. He has a win over this track and should get a good trip.
Also interesting is Kinsale King, although he hasn't raced in several months. He won the Dubai Golden Shaheen earlier this year, but didn't run very well in two starts on turf in England. His task will be difficult, winning this race off of such a long layoff, but he should not be ignored.
Then there is Smiling Tiger, who has a brilliant workout here at Churchill Downs the other day and seems ready to run his absolute best race. The three-year-old has two grade I wins over his elders.
However, the horse that I am really anticipating watching is Pashito the Che. He ran very well in his last start, the Hard Spun Stakes at Delaware Park, but he is taking a large step up in class. I do believe that he is capable of hitting the board at a large price.
So after many days of thought, here are my picks. . .
1 Smiling Tiger
2 Wise Dan
3 Big Drama
4 Pashito the Che
5 Kinsale King
6 Warrior's Reward
7 Atta Boy Roy
8 Girolamo
9 Hamazing Destiny
10 Riley Tucker
11 Supreme Summit
12 Cash Refund
I could go all over the place here, picking any of my top seven picks. They appear to be very evenly matched and I just don't know who the best one is. But I was impressed with Smiling Tiger's last race and he has been training nicely. I almost picked Wise Dan on top, but I'm not exactly sure just how good his performance in the Phoenix really was.
But whoever wins, the Sprint is always a great race to watch and I'll be enjoying it.
TURF SPRINT
If you thought that the Juvenile Turf and Sprint were hard to handicap, this race is at least twice as difficult and four times as confusing. There are fourteen horses entered to run, and I would not be surprised if any of them won. They are very evenly matched and this is the kind of race where you just pick a name from a hat and hope for the best.
There are eight horses that I really, really like here ---- Central City, Chamberlain Bridge, Due Date, Quick Enough, Rose Catherine, Silver Timber, Stradivinsky, and Unzip Me. As you can see, narrowing this race down to one horse is nearly impossible.
Silver Timber won the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint Stakes by a neck here back in April, and won the Woodford Stakes at Keeneland last time out. However, he had lost his two starts prior to that and could only manage a sixth place finish in last year's Turf Sprint.
Rose Catherine, a three year old filly, has already run well in the Breeders' Cup. She ran second in last year's Juvenile Fillies Turf. Since then, she has proven herself to be a very fine turf sprinter and won the Turf Amazon Handicap over West Ocean and Canadian Ballet last time out. She is very quick and should get a perfect trip.
Chamberlain Bridge had won three straight races, including the Turf Monster Handicap, coming into the Woodford Stakes against Silver Timber. Dropping back to last, he rallied furiously but ended up fourth, beaten a length and a half.
On the other hand, he missed his final Breeders' Cup workout due to a foot abscess. His trainer is confident that it won't matter, but I can't help but wonder. Also, he drew the rail, making his task even more difficult.
Central City ran a great race in the Woodford, finishing second, beaten a half-length. It was his first start in several months, and he does have a good performance over the Churchill turf. He could offer some real value.
Due Date is one of the few horses in this race who comes from off the pace, and he could prove very dangerous here. He finished a late running third in the Woodford Stakes, a nose behind Central City, and will benefit from the expected quick pace.
Quick Enough won the Morvich Handicap last time out in a front running effort, Stradivinsky won the Jaipur Handicap at Belmont Park before running third to Chamberlain Bridge in the Turf Monster Handicap, and Unzip Me has been running fast times against fillies and mares in California and Canada.
I have gone back and forth between all of these horses for weeks, and here's what I finally came up with in the way of picks. . .
1 Silver Timber
2 Rose Catherine
3 Central City
4 Unzip Me
5 Chamberlain Bridge
6 Due Date
7 Stradivinsky
8 Grand Adventure
9 Quick Enough
10 California Flag
11 Bridgetown
12 Canadian Ballet
13 Tropic Storm
14 Waveline
JUVENILE
Boys against Mo ---- you are either a fan of one or the other. If you are part of the minority group that picked someone else. . . you're with me.
As impressive as Boys at Tosconova and Uncle Mo have been, I'm afraid that I just couldn't pick either of them. The colt I like is Jaycito, who overcame a horrible trip to win the Norfolk Stakes last time out over a very nice colt in J P's Gusto.
True, it's very difficult to pick against Uncle Mo. Any horse who can win the Champagne Stakes in 1:34 2/5 deserves immense respect. But this will be his first time on dirt, and Jaycito has the powerful synthetic-to-dirt angle going for him.
As for Boys at Tosconova, I'm worried about the fact that he is coming into this race having not raced since early September. In addition, this will be his first start beyond seven furlongs.
A couple of other interesting horses are J P's Gusto and Murjan. Like I mentioned above, J P's Gusto ran second to Jaycito in the Norfolk. Prior to that, he had won four consecutive stakes races. Like Jaycito, he is eligible to improve on dirt and may be overlooked in the betting. Murjan has won all three of his starts in Peru, is proven on dirt, but is taking a big step up in class. Still, at 30-1 on the morning line he is a very interesting colt.
Here are my picks. . .
1 Jaycito
2 Uncle Mo
3 Murjan
4 J P's Gusto
5 Boys at Tosconova
6 Stay Thirsty
7 Biondetti
8 Rogue Romance
9 J. B.'s Thunder
10 Riveting Reason
I'm afraid I just don't believe that Boys at Tosconova can win this race. I may switch my pick to Uncle Mo later today if he looks really good in the post parade or something similar, but for now my pick is Jaycito.
MILE
Almost as exciting as Zenyatta going for her second Classic victory is Goldikova's quest for her third consecutive Breeders' Cup Mile ---- a feat that has yet to be accomplished in twenty-six years of Breeders' Cup history.
To date, only one horse has even attempted to win three straight Breeders' Cup races ---- Lure won the Mile two consecutive times, but ran poorly in his attempt to win a third. Interestingly, the Breeders' Cup was being held at Churchill Downs the year he failed. . .
Hopefully, Goldikova will fare better.
She will have a tough task this year, perhaps her toughest yet. She drew gate ten of eleven for today's race, which is definitely not good. Attempting to steal the Mile out from under her will be her longtime rival Paco Boy, the ever-game Gio Ponti, a California speedball named Sidney's Candy, a winner of four consecutive grade I races in Proviso, and a host of other classy stakes winners.
However, it can be argued that Goldikova is better this year than ever before ---- and she will get the firm turf course that she loves. Therefore, I'm going to pick her to win even though she is likely vulnerable.
For second, it's tough to say. Proviso is a very nice mare, but drew gate eleven. Gio Ponti is a monster and was very impressive in his last start, but beating Goldikova is going to be a much tougher task.
Court Vision could offer a decent price and a good chance at stealing a piece of the money. At 12-1 on the morning line, he brings excellent credentials into the race. He ran a close fourth in last year's Mile and comes off of a sharp win in the Woodbine Mile in Canada. He should love Churchill's long homestretch and with a good trip, he'll be right there.
My picks are these. . .
1 Goldikova
2 Gio Ponti
3 Court Vision
4 Proviso
5 The Usual Q T
6 Paco Boy
7 Society's Chairman
8 Get Stormy
9 Beethoven
10 Sideny's Candy
11 Delegator
DIRT MILE
I think I have a pretty good idea on what's going to happen here, unlike most of these races. :)
My pick is Here Comes Ben, winner of the Forego Stakes last time out. He was running great at Churchill earlier this year in seven furlong races and should have no trouble stretching out to a one-turn mile. I do believe that this is his race to lose.
For second, I like Thiskyhasnolimit, who won the Iroquios Stakes here at Churchill last fall and has been training great. Overall, he is 3-for-4 at Churchill. He finished second to Lookin at Lucky last time out and should run better than his 10-1 morning line odds.
Tizway and Mad Flatter are also intriguing. Tizway ran huge in the Kelso Handicap last time out, dominating by five lengths in his first start off of a layoff, and may run even better this time. Mad Flatter ran the best race of his career last time out when he won the Spend a Buck Handicap at Calder over defending winner Mambo Meister. If he runs just as well today, he will be difficult to beat.
The morning line favorite in this race is a horse named Morning Line. Winner of the Pennsylvania Derby last time out, the lightly raced son of Tiznow looks like a very promising youngster but may be in a bit over his head.
Vineyard Haven is an interesting contender, but he did not run well in his last race, the Forego Stakes at seven furlongs, and seems to have a bit of stamina limitations. Also, he drew gate twelve, and the front-running colt may have to be used early to get good position.
Here are my picks. . .
1 Here Comes Ben
2 Thiskyhasnolimit
3 Tizway
4 Vineyard Haven
5 Gayego
6 Mad Flatter
7 Morning Line
8 Cool Coal Man
9 Hurricane Ike
10 Dakota Phone
11 Aikenite
12 Mine That Bird
TURF
The heavy favorite here is going to be Workforce, who won the Epsom Derby is record time earlier this year and last time out won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by a neck. However, his connections have yet to guarantee that he will run, for they are concerned about the Churchill turf course being too firm due to lack of rain. Even if he does run, I'm not going to pick him. The debate over whether or not to run him leaves me wondering if he is vulnerable, and no Arc winner has ever come back to win the Breeders' Cup Turf.
I have thought long and hard about picking Behkabad, and perhaps this is being overcautious, but he has been running at Longchamp with its right-handed turns. He will probably adapt to the left-handed Churchill course just fine, but this fact does leave me with nagging doubts.
I have thought long and hard about picking Debussy. Winner of the Arlington Million back in August, he seemed to love American racing but a mile and a half may be out of his range.
I have thought long and hard about picking Dangerous Midge. The four year old colt by Lion Heart seems to be getting better and better, and was dominant in the Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial last time out, winning the eleven furlong event by four lengths. On the other hand, Lion Heart had distance limitations, which makes me wonder if Dangerous Midge has them too.
Winchester, Champ Pegasus, and Al Khali represent the best chance for the United States, but Winchester seems to do his best running at Belmont Park while Al Khali seems to have some distance limitations. Champ Pegasus seems to have a lot of talent, but really hasn't been tested yet.
Telling has talent, being a two-time winner of the Sword Dancer at Saratoga, but doesn't seem to run that great elsewhere.
So my picks are these. . .
1 Behkabad
2 Dangerous Midge
3 Workforce
4 Champ Pegasus
5 Winchester
6 Al Khali
7 Debussy
8 Telling
I really couldn't figure this race out. I almost picked Dangerous Midge on top, but felt that Behkabad has run better and more consistently.
Then, right as I am typing this, I check the horse racing news and find that Workforce has been scratched. This surprises and disappoints me, for I didn't think that they would scratch him after coming all this way. I was looking forward to seeing him run, but if his connections felt that it wasn't a good idea to run him, that's more important than any horse race.
So my new picks are these. . .
1 Behkabad
2 Dangerous Midge
3 Champ Pegasus
4 Winchester
5 Al Khali
6 Debussy
7 Telling
CLASSIC
This is the race that everyone has anticipated. For months, Zenyatta has been aimed for a repeat performance on the biggest stage in racing.
There is no way that I can pick against the spectacular mare, whom I feel is one of the greatest racehorses of all time. I do believe that she likes dirt better than synthetics, I do believe that her best distance is a mile and a quarter or further, and I do believe that she can beat Blame, Quality Road, Lookin at Lucky, and all of the other fine colts that will be running against her.
As I have not quite finished handicapping the race, I will not list my full picks. I will post them later today. But Zenyatta is my pick on top, as she nears the final start of her long, illustrious career. A victory here would allow her to retire 20-for-20 with three Breeders' Cup wins, including one of the Classic. In my opinion, that would rank her among the top ten racehorses of all time.
Enjoy the races everyone!
-Keelerman
Friday, November 05, 2010
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 9
6:46;
Unrivaled Belle held off the late run of Blind Luck to pull off a 7-1 upset in the Ladies' Classic. It concluded a day of upset in the Breeders' Cup, with five of the six championship races being won in upset fashion.
The pick six was not hit, which means an extremely large carryover will be up for grabs tomorrow.
I hope you enjoyed the races! Be sure to come back tomorrow, as I will be updating live again through out the day as post time for the Breeders' Cup Classic inches closer. Can Zenyatta retire undefeated? We'll find out tomorrow!
-Keelerman
Unrivaled Belle held off the late run of Blind Luck to pull off a 7-1 upset in the Ladies' Classic. It concluded a day of upset in the Breeders' Cup, with five of the six championship races being won in upset fashion.
The pick six was not hit, which means an extremely large carryover will be up for grabs tomorrow.
I hope you enjoyed the races! Be sure to come back tomorrow, as I will be updating live again through out the day as post time for the Breeders' Cup Classic inches closer. Can Zenyatta retire undefeated? We'll find out tomorrow!
-Keelerman
UNRIVALED BELLE WINS THE LADIES' CLASSIC!
Unrivaled Belle pulled off a 7-1 upset in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, holding off the late runs of Blind Luck and Havre de Grace to win by two lengths.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Unrivaled Belle raced close to the lead and got the jump on her younger rivals to win the biggest race of her career.
Life At Ten, the second choice, broke well but dropped back to last and showed no interest in running. She was eased and did not finish the race.
Blind Luck sat next to last early and made her strong late run, getting past Havre de Grace in the stretch but just simply couldn't catch the winner.
The final time was 1:50 flat. It's Tea Time finished fourth.
Unrivaled Belle's upset concluded a day of of upsets in the Breeders' Cup, with five of the six championship races being won in upset fashion.
-Keelerman
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Unrivaled Belle raced close to the lead and got the jump on her younger rivals to win the biggest race of her career.
Life At Ten, the second choice, broke well but dropped back to last and showed no interest in running. She was eased and did not finish the race.
Blind Luck sat next to last early and made her strong late run, getting past Havre de Grace in the stretch but just simply couldn't catch the winner.
The final time was 1:50 flat. It's Tea Time finished fourth.
Unrivaled Belle's upset concluded a day of of upsets in the Breeders' Cup, with five of the six championship races being won in upset fashion.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 8
6:20;
The biggest upset in the history of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf occured tonight when 45-1 shot Shared Account outdualed Midday to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf by a neck.
The upset guarantees a pick six carryover for tomorrow's card, a carryover which will like be of astronomical proportions.
The final race of the night is the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, which is currently thirteen minutes away. To be run under the lights for the first time, the favorite at the moment is Blind Luck at 8-5. Life at Ten is 3-1, Havre de Grace 7-1, and Unrivaled Belle 6-1.
If Blind Luck wins this race, she is the Champion 3yo filly. She will likely be the champion even if she loses the race.
However, if Havre de Grace was to win here tonight, it would re-open discussion as to who will be the champion. Havre de Grace defeated Blind Luck in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes last time out and a decisive victory over her rival today could earn her the Eclipse award.
Therefore, a lot is riding on the results of tonight's Ladies' Classic.
6:27;
The race is now only eight minutes away. Blind Luck has risen just a tad to 9-5, as has Life At Ten, who is currently 7-2.
Acting Happy at 20-1 is interesting. She ran a good third to Blind Luck and Havre de Grace in the Alabama Stakes, and has credential good enough to warrant consideration here.
6:33;
Post time is now just two minutes away. Blind Luck is once again 8-5. Whoever wins, this is going to be a great race.
The long stretch should help Blind Luck's chances. But the big question that I am asking is can Havre de Grace hold off Blind Luck again? She just keeps getting better and better, it's entirely possible that she could get the jump on the Kentucky Oaks winner and pull off a mild upset.
They're loading into the gate!
The biggest upset in the history of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf occured tonight when 45-1 shot Shared Account outdualed Midday to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf by a neck.
The upset guarantees a pick six carryover for tomorrow's card, a carryover which will like be of astronomical proportions.
The final race of the night is the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, which is currently thirteen minutes away. To be run under the lights for the first time, the favorite at the moment is Blind Luck at 8-5. Life at Ten is 3-1, Havre de Grace 7-1, and Unrivaled Belle 6-1.
If Blind Luck wins this race, she is the Champion 3yo filly. She will likely be the champion even if she loses the race.
However, if Havre de Grace was to win here tonight, it would re-open discussion as to who will be the champion. Havre de Grace defeated Blind Luck in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes last time out and a decisive victory over her rival today could earn her the Eclipse award.
Therefore, a lot is riding on the results of tonight's Ladies' Classic.
6:27;
The race is now only eight minutes away. Blind Luck has risen just a tad to 9-5, as has Life At Ten, who is currently 7-2.
Acting Happy at 20-1 is interesting. She ran a good third to Blind Luck and Havre de Grace in the Alabama Stakes, and has credential good enough to warrant consideration here.
6:33;
Post time is now just two minutes away. Blind Luck is once again 8-5. Whoever wins, this is going to be a great race.
The long stretch should help Blind Luck's chances. But the big question that I am asking is can Havre de Grace hold off Blind Luck again? She just keeps getting better and better, it's entirely possible that she could get the jump on the Kentucky Oaks winner and pull off a mild upset.
They're loading into the gate!
SHARED ACCOUNT WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE TURF!
,Shared Account pulled one of the most shocking upsets in Breeders' Cup history when she rallied along the rail to score a 45-1 upset in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Ridden by Edgar Prado, Shared Account sat off the early pace set by Plumania and outfought heavily favored Midday to win by a neck.
Midday ran into some serious traffic as the turned for home, but did find an opening and rallied strongly to finish second, but just couldn't wear down the winner.
Keertana, at odds of 31-1, finished third. Red Desire finished fourth. Forever Together rallied late, and although she didn't hit the board, was only beaten about three lengths.
-Keelerman
Ridden by Edgar Prado, Shared Account sat off the early pace set by Plumania and outfought heavily favored Midday to win by a neck.
Midday ran into some serious traffic as the turned for home, but did find an opening and rallied strongly to finish second, but just couldn't wear down the winner.
Keertana, at odds of 31-1, finished third. Red Desire finished fourth. Forever Together rallied late, and although she didn't hit the board, was only beaten about three lengths.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 7
5:29;
Well, Awesome Feather is still unbeaten. She was thoroughly tested today and proved that she is the best two-year-old filly in the country. She will without a doubt recieve the Eclipse award and looks like the early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks.
The next race is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. It's currently 21 minutes to post, and Midday is the heavy favorite as expected, sitting at 4-5 right now. Red Desire is the second choice at 4-1.
5:37;
Thirteen minutes to post now and the odds really haven't changed much. Midday is still 4-5, with Red Desire still 4-1. Harmonious is the 5-1 third choice.
Forever Together is 28-1.
28-1.
I find that surprising, even though her last race was disappointing. I would think that being the 2008 winner of this race would drive her odds down, but I guess not.
5:50;
It's post time now and Midday is still the 4-5 favorite. Can win this race for a second consecutive time? Or will Red Desire pull off a mild upset?
I'll be back with the results momentarily.
-Keelerman
Well, Awesome Feather is still unbeaten. She was thoroughly tested today and proved that she is the best two-year-old filly in the country. She will without a doubt recieve the Eclipse award and looks like the early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks.
The next race is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. It's currently 21 minutes to post, and Midday is the heavy favorite as expected, sitting at 4-5 right now. Red Desire is the second choice at 4-1.
5:37;
Thirteen minutes to post now and the odds really haven't changed much. Midday is still 4-5, with Red Desire still 4-1. Harmonious is the 5-1 third choice.
Forever Together is 28-1.
28-1.
I find that surprising, even though her last race was disappointing. I would think that being the 2008 winner of this race would drive her odds down, but I guess not.
5:50;
It's post time now and Midday is still the 4-5 favorite. Can win this race for a second consecutive time? Or will Red Desire pull off a mild upset?
I'll be back with the results momentarily.
-Keelerman
AWESOME FEATHER WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES!
Awesome Feather brought her unbeaten streak to six wins when she put away R Heat Lightning in late stretch to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies by a little over a length.
Having raced at Calder Race Course for her entire career, Awesome Feather was a bit of a question mark against this classy group of juveniles, but she proved classiest of all under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez.
The early pace was set by R Heat Lightning, who broke quickly andwent straight to the lead. Several other horses were in contention for second, and Awesome Feather was never too far back.
As the field turned for home, Awesome Feather moved up to challenge R Heat Lightning on the outside and the two fillies dualed down the homestretch, with Awesome Feather finally pulling away late to score.
R Heat Lightning held second, with Delightful Mary finishing third. Impressive maiden winner Believe in A.P. finished fourth.
The final time was 1:45 flat.
-Keelerman
Having raced at Calder Race Course for her entire career, Awesome Feather was a bit of a question mark against this classy group of juveniles, but she proved classiest of all under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez.
The early pace was set by R Heat Lightning, who broke quickly andwent straight to the lead. Several other horses were in contention for second, and Awesome Feather was never too far back.
As the field turned for home, Awesome Feather moved up to challenge R Heat Lightning on the outside and the two fillies dualed down the homestretch, with Awesome Feather finally pulling away late to score.
R Heat Lightning held second, with Delightful Mary finishing third. Impressive maiden winner Believe in A.P. finished fourth.
The final time was 1:45 flat.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 6
4:45;
Dubai Majesty proved how much she loved Churchill Downs by winning the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by two lengths. Switch ran second, which bodes well for Zenyatta's chances in the Classic tomorrow.
The Juvenile Fillies is up next, and Theysken's Theory has opened as the surprising favorite at 3-1. Awesome Feather is the second choice at 4-1, with A Z Warrior and Tell a Kelly both 5-1.
There is one scratch, Indian Gracey.
5:02;
I am surprised by the heavy betting on Theysken's Theory. 10-1 on the morning line, she is now the 4-1 favorite. Awesome Feather is also 4-1. Tell a Kelly is 9-2. The question is, can the Borel Factor pull Tell a Kelly through? Or is she merely a late-running sprinter who can't effectively go two turns?
5:08;
Four minutes away from post time now, and the narrowest of favorites is now A Z Warrior, winner of the Frizette Stakes last time out. Theysken's Theory is now the second choice.
They loading into the gate now. . . I'll be back with the results shortly.
Dubai Majesty proved how much she loved Churchill Downs by winning the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by two lengths. Switch ran second, which bodes well for Zenyatta's chances in the Classic tomorrow.
The Juvenile Fillies is up next, and Theysken's Theory has opened as the surprising favorite at 3-1. Awesome Feather is the second choice at 4-1, with A Z Warrior and Tell a Kelly both 5-1.
There is one scratch, Indian Gracey.
5:02;
I am surprised by the heavy betting on Theysken's Theory. 10-1 on the morning line, she is now the 4-1 favorite. Awesome Feather is also 4-1. Tell a Kelly is 9-2. The question is, can the Borel Factor pull Tell a Kelly through? Or is she merely a late-running sprinter who can't effectively go two turns?
5:08;
Four minutes away from post time now, and the narrowest of favorites is now A Z Warrior, winner of the Frizette Stakes last time out. Theysken's Theory is now the second choice.
They loading into the gate now. . . I'll be back with the results shortly.
DUBAI MAJESTY WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP FILLY & MARE SPRINT!
Dubai Majesty overcame gate twelve, a wide trip, and a change of running style to easily win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by about two lengths.
Gabby's Golden Gal set the early pace, followed closely by Champagne d'Oro, Secret Gypsy, and Dubai Majesty. Favored Sara Louise blew the break and was never in contention.
Gabby's Golden Gal faded as the field turned for home, and Dubai Majesty came on strongly to take the lead. Switch made a mild rally to grab second, but was not good enough to challenge the winner.
Evening Jewel finished third, followed by Champagne d'Oro. The final time was 1:22 1/5.
-Keelerman
Gabby's Golden Gal set the early pace, followed closely by Champagne d'Oro, Secret Gypsy, and Dubai Majesty. Favored Sara Louise blew the break and was never in contention.
Gabby's Golden Gal faded as the field turned for home, and Dubai Majesty came on strongly to take the lead. Switch made a mild rally to grab second, but was not good enough to challenge the winner.
Evening Jewel finished third, followed by Champagne d'Oro. The final time was 1:22 1/5.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 5
4:10;
More Than Real proved best in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Heavy favorite Winter Memories did not get the best of trips, ending up second.
The next race is the Filly & Mare Sprint. Already we have seen a 10-1 upset and a 13-1 upset, which makes me wonder what kind of prices we might see in the even harder to decipher Filly & Mare Sprint.
Amazingly, Sara Louise, coming off of a third place finish in the Gallant Bloom Handicap, has opened as the 3-1 favorite. Champagne d'Oro is 7-2, while my pick Dubai Majesty is 18-1.
4:24;
It is now eleven minutes to post time. Sara Louise is still the favorite, although she has risen slightly to 7-2. Champagne d'Oro is the 9-2 second choice, with last year's winner Informed Decision 6-1.
Dubai Majesty has dropped to 11-1.
4:28;
Seven minutes to post and Sara Louise has continued to rise in price; she is now 4-1.
Moontune Missy at 50-1 is a bit surprising. She ran great in the Gallant Bloom Handicap, finishing second by a head, and was well clear of Sara Louise. Now, the latter is likely going to improve in her second start back, but still. . .
More Than Real proved best in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Heavy favorite Winter Memories did not get the best of trips, ending up second.
The next race is the Filly & Mare Sprint. Already we have seen a 10-1 upset and a 13-1 upset, which makes me wonder what kind of prices we might see in the even harder to decipher Filly & Mare Sprint.
Amazingly, Sara Louise, coming off of a third place finish in the Gallant Bloom Handicap, has opened as the 3-1 favorite. Champagne d'Oro is 7-2, while my pick Dubai Majesty is 18-1.
4:24;
It is now eleven minutes to post time. Sara Louise is still the favorite, although she has risen slightly to 7-2. Champagne d'Oro is the 9-2 second choice, with last year's winner Informed Decision 6-1.
Dubai Majesty has dropped to 11-1.
4:28;
Seven minutes to post and Sara Louise has continued to rise in price; she is now 4-1.
Moontune Missy at 50-1 is a bit surprising. She ran great in the Gallant Bloom Handicap, finishing second by a head, and was well clear of Sara Louise. Now, the latter is likely going to improve in her second start back, but still. . .
MORE THAN REAL WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF!
More Than Real rallied rapidly on the outside to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf by a decisive two and a half lengths.
Sent off at 13-1, More Than Real sat well off the pace before charging to the lead. Winter Memories, the even money favorite, ran into some trouble as the field turned for home. It appears as though More Than Real cut in front of Winter Memories, who did manage to rally for second. An objection has been filed by Jose Lezcano, jockey of Winter Memories, against the rider of More Than Real for interference.
The early pace was set by 85-1 shot Dos Lunas, who tired after setting good fractions of :23 2/5 and :47 2/5.
The final time was 1:36 3/5.
No action has been taken against the winners, so the final order of finish is More Than Real, Winter Memories, Kathmanblu and Forest Legend.
-Keelerman
Sent off at 13-1, More Than Real sat well off the pace before charging to the lead. Winter Memories, the even money favorite, ran into some trouble as the field turned for home. It appears as though More Than Real cut in front of Winter Memories, who did manage to rally for second. An objection has been filed by Jose Lezcano, jockey of Winter Memories, against the rider of More Than Real for interference.
The early pace was set by 85-1 shot Dos Lunas, who tired after setting good fractions of :23 2/5 and :47 2/5.
The final time was 1:36 3/5.
No action has been taken against the winners, so the final order of finish is More Than Real, Winter Memories, Kathmanblu and Forest Legend.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 4
3:36;
The next Breeders' Cup race, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, is only nineteen minutes away.
For those of you who read my post concerning my picks for these races, I finally decided to stick with New Normal and hope that she can hold off Winter Memories.
The odds don't agree with my picks --- Winter Memories is currently the 4-5 favorite, with New Normal lightly regarded at 15-1.
The second choice is currently Kathmanblu at 6-1, with Together the third choice at 7-1.
3:42;
Does anyone else think that Dos Lunas is just a tad underbet at 71-1? She does have a nice win over this course.
Winter Memories is now even money. . . New Normal has dropped a tad to 14-1. This is going to be a very interesting race to watch.
4:49;
It's now just six minutes away. Interestingly, my pick for third, Allure d'Amour, is currently 36-1. Never ignore a Todd Pletcher juvenile. . . :)
Winter Memories is still even money, but New Normal has dropped to 12-1. I will be back with the results shortly.
The next Breeders' Cup race, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, is only nineteen minutes away.
For those of you who read my post concerning my picks for these races, I finally decided to stick with New Normal and hope that she can hold off Winter Memories.
The odds don't agree with my picks --- Winter Memories is currently the 4-5 favorite, with New Normal lightly regarded at 15-1.
The second choice is currently Kathmanblu at 6-1, with Together the third choice at 7-1.
3:42;
Does anyone else think that Dos Lunas is just a tad underbet at 71-1? She does have a nice win over this course.
Winter Memories is now even money. . . New Normal has dropped a tad to 14-1. This is going to be a very interesting race to watch.
4:49;
It's now just six minutes away. Interestingly, my pick for third, Allure d'Amour, is currently 36-1. Never ignore a Todd Pletcher juvenile. . . :)
Winter Memories is still even money, but New Normal has dropped to 12-1. I will be back with the results shortly.
ELDAAFER WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP MARATHON!
Eldaafer proved himself to be one of the best stayers in the country by outgrinding Prince Will I Am and Gabriel's Hill to win the third running of the Breeders' Cup Marathon.
Eldaafer sat off of the early pace set by Gabriel's Hill, who rattled off fractions of :24 4/5, :51 2/5, and 1:17 2/5. Romp was sitting in second, followed by Precision Break in the early going.
The positions continued pretty much unchanged for much of the race, although Giant Oak and Awesome Gem made strong early moves before both flattened out.
At the five-sixteenths pole, Prince Will I Am drifted out a bit and caused Romp to clip heels. The left foot of Romp's rider, Martin Garcia, came out of the stirrup but he managed to stay on his mount.
As the field turned for home, Gabriel's Hill still held the lead, but Eldaafer and Prince Will I Am were charging strongly. Eldaafer ended up in front by two lengths at the finish, with Prince Will I Am finishing second.
However, there was an inquiry concerning the incident at the five-sixteenths pole, and Prince Will I Am was disqualified and placed tenth. Therefore, Gabriel's Hill was moved up to second, A. U. Miner to third, and Giant Oak to fourth.
The final time was 2:59 3/5, which broke a fifteen year old track record.
-Keelerman
Eldaafer sat off of the early pace set by Gabriel's Hill, who rattled off fractions of :24 4/5, :51 2/5, and 1:17 2/5. Romp was sitting in second, followed by Precision Break in the early going.
The positions continued pretty much unchanged for much of the race, although Giant Oak and Awesome Gem made strong early moves before both flattened out.
At the five-sixteenths pole, Prince Will I Am drifted out a bit and caused Romp to clip heels. The left foot of Romp's rider, Martin Garcia, came out of the stirrup but he managed to stay on his mount.
As the field turned for home, Gabriel's Hill still held the lead, but Eldaafer and Prince Will I Am were charging strongly. Eldaafer ended up in front by two lengths at the finish, with Prince Will I Am finishing second.
However, there was an inquiry concerning the incident at the five-sixteenths pole, and Prince Will I Am was disqualified and placed tenth. Therefore, Gabriel's Hill was moved up to second, A. U. Miner to third, and Giant Oak to fourth.
The final time was 2:59 3/5, which broke a fifteen year old track record.
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 3
3:07;
It's now just two minutes to post time for the Marathon. Giant Oak is now the 4-1 favorite. Although this race has no championship implications, it's still a good race to watch.
They are loading into the gates now. . . I'll post the results in a moment.
3:17;
Well, Eldaafer proved just how good a stayer he is by merely outgrinding his opponents to win the Marathon by two lengths over Prince Will I Am and Gabriel's Hill.
There is an inquiry into the order of finish, however. It appears that runner-up Prince Will I Am drifted out and interfered with Romp, causing him to nearly clip heels. A. U. Miner is also part of the inquiry.
However, Eldaafer is not included in the inquiry and is the winner.
It's now just two minutes to post time for the Marathon. Giant Oak is now the 4-1 favorite. Although this race has no championship implications, it's still a good race to watch.
They are loading into the gates now. . . I'll post the results in a moment.
3:17;
Well, Eldaafer proved just how good a stayer he is by merely outgrinding his opponents to win the Marathon by two lengths over Prince Will I Am and Gabriel's Hill.
There is an inquiry into the order of finish, however. It appears that runner-up Prince Will I Am drifted out and interfered with Romp, causing him to nearly clip heels. A. U. Miner is also part of the inquiry.
However, Eldaafer is not included in the inquiry and is the winner.
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 2
The odds have remained fairly steady. Prince Will I Am is still the favorite at 9-2.
The longest shot in the field is Million Seller at 62-1.
The Marathon is the first race of the $750,000 guaranteed all-Breeders' Cup Pick 6.
This is one of my favorite Breeders' Cup races, strictly because it is fourteen furlongs in distance. There are very few races of this length in the United States and it is a pleasant change from the typical shorter races that comprise most cards here in America.
2:58;
Giant Oak is now the favorite at 9-2. Prince Will I Am has risen to 5-1. Otherwise, the odds have remained fairly steady.
I'll be back shortly. . .
-Keelerman
The longest shot in the field is Million Seller at 62-1.
The Marathon is the first race of the $750,000 guaranteed all-Breeders' Cup Pick 6.
This is one of my favorite Breeders' Cup races, strictly because it is fourteen furlongs in distance. There are very few races of this length in the United States and it is a pleasant change from the typical shorter races that comprise most cards here in America.
2:58;
Giant Oak is now the favorite at 9-2. Prince Will I Am has risen to 5-1. Otherwise, the odds have remained fairly steady.
I'll be back shortly. . .
-Keelerman
BREEDERS' CUP UPDATE 1
It is currently 32 minutes until the first of the fourteen Breeders' Cup races, the Marathon. The early wagering favorite is Prince Will I Am at 9-2. Giant Oak and Bright Horizon are both 5-1, with A. U. Miner at 6-1 and Awesome Gem 7-1.
The main track is listed as fast and the turf as firm. Here are the results so far. . .
Race 1: Glenwood Canyon
Race 2: China
Race 3: Noble's Promise
Race 4: Apart
The fifth race is the upcoming Marathon.
-Keelerman
The main track is listed as fast and the turf as firm. Here are the results so far. . .
Race 1: Glenwood Canyon
Race 2: China
Race 3: Noble's Promise
Race 4: Apart
The fifth race is the upcoming Marathon.
-Keelerman
Thursday, November 04, 2010
BREEDERS' CUP FRIDAY PICKS
At long last, the moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived.
The Breeders' Cup is finally here.
On Saturday, in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Zenyatta will take on the best males in the country as she attempts to retire undefeated with twenty wins. A few races prior, Goldikova will go for her unprecedented third consecutive Breeders' Cup Mile victory.
But before all that happens, there is Breeders' Cup Friday, which consists of the five races restricted to fillies & mares, as well as the Breeders' Cup Marathon. I shall handicap these races today and make my picks.
I'll begin with the Marathon.
MARATHON
I've gone back and forth here for a while now, and I'm still not certain who to pick. I love Prince Will I Am's pedigree, and he should relish the mile and three quarters distance, but I just can't convince myself to pick him, partly because his biggest success has come on turf.
The morning line favorite is Awesome Gem, and he certainly seems like a horse who would love the added distance, but I have this nagging feeling that fourteen furlongs is a bit out of his range.
One horse that intrigues me is the 10-1 shot Bright Horizon. A three year old shipper from Europe, he is trained by Aidan O'Brien and comes into the Breeders' Cup off of a very easy victory going two miles in Ireland. Now, that race was on turf, but because he has won over two miles, I'll take him over Prince Will I Am.
Then of course, there is the other European, Precision Break. He tired badly and finished sixteenth in his last start, the two and a quarter mile Totesport.com Cesarewitch Handicap, but that race is a half mile longer than the upcoming Marathon. However, I can't pick him over Bright Horizon.
Giant Oak and A. U. Miner are also interesting. The two-three finishers in the Hawthorne Gold Cup, the former is bred to run all day and seems to never tire, while the latter won the Greenwood Cup two starts back going a mile and a half. A. U. Miner will also be ridden by Calvin Borel, which is a big plus.
So after considerable thought, here are my top three picks. . .
1 Bright Horizon
2 A. U. Miner
3 Prince Will I Am
4 Giant Oak
5 Awesome Gem
6 Romp
7 Precision Break
8 Eldaafer
9 Alcomo
10 Atoned
11 Gabriel's Hill
12 Million Seller
Let me also take a moment to mention Romp. The six-year-old gelding won a ten furlong allowance race at Oak Tree last time out, which was his fourth win in forty-four starts. However, he has been in decent form this year and might handle the fourteen furlongs better than most. 50-1 is very interesting.
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
The obvious standout here is Winter Memories, based off of her explosive victory in the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. III) last time out and her sharp workouts since then. She will be very tough to beat indeed. However, there are plenty of fine fillies in this race that are capable of pulling off an upset.
First off, there is Wyomia. 12-1 on the morning line, her lone start on turf yielded a fifth place finish in her maiden race, but she has become quite a bit better since then. Her victory in the Mazarine Stakes (gr. III) on Woodbine's synthetic track was very sharp and she defeated a nice filly in Delightful Mary. She should be in contention at the top of the stretch.
Then there are the four European shippers: Flood Plain, Quiet Oasis, Tale Untold, and Together. It's hard to pick which one is best, for Tale Untold and Together seem to be pretty evenly matched and the others aren't too far behind.
Together finished second in the group I Meon Valley Stud Fillies Mile Stakes, beaten a neck by White Moonstone while finishing a length and a quarter in front of Theysken's Theory. She ran third in her next start a week later, an allowance race over seven furlongs. However, she was only beaten a neck by Masaya and Tale Untold. Add that to the fact that she is trained by Aidan O'Brian and will be running on Lasix for the first time and you have yourself a very tough little contender. Unfortunately, she drew gate thirteen.
Tale Untold has made four starts, but has only emerged victorious from one of them. However, she has yet to be beaten by more than a length and three quarters and has lost her last two races by two noses, including the allowance race where she beat Together. Trained by Brian Meehan, she will be running with Lasix for the first time and could prove tough to beat at odds of 15-1.
New Normal could get the best trip, however, and it would not be surprising to see her win. Last time out, she went wire-to-wire in the one mile Natalma Stakes (gr. III) on the turf at Woodbine and has Javier Castellano in the saddle, which is a big plus.
So here are my picks. . .
1 New Normal
2 Winter Memories
3 Allure d'Amour
4 Together
5 Kathmanblu
6 Tale Untold
7 Wyomia
8 More Than Real
9 Quiet Oasis
10 Fancy Point
11 Flood Plain
12 Dos Lunas
13 Arch Support
14 Forest Legend
It's very difficult to pick against a horse like Winter Memories, and it's even harder to pick against the Europeans, but I was extremely impressed with New Normal's run in the Natalma Stakes and she should be just as tough to beat tomorrow.
On the other hand, I can make a strong case for Winter Memories and at this time, I’m not sure if I will actual stick with New Normal. If I do change my pick, I will post it here on my blog prior to the race.
As for the others, Allure d'Amour was very impressive breaking her maiden for Todd Pletcher and should only improve entering this race.
Together is likely the best of the Europeans, but I’m just not sure how well is going to handle gate thirteen.
On a side note, if Nina Fever draws into the Juvenile Turf, forget everything I just said. If she draws into the race, than I do believe that she is capable of a top three finish.
FILLY & MARE SPRINT
This is practically a pick-a-name-from-a-hat-and-hope-for-the-best type of race. With fourteen runners and two also-eligibles, the race is wide open. Whoever wins will likely be voted the Champion Female Sprinter at the Eclipse awards.
Prior to the post-position draw, it was fairly obvious who the horses to beat were --- Rightly So, Dubai Majesty, and Champagne d'Oro. Unfortunately, those three drew post positions twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, respectively. So, if you want to take a stand against them, there is plenty of value available.
How about Gabby's Golden Gal? She has not raced since winning the Santa Monica Handicap (gr. I) in January, but in that race she defeated Proviso, who has won four consecutive grade I races since then. She has been training nicely and if she is ready to run, she will be dangerous.
Informed Decision, winner of this race last year at Santa Anita, seems to have lost a step this year and has never liked dirt as well as synthetics. But she may just get a good trip tomorrow and if so, I would not be surprised to see her rally for a piece of the money.
Then there is Evening Jewel. She has not sprinted in a while, but she finished second, beaten a nose, in the Kentucky Oaks here at Churchill Downs back in April and has shown early speed in the past. Seven furlongs may be exactly what she wants.
Sara Louise, from the powerful Godolphin Racing, is eligible to improve in her second start off of a length layoff. My Jen, who beat Sara Louise in the Gallant Bloom Handicap, should be running late if the pace is quick.
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with my picks here, but I finally came up with these. . .
1 Dubai Majesty
2 Champagne d'Oro
3 Gabby's Golden Gal
4 Evening Jewel
5 Sara Louise
6 Informed Decision
7 My Jen
8 Rightly So
9 Secret Gypsy
10 Rinterval
11 Moontune Missy
12 Jessica is Back
13 Sweet August Moon
14 Switch
It's very possible that Dubai Majesty can't get seven furlongs, and it's even more possible that she will get a poor trip due to her post position, but she ran so well here at Churchill Downs earlier this year and is in such great form that I have to pick her. Champagne d'Oro loves seven furlongs, but drew a terrible post position. I would pick Gabby's Golden Gal if she had just a bit more seasoning under her, but having not raced since January, I can't make her my top pick.
JUVENILE FILLIES
Like the Filly & Mare Sprint, this is a very difficult race to handicap, but at least here there are a few standouts to pick from.
The morning line favorite is A Z Warrior, winner of the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park last time out. However, she has yet to run in a two-turn race, which makes her a little bit of a question mark.
Second choice on the morning line is R Heat Lightning, who finished second to A Z Warrior in the Frizette. Prior to that performance, she was the impressive winner of the Spinaway Stakes. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she also has never gone two turns.
However, I like the third and fourth choices, Awesome Feather and Tell a Kelly. Awesome Feather is undefeated in five starts, won her last race by eight lengths, and has traveled around two-turns before. However, she is taking a large step up in class. Tell a Kelly was extremely impressive while winning the Darley Debutante Stakes at Del Mar, but could manage only a second place finish in the Oak Leaf Stakes going two-turns for the first time. However, she does have what I call the Borel Factor in her favor, as she will be ridden by the King of Churchill Downs for the first time.
Also interesting are Delightful Mary and Believe in A. P. The former won her first two starts at Woodbine before running second in the Mazarine Stakes. She has been training very nicely at Churchill Downs. The latter broke her maiden by almost thirteen lengths last time out and seems to have a lot of untapped potential.
Like I said, handicapping this race is difficult, but here are my picks. . .
1 Tell a Kelly
2 Awesome Feather
3 A Z Warrior
4 Believe in A.P.
5 Indian Gracey
6 Delightful Mary
7 R Heat Lightning
8 Theysken's Theory
9 Joyful Victory
10 Izshelegal
11 Jordy Y
12 Harlan's Ruby
13 Soundwave
Although I did not pick her to finish in the top three, I do believe that Indian Gracey is capable of improving here on the Churchill Downs main track. The front-running filly ran third in the Oak Leaf Stakes last time out and may be able to take this field a long way on the lead from gate one.
FILLY & MARE TURF
This race is pretty much being billed as Midday against Red Desire and it will probably come down to that.
Midday, winner of this race last year, has won three of her four starts since then, including a sharp win over Plumania in the Qatar prix Vermeille (Fr-I). Red Desire defeated Dubai World Cup winner Gloria de Campeao at Meydan earlier this year, but ran third in the Flower Bowl in her United States debut. Can she upend the defending winner?
It should be very close, but I'm going to go with Midday. She loves firm turf courses like the one that Churchill Downs is going to have tomorrow and is probably better this year than she was last year. Also, she has been carrying quite a bit more weight than Red Desire has. (On average, about nine pounds more.)
As for the contenders from the United States, I do believe that Harmonious is the best and should relish the eleven furlong distance. She won the grade I American Oaks earlier this year and won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (gr. I) last time out. Keertana and Miss Keller shouldn't be ignored either.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Midday
2 Red Desire
3 Harmonious
4 Plumania
5 Keertana
6 Forever Together
7 Eclair de Lune
8 Miss Keller
9 Shared Account
10 Hibaayeb
11 Hot Cha Cha
LADIES' CLASSIC
The highlight of Friday's card, the Ladies' Classic has drawn a solid field of eleven, with Kentucky Oaks winner Blind Luck the 9-5 morning line favorite. Havre de Grace, who upset Blind Luck in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes last time out, is back to see if she can do it again.
Among the older mares, Life At Ten is perhaps the most accomplished. She has won two grade I races this year, including the Beldame last time out. Unfortunately, she drew the rail, which does not suit her on the lead/stalk the pace running style.
One interesting longshot is Persistently, 12-1 on the morning line. Two starts back, she defeated Rachel Alexandra in the grade I Personal Ensign Stakes going a mile and a quarter. In her one start since then, she ran third to Life At Ten and Unrivaled Belle in the Beldame. However, the Beldame was a one-turn race, and Persistently is quite a bit better going two turns.
Unrivaled Belle has been training very well at Churchill Downs and upset Rachel Alexandra in the La Troinne Stakes here earlier this year. She was unable to make up any ground on Life At Ten in the stretch of the Beldame, but she certainly stands a chance here if she gets a good trip.
And of course, you mustn't ignore Seeking the Title. She did run poorly in her last start, the Indiana Oaks, but she was racing against a tremendous speed bias that day and will be ridden by Calvin Borel today. Yes, she's a longshot, but she might (might!) just hit the board at a big price.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Blind Luck
2 Havre de Grace
3 Life At Ten
4 Persistently
5 Unrivaled Belle
6 Seeking the Title
7 Malibu Prayer
8 Milwaukee Appeal
9 Acting Happy
10 Acoma
11 It's Tea Time
It's going to be a spectacular set of races! Who do you like? Are there any longshots that you feel have a good chance at winning? Feel free to comment below!
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
The Breeders' Cup is finally here.
On Saturday, in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Zenyatta will take on the best males in the country as she attempts to retire undefeated with twenty wins. A few races prior, Goldikova will go for her unprecedented third consecutive Breeders' Cup Mile victory.
But before all that happens, there is Breeders' Cup Friday, which consists of the five races restricted to fillies & mares, as well as the Breeders' Cup Marathon. I shall handicap these races today and make my picks.
I'll begin with the Marathon.
MARATHON
I've gone back and forth here for a while now, and I'm still not certain who to pick. I love Prince Will I Am's pedigree, and he should relish the mile and three quarters distance, but I just can't convince myself to pick him, partly because his biggest success has come on turf.
The morning line favorite is Awesome Gem, and he certainly seems like a horse who would love the added distance, but I have this nagging feeling that fourteen furlongs is a bit out of his range.
One horse that intrigues me is the 10-1 shot Bright Horizon. A three year old shipper from Europe, he is trained by Aidan O'Brien and comes into the Breeders' Cup off of a very easy victory going two miles in Ireland. Now, that race was on turf, but because he has won over two miles, I'll take him over Prince Will I Am.
Then of course, there is the other European, Precision Break. He tired badly and finished sixteenth in his last start, the two and a quarter mile Totesport.com Cesarewitch Handicap, but that race is a half mile longer than the upcoming Marathon. However, I can't pick him over Bright Horizon.
Giant Oak and A. U. Miner are also interesting. The two-three finishers in the Hawthorne Gold Cup, the former is bred to run all day and seems to never tire, while the latter won the Greenwood Cup two starts back going a mile and a half. A. U. Miner will also be ridden by Calvin Borel, which is a big plus.
So after considerable thought, here are my top three picks. . .
1 Bright Horizon
2 A. U. Miner
3 Prince Will I Am
4 Giant Oak
5 Awesome Gem
6 Romp
7 Precision Break
8 Eldaafer
9 Alcomo
10 Atoned
11 Gabriel's Hill
12 Million Seller
Let me also take a moment to mention Romp. The six-year-old gelding won a ten furlong allowance race at Oak Tree last time out, which was his fourth win in forty-four starts. However, he has been in decent form this year and might handle the fourteen furlongs better than most. 50-1 is very interesting.
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
The obvious standout here is Winter Memories, based off of her explosive victory in the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. III) last time out and her sharp workouts since then. She will be very tough to beat indeed. However, there are plenty of fine fillies in this race that are capable of pulling off an upset.
First off, there is Wyomia. 12-1 on the morning line, her lone start on turf yielded a fifth place finish in her maiden race, but she has become quite a bit better since then. Her victory in the Mazarine Stakes (gr. III) on Woodbine's synthetic track was very sharp and she defeated a nice filly in Delightful Mary. She should be in contention at the top of the stretch.
Then there are the four European shippers: Flood Plain, Quiet Oasis, Tale Untold, and Together. It's hard to pick which one is best, for Tale Untold and Together seem to be pretty evenly matched and the others aren't too far behind.
Together finished second in the group I Meon Valley Stud Fillies Mile Stakes, beaten a neck by White Moonstone while finishing a length and a quarter in front of Theysken's Theory. She ran third in her next start a week later, an allowance race over seven furlongs. However, she was only beaten a neck by Masaya and Tale Untold. Add that to the fact that she is trained by Aidan O'Brian and will be running on Lasix for the first time and you have yourself a very tough little contender. Unfortunately, she drew gate thirteen.
Tale Untold has made four starts, but has only emerged victorious from one of them. However, she has yet to be beaten by more than a length and three quarters and has lost her last two races by two noses, including the allowance race where she beat Together. Trained by Brian Meehan, she will be running with Lasix for the first time and could prove tough to beat at odds of 15-1.
New Normal could get the best trip, however, and it would not be surprising to see her win. Last time out, she went wire-to-wire in the one mile Natalma Stakes (gr. III) on the turf at Woodbine and has Javier Castellano in the saddle, which is a big plus.
So here are my picks. . .
1 New Normal
2 Winter Memories
3 Allure d'Amour
4 Together
5 Kathmanblu
6 Tale Untold
7 Wyomia
8 More Than Real
9 Quiet Oasis
10 Fancy Point
11 Flood Plain
12 Dos Lunas
13 Arch Support
14 Forest Legend
It's very difficult to pick against a horse like Winter Memories, and it's even harder to pick against the Europeans, but I was extremely impressed with New Normal's run in the Natalma Stakes and she should be just as tough to beat tomorrow.
On the other hand, I can make a strong case for Winter Memories and at this time, I’m not sure if I will actual stick with New Normal. If I do change my pick, I will post it here on my blog prior to the race.
As for the others, Allure d'Amour was very impressive breaking her maiden for Todd Pletcher and should only improve entering this race.
Together is likely the best of the Europeans, but I’m just not sure how well is going to handle gate thirteen.
On a side note, if Nina Fever draws into the Juvenile Turf, forget everything I just said. If she draws into the race, than I do believe that she is capable of a top three finish.
FILLY & MARE SPRINT
This is practically a pick-a-name-from-a-hat-and-hope-for-the-best type of race. With fourteen runners and two also-eligibles, the race is wide open. Whoever wins will likely be voted the Champion Female Sprinter at the Eclipse awards.
Prior to the post-position draw, it was fairly obvious who the horses to beat were --- Rightly So, Dubai Majesty, and Champagne d'Oro. Unfortunately, those three drew post positions twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, respectively. So, if you want to take a stand against them, there is plenty of value available.
How about Gabby's Golden Gal? She has not raced since winning the Santa Monica Handicap (gr. I) in January, but in that race she defeated Proviso, who has won four consecutive grade I races since then. She has been training nicely and if she is ready to run, she will be dangerous.
Informed Decision, winner of this race last year at Santa Anita, seems to have lost a step this year and has never liked dirt as well as synthetics. But she may just get a good trip tomorrow and if so, I would not be surprised to see her rally for a piece of the money.
Then there is Evening Jewel. She has not sprinted in a while, but she finished second, beaten a nose, in the Kentucky Oaks here at Churchill Downs back in April and has shown early speed in the past. Seven furlongs may be exactly what she wants.
Sara Louise, from the powerful Godolphin Racing, is eligible to improve in her second start off of a length layoff. My Jen, who beat Sara Louise in the Gallant Bloom Handicap, should be running late if the pace is quick.
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with my picks here, but I finally came up with these. . .
1 Dubai Majesty
2 Champagne d'Oro
3 Gabby's Golden Gal
4 Evening Jewel
5 Sara Louise
6 Informed Decision
7 My Jen
8 Rightly So
9 Secret Gypsy
10 Rinterval
11 Moontune Missy
12 Jessica is Back
13 Sweet August Moon
14 Switch
It's very possible that Dubai Majesty can't get seven furlongs, and it's even more possible that she will get a poor trip due to her post position, but she ran so well here at Churchill Downs earlier this year and is in such great form that I have to pick her. Champagne d'Oro loves seven furlongs, but drew a terrible post position. I would pick Gabby's Golden Gal if she had just a bit more seasoning under her, but having not raced since January, I can't make her my top pick.
JUVENILE FILLIES
Like the Filly & Mare Sprint, this is a very difficult race to handicap, but at least here there are a few standouts to pick from.
The morning line favorite is A Z Warrior, winner of the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park last time out. However, she has yet to run in a two-turn race, which makes her a little bit of a question mark.
Second choice on the morning line is R Heat Lightning, who finished second to A Z Warrior in the Frizette. Prior to that performance, she was the impressive winner of the Spinaway Stakes. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she also has never gone two turns.
However, I like the third and fourth choices, Awesome Feather and Tell a Kelly. Awesome Feather is undefeated in five starts, won her last race by eight lengths, and has traveled around two-turns before. However, she is taking a large step up in class. Tell a Kelly was extremely impressive while winning the Darley Debutante Stakes at Del Mar, but could manage only a second place finish in the Oak Leaf Stakes going two-turns for the first time. However, she does have what I call the Borel Factor in her favor, as she will be ridden by the King of Churchill Downs for the first time.
Also interesting are Delightful Mary and Believe in A. P. The former won her first two starts at Woodbine before running second in the Mazarine Stakes. She has been training very nicely at Churchill Downs. The latter broke her maiden by almost thirteen lengths last time out and seems to have a lot of untapped potential.
Like I said, handicapping this race is difficult, but here are my picks. . .
1 Tell a Kelly
2 Awesome Feather
3 A Z Warrior
4 Believe in A.P.
5 Indian Gracey
6 Delightful Mary
7 R Heat Lightning
8 Theysken's Theory
9 Joyful Victory
10 Izshelegal
11 Jordy Y
12 Harlan's Ruby
13 Soundwave
Although I did not pick her to finish in the top three, I do believe that Indian Gracey is capable of improving here on the Churchill Downs main track. The front-running filly ran third in the Oak Leaf Stakes last time out and may be able to take this field a long way on the lead from gate one.
FILLY & MARE TURF
This race is pretty much being billed as Midday against Red Desire and it will probably come down to that.
Midday, winner of this race last year, has won three of her four starts since then, including a sharp win over Plumania in the Qatar prix Vermeille (Fr-I). Red Desire defeated Dubai World Cup winner Gloria de Campeao at Meydan earlier this year, but ran third in the Flower Bowl in her United States debut. Can she upend the defending winner?
It should be very close, but I'm going to go with Midday. She loves firm turf courses like the one that Churchill Downs is going to have tomorrow and is probably better this year than she was last year. Also, she has been carrying quite a bit more weight than Red Desire has. (On average, about nine pounds more.)
As for the contenders from the United States, I do believe that Harmonious is the best and should relish the eleven furlong distance. She won the grade I American Oaks earlier this year and won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (gr. I) last time out. Keertana and Miss Keller shouldn't be ignored either.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Midday
2 Red Desire
3 Harmonious
4 Plumania
5 Keertana
6 Forever Together
7 Eclair de Lune
8 Miss Keller
9 Shared Account
10 Hibaayeb
11 Hot Cha Cha
LADIES' CLASSIC
The highlight of Friday's card, the Ladies' Classic has drawn a solid field of eleven, with Kentucky Oaks winner Blind Luck the 9-5 morning line favorite. Havre de Grace, who upset Blind Luck in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes last time out, is back to see if she can do it again.
Among the older mares, Life At Ten is perhaps the most accomplished. She has won two grade I races this year, including the Beldame last time out. Unfortunately, she drew the rail, which does not suit her on the lead/stalk the pace running style.
One interesting longshot is Persistently, 12-1 on the morning line. Two starts back, she defeated Rachel Alexandra in the grade I Personal Ensign Stakes going a mile and a quarter. In her one start since then, she ran third to Life At Ten and Unrivaled Belle in the Beldame. However, the Beldame was a one-turn race, and Persistently is quite a bit better going two turns.
Unrivaled Belle has been training very well at Churchill Downs and upset Rachel Alexandra in the La Troinne Stakes here earlier this year. She was unable to make up any ground on Life At Ten in the stretch of the Beldame, but she certainly stands a chance here if she gets a good trip.
And of course, you mustn't ignore Seeking the Title. She did run poorly in her last start, the Indiana Oaks, but she was racing against a tremendous speed bias that day and will be ridden by Calvin Borel today. Yes, she's a longshot, but she might (might!) just hit the board at a big price.
So here are my picks. . .
1 Blind Luck
2 Havre de Grace
3 Life At Ten
4 Persistently
5 Unrivaled Belle
6 Seeking the Title
7 Malibu Prayer
8 Milwaukee Appeal
9 Acting Happy
10 Acoma
11 It's Tea Time
It's going to be a spectacular set of races! Who do you like? Are there any longshots that you feel have a good chance at winning? Feel free to comment below!
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE POST POSITION DRAW
Now that the post positions for the Breeders' Cup races have been announced, the real handicapping can begin. Here are ten thoughts which came to mind as I was going over the post positions. . .
1. In the Classic, Quality Road could not have drawn a worse post position, in my opinion. As he drew gate one, he is going to have to be sent to the lead or risk getting trapped in a pocket, which would not be good.
2. Chamberlain Bridge drew the one hole in the Turf Sprint, which isn't great. Because he comes from off the pace, he is either going to have to drop back to dead-last and circle the field (not an easy thing to do in a race like this) or try and find openings in the stretch. Neither task will be easy.
3. As if the Filly & Mare Sprint wasn't wide-open enough already, three of the four favorites, Dubai Majesty, Rightly So, and Champagne d'Oro, drew gates twelve, thirteen, and fourteen respectively.
4. Thiskyhasnolimit, who has been training well at Churchill Downs, drew gate seven in the Dirt Mile and should have every chance at running his best race.
5. Also in the Dirt Mile, Vineyard Haven drew gate ten, making his task of wiring this field that much harder.
6. For the second year in a row, Goldikova drew an outside post position. Drawing gate ten this year is better than drawing thirteen last year, but it's still not the best gate she could have drawn.
7. Zenyatta drew an excellent gate in number eight, and should have no trouble dropping back to last early.
8. The Turf Sprint is likely going to turn into a mad rush to grab the rail going into the turn, as the three farthest outside post positions are occupied by California Flag, Tropic Storm, and Canadian Ballet, all of whom have done their best running on the front end. Throw in the other half-dozen or so horses that have shown interest in the lead and you have yourself a spectacular race.
9. I really like Big Drama in the Sprint, but unfortunately, he drew gate one. This means that he is going to have to be sent hard early if he wants to get to the lead.
10. I'm not sure what to think of Life at Ten drawing the rail. She showed the ability to rate just off the lead in the Beldame, but doing that here could find her in a pocket down along the inside with nowhere to go.
So what do you think? How will the post position draws affect your handicapping? What do you think of Quality Road drawing the rail? Are there any longshots that you feel will get a good trip thanks to their post positions? Feel free to comment below!
-Keelerman
1. In the Classic, Quality Road could not have drawn a worse post position, in my opinion. As he drew gate one, he is going to have to be sent to the lead or risk getting trapped in a pocket, which would not be good.
2. Chamberlain Bridge drew the one hole in the Turf Sprint, which isn't great. Because he comes from off the pace, he is either going to have to drop back to dead-last and circle the field (not an easy thing to do in a race like this) or try and find openings in the stretch. Neither task will be easy.
3. As if the Filly & Mare Sprint wasn't wide-open enough already, three of the four favorites, Dubai Majesty, Rightly So, and Champagne d'Oro, drew gates twelve, thirteen, and fourteen respectively.
4. Thiskyhasnolimit, who has been training well at Churchill Downs, drew gate seven in the Dirt Mile and should have every chance at running his best race.
5. Also in the Dirt Mile, Vineyard Haven drew gate ten, making his task of wiring this field that much harder.
6. For the second year in a row, Goldikova drew an outside post position. Drawing gate ten this year is better than drawing thirteen last year, but it's still not the best gate she could have drawn.
7. Zenyatta drew an excellent gate in number eight, and should have no trouble dropping back to last early.
8. The Turf Sprint is likely going to turn into a mad rush to grab the rail going into the turn, as the three farthest outside post positions are occupied by California Flag, Tropic Storm, and Canadian Ballet, all of whom have done their best running on the front end. Throw in the other half-dozen or so horses that have shown interest in the lead and you have yourself a spectacular race.
9. I really like Big Drama in the Sprint, but unfortunately, he drew gate one. This means that he is going to have to be sent hard early if he wants to get to the lead.
10. I'm not sure what to think of Life at Ten drawing the rail. She showed the ability to rate just off the lead in the Beldame, but doing that here could find her in a pocket down along the inside with nowhere to go.
So what do you think? How will the post position draws affect your handicapping? What do you think of Quality Road drawing the rail? Are there any longshots that you feel will get a good trip thanks to their post positions? Feel free to comment below!
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE JUVENILE FILLIES
Here are the post positions for the Juvenile Fillies. . .
1 Indian Gracey
2 Theysken's Theory
3 R Heat Lightning
4 Awesome Feather
5 Harlan's Ruby
6 Joyful Victory
7 Izshelegal
8 A Z Warrior
9 Delightful Mary
10 Believe in A. P.
11 Soundwave
12 Tell a Kelly
13 Jordy Y
-Keelerman
1 Indian Gracey
2 Theysken's Theory
3 R Heat Lightning
4 Awesome Feather
5 Harlan's Ruby
6 Joyful Victory
7 Izshelegal
8 A Z Warrior
9 Delightful Mary
10 Believe in A. P.
11 Soundwave
12 Tell a Kelly
13 Jordy Y
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE FILLY & MARE SPRINT
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. . .
1 My Jen
2 Sara Louise
3 Secret Gypsy
4 Informed Decision
5 Evening Jewel
6 Moontune Missy
7 Gabby's Golden Gal
8 Sweet August Moon
9 Switch
10 Rinterval
11 Jessica Is Back
12 Dubai Majesty
13 Rightly So
14 Champagne d'Oro
-Keelerman
1 My Jen
2 Sara Louise
3 Secret Gypsy
4 Informed Decision
5 Evening Jewel
6 Moontune Missy
7 Gabby's Golden Gal
8 Sweet August Moon
9 Switch
10 Rinterval
11 Jessica Is Back
12 Dubai Majesty
13 Rightly So
14 Champagne d'Oro
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE LADIES' CLASSIC
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. . .
1 Life at Ten
2 It's Tea Time
3 Malibu Prayer
4 Milwaukee Appeal
5 Acting Happy
6 Persistently
7 Seeking the Title
8 Unrivaled Belle
9 Acomo
10 Blind Luck
11 Havre de Grace
-Keelerman
1 Life at Ten
2 It's Tea Time
3 Malibu Prayer
4 Milwaukee Appeal
5 Acting Happy
6 Persistently
7 Seeking the Title
8 Unrivaled Belle
9 Acomo
10 Blind Luck
11 Havre de Grace
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE CLASSIC
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Classic
PP/Horse/Odds
1 Quality Road 5-1
2 Paddy O'Prado 15-1
3 Haynesfield 12-1
4 First Dude 15-1
5 Blame 9-2
6 Fly Down 15-1
7 Musket Man 20-1
8 Zenyatta 8-5
9 Pleasant Prince 30-1
10 Etched 30-1
11 Espoir City 20-1
12 Lookin at Lucky 6-1
-Keelerman
PP/Horse/Odds
1 Quality Road 5-1
2 Paddy O'Prado 15-1
3 Haynesfield 12-1
4 First Dude 15-1
5 Blame 9-2
6 Fly Down 15-1
7 Musket Man 20-1
8 Zenyatta 8-5
9 Pleasant Prince 30-1
10 Etched 30-1
11 Espoir City 20-1
12 Lookin at Lucky 6-1
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE TURF
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Turf. . .
PP/Horse/Odds
1 Champ Pegasus 10-1
2 Winchester 8-1
3 Telling 20-1
4 Debussy 10-1
5 Al Khali 10-1
6 Workforce 7-5
7 Behkabad 9-5
8 Dangerous Midge 12-1
-Keelerman
PP/Horse/Odds
1 Champ Pegasus 10-1
2 Winchester 8-1
3 Telling 20-1
4 Debussy 10-1
5 Al Khali 10-1
6 Workforce 7-5
7 Behkabad 9-5
8 Dangerous Midge 12-1
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE DIRT MILE
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. . .
1 Dakota Phone 30-1
2 Tizway 6-1
3 Aikenite 50-1
4 Mad Flatter 12-1
5 Here Comes Ben 6-1
6 Gayego 6-1
7 Thiskyhasnolimit 10-1
8 Crown of Thorns 4-1
9 Hurricane Ike 20-1
10 Morning Line 7-2
11 Mine That Bird 20-1
12 Vineyard Haven 10-1
13 Cool Coal Man 20-1
Interestingly, Morning Line is the morning line favorite. . . :)
-Keelerman
1 Dakota Phone 30-1
2 Tizway 6-1
3 Aikenite 50-1
4 Mad Flatter 12-1
5 Here Comes Ben 6-1
6 Gayego 6-1
7 Thiskyhasnolimit 10-1
8 Crown of Thorns 4-1
9 Hurricane Ike 20-1
10 Morning Line 7-2
11 Mine That Bird 20-1
12 Vineyard Haven 10-1
13 Cool Coal Man 20-1
Interestingly, Morning Line is the morning line favorite. . . :)
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE MILE
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Mile. . .
1 Beethoven
2 Society's Chairman
3 Gio Ponti
4 Court Vision
5 Delegator
6 Paco Boy
7 The Usual Q. T.
8 Get Stormy
9 Sidney's Candy
10 Goldikova
11 Proviso
-Keelerman
1 Beethoven
2 Society's Chairman
3 Gio Ponti
4 Court Vision
5 Delegator
6 Paco Boy
7 The Usual Q. T.
8 Get Stormy
9 Sidney's Candy
10 Goldikova
11 Proviso
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE JUVENILE
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. . .
1 Biondetti
2 Boys at Tosconova
3 J. B.'s Thunder
4 J P's Gusto
5 Riveting Reason
6 Stay Thirsty
7 Uncle Mo
8 Murjan
9 Rogue Romance
10 Jaycito
-Keelerman
1 Biondetti
2 Boys at Tosconova
3 J. B.'s Thunder
4 J P's Gusto
5 Riveting Reason
6 Stay Thirsty
7 Uncle Mo
8 Murjan
9 Rogue Romance
10 Jaycito
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE TURF SPRINT
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. . .
1 Chamberlain Bridge
2 Central City
3 Stradivinsky
4 Unzip Me
5 Silver Timber
6 Waveline
7 Bridgetown
8 Quick Enough
9 Rose Catherine
10 Due Date
11 Grand Adventure
12 California Flag
13 Tropic Storm
14 Canadian Ballet
Also Eligible
15 Yield Bogey
-Keelerman
1 Chamberlain Bridge
2 Central City
3 Stradivinsky
4 Unzip Me
5 Silver Timber
6 Waveline
7 Bridgetown
8 Quick Enough
9 Rose Catherine
10 Due Date
11 Grand Adventure
12 California Flag
13 Tropic Storm
14 Canadian Ballet
Also Eligible
15 Yield Bogey
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE SPRINT
Here are the post positions for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. . .
1 Big Drama
2 Girolamo
3 Wise Dan
4 Hamazing Destiny
5 Smiling Tiger
6 Pashito the Che
7 Kinsale King
8 Cash Refund
9 Surpreme Summit
10 Riley Tucker
11 Atta Boy Roy
12 Warrior's Reward
-Keelerman
1 Big Drama
2 Girolamo
3 Wise Dan
4 Hamazing Destiny
5 Smiling Tiger
6 Pashito the Che
7 Kinsale King
8 Cash Refund
9 Surpreme Summit
10 Riley Tucker
11 Atta Boy Roy
12 Warrior's Reward
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE JUVENILE TURF
The Post Positions for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf have been announced!
Here they are. . .
1 Tycoon Slew
2 Deciphering Dreams
3 Mantoba
4 Air Support
5 Master of Hounds
6 Utley
7 Wilcox Inn
8 Banned
9 Soldat
10 Madman Diaries
11 Rough Sailing
12 Humble and Hungry
13 Pluck
-Keelerman
Here they are. . .
1 Tycoon Slew
2 Deciphering Dreams
3 Mantoba
4 Air Support
5 Master of Hounds
6 Utley
7 Wilcox Inn
8 Banned
9 Soldat
10 Madman Diaries
11 Rough Sailing
12 Humble and Hungry
13 Pluck
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE FILLY & MARE TURF
The post positions have just been drawn for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf!
Here they are. . .
1 Plumania
2 Eclair de Lune
3 Miss Keller
4 Keertana
5 Shared Account
6 Harmonious
7 Midday
8 Hot Cha Cha
9 Hibayeeb
10 Red Desire
11 Forever Together
-Keelerman
Here they are. . .
1 Plumania
2 Eclair de Lune
3 Miss Keller
4 Keertana
5 Shared Account
6 Harmonious
7 Midday
8 Hot Cha Cha
9 Hibayeeb
10 Red Desire
11 Forever Together
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
The post positions have just been drawn for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf!
Here they are. . .
1 Dos Lunas
2 Tale Untold
3 Quiet Oasis
4 Kathmanblu
5 Forest Legend
6 Arch Support
7 Winter Memories
8 Wyomia
9 Fancy Point
10 New Normal
11 More Than Real
12 Flood Plain
13 Together
14 Allure d'Amour
Also Eligible
15 Nina Fever
-Keelerman
Here they are. . .
1 Dos Lunas
2 Tale Untold
3 Quiet Oasis
4 Kathmanblu
5 Forest Legend
6 Arch Support
7 Winter Memories
8 Wyomia
9 Fancy Point
10 New Normal
11 More Than Real
12 Flood Plain
13 Together
14 Allure d'Amour
Also Eligible
15 Nina Fever
-Keelerman
POST POSITIONS FOR THE MARATHON
The post positions have just been drawn for the Breeders' Cup Marathon!
Here they are. . .
1 Atoned
2 Prince Will I Am
3 Million Seller
4 Eldaafer
5 Romp
6 Gabriel's Hill
7 Awesome Gem
8 Giant Oak
9 Bright Horizon
10 Alcomo
11 Precision Break
12 A. U. Miner
-Keelerman
Here they are. . .
1 Atoned
2 Prince Will I Am
3 Million Seller
4 Eldaafer
5 Romp
6 Gabriel's Hill
7 Awesome Gem
8 Giant Oak
9 Bright Horizon
10 Alcomo
11 Precision Break
12 A. U. Miner
-Keelerman
KEELERMAN'S BREEDERS' CUP RANKINGS - November 2nd, 2010
(Note: Because the final entries are announced today, this is my final "Breeders' Cup Rankings" post. I will handicap the races soon and post my picks & thoughts later this week.)
CLASSIC
1 Zenyatta
2 Lookin at Lucky
3 Blame
4 Quality Road
5 Haynesfield
TURF
1 Behkabad
2 Champ Pegasus
3 Workforce
4 Winchester
5 Al Khali
MILE
1 Goldikova
2 Gio Ponti
3 Proviso
4 Paco Boy
5 Court Vision
SPRINT
1 Kinsale King
2 Big Drama
3 Smiling Tiger
4 Wise Dan
5 Girolamo
LADIES' CLASSIC
1 Blind Luck
2 Havre de Grace
3 Life at Ten
4 Unrivaled Belle
5 Persistently
FILLY & MARE TURF
1 Midday
2 Harmonious
3 Red Desire
4 Plumania
5 Eclair de Lune
DIRT MILE
1 Here Comes Ben
2 Crown of Thorns
3 Thiskyhasnolimit
4 Tizway
5 Vineyard Haven
FILLY & MARE SPRINT
1 Dubai Majesty
2 Champagne d'Oro
3 Rightly So
4 Evening Jewel
5 Sara Louise
TURF SPRINT
1 Silver Timber
2 Chamberlain Bridge
3 Rose Catherine
4 Unzip Me
5 Central City
MARATHON
1 Bright Horizon
2 Giant Oak
3 Eldaafer
4 Awesome Gem
5 Romp
JUVENILE
1 Uncle Mo
2 Jaycito
3 Boys at Tosconova
4 J P's Gusto
5 Murjan
JUVENILE FILLIES
1 Awesome Feather
2 Tell a Kelly
3 Delightful Mary
4 A Z Warrior
5 R Heat Lightning
JUVENILE TURF
1 Dux Scholar
2 Mantoba
3 Soldat
4 Air Support
5 Utely
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
1 Winter Memories
2 Together
3 New Normal
4 Tale Untold
5 Wyomia
-Keelerman
CLASSIC
1 Zenyatta
2 Lookin at Lucky
3 Blame
4 Quality Road
5 Haynesfield
TURF
1 Behkabad
2 Champ Pegasus
3 Workforce
4 Winchester
5 Al Khali
MILE
1 Goldikova
2 Gio Ponti
3 Proviso
4 Paco Boy
5 Court Vision
SPRINT
1 Kinsale King
2 Big Drama
3 Smiling Tiger
4 Wise Dan
5 Girolamo
LADIES' CLASSIC
1 Blind Luck
2 Havre de Grace
3 Life at Ten
4 Unrivaled Belle
5 Persistently
FILLY & MARE TURF
1 Midday
2 Harmonious
3 Red Desire
4 Plumania
5 Eclair de Lune
DIRT MILE
1 Here Comes Ben
2 Crown of Thorns
3 Thiskyhasnolimit
4 Tizway
5 Vineyard Haven
FILLY & MARE SPRINT
1 Dubai Majesty
2 Champagne d'Oro
3 Rightly So
4 Evening Jewel
5 Sara Louise
TURF SPRINT
1 Silver Timber
2 Chamberlain Bridge
3 Rose Catherine
4 Unzip Me
5 Central City
MARATHON
1 Bright Horizon
2 Giant Oak
3 Eldaafer
4 Awesome Gem
5 Romp
JUVENILE
1 Uncle Mo
2 Jaycito
3 Boys at Tosconova
4 J P's Gusto
5 Murjan
JUVENILE FILLIES
1 Awesome Feather
2 Tell a Kelly
3 Delightful Mary
4 A Z Warrior
5 R Heat Lightning
JUVENILE TURF
1 Dux Scholar
2 Mantoba
3 Soldat
4 Air Support
5 Utely
JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
1 Winter Memories
2 Together
3 New Normal
4 Tale Untold
5 Wyomia
-Keelerman
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