Breeders' Cup Saturday 2011

1:15 ET - Happy Breeders' Cup Saturday 2011 everyone! The sun is shining at Churchill Downs this afternoon, where the final nine Breeders' Cup races are scheduled to be run over the course of the afternoon.

It is currently five minutes to post time for the first of today's Breeders' Cup races, the $500,000 Marathon (gr. III). At the moment, A. U. Miner is the favorite at 7-2, with Birdrun and Cease the co-second choices at 9-2. Brigantin is 5-1, Meeznah 8-1, and Giant Oak 8-1. Eldaafer, last year's winner, is 12-1.

The main track is labeled fast, while the turf course is still good.

1:46 - The upset-trend started yesterday continued today when Afleet Again upset the Breeders' Cup Marathon at 41-1. Cease looked terrific at the top of the stretch and looked to be on his way to victory, but just couldn't get the distance and tired in the final furlongs. This set the race up for Afleet Again, a beautiful grey colt who rallied on the far outside to win by two. Meeznah looked good early on, tracking the pace in fourth, but suddenly dropped out of contention despite serious urging after about five furlongs and was eased.

Seventeen minutes now until the second BC race of the day, the Juvenile Turf (gr. II). Finale is currently the 5-1 favorite -- yes, 5-1. Caspar Netscher is 6-1, with six others horses between 6-1 and 9-1. This race looks ripe for upset, considering how evenly matched the contenders appear to be.

2:27 - I had the right idea picking a European colt to win, but I had the wrong colt. Wrote dominated in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. II), blowing past Excaper and Farraaj to win by two lengths. My selections, Caspar Netscher, never got into contention after being a bit rank early and failed to hit the board.

Up next is the Sprint, where Jackson Bend is the 2-1 favorite. Euroears and Big Drama are both 9-2.

2:53 - Amazombie and Force Freeze put on a terrific show in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, battling eachother down the homestretch with Amazombie coming out on top by a head. Euroears never really had a chance, breaking poorly before being rushed up to help set a blazing pace of :21.12. This was an extremely difficult trip, and so thus he can be forgiven for fading so poorly.

For jockey Mike Smith, it was his fourteenth win in a Breeders' Cup race.

3:55 - The Turf Sprint looked like a very difficult race to handicap on paper, but it really wasn't as 2-1 favorite Regally Ready kicked clear in the stretch to win the race by two lengths. Country Day, Perfect Officer, and Great Attack all ran admirably to fill out the superfecta, but were no match for the winner. I was a bit surprised to see Caracortado and Chamberlain Bridge so close to the early pace, but I guess their outside post positions (14 and 13, respectively) forced them to commit to staying close -- and wide, as it turned out.

The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) is currently five minutes away, and the three-year-old Wilburn is currently the 5-2 favorite. Trappe Shot, the morning line favorite, is 3-1.

5:10 - Two more races in the history books. Two favorites lost, but the winners were very logical. Caleb's Posse demonstrated just how much better he is going one turn rather than two in the Dirt Mile when he simply blew past Shackleford in the stretch to win going away.

The turf went to a European shipper as expected, but not one of the favored shippers. St Nicholas Abbey blew past them all in the homestretch to win the race in powerful fashion. Sea Moon ran strongly to be second, but could the missed workout on Thursday have been the difference between winning and losing? Brilliant Speed was a bit of a surprise, for the American colt was not expected to be capable of contending against the five top-class Euros in the race, yet beat Sarafina, Midday, and Await the Dawn to the wire to finish third. As for Sarafina, she just couldn't quicken with the leaders when asked for run at the top of the stretch.

Back to the Dirt Mile. Perhaps this is crazy, but could Caleb's Posse be the Champion three-year-old male of 2011? He now has victories in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I), Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II), Ohio Derby (gr. III), and Smarty Jones Stakes, in addition to a second in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and Indiana Derby (gr. II).

Let us compare the number of grade I victories earned this year by the top three-year-old colts:

Caleb's Posse - 2
Stay Thirsty - 1
Shackleford - 1
Ruler On Ice - 1
Coil - 1 (Not competing in the Breeders' Cup)
Animal Kingdom - 1 (Out with an injury)
Uncle Mo - 0
To Honor and Serve - 0

I think this leaves Caleb's Posse with very good credentials. If the other three-year-olds all disappoint in the Breeders' Cup Classic, then I believe Caleb's Posse deserves the honor.

5:45 - Hansen probably sewed up the division honors with a narrow victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), holding off a late charge from favored Union Rags to win by a head. I feel that Union Rags was probably the best horse in the race, for he was four wide every step of the way and just -- just! -- missed. Give credit to Hansen for setting a quick pace and holding him off, but Union Rags looks like a legitimate favorite for the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Creative Cause and Dullahan also ran huge to be third and fourth, respectively, but Creative Cause did get a dream trip. Dullahan, however, charged from last and fifteen lengths off the pace to miss by about a length. Those four colts look like the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby.

In just eighteen minutes now, Goldikova shall go for her historic and unimaginable fourth straight victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I). She is currently the 6-5 favorite to complete the sweep, although she will have to break from gate one in order to do it. Gio Ponti is the 6-1 second choice, with Courageous Cat and Strong Suit both 8-1.

6:30 - Wow. . . what can you say? Goldikova is a great horse, and gave it her best shot, but today she just wasn't good enough to hang while trying to win her fourth Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I), an amazing feat that might have never been equaled. But while the same brilliant acceleration that earned her her three victories carried her to the lead in the stretch of today's race, it wasn't enough to hold off the late runs turned in by Court Vision and Turallure, the former of whom got his nose down in front at 64-1 to win the race.

At least Goldikova found herself a worthy successor. Court Vision has previously finished behind Goldikova in this race twice, running fourth in 2009 and fifth in 2010. An unlucky horse who hasn't finished better than fourth in over a year, Court Vision had to circle the field on the far outside, but still found enough run to get the job done. Goldikova tried gallantly to stem off his furious run in deep stretch, and briefly appeared capable of turning him back, but she has never cared for a wet track and perhaps the "good" turf course was one of the reasons why she couldn't get the job done. But nevertheless, no one can take away the fact that she won three straight BC Miles, whereas no horse had ever won any Breeders' Cup event more than twice prior to her. She has earned herself a place in racing history, and most likely the Hall of Fame. What a mare.

6:41 - Okay -- I just saw the will pays for the pick 6. Apparently, someone has managed to come up with Court Vision, Hansen, St Nicholas Abbey, Caleb's Posse, and Regally Ready to be live in the pick 6. But this bettor is not live to any of the favorites. Not Flat Out. Not Havre de Grace. Not Uncle Mo. Not So You Think. This bettor is live to Ruler On Ice and Rattlesnake Bridge.

7:35 - During the final two weeks leading up to the Breeders' Cup, all of the reports from those watching the workouts of the Classic horses stated that Drosselmeyer was training beautifully for Bill Mott and was sitting on a huge race. But I doubt that anyone knew just how big a race Drosselmeyer was capable of running until he simply blew past Game On Dude in deep stretch to win the race in completely decisive fashion. For jockey Mike Smith and trainer Bill Mott, Drosselmeyer gave them each their second wins of this year's Breeders' Cup, followed Smith's win in the Sprint and Mott's victory in the Ladies' Classic last night. Give a lot of credit to Game On Dude, who set the pace, turned back Uncle Mo and To Honor and Serve, and still had enough left in the tank to hold second. Ruler On Ice came on to be third, while Havre de Grace and Flat out never seriously threatened while finishing fourth and fifth.

It's been an exciting Breeders' Cup, with upsets occuring in eleven of the fifteen races. The winning favorites were Secret Circle (Juvenile Sprint), My Miss Aurelia (Juvenile Fillies), Royal Delta (Ladies' Classic), and Regally Ready (Turf Sprint).

Well, there will be plenty of Eclipse awards to debate during the coming months, including Horse of the Year, Champion Older Male, Champion Three-Year-Old Male, Female Sprinter, and Female Turf Horse. I guess we should get ready to debate. I hope you enjoyed the Breeders' Cup!

-Keelerman