The great Flightline faced the best field of his lifetime in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on November 5, 2022 and he was up to the task. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Flightline drew off to a decisive 8 1/2 length victory over a stellar field. Post-race comments include Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey.
Great Horse Racing Videos – 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic Won by Flightline
November 6, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Breeders’ Cup Analysis – Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections at Keeneland
October 31, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Order Nilsen’s Breeders’ Cup Package & Save Lives in the Process! Read on…
When you purchase Rich Nilsen’s Breeders’ Cup package, you will also be buying a water filter that will last 5-10 years in a developing community in Central America.
AGameofSkill.com has partnered with our friend Rudy Shaffer’s Water4Life Ministry (501c3) to provide you with this opportunity to bring hope and life-saving measures to an entire village in either Central America or Africa. I’m doing this unique offer because I believe in my friends and all the good people in racing to support a great cause. I have given out some great winners over the years on these big race days and I hope to do so again at one of my home tracks of Keeneland. Will you join me in supporting this ministry?
18x NHC Qualifier Rich Nilsen offers up his Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis for BOTH days of the Breeders’ Cup in ONE report – pre-order today.
Nilsen, who has had some monster days in the past with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, but this time we have a mission.
Included in his report are top selections for all 5 Breeders’ Cup stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 14 Breeders’ Cup races). Includes commentary on all the contenders listed, plus spot play wagers.
BONUS: Free pace chart for every race on both days at Keeneland!
You will also receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner. Nilsen will have Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races hard.
Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet! Download instantly to any type of device. Only $30 for all 9 Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday + bonus pace chart for the full cards on Fri. and Sat.
Download today to any device
Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners from Nilsen’s Analysis!
2020: Several winners at Keeneland with the monster longshot score of $37.60 winner Audarya the highlight! See the write-up below on the monster $199.20 cold exacta in the 2020 Filly & Mar Turf!!!
$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!
$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!
$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!
$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa
$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten
$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
The list goes on and on!
1st- # 11 AUDARYA (12/1) was boxed in a little bit during the stretch run in the Arc and finished well on her wrong lead in straight. She never really seemed comfortable racing along the inside behind the two speed horses, but, despite that, ran very well and nearly won the prestigious race.
In her prior start she was an upset winner in France, giving her trainer a third career win in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet Stakes. There was a gap of about 4 lengths to the show horse. The place horse was Ambition who came back to run a decent 5th in the Arc.
Her top trainer in France, James Fanshawe, is ending a 30-year wait for a runner at the Breeders’ Cup. Fanshawe has trained the likes of Soviet Song and The Tin Man, among other Group 1 winners.
On her latest effort at Longchamp, Fanshawe said, “Audarya ran an excellent race, but there wasn’t much coverage of it afterwards. Most of the attention seemed to focus on the winner Tarnawa and Jessica Harrington’s filly Alpine Star who finished second.”
She’s a major player based on her recent form.
2nd- # 6 RUSHING FALL (5/2) – Has won 11 of 14 lifetime and banked over $2.5M. She was last seen finishing in under 34 seconds when she gamely captured the G1 Diana at Saratoga. Trainer Chad Brown has been working her every 7 days since that win in preparation for this start at a track where she is 5 for 6 lifetime.
She’s unproven at the distance but Brown has won many times with this type of stretch out turf runner. Brown has also won this BC race 4 times…
About Nilsen’s Analysis
In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.
Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.
Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.
Nilsen has worked the past 29+ years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.
Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000. The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.
The $3 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 18 times. He is a dual qualifier for the 2022 NHC and a member of the NHC Players’ Committee. He was the first player, and one of only a handful, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.
Breeders’ Cup Watch: Annapolis beats older horses in G1 Coolmore Turf Mile
October 11, 2022 by Leave a Comment
What an impressive run from a sophomore colt! Hear from 34-year-old Perry Bass, the third generation Kentucky horse owner-breeder who heads his family’s Bass Racing, after the 3-year-old Annapolis beats older horses in the Grade 1, $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile. Bass discusses the type of “ground” that this horse requires to be at his best.
Annapolis finished the race in stakes-record time of 1:33.29 at Keeneland Racecourse to earn a fees-paid spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf. The Breeders’ Cup is the first weekend in November at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.
Breeders’ Cup Watch: G2 Bourbon Stakes Post-Race Interviews
October 10, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Owner Susan Moulton and trainer Wayne Catalano discuss winning the Grade 2 $350,000 Castle & Key Bourbon with Andthewinneris two days after they teamed with Manny Wah to win the Grade 2 Phoenix and a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The impressive two year old earns a fees-paid spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Watch this interview with the owner and trainer from Keeneland.
Great Horse Racing Videos – Flightline Moving Like a Tremendous Machine
September 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Grade 1 winner and horse racing superstar Flightline rated kindly in second during the early running of the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. He took over while under an absolute strangehold before drawing off to a 19 length victory. Trained by top California horseman David Sadler and ridden by Flavien Prat, Flightline is headed to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland later this fall.
One YouTube viewer wrote:
“Probably the best I’ve seen since Secretariat. There’s not a horse on this earth that wants to try flightline right now. And I’ll bet he is just as good on turf as he is on dirt. This horse is a superstar. He wants to run his own race, like Secretariat, and he is a ham, did you see him looking at the crowd?, like Secretariat. I wish him and his connections the very best.”
Breeders’ Cup Watch: A New Star in the Making in Homeless Songs
May 30, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Homeless Songs lit up the Curragh on Sunday with a scintillating performance in the 1000 Guineas and is now just about the most exciting Flat horse in training. The way she travelled and quickened clear against a high quality field at the Curragh marks her out as potentially one of the best milers we have seen in years. She looks to possess the same star qualities as her father Frankel and I can’t wait to see what she can achieve over the course of the season.
She had shown a glimpse of her electric acceleration when beating Agartha in a Trial race over seven furlongs at Leopardstown at the beginning of April but her performance at the Curragh was truly out of the ordinary. All the more extraordinary when you take into account the poor form of her stable coming into the race. Since Homeless Songs won at Leopardstown on April 2nd Dermot Weld had trained just one winner – Ezine, a short head winner of a maiden race at Naas at odds of 4/6 favourite – from 69 runners in almost two months.
Weld is a past master at nurturing high-class talent and his patience with Homeless Songs certainly reaped due reward with her demolition job at the Curragh, but there is a real sense that she is only going to improve with racing. The veteran trainer turns 74 in a couple of months and this Moyglare Stud filly could well roll back the years to the halcyon days of Vintage Crop, Media Puzzle, Grey Swallow, Go And Go and Vinnie Roe.
The Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot is set to be the next assignment for Homeless Songs where she could meet last season’s Champion 2-y-o filly Inspiral and the English 1000 Guineas winner Cachet in an exciting clash. If she turns up in the same form she was in on Sunday they won’t see which way she went…
Click here to view original web page at www.irishracing.com
Watch Homeless Songs demolish the field, along with a post-race interview with trainer Dermot Weld.
Breeders’ Cup 2022 Watch: The White Wonder Filly
May 21, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Sodashi won the Victoria Mile [last] Sunday with a closing rally and received an especially loud roar from the fans at Tokyo Racecourse. The cheers did not come exclusively from those who had bet her to win at 5-1. The filly has become a sensation in Japanese horse racing circles because of her color: pure white.
White thoroughbred horses are exceedingly rare: As few as one in 100,000 are considered pure white. To qualify, the horse’s entire coat must be white and cannot have any other colors. Sodashi meets that definition.
Other light-colored horses that you might see at the track are registered as gray (a mixture of black and white hairs) or roan (red or brown and white). Some of these may become whiter as they grow older but still don’t qualify as the rare white horse.
Plenty of gray and roan horses have fared well over the years, including Kentucky Derby winners like Spectacular Bid in 1979, Winning Colors in 1988 and Silver Charm in 1997. But the handful of white horses hadn’t really distinguished themselves until Sodashi came along.
Sodashi is the first white horse in Japan to win a Group One race and, with white horses in other nations just as rare, would have to be considered the best ever of her color.
Recent research has shown that white horses are the product of spontaneous gene mutations. Some of those mutations are dominant, so horses can potentially pass on the white color no matter whom they are mated with…
Click here to view original web page at www.nytimes.com
Watch Sodashi overcome a little bit of traffic issues to finish powerfully and win going away.
https://youtu.be/T9TKYyTpYWg
Nearly $15M in Breeders’ Cup Handle in Separate Pools from these Countries
November 11, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Victories from Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine were not the only Japanese success stories of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Another highlight was betting from Japan and from Hong Kong, both of which offered separate-pool wagering on select Breeders’ Cup contests.
According to the Breeders’ Cup, Japanese bettors wagered $11.7 million on three races: the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T), the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T), and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T). Hong Kong bettors wagered $3.1 million collectively on the Mile and the Turf.
Twenty-seven countries took wagers on the Breeders’ Cup, though additions of Japan and Hong Kong were among the most financially significant… read more
Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar – Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis
November 3, 2021 by Leave a Comment
18x NHC Qualifier Rich Nilsen Offers up Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis for BOTH days of the Breeders’ Cup in ONE report.
Nilsen, who has had some monster days in the past with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Included in his report are top selections for all 5 Breeders’ Cup stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 14 Breeders’ Cup races). Includes commentary on all the contenders listed, plus spot play wagers.
BONUS: Free pace chart for every race on both days at Del Mar!
You will also receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner. Nilsen has 4 Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races hard.
Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet! Download instantly to any type of device. Only $19.97 for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races + bonus pace chart for the full cards on Fri. and Sat.
Download today to any device
Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners!
$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!
$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!
$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!
$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa
$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten
$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
The list goes on and on!
2020: Several winners with the monster longshot score of $37.60 winner Audarya the highlight! Here was the write-up on the monster $199.20 cold exacta in the 2020 Filly & Mar Turf:
1st- # 11 AUDARYA (12/1) was boxed in a little bit during the stretch run in the Arc and finished well on her wrong lead in straight. She never really seemed comfortable racing along the inside behind the two speed horses, but, despite that, ran very well and nearly won the prestigious race.
In her prior start she was an upset winner in France, giving her trainer a third career win in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet Stakes. There was a gap of about 4 lengths to the show horse. The place horse was Ambition who came back to run a decent 5th in the Arc.
Her top trainer in France, James Fanshawe, is ending a 30-year wait for a runner at the Breeders’ Cup. Fanshawe has trained the likes of Soviet Song and The Tin Man, among other Group 1 winners.
On her latest effort at Longchamp, Fanshawe said, “Audarya ran an excellent race, but there wasn’t much coverage of it afterwards. Most of the attention seemed to focus on the winner Tarnawa and Jessica Harrington’s filly Alpine Star who finished second.”
She’s a major player based on her recent form.
2nd- # 6 RUSHING FALL (5/2) – Has won 11 of 14 lifetime and banked over $2.5M. She was last seen finishing in under 34 seconds when she gamely captured the G1 Diana at Saratoga. Trainer Chad Brown has been working her every 7 days since that win in preparation for this start at a track where she is 5 for 6 lifetime.
She’s unproven at the distance but Brown has won many times with this type of stretch out turf runner. Brown has also won this BC race 4 times…
About Nilsen’s Analysis
In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.
Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.
Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.
Nilsen has worked the past 28+ years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.
Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000. The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.
The $3 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 18 times. He is a dual qualifier for the 2022 NHC and a member of the NHC Players’ Committee. He was the first player, and one of only a handful, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.
Wizard’s Full-card Analysis + Betting Strategies for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup
Can the Wizard top last year’s tremendous performance hitting 6 TOP winners including Glass Slippers ($22.40) & Best Bet Tarnawa ($11.40). He closed the day out with a $45.10 exacta in the Classic with his top 2 picks. The Wizard, America’s #1 public handicapper, has been helping players cash more tickets since 1987.
Wizard’s Package Includes:
9 BC events and 3 undercard races.
Expert wagers for each and every race – all 12
A careful study of many video replays
Extensive trip and track bias notes is what the Wizard utilizes to make his selections & carefully plotted out wagering strategies. This combo package is only $50.00
A Cast of 169 Horses Ready for the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar
November 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Korea Racing Authority’s Knicks Go and Godolphin’s Essential Quality, both trained by Brad Cox, have been installed as the top two choices on the morning line at 5-2 and 3-1 respectively, for Saturday’s $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track, the climax of the 38TH Breeders’ Cup World Championship races to be run Friday and Saturday (Nov. 5-6) at Del Mar.
The Classic, with a field of nine, is the richest of 14 Championship races worth more than $31 million in purses and awards to be run over the two days at Del Mar and will be televised live on NBC, NBCSN and TVG. The Classic will be broadcast live at 8:40 p.m. ET on NBC.
Five Championship races will be run on Future Stars Friday with all Breeders’ Cup tests that day being for 2-year-olds. Highlighting the day will be the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), races that will determine early favoritism for the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively.
The 169 horses entered include 16 also-eligibles. Included in the entries are seven winners from last year’s Championships at Keeneland: Knicks Go (Dirt Mile), Essential Quality (Juvenile), Tarnawa (IRE) (Turf), Audarya (FR) (Filly & Mare Turf), Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint), Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Glass Slippers (GB) (Turf Sprint).
Knicks Go, a wire-to-wire winner of the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last year, enters the Classic and his first test at the 1 ¼-mile distance on a three-race win streak with a combined margin of victory of 18 ¾ lengths.
Joel Rosario, who has been aboard for Knicks Go’s past eight starts, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position five.
Essential Quality also brings a three-race win streak into the Classic with the most recent victory coming in the Travers (G1) going 1 ¼ miles. Luis Saez, who has been aboard for the past eight starts by Essential Quality, has the call Saturday and will break from post position four.
Co-third choices on the line at 4-1 are a couple of 3-year-olds in Medina Spirit and Hot Rod Charlie.
Zedan Racing Stables’ Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Medina Spirit is trained by four-time Classic winner Bob Baffert. Medina Spirit enters the Classic off a front-running 5-length victory in the Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita on Oct. 2.
John Velazquez, who won last year’s Classic on Authentic for Baffert, retains the mount on Medina Spirit and break from post eight.
Hot Rod Charlie is trained by Doug O’Neill for the partnership of Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss, Boat Racing, LLC and Gainesway Stable. Hot Rod Charlie enters the Classic off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) under Flavien Prat, who retains the mount. Hot Rod Charlie will break from post position three.
One of the heaviest morning-line favorites is St. George Stable’s Letruska at 8-5 for the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) in which she heads a field of 11 fillies and mares.
Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has won her past five starts and is six for seven in 2021 with the victories coming at six tracks and the past three at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Distaff. Four of her victories came in Breeders’ Cup Challenge races. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post six.
The second richest race of the Championships, the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) which drew a full gate of 14 and two also-eligibles, is headed by Tarnawa (IRE), who beat the boys in this race last year at Keeneland.
Owned by the H.H. Aga Khan Studs and trained by Dermot Weld, Tarnawa (9-5 on the morning line) has won one of three starts in 2021 and enters this year’s race off a runner-up finish in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1). Colin Keane, who was aboard for the victory at Keeneland last year, will ride Saturday and break from post position 13.
Also back to defend a title is Mrs. A.M. Swinburn’s Audarya (FR) in the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) to be contested at 1 3/8 miles over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course with a field of 12.
Trained by James Fanshawe, Audarya (5-1 on the morning line in the field of 12) comes into this year’s race off a fourth-place finish in the Prix de l’Opera Longines (G1). William Buick has the mount and will break from post 12.
The morning-line favorite for the race at 7-2 is George Krikorian’s War Like Goddess. War Like Goddess has won her past four starts and is undefeated in three starts at the 1 3/8-mile distance for trainer Bill Mott. Julien Leparoux has the mount and will break from post position seven.
The $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) presented by PDJF, drew a field of 14 and two also-eligibles headed by 3-1 morning line favorite Space Blues (IRE). Owned and bred by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, Space Blues enters the Mile off a victory in the Qatar Prix de la Foret (G1) last month. William Buick has the mount and will break from post position three.
Topping the U.S. contingent is Bardy Farm and OG Boss’ Mo Forza. Trained by Peter Miller and 5-1 on the morning line, Mo Forza has compiled a 6-3-2-0 record at Del Mar and has won the past two renewals of the Del Mar Mile (G2). Flavien Prat will ride from post six.
Two of Saturday’s heaviest morning-line favorites are in the $2 million Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) going 6 furlongs and the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) going 7 furlongs.
J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior is a neck away from being undefeated in one-turn races in 2021 and enters Saturday’s Sprint off a 6 ¾-length romp in the Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx on Sept. 25. Listed at 6-5 on the morning line in the field of nine, Jackie’s Warrior is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post two.
In the Filly & Mare Sprint, Michael Lund Petersen’s Gamine is the 3-5 morning line favorite to repeat in the race she won by 6 ¼ lengths in track-record time last year at Keeneland. Trained by Bob Baffert and to be ridden by John Velazquez from post five in the six-horse field, Gamine is undefeated in four starts at the 7-furlong distance.
WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.’s Life Is Good is the 4-5 morning-line favorite for the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) that drew a field of eight.
A neck away from being perfect in five starts, Life Is Good won the 1-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) by 5 1/2 lengths in front-running fashion. Now trained by Todd Pletcher, Life Is Good will break from post five and be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Westerberg’s Golden Pal, who kicked off last year’s World Championships at Keeneland with a gate-to-wire victory in the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2), is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in a field of 12 with six also-eligibles for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) to be contested over 5 furlongs.
Trained by Wesley Ward, Golden Pal will be attempting to become the fifth horse to win different Breeders’ Cup races. He comes into Saturday’s race off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Woodford (G2) at Keeneland last month. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount and will break from post three.
An East-West matchup of undefeated Grade 1 winners headlines a field of 12 entered for the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to be run at 1 1/16 miles.
Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud and Peter Brant’s Jack Christopher is 2-for-2 and owns a victory in the Champagne (G1) for trainer Chad Brown. Listed at 9-5 on the morning line and breaking from post one, Jack Christopher will be ridden by Jose Ortiz who teamed with Brown to win the 2017 Juvenile with Good Magic.
Speedway Stables’ Corniche is 2-for-2 and owns a victory in the American Pharoah (G1) for four-time Juvenile winning trainer Bob Baffert. Listed at 5-2 on the morning line, Corniche will be ridden by Mike Smith from post position 12.
The $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run at 1 1/16 miles drew a field of six headlined by L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds’ undefeated Echo Zulu.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, the two-time Grade 1 winner has won her three starts by a combined 16 ¾ lengths. Listed at 4-5 on the morning line, Echo Zulu will break from post six and be ridden by Joel Rosario.
The top challengers to Echo Zulu are 5-2 co-second choices Juju’s Map, winner of the Alcibiades (G1), and Hidden Connection, winner of the Pocahontas (G3).
Albaugh Family Stables’ Juju’s Map has won her past two starts by a combined 10 lengths under Florent Geroux. Trained by Brad Cox, who won this race in 2019 with British Idiom, Juju’s Map will break from post position five.
Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds’ Hidden Connection is 2-for-2 with the victories coming by a combined 16 ¾ lengths. Trained by Bret Calhoun, Hidden Connection will be ridden by Reylu Gutierrez and break from post two.
Completing the Friday lineup is:
$1 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) — Rabbah Bloodstock’s Dubawi Legend (IRE) is the 4-1 morning-line favorite for the 1-mile test that drew a field of 14 and two also-eligibles. Trained by Hugo Palmer, Dubawi Legend will be ridden by James Doyle and break from post position 14.
$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) — Bobby Flay’s homebred Pizza Bianca is the lukewarm 5-1 morning-line favorite in a field of 14 for the 1-mile race. Runner-up in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine in her most recent start, Pizza Bianca is trained by Christophe Clement and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post position one.
$1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) — Hat Creek Racing’s undefeated Averly Jane is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of 12 and two also-eligibles for the 5-furlong dash. Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Averly Jane who will exit post position eight for trainer Wesley Ward who has won this race the past two years with Four Wheel Drive and Golden Pal.
Source: Dmtc.com
