Saturday Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup offerings (first of nine B.C. races occurs at 2:45am Melbourne time Sunday morning)
Race #3 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint 7 furlongs
Figures to be a pretty good contest with many possible winners and a long run until the turn during which they can sort themselves out. Widest barrier was drawn by Echo Zulu, whose only loss in 7 starts happened in the important Kentucky Oaks back in May. Sophomore raced once since then and has every right to have leap-frogged most or all of today’s competition with expected maturity. Race figures to know a very lively early pace and that would play right into the hand of Chi Town Lady, also a sophomore with but a single start since May. In that start she won the important Gr. I Test Stakes at Saratoga in August. Trainer Wesley Ward figures to have her at concert pitch today. Streaking Goodnight Olive brings a 5-race winning streak for her first start since August. Steady Ce Ce won this event last year and is going well at present. Franks Rockette has a versatile style and has been going fast enough of late.
[13] Echo Zulu [3] Chi Town Lady [8] Goodnight Olive [4] Ce Ce [5] Frank’s Rockette
Race #4 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint 5 1/2 furlongs
European mare Highfield Princess merits top billing off of a trio of Gr. I wins in a row in three different countries. Golden Pal has won her last 8 starts in America including a score in this event a year ago at Del Mar. Casa Creed was a Gr. I sprint winner 3 starts back and has had a race over the Keeneland lawn since then. Creative Force starts for the hot Appleby/Buick combination and has been holding his own vs. much larger fields.
[6] Highfield Princess [8] Golden Pal
Race #5 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Laurel River is a lightly-raced 4yo from the Bob Baffert barn who has been a daylight winner in both 2022 starts and he seems poised to step-up his game today after a series of very sharp morning workouts. Gunite has never technically raced around 2 turns but has been a winner in Gr. I company over 7 furlongs. He has a great stalking style. Cody’s Wish just won big in Gr. I company in a race where an early pace battle played right into his hand. Cody’s Wish must prove himself this time. Cyberknife is an up and coming 3yo who was runner-up in the Gr. I Travers in August. Pipeline was one of the victims of the aforementioned early pace battle as he dueled with the 1-to-9 favorite while setting the table for Cody’s Wish.
[6] Laurel River [5] Gunite [7] Cody’s Wish [9] Cyberknife [3] Pipeline
Race #6 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf 1 3/16 miles
A unique scenario where a trio exit the Gr. I Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp to do battle against one another again today. Nashwa, Above the Curve and Tuesday finished 2-3-6 at Longchamp and we’ll predict them 1-2-3 today. In Italian has a recent win over the course and they might leave her alone on the lead long enough so that she gets brave. Moira has been the talk of Canada in 2022 and gets Dettori to ride.
[3] Nashwa [4] Above the Curve [5] Tuesday [11] In Italian [12] Moira
Race #7 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Sprint 6 furlongs
One year ago Jackie’s Warrior was 1-to-2 in the wagering and his rider rendered him hopeless when engaging in a poorly-considered speed duel. He doesn’t need the early lead for success and the hope is that from a wide barrier draw that same rider will employ more intelligent tactics and at least give him hope at small odds. Kimari is a mare facing males who has two wins over the course and a pair of wins vs. softer competition in last two outings. Elite Power is a lightly-raced and improving 4yo who won his last 4 starts by daylight. One-time $900K purchase has a license to keep going.
[9] Jackie’s Warrior [2] Kimari [6] Elite Power
Race #8 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Mile on Turf
This is almost always a great contest with this year’s cast one of the deepest fields of the weekend. Have to be very lucky to win from barrier 13 but European shipper Kinross has prevailed in 4 straight and has Frankie Dettori to get him home on top. Modern Games was a big winner in Canada 2 starts back but in a spot where they went crazy on the early pace and set things up for his powerful late run. Modern Games is a mere 3yo who won the B.C. Juvenile Turf at Del Mar a year ago. Annapolis is a lightly-raced 3yo who is in good form at present and who has top U.S. trainer Todd Pletcher in his corner. Domestic Spending hasn’t even raced since August of 2021 while he drew barrier #14 for this. Accepting such a challenge suggests that he’s at concert pitch and he has done very well in the past when lacking recent form.
[13] Kinross [4] Modern Games [11] Annapolis [14] Domestic Spending
Race #9 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Among the smaller fields of the Breeders’ Cup but any of five could win the contest without being any great surprise at all. Impulse here is to arrange wagers so that any of the main contenders would be enough to move multi-race wagers on to the next race. Nest is the favorite and she has been winning big in New York this year. Her better performances have come when things set up very much in her favor and that is not guaranteed here. Society has only one loss from 6 starts when she was well behind Nest but she stumbled at the start in that one and probably merits another chance. Search Results could probably go either way in this company but on her best days she can threaten. Malathaat missed by a half length in this affair a year ago at Del Mar in a race which set up quite well for her late charge. Recent win over the track and trip in her favor. Clairiere has traded punches with Malathaat over time but was dull in last effort in late August and has rested a couple of months prior to this.
[6] Nest [8] Society [7] Search Results [1] Malathaat [4] Clairiere
Race #10 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Turf
Often the most challenging race of the entire Breeders’ Cup even though 2400 meters should offer plenty of time for the best horse to reach the fore. This year there are quite a number of them which could win it without really turning heads and chief among them is Rebel’s Romance, who is now 4-for-4 on grass and who makes first U.S. start for Charles Appleby. Romping winner of the 2021 UAE Derby has matured and sports 4 wins on grass at this trip. Mishriff was the winner of the 2021 Saudi Cup ($20 Mil.) on dirt and next out landed the $5 Mil. Dubai Sheema Classic on turf. On the downside he has just one win since. Mishriff was a dull 13th in the recent Arc de Triomphe though is licensed to go better here on firm footing. Nations Pride is another for Charles Appleby and William Buick lands this mount aboard colt looking for 3rd straight win in the USA. Improvement potential is there. Stone Age disappointed in the Epsom Derby and although winless since then he has been improving and seems to fit with this lot. Broome was all of 86 to 1 in the Arc and 56 to 1 in last year’s Arc but did miss by a mere half-length in this event last year. Not expecting an especially hot pace this time but Broome will be finishing if it should occur.
[5] Rebel’s Romance [11] Mishrill [7] Nations Pride [3] Stone Age [4] Broome
Race #11 on Saturday
Breeders’ Cup Classic 1 1/4 miles
It is probably safe to say that everyone who will at any point delve into the 2022 Breeders’ Cup will ask themselves the question: “Will Flightline remain undefeated?”. So far the lightly-raced 4yo has done everything right after selling for $1 Mil. as a yearling. He raced around two turns for the first time ever in the Pacific Classic two months ago and he won by an eye-catching 19 lengths in that $1 Mil. Gr. I event. The early sectionals were quite lively for that event though the small field of 6 failed to keep him from battling eye-to-eye early and then drawing away. Figure-wise he towers over everything in today’s cast yet this corner doesn’t see him as “invincible”, which is the popular opinion. This race will offer an opponent (Life is Good) with raw early speed and a handful of others who like to race from right behind the pace, suggesting that the mid-race pressure could be greater, and better, than what Flightline is used to seeing. Indeed it was Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammar doing much of the chasing last time but that foe is 0-for-3 since Dubai and may be in the midst of a so-called “Dubai bounce”. In no way is Flightline worth the price on the nose yet his is the first number you want when ending your multi-race exotics tickets on the day’s last big race. Others worth a light dusting for the top spot in perhaps hedge wagers in multi-race bets include Taiba, who is a lightly-raced, up-and-coming 3yo capable of further improvement. Life Is Good, who is the likely early speed of the field in a scenario where they may leave him alone a bit while keeping an eye on one another. And Epicenter, narrow runner-up in the Kentucky Derby who has since won the Travers by daylight and has every right to leap forward himself. The latter would benefit from a lively and contested early tempo.
As is the case for nearly every Breeders’ Cup, for most American punters it will come down to how they opt to lay their multi-race wagers and whether they’re reaching further (too many races) and/or deeper (using too many in any given race) than their bankrolls will allow come crunch time.
A great bunch of racing in store… so for what time will you set your alarm on Sunday morning???