Top Contenders in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, Mile, Turf and Sprint
by Patricia Woo | Nov 2 2009
November in the horse racing world means one thing: the Breeders' Cup! And this year-end, two-day extravaganza is a bonanza of opportunity for bettors to wager on horse racing - whether you've been following along all season or you're new to the scene. So get ready for two days of incredible racing with the Bodog Racebook at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
The highlight of the first day of racing on Thursday, Nov. 5 is the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, a $2M 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-old fillies and mares. Even with superstar mare Zenyatta leaning toward the Breeders' Cup Classic a day later, the Ladies' Classic is brimming with exciting competitors like Lethal Heat, Music Note and Careless Jewel. Lethal Heat has played second fiddle to Zenyatta all year and should blossom in her absence. The 4-year-old Barry Abrams trainee has had a string of runner-up finishes and is looking for her first win of the year. On the other hand, Music Note is coming off two consecutive Grade 1 wins and will be seeking to better last year's third-place finish; this 4-year-old Saeed bin Suroor trainee is certainly stronger and faster. Three-year-old Careless Jewel will be facing older horses for the first time but this Josie Carroll trainee is unbeaten in five starts, including the Gr. 1 Alabama Stakes. Life is Sweet, Cocoa Beach, Provisio, Mushka and Rainbow View round out the potential lineup.
One-mile turf runners will take center stage on Friday, Nov. 6 in the $2M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Mile for 3-year-olds and up. Fourteen have been pre-nominated, with Court Vision, Goldikova and Justenuffhumor among the top contenders. Court Vision has found newfound life under the training of Rick Dutrow, Jr., bouncing back from a mid-season slump that saw him lose five straight; he is coming into the Mile off a hard-fought win in the Gr. 1 Shadwell Turf Mile. Despite losing her last outing, last year's champ Goldikova is back to her best distance of a mile and should be the favorite. And while Justenuffhumor found the slop hard to deal with in the Shadwell Turf Mile, he has six wins this year and the firmer turf of Santa Anita Park to look forward to. The field also includes Awesome Gem, Whatsthescript, Cowboy Cal and Gladiatorus.
The best sprinters will be highlighted in the $2M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, a 6-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up. Bob Baffert's 3-year-old Zensational will be the horse to beat, having won three straight Grade 1 races in a row. But strong competition will come from Saeed bin Suroor's Gayego, who stunned horse bettors with his incredible last-to-first surge to victory in his last outing. Capt. Candyman Can and Fatal Bullet are also among the top contenders for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
And the smallest field of the day will take to the grass in the 1 ½-mile Breeders' Cup Turf, a Gr. 1 race with a $3M purse. Michael Stoute's Conduit, last year's reigning champion, should emerge as the race favorite, while his stablemate Spanish Moon is a strong contender in his own right. Presious Passion and Telling top the American contingent.
Are you ready for the Breeders' Cup on Nov. 5-6? Bet on horse racing at Santa Anita Park with Bodog Racebook!
